To Peter Porcupine.[127]

From Penn's famous city what hosts have departed, The streets and the houses are nearly deserted, But still there remain Two Vipers, that's plain, Who soon, it is thought, yellow flag will display; Old Porcupine preaching, And Fenno beseeching Some dung-cart to wheel him away.

Philadelphians, we're sorry you suffer by fevers, Or suffer such scullions to be your deceivers; Will. Pitt's noisy whelp With his red foxy scalp Whom the kennels of London spew'd out in a fright, Has skulk'd over here To snuffle and sneer, Like a puppy to snap, or a bull dog to bite.

If cut from the gallows, or kick'd from the post, Such fellows as these are of England the boast But Columbia's disgrace! Begone from that place That was dignified once by a Franklin and Penn, But infested by you And your damnable crew Will soon be deserted by all honest men.

Published in the Time-Piece, September 13, 1797, and never again reprinted by Freneau. The poem bore the following introduction:

"Among a despicable mess of scurrility in one of Porcupine's Gazettes of last week, he mentions that 'he was plagued with the Time-Piece for several months.'--It has also been a plague to some others of his brethren, and will go on to be so, till they are hustled into their native dog kennels.--At the commencement of the Time-Piece, by way of soliciting an exchange of papers, the Editor transmitted one copy to each printer of a newspaper in Philadelphia. The compliment was immediately returned by them all except Porcupine. The Editor of the Time-Piece was in no want of his dirty vehicle of ribaldry, for the purposes of compilation. The paper, however, continued to be sent for a few weeks, till finding the hoggishness of the fellow, in not consenting to an exchange, the transmission was discontinued."