Kawanio che Keeteru!

Kawanio Che Keeteru: A TRUE RELATION OF A Bloody BATTLE Fought BETWEEN GEORGE and LEWIS, In the YEAR 1755. (Printed in the Year MDCCLVI.)

THE Words I have chosen at the Head of my Title Page, I am told by a Gentleman skilled in the Indian Languages, is very expressive of a HERO relying on GOD to bless his Endeavours, in protecting what he has put under his Care.

To form some Idea of its Signification, he says, you may imagine a Man, with his Wife, and Children about him, and, with an Air of Resolution, calling out to his Enemy, ALL THESE GOD HAS GIVEN ME, AND I WILL DEFEND THEM.

ARGUMENT.
How GEORGE, for to regain his Right,
With LEWIS held a dreadful Fight;
In which the Man who rais'd the Strife;
Was vanquished, and lost his Life:
Whereon a warm Dispute arose,
About the legal Use of BLOWS.

THERE liv'd a Man not long ago,
And yet may live, for ought I know;
A Patriot hold, of honest Fame,
A Briton true, and GEORGE his Name:
His gen'rous Breast contain'd a Heart,
That dar'd to act an honest Part.

He lov'd the Cause of Liberty;
And scorn'd a Life that was not free:
His Country's Cause he would defend,
And venture all to serve a Friend.

No Man more bold in Time of Danger;
To bear, as well as 〈◊〉, a Stranger.

Thus long our Hero, liv'd at Ease
With all the World, in Love and Peace,
Till LEWIS, whose ambitious Mind,
Nor Law, nor Justice, e'er could bind;
Seiz'd on a Part of GEORGE's Land,
And held Possession, Sword in Hand.

Our Hero, tho' averse to War,
Could not this daring Insult bear,
But soon resolv'd his Foe to fight,
And by the Sword regain his Right.

BUT, as 'tis very seldom known,
That one Misfortune comes alone,
So honest GEORGE had scarcely heard,
How he, as to his Land, had far'd,
When, lo! 'twas his unhappy Fate,
To meet another Loss, as great.

For LEWIS, who to gain his End,
Would to the meanest Things descend,
Contriv'd our Warrier's House to rob,
And brib'd a Thief to do the Job.

The Villain follow'd the Direction;
Then fled to LEWIS for Protection;
But first had seiz'd on GEORGE's Money,
And plunder'd him of ev'ry Penny:
Stole every Pistol, Sword and Gun,
That he could lay his Fingers on.

But what chagrin'd our Hero most,
Was, that his trusty Sword was lost.

His Sire, at Blenbeim, found it good,
And stain'd it there with Gallit Blood;
With it our Warrier gain'd Applause,
At Culloden, in BRITAIN's Cause:
This Sword gave GEORGE no little Pain;
But it was stol'n, and Grief was vain.

THUS GEORGE, now in a needful Hour,
Had not a Weapon in his Power;
And what made the Misfortune worse,
Had scarce a Farthing in his Purse.

IN this sad Case, away he flies,
With all the Warrier in his Eyes,
To SIMON, his Acquaintance, who
Was his fast Friend, and Neighbour too,
To whom he freely did impart,
The Cause of all his present Smart.

Quoth he, "I'm come upon my Word,
"To borrow Cash, to buy a Sword;
"For LEWIS, that perfidious Knave,
"Who fain would all the World enslave,
"Whose restless and ambitious Mind,
"The Laws of Justice cannot bind:
"Has seiz'd my Land, and what is worse,
"Resolves to hold his Claim by Force.

"I therefore am resolv'd to try,
"To have my Land again, or die;
"I'll bring the proud Invader down:
"I know his Strength, and know my own.

SIMON was of a gen'rous Cast▪
In Friendship, constant to the last▪
He wanted not his Share of Sense,
Nor was averse to Self-Defence;
But durst not own it to the Church,
For fear of eccles'astick Birch.

Quoth SIMON, "Tis a wretched Case,
"That this Disturber of our Peace,
"Should lord it o'er his Neighbours thus,
"What will at last become of us?

"If he has seiz'd on Land of thine,
"No doubt he soon will seize on mine,
"But GEORGE, thy rash Design forbear,
"And trust to Heav'ns paternal Care;
"Those who for Self-Defence contend,
"Cannot on Providence depend.

"Besides, Defence cannot be right,
"Since Christians are forbid to fight:
"But as thy Money is so scant,
"A little Sum thou shalt not want;
"For to refuse a Friend your Purse,
"Is really mean, or something worse.

"GEORGE, I will lend thee twenty Pieces;
"They'll do thee Service, as thy Case is▪
"Whatever Use thou puts them to,
"Is no Concern of mine, to know.

GEORGE understood what SIMON meant;
And bowing-low, away he went,
Revolving in his honest Mind,
The Vice and Follies of Mankind.

SIMON, he saw, us'd all his Art,
To hide the Language of his Heart;
That all he said on Self-Defence,
Was nothing more than meer Pretence:
But as he just had gain'd his Suit,
'Twould be imprudent to dispute.

As happy now, as any Lord,
He with his Money bought a Sword,
And Weapons, such as suits a Knight,
When ready to engage in Fight.

He hourly now impatient grows,
To meet the Foe▪ and come to Blows.

But quite averse to shedding Blood,
Our valiant Warrier held it good,
Rather than try his Right by Force,
To take a more pacific Course:
He therefore sent a trusty Hand,
To let the Tyrant understand,
That tho' he was for Fight prepar'd,
And from the Combat nothing fear'd;
Yet, as he was inclin'd to Peace,
He freely would submit his Case,
For to be try'd at Reason's Bar,
And would abide the Judgment there.

But LEWIS of his Prowess vain,
Treated this Message with Disdain.

"Go back, Quoth he, and tell your Lord,
"That I try Titles by the Sword;
"It is the shortest Way by far,
"And less expensive than the Bar;
"And 'tis the Way that I intend,
"To bring our Quarrel to an End:
"Let's fight it fairly, Hand to Hand,
"And the Survivor take the Land.

When GEORGE this Message had receiv'd,
Quoth he, "If I am not deceiv'd,
"This Boaster, when too late, may find
"Himself much more to Peace inclin'd,
"And wish, in vain, that he had clos'd,
"With the fair Offer I propos'd.

"This Message take him instantly:
"Tell the perfidious Man from me,
"That all his Threats I hold in scorn,
"And will attend To-morrow Morn,
"At Dawn of Day, and in the Field,
"He has by Force unjustly held."

NO sooner had the King of Day,
Bedeck'd the Eastern Sky with grey,
When both the Champions well prepar'd,
In the decisive Field appear'd.

Quoth GEORGE, "I joy to meet you here;
"Now to defend yourself prepare."

LEWIS return'd, "Yourself defend,
"Your Life, or mine, the Strife must end"
This said they instantly engage,
With manly Strength, and martial Rage,
A bloody Combat long they held,
Each Side unknowing how to yield.

They sought as brave, some Authors tell us,
As did fam'd Hector and Achilles;
And asking both these Heroes Pardon,
They laid each other full as hard on.

At length our Warrier fill'd with Shame,
Unto a close Engagement came,
And soon let LEWIS understand,
What 'twas to fight him Hand to Hand.

For, now, alas! the Crimson Tide,
Flow'd freely from the Aggressor's Side;
And tho' he scarce his Sword could wield,
His Pride forbad his Heart to yield.

When GEORGE perceiving his Distress,
His haughty Foe did thus address:
"LEWIS, Quoth he, let's end the Strife;
"Restore my Land, and take thy Life."

Quoth LEWIS; "Know, that still I live,
"And scorn the Life that thou can'st give.

"No; one of us must die this Day,
"For Death alone shall end the Fray.

Thus he; when at our Warrier's Head,
With both his Hands a Blow he made;
But GEORGE, who kept a watchful Eye,
Perceiv'd the Stroke, and put it by,
And at this Usage quite enrag'd,
His Foe with double Force engag'd.

NOW LEWIS, when it was too late,
Saw plainly his approaching Fate;
Yet, dauntless, bravely play'd his Part,
'Till GEORGE's Sword had pierc'd his Heart
At which he fell; and falling, cry'd,
MY PUNISHMENT IS JUST; and dy'd.

NOW from the Multitude around,
Loud Acclamations shake the Ground;
Crying, Now all our Fears are fled,
For, lo! the lawless Tyrant's dead;
May Heaven its choicest Gifts bestow,
Upon the Man that gave the Blow.

GEORGE, now all Tenderness appears;
Nor could he stop the flowing Tears
But stood▪ revolving in his Mind,
The various Follies of Mankind,
Then on the Dead he cast his Eye,
And thus addressed the Standers by:
"I'm griev'd, said he, that one so brave,
"Should thus untimely fill the Grave:
"But when at Truth Men shut their Eyes,
"And Reason's sacred Laws despise,
"Will make their vicious Wills their Law,
"And keep by Force the World in awe,
"Rob us of Freedom, Life and Treasure,
"And tell us, 'tis their Will and Pleasure;
"Then the Oppress'd should have Recourse
"To Arms, and right themselves by Force:
"And he that will his Freedom lose,
"Rather than Force with Force oppose,
"Let crazy Heads say all they can,
"Does not deserve the Name of Man.

NOW swift as Light'ning thro' the Skies,
The News of GEORGE's Conquest flies,
And quickly reaching SIMON's Ears,
It dissipated all his Fears:
For now he thought himself secure,
Since haughty LEWIS was no more.

Qouth he, "I'm glad that Neighbour GEORGE,
"Has been to Wickedness a Scourge;
"And tho' Defence at any Time,
"The Faithful hold to be a Crime;
"Yet GEORGE, by Force, we must confess,
"Has freed his Neighbours from Distress;
"Has sav'd their Lives and Liberties,
"And set their aching Hearts at Ease.

WHILST SIMON thus, from Truth had swerv'd,
NATHAN stood by him unobserv'd.

NATHAN, as some are pleas'd to say,
〈…〉 honest in his Way;
He understood as well as any,
To make Advantage of a Penny:
His Countenance was as demure,
As 〈◊〉 the PHIZ of SIMON PURE.
〈◊〉on Defence, he had read o'er,
With many a pious Author more,
Who with enthusiastick Din,
Make Self-Defence a deadly Sin.
His Liberty and Life he'd lose,
Rather than Force with Force oppose,
Nor yet resist in any wise,
Were Heaven itself to be the Prize.
Yet if a Thief his Mansion breaks,
And from him the least Trifle takes,
The Fugitive he will pursue;
Bind him by Force, and hang him too.

THIS Bigot knew well what had past,
'Twixt GEORGE and SIMON, first and last;
And like himself, had lost no Time,
To tell the Church the 〈◊〉 Crime:
And as she knew his Disposition,
Thought him most fit for Inquisition:
Him therefore she dispatch'd away,
To know 〈◊〉 SIMON had to say.

NATHAN with this was so elate,
That he set off without his Hat,
Which gave the pious Man the Pain,
And Shame, of twining back again.

His Hat regain'd, away he stretcht,
Till SIMON's Mansion House he retcht:
Then 〈◊〉 a while to fetch his Breath,
〈◊〉 Countenance as pale as Death,
And putting on a serious Face,
Such as becomes a Child of Grace;
A Sigh he gave, and then a Groan,
And thus began with dismal Tone.

"OUR Elders, SIMON, sent me here,
"Upon a weighty sad Affair:
"The Church is almost broken-hearted,
"Lest thou hast from the Truth departed:
"For when her Pillars are unsound,
"She soon will tumble to the Ground."

QUOTH, SIMON, "NATHAN, Why all this!
"I pray thee tell me what's amiss?"

"Perhaps, Quoth Nathan, 'tis invented,
"Or not so bad as represented:
"But, Friend, it does my Mind distract,
"For fear the Story should be fact."

QUOTH SIMON, "NAT come to the Case,
"Thou'st made, I think, a long Preface."

QUOTH NATHAN, "Then, the Charge is this;
"We think that thou hast done amiss:
"That thou a handsome Sum didst lend,
"To Neighbour GEORGE, thy trusty Friend;
"Altho' he told thee on his Word,
"He'd lay it out to buy a Sword.

"That with the Cash, a Sword he bought,
"And with it had a Battle fought,
"And slain his Neighbour in the Fight,
"In order to obtain his Right.
"If this be true, thou'st gone too far,
"And acted out of Character.

QUOTH SIMON, "Be not in a Hurry
"To judge, before you hear my Story.

"I lent my Cash, I freely own,
"Unto my Friend, who then had none,
"Who told me on his honest Word,
"He wanted it to buy a Sword.

"I lent the Cash; but at the Time,
"Told him, Resistance was a Crime;
"Bid him his rash Design forbear,
"And trust to Heaven's paternal Care
"Told him, Defence could not be right,
"Since Christians were forbid to fight.

"This I repeated o'er and o'er:
"Pray could the Church have told him more?"

Quoth NATHAN, "Tho' all this be true,
"It will not for thy Purpose do;
"For one may see with half an Eye,
"Thou gav'st thy Principles the Lye.

"For to oppose a Thing, and yet
"At the same Time encourage it,
"Smells strongly, SIMON, to be free,
"Of very gross Hypocrisy;
"And he that can act such a Part,
"Must have, I think, a carnal Heart."

QUOTH SIMON, "Thou art warm I see▪
"Thou may'st be civil; yet be free:
"To be ill-natured and uncivil,
"Is in a Saint, a shameful Evil.

"But to the Matter in Dispute,
"I thus thy Arguments confute▪
"When GEORGE the shining Gold had got;
"Was it then mine? I think 'twas not:
"Reason will tell thee 'twas his own.

"Then pray what Right had any one,
"For to concern himself about,
"Which Way he laid his Money out?
"Suppose he'd cast it in the Sea?
"Pray must the Fault be laid on me?"

"The Fault, Quoth NATHAN would be thine,
"If GEORGE had said, 'twas his Design;
"For had he utter'd such a Thought,
"Thoud'st not have lent a single Groat,
"And George might have return'd with Shame,
"And Pennyless as when he came:
"In short, it is as clear as Day,
"That thou hast err'd, and gone astray.

"For to affirm thou didst not know,
"What GEORGE would with the Money do,
"Is all Evasion; all Pretence;
"'Tis an affront to common Sense."

QUOTH SIMON, "All I've said, I see,
"Goes just for Nothing, NAT, with thee;
"With one of thy uncommon Cast,
"To reason, is but Labour lost
"Suppose the Worst of all that's sed;
"I've follow'd, as our Elders led.

"Have they not cry'd out, one and all,
"Against Defence, as Criminal?
"And with grave Faces, told the People,
"'Twas sinful as to build a STEEPLE.

"That none could trust in Providence,
"Who arm themselves for their Defence;
"And on this Tenet, did deny
"To grant the Publick a Supply;
"Altho' 'twas call'd for by the Crown:
"These Truths to all the World are known.

"But now, instead of persevering,
"In these their Tenets, without var'ng,
"These non-resisting Saints, we find,
"Are clearly of another Mind,
"And to secure themselves their Places,
"Begin to put on Martial Faces,
"And voted Sixty Thousand Pound,
"Their Enemies to kill and wound:
"Have made a very fine Machine,
"To catch your Geese and Gudgeons in▪
"Not caught as usual for our Food,
"But in our Cause to shed their Blood.

"By this the observing World may see,
"Faith changes with Conveniency;
"And that what is To-Day a Crime,
"May not be so another Time;
"That People may take up their Creeds,
"Or lay them down, as Int'rest leads.

NOW, NATHAN look'd like one Agast,
And sighing deeply, spoke at last.

Quoth he, "What mortal Man could e'er
"Have Thought things would be, as they are
"Our pious Elders, thought, no Doubt,
"Means would be found to bring about,
"Between the jaring Crowns, a Peace,
"Then all Hostilities would cease;
"Their Principles have been secure,
"And they gone on as heretofore,
"Were they in his at all to blame?
"The Saints have often done the same
"They're bid be harmless, it is true;
"Yet be as wise as Serpents too."

QUOTH SIMON, "Thou hast fell upon,
"The very Scheme they carry'd on,
"The only Source from whence arose,
"Our present Miseries and Woes;
"And which will be a lasting Shame,
"On those who now I shall not name.

"For had they acted honestly,
"And early given a Supply,
"Or if, thro' Principle or Fear,
"They could not give towards the War,
"In either Case, I think they shou'd,
"Have left their Seats to those that wou'd.

"Had this been done, our Elders then,
"Would have appear'd like honest Men;
"Nor should we at this Day have seen,
"An Indian Foe, or Fort Duquesne;
"Nor would great BRADDOCK, once so brave,
"Have at the Meadows filld a Grave.
"And to be short, this Fact is plain,
"Their Love of Pow'r, has been our Bane."

"MY Heart, Quoth NATHAN's almost burst,
"To hear the talk as now thou do'st,
"And still it gives me Joy to see,
"The Church not censur'd yet by thee:
"For She, I'm sure, has 〈◊〉 no Ill,
"But shines with wonted I 〈◊〉 still,
"These earthly Things she 〈◊〉 above,
"And daily prays for Peace and Love."

QUOTH SIMON, "All 〈◊〉 may be true,
"Or may be not, for aught I know,
"But I mean those and only those,
"Who did Supplies at first oppose,
"And ever since have been a brewing,
"What hitherto has been 〈…〉.

"As to my Case, I'll only 〈◊〉 on't;
"It would be idle to say much on't,
"But tell the Church she'd better far,
"Her Process against me forbear,
"Lest I should wisper in her Ear,
"Some Cases she'll not like 〈◊〉 hear.

"For let me say, was I 〈◊〉,
"And Punishment to be inflicted,
"I think she has few Sons, 〈◊〉 none
"Who would have Right 〈…〉 a Stone."

QUOTH NAT, "this 〈◊〉 something 〈◊〉
"And to my Knowledge is not true;
"It grives me, SIMON, to the Heart▪
"To see thee this from Truth depart.
"For none can talk at such a 〈◊〉
"Who are not in a carnal State;
"But there's a 〈◊〉 which carnal Men▪
"Have never 〈◊〉, felt or seen;
"And those 〈◊〉 remain therein,
"Will ever 〈◊〉 Defence a Sin.

"I'd rather lose my tender Wife,
"My Fortune, 〈◊〉 and Life,
"Than to resist murd'ring Foe,
"And by his 〈◊〉 avert the Blow."

QUOTH SIM•• "by what now thou'st said
"Thou art 〈…〉 in thy Head:
"Or what is 〈…〉 arrant Cant▪
"And meer 〈…〉 Rant
"What! see 〈…〉 with all her Charms,
"Distress'd, and 〈…〉 Ruffian's Arms,
"And not thy 〈◊〉 Assistance give?
"Sure such a 〈◊〉 ought not to live.
"I'm shock't, and beg to hear no more,
"Return my Answer—there's the Door."

FINIS.

-Nicholas Scull