See John the Soldier, Jack1 the Tar2,
With sword and pistol arm’d for war,
Should Mounseer dare come here;
The hungry slaves have smelt3 our food,
They long to taste our flesh and blood,
Old England’s beef and beer.
Britons to arms! and let ’em come,
Be you but Britons still, strike home,
And, lion-like, attack ’em,
No power can stand the deadly stroke
That’s given from hands and hearts of oak,
With Liberty to back ’em.
From the unpropitious regions of France our scene changes to the fertile fields of England.
England! bound in with the triumphant4 sea,
Whose rocky shores beat back the envious5 siege
Of wat’ry Neptune6.
Instead of the forlorn and famished8 party who were represented in the last plate, we here see a company of well-fed and high-spirited Britons, marked with all the hardihood of ancient times, and eager to defend their country.
In the first group a young peasant, who aspires9 to a niche10 in the temple of Fame, preferring the service of Mars to that of Ceres, and the dignified11 appellation12 of soldier to the plebeian13 name of farmer, offers to enlist14. Standing15 with his back against the halberd to ascertain16 his height, and, finding he is rather under the mark, he endeavours to reach it by rising on tiptoe. This artifice17, to which he is impelled18 by towering ambition, the serjeant seems disposed to connive19 at — and the serjeant is a hero, and a great man in his way; “your hero always must be tall, you know.”
To evince that the polite arts were then in a flourishing state, and cultivated by more than the immediate20 professors, a gentleman artist, who to common eyes must pass for a grenadier, is making a caricature of le grand monarque, with a label from his mouth worthy21 the speaker and worthy observation, “You take a my fine ships; you be de pirate; you be de teef: me send my grand armies, and hang you all.” The action is suited to the word, for with his left hand this most Christian22 potentate23 grasps his sword, and in his right poises24 a gibbet. The figure and motto united produce a roar of approbation25 from the soldier and sailor, who are criticising the work. It is so natural that the Helen and Briseis of the camp contemplate26 the performance with apparent delight, and, while one of them with her apron27 measures the breadth of this herculean painter’s shoulders, the other, to show that the performance has some point, places her forefinger28 against the prongs of a fork. The little fifer, playing that animated29 and inspiring tune7, “God save the King,” is an old acquaintance: we recollect30 him in the March to Finchley. In the back-ground is a serjeant, teaching a company of young recruits their manual exercise.
This military meeting is held at the sign of the Gallant31 Duke of Cumberland, who is mounted upon a prancing32 charger,
As if an angel dropp’d down from the clouds,
To turn and wield33 a fiery34 Pegasus,
And witch the world with noble horsemanship.
Underneath35 is inscribed36 “Roast and Boiled every day,” which, with the beef and beverage37 upon the table, forms a fine contrast to the soup maigre, bare bones, and roasted frogs, in the last print. The bottle painted on the wall, foaming38 with liquor, which, impatient of imprisonment39, has burst its cerements, must be an irresistible40 invitation to a thirsty traveller. The soldier’s sword laid upon the round of beef, and the sailor’s pistol on the vessel41 containing the ale, intimate that these great bulwarks42 of our island are as tenacious43 of their beef and beer, as of their religion and liberty.
These two plates were published in 1756; but in the London Chronicle for October 20, 1759, is the following advertisement: “This day are republished, Two prints designed and etched by William Hogarth, one representing the preparations on the French coast for an intended invasion; the other, a view of the preparations making in England to oppose the wicked designs of our enemies; proper to be stuck up in public places, both in town and country, at this juncture44.”
The verses which were inserted under each print, and subjoined to this account, are, it must be acknowledged, coarse enough. They were, however, written by David Garrick.
The End

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收听单词发音

1
jack
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n.插座,千斤顶,男人;v.抬起,提醒,扛举;n.(Jake)杰克 | |
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2
tar
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n.柏油,焦油;vt.涂或浇柏油/焦油于 | |
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3
smelt
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v.熔解,熔炼;n.银白鱼,胡瓜鱼 | |
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4
triumphant
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adj.胜利的,成功的;狂欢的,喜悦的 | |
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5
envious
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adj.嫉妒的,羡慕的 | |
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6
Neptune
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n.海王星 | |
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7
tune
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n.调子;和谐,协调;v.调音,调节,调整 | |
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8
famished
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adj.饥饿的 | |
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9
aspires
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v.渴望,追求( aspire的第三人称单数 ) | |
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10
niche
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n.壁龛;合适的职务(环境、位置等) | |
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11
dignified
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a.可敬的,高贵的 | |
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12
appellation
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n.名称,称呼 | |
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13
plebeian
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adj.粗俗的;平民的;n.平民;庶民 | |
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14
enlist
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vt.谋取(支持等),赢得;征募;vi.入伍 | |
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15
standing
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n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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16
ascertain
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vt.发现,确定,查明,弄清 | |
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17
artifice
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n.妙计,高明的手段;狡诈,诡计 | |
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18
impelled
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v.推动、推进或敦促某人做某事( impel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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19
connive
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v.纵容;密谋 | |
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20
immediate
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adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的 | |
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21
worthy
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adj.(of)值得的,配得上的;有价值的 | |
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22
Christian
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adj.基督教徒的;n.基督教徒 | |
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23
potentate
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n.统治者;君主 | |
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24
poises
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使平衡( poise的第三人称单数 ); 保持(某种姿势); 抓紧; 使稳定 | |
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25
approbation
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n.称赞;认可 | |
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26
contemplate
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vt.盘算,计议;周密考虑;注视,凝视 | |
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27
apron
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n.围裙;工作裙 | |
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28
forefinger
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n.食指 | |
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29
animated
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adj.生气勃勃的,活跃的,愉快的 | |
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30
recollect
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v.回忆,想起,记起,忆起,记得 | |
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31
gallant
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adj.英勇的,豪侠的;(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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32
prancing
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v.(马)腾跃( prance的现在分词 ) | |
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33
wield
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vt.行使,运用,支配;挥,使用(武器等) | |
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34
fiery
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adj.燃烧着的,火红的;暴躁的;激烈的 | |
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35
underneath
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adj.在...下面,在...底下;adv.在下面 | |
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36
inscribed
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v.写,刻( inscribe的过去式和过去分词 );内接 | |
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37
beverage
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n.(水,酒等之外的)饮料 | |
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38
foaming
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adj.布满泡沫的;发泡 | |
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39
imprisonment
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n.关押,监禁,坐牢 | |
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40
irresistible
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adj.非常诱人的,无法拒绝的,无法抗拒的 | |
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41
vessel
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n.船舶;容器,器皿;管,导管,血管 | |
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42
bulwarks
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n.堡垒( bulwark的名词复数 );保障;支柱;舷墙 | |
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43
tenacious
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adj.顽强的,固执的,记忆力强的,粘的 | |
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44
juncture
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n.时刻,关键时刻,紧要关头 | |
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