1809.1
A Political Parody
Anon
The Morning Chronicle (January 3, 1809)

A Christmas Gambol.

As sung at the Priory.

Bythe War Minister.

This is the City of Lisbon.
This is the gold that lay in the City of Lisbon.
These are the French who took the gold
That lay in the City of Lisbon.

This is Sir ARTHUR,[1] whose valour and skill
Began so well, but ended so ill;
Who beat the French who took the gold
That lay in the City of Lisbon.

This is the Convention[2] that nobody owns,
That saved old JUNOT'S baggage and bones,
Altho' Sir ARTHUR (whose valour and skill
Began so well, but ended so ill,)
Had beaten the French, who took the gold
That lay in the City of Lisbon.

These are the ships that carried the spoil
That the French had plundered with so much toil,
After the Convention, which nobody owns,
Which saved old JUNOT'S baggage and bones;
Altho' Sir ARTHUR (whose valour and skill
Began so well, but ended so ill,)
Had beaten the French, who took the gold
That lay in the City of Lisbon.

This is JOHN BULL, in great dismay
At the sight of the ships which carried away
The gold and the silver, and all the spoil,
The French had plundered with so much toil,
After the Convention, which nobody owns,
Which saved old JUNOT'S baggage and bones;
Altho' Sir ARTHUR (whose valour and skill
Began so well, but ended so ill,)
Had beaten the French, who took the gold
That lay in the City of Lisbon.

Notes

1. Sir Arthur Wellesley, later the Duke of Wellington, who defeated the French at Vimeiro, Spain on August 21, 1808.

2. The Convention of Cintra (August 30, 1808) allowed the defeated French under Junot to return to France unhindered and to carry with them booty from the Spanish.