ALPHABET ARTILLERY

Evening Post, Volume XC, Issue 147, 18 December 1915, Page 14

ALPHABET ARTILLERY

The newspaper heading, "Bombardment of Belgrade," recalls that alliterative curiosity which at one time or another has appealed to us all, "The Siege of Belgrade." As many of my readers may be glad to see them again, I give them in full as they appeared in the Literary Gazette of 23rd December 1820 ■— THE SIEGE OF BELGRADE. Addressed to the Admirers of Alliteration, and the Advocates of Noisy Numbers. Ardentum Aspicio Atque Arrectus Auribus Astro.—Virgil. An Austrian army, awfully arrayed Boldly by battery besieged Belgrade': Cossack commanders cannonading come, Dealing destruction's devastating doom. Every endeavour engineers essay, For fame, for fortune fighting—furious fray! Generals 'gainst generals grapplegracious God, How honours Heaven heroic hardihood ! Infuriate—indiscriminate in ill Kinsmen kill kindred, kindred kinsmen kill : Labour low levels loftiest, longest lines, Men^ march 'mid mounds, 'mid moles, 'mid murderous mines! Now noisy noxious, numbers notice nought Of outward obstacles, opposing ought. Poor patriots !—partly purchased, partly pressed— Quite quaking, quickly " Quarter ! quarter !" 'quest, ■ Reason returns, religious right redounds, Suwarrow stops such sanguinary sounds. Truce to thee, Turkey '—Triumph to thy train, Unwise, unjust, unmerciful Ukraine < Vanish, vain victory I Vanish, victory vain ! Why wish we warfare?— Wherefore welcome were Xerxes, Ximines, Xanthue, Xaviere? Yield, yield, ye youths' Ye yeomen, yield your yell; Zeno's, Zampater's, Zoroaster's zeal, Attracting all, arms against acte appeal!