POETRY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6132, 19 March 1898, Page 3

POETRY.

CREMONA. [By A. Conan DoYtE.] [The French army, including a part otf the Irish brigade, under Marshal Vißeroy, held the fortified town ofCremona-during the winter of 1702. Prince Eugene, with the Imperial army, surprised it one ' morning, and owing to tho treachery ot a priest, had occupied the whole-city before the alarm nu given. Villeroy wus captured, togethertrith matsy j of tbe French garrison. The Irish, however, consisting of the regiments of Dillon and of Bosks, ' held a fort commanding the river gate, and-de-fended themselves all day, in spite of Prince Eugene's efforts to win them over to his cause. Eventually Eugene, being unable to take thepoßt, was compelled to withdraw from t ho- city.]

The traitor 'priest Cwsoli has dose as was fore* toW; The traitor priest CobboH has touched tke (German. ■ gold ; H« liae dug wrt.y the bctmkl, Ho has called to Prince Eugene, He has opened up a passage to Cremona. The grenadiers- of Austria, axe proper mennnd.t/ill; The grenadiers of Austria hare scaled thercity wall ; Tkey have mucked from far away Ere the dawning of the day. And the morning saw them masterwrf 'Cremona,. There's not a man to whisper,4here!e not a, horse to neigh ; Of the footmen of Lorraine • and the tiflers of Dupres, The; have crept up every street In tha market place they meet, They are holding every vantage' in Cremona. The Marshal Villeroy he has started from ftiifl bed; The Marshal ViUeroy lias no wig-uponhislieftd ; " I've lost my men !" quoth, he, " And my men they have lost me, And I sorely fear we both have lost Cremona." Prince Eugene of Austria w in-ihe market place ; Princo Eugeno of Austria has smiles' upon hia face; Says he, " Oar work is dona. For the citadel it won, And the black and yellow flag flies o'er Cremona." And just six hundred Iriun boys are waiting. 'for him there ; Says he, " Coute in jour ehirt, And you won't take any hurt, For the morning air is pleasant in Cremona." Major Don O'BTahony is at the barrack pate, And just six hundred Irish, boys will neither stay nor wait ; There's Dillon and there's Burke, And there'll be some bloody work, Ere the Kaiserlics shall boasttliey hold •Cremona, Major Dan O'Mahony has reached the river fort, And just six hundred Irish, boys are joininginnie sport; " Cotne, take a hand !" says Jue, " And if you will stand by me. Then it's glory to the latm-wbo takes'Ctomonai" Prince Eugene of Austria has 'frowns upon 'Ids face, And loud he calls his galloper of Irish Moodiand race: " MacDonnell, -ride, I pray. To your coimijrvnion, nnd say They have nothingJefb'tohopeifor in Cremona^ " MacDonnell he has reined his more beside «tho river dyke, His trumpeter behind him with a flag -upon a pike ; And six hundred boys were there From Limerick and Clare," The last of all the guardians of Cremona. "Now, Major Dan O'Sfahony, give^ip*theoiTer gate, Or, Major Dan O'Mahony, rjxm'Tl~&nd "it -ia Maa late; For when I gallop *aek 'Tis the signal of attack, And no-quarter for -tho Irish in 'Cremona I" And Major Dan he-laughed : "Faith.if what 'jpu say be true, And if thoy will not come until *heyliear 'again from you, Tli en there will be no attack, For you're ne?er going back, And we'll keep you snug and Bafelydn Cremona," All the weary day the Kaiserlics they coma, All the weary day they were faced by fire -and flttrlßC; They have filled the -ditch withdead, And the river's running red, But they canuot win the loot fort in -Cremona. All the weary day, artiin, again, again, The horsemen of Dupros and the footmen of Lorriuue, Taafe uud Horberstcnn, And the riders of the Shine ; It's ft mighty price they're paying for Cremona I Time and time they came, with the deep-mouthed German roar ; Time and time they broke like the waves 'Upon the shore ; For better men were tbcro From Linieriek and Clare, And who will tiikctho gateway of -Cremona P j Prince Eugene has -watched, und ho gnawß his j nether Irp; i Prince Eugene has cursed as he-caw his chances slip : "Call off! Call off!" he-cried, " It is netring eventide, And I four our work iEiinished in Cremona." Says "Wauchop to M'Auliffe, " Their fire is growing slack." Says Major Dan O'Mahony, " We've seen their last attack ; But v/e'ro loath to stop the enmo ! Whilo there's light to play the same. And we'll walk a short way with them from ! Cremona." And so they snarl behind them, and -beg them tarn andcoine, They have taken Neuberg's standard, they hare taken Diak's drum ; And along the winding Po, Very gloomily and slow, The Kaiserlics arc riding from Cremona. There's justtwo hundred Irish boys are shoutimg on the wall ; There's just fonr hundred lying who can hear no slogan call ; But what's the odds of tliut, For it's all'the same to Pat If he pays his debt in Dublin or Cremona. Says General de Vandray, " Yon' ye done a soldier's work! And every tongue in France shall talk of Dillon and of Burke! Is there anything at all Which I, the general, Can do for you, the heroes of Cremona P" "Why, yes," says D»nO'Mahony, "one favour we entreat. We were called a litOe«arly, and our toilet's not complete. We're no quarrel with the shirt, But the breeches wouldn't hurt, For the evening air is chilly in Cremona."

"I wish," he-said.anxiously to the policeman, "that yon would come with me. I don't want anybody arrested, but I wish, you would persuade two men in the Pig i and Whistle to compromise in Borne way " j "What's the difficulty ?" "They got into an argument over arbitration and universal peace and all that, and I'm afraid they're coming to blows over-it."

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