L'Ombre de l'Olivier

The Shadow of the Olive Tree

being the maunderings of an Englishman on the Côte d'Azur

05 November 2008 Blog Home : November 2008 : Permalink

Remember Remember

Remember, remember the fifth of November,
gunpowder, treason and plot,
I see no reason why gunpowder treason
should ever be forgot.

Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes,
’twas his intent
to blow up the King and the Parliament.
Three score barrels of powder below,
Poor old England to overthrow:
By God’s providence he was catch’d
With a dark lantern and burning match.

Holloa boys, holloa boys, make the bells ring.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!
Hip hip hoorah!

A penny loaf to feed the Pope.
A farthing o’ cheese to choke him.
A pint of beer to rinse it down.
A faggot of sticks to burn him.
Burn him in a tub of tar.
Burn him like a blazing star.
Burn his body from his head.
Then we’ll say ol’ Pope is dead.
Hip hip hoorah!
Hip hip hoorah!

The real lesson, and one that some depressed McCain supporters might like to bear in mind, is that blowing up governments doesn't work. If you get caught trying then you get clobbered as Mr Fawkes and his merry men demonstrated 403 years ago and which  Al Qaeda proved again just 7 years ago. On the other hand if you succeed then the resulting pogroms, riots and wars (see Archduke Ferdinand - 1914) make the reaction meted out to those caught seem minor.

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