Description:

Paine Thomas 1737 - 1809 Stunning Thomas Paine poem presented in musical manuscript with poem set below, "The Death Of General Wolfe"
Single page musical manuscript with hand scripted poem, 8" x 12.75" Manuscript copy of Thomas Paine's poem, "The Death of General Wolfe" entitled here as DEATH OF WOLF. Ca. 1818, on laid paper with watermark dated 1818. 12.5" x 8". With one horizontal and one vertical crease, short closed marginal tears at folds, pin hole to center of sheet (at fold), lightly toned with slight edgewear, blank verso with upper portion soiled. Presents exceedingly well.


A lovely manuscript copy of Thomas Pain's poem with the first verse set to music by T. Smart. Paine published the poem, set it to music in the Pennsylvania Magazine in March 1775, using the pseudonym. Small variances occur with the text compared to the original poem.

The full original poem written by Paine is shown below:

"The Death Of General Wolfe

In a mouldering cave where the wretched retreat,

Britannia sat wasted with care;

She mourned for her Wolfe, and exclaim'd against fate

And gave herself up to despair.

The walls of her cell she had sculptured around


With the feats of her favorite son;

And even the dust, as it lay on the ground,

Was engraved with the deeds he had done.

The sire of the Gods, from his crystalline throne,

Beheld the disconsolate dame,

And moved with her tears, he sent Mercury down,

And these were the tidings that came:

'Britannia forbear, not a sigh nor a tear

For thy Wolfe so deservedly loved,

Your tears shall be changed into triumphs of joy,

For thy Wolfe is not dead but removed.

'The sons of the East, the proud giants of old.

Have crept from their darksome abodes,

And this is the news as in Heaven it was told,

They were marching to war with the Gods;

A Council was held in the chambers of Jove,

And this was their final decree,

That Wolfe should be called to the armies above,

And the charge was intrusted to me.

'To the plains of Quebec with the orders I flew,

He begg'd for a moment's delay;

He cry'd 'Oh! forbear, let me victory hear,

And then thy command I'll obey.'

With a darksome thick film I encompass'd his eyes,

And bore him away in an urn,

Lest the fondness he bore to his own native shore,

Should induce him again to return.'"

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