Poem by William Schwenck Gilbert

Songs of a Savoyard. The Heavy Dragoon

If you want a receipt for that popular mystery,
   Known to the world as a Heavy Dragoon,
Take all the remarkable people in history,
   Rattle them off to a popular tune!
The pluck of Lord Nelson on board of the Victory—
   Genius of Bismarck devising a plan;
The humour of Fielding (which sounds contradictory)—
   Coolness of Paget about to trepan—
The grace of Mozart, that unparalleled musico—
   Wit of Macaulay, who wrote of Queen Anne—
The pathos of Paddy, as rendered by Boucicault—
   Style of the Bishop of Sodor and Man—
The dash of a D’Orsay, divested of quackery—
Narrative powers of Dickens and Thackeray—
Victor Emmanuel—peak-haunting Peveril—
Thomas Aquinas, and Doctor Sacheverell—
   Tupper and Tennyson—Daniel Defoe—
   Anthony Trollope and Mister Guizot!
                     Take of these elements all that is fusible,
                     Melt ’em all down in a pipkin or crucible,
                     Set ’em to simmer and take off the scum,
                     And a Heavy Dragoon is the residuum!

If you want a receipt for this soldierlike paragon,
   Get at the wealth of the Czar (if you can)—
The family pride of a Spaniard from Arragon—
   Force of Mephisto pronouncing a ban—
A smack of Lord Waterford, reckless and rollicky—
   Swagger of Roderick, heading his clan—
The keen penetration of Paddington Pollaky—
   Grace of an Odalisque on a divan—
The genius strategic of Cæsar or Hannibal—
Skill of Lord Wolseley in thrashing a cannibal—
Flavour of Hamlet—the Stranger, a touch of him—
Little of Manfred (but not very much of him)—
   Beadle of Burlington—Richardson’s show—
   Mr. Micawber and Madame Tussaud!
                  Take of these elements all that is fusible—
                  Melt ’em all down in a pipkin or crucible—
                  Set ’em to simmer and take off the scum,
                  And a Heavy Dragoon is the residuum!

1. The Bab Ballads. The Periwinkle Girl
2. The Bab Ballads. General John
3. The Bab Ballads. Haunted
4. The Bab Ballads. A Discontented Sugar Broker
5. The Bab Ballads. To the Terrestrial Globe

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