2

da snake device
dere employed by bit ip 1, a
Din December 8 1774 T....
ascut la the on a used »

to of the deanted to Georgia is up, D
"abor cady," b sauce der -

ow that shoul be a division, sad lin
a4 twag ka q qof et in die drawing
id tear shake devi e iar
in the last time in the Porn

of toba 18, 1775.

-the New-York Journal. the Mos...
'saria Jounal wele, so far as 1,” qa
pt a snake device. It was not 1 ng
l attention in the newspapers.

er of August 15, 1774, w te pra

For the NEW-YORK GAZUTLER.

Fou the so win, de, 't do th› Hood ng cor Arierteen
NEWS PAPERS.

ns of S.dition, how cones it to prs,

251 Vuerie's typid by a SNAKE in the grass? Joe a tank 'tis & se udat vis, saney reflection, Traits the sepidest, severest Corre-Con.

N. W ENGLAND's the Head too;

For the 1er of the Sup at we know soola de Bruiser.

These Foss, reputed in the Boston News-Letter of
8 (p 2), drew from the patriots at rest two rapli s. 1
appeared in the Bradfords Pennsylvania Jurnal ɔf
(p. 22):

For the PEN. YLVANIA JOUR VAL.

To the Author of the Lines, in Mr. Rivington's Pater, en dần
Snake depicted in some of the American News-Fapers.

T

`HAT New-England's abus'd, and by dons of sedition.

is granted without either prayer or petition.

And that 'tis a scandalous, sancy redenen,
Laat merits the soundest, severest correction,”

Engraved for The Colonial Society of Massachusetts from originals in the passession of the American Antiquarian Society

Is as readily granted. "How comes it to pass?
Because she is pester'd with snakes in the grass;
Who by lying and cringing, and such like pretensions,
Get places once honoured, disgraced with pensions.
And you, Mr. Pensioner, instead of repentance,

(If I don't mistake you) have wrote your own sentence;

For by such Snakes as this, New-England's abused,

And the head of these serpents, "you know, should be bruised."

NEW-JERSEY.

The other reply was printed in the Massachusetts Spy of September 15 (p. 3/3):

On reading the piece, (inserted in Draper's last paper) re-
lative to the Snake at the head of some of the American
Papers.

E traitors! the Snake ye with wonder behold,

YE

Is not the deceiver so famous of old;

Nor is it the Snake in the grass that ye view,

Which would be a striking resemblance of you,

Who aiming your stings at your own country's heel,

Its Weight and resentment to crush you— should feel.

Violent as political controversies were in the stormy decade which preceded the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, the printers of the newspapers at least showed a sense of humor and did not hesitate to print communications aimed at themselves. In his New-York Journal of September 15, 1774, Holt printed the following (p. 4/1) :

In the same paper of September 29, 1774, appeared these lines (p. 4/1), which were reprinted in the Massachusetts Spy of October 27 (p. 4/1):

Britain'

on a

Great of length, but in breadth they now wind on a shore

That's divided by inlets, by creeks, and by bays,

A snake* cut in parts, a pat emblem convey

The fell junto at home sure their heads are but froth -
Fain this snake would have caught to supply viper broth
For their worn constitution and to it they go,

Hurry Tom, without his yes or his no,

On the boldest adventure their annals can show:

By their wisdom advised, he their courage displays,

For they seiz'd on the tongue 'mong their first of essays;
Nor once thought of the teeth, when our snake they assail -
Tho' the prudent catch snakes by the back or the tail

To direct to the head! — our GOOD KING must indite 'em
They forgot that the head would most certainly bite 'em.

* Some fifty years hence, when the body fills up, an elephant supporting Great Britain on his back, will be a more proper emblem.

It has already been stated that on December 15, 1774, Holt changed the design in the title of his paper from a divided snake to a double coiled snake, with its tail in its mouth. As a result, the following lines appeared in Rivington's New-York Gazetteer of January 19, 1775 (p. 2/2) :

T

To Neighbour HOLT,

On his EMBLEMATICAL TWISTIFICATION.

IS true, JOHNNY HOLT, you have caus'd us some pain,

by changing your HEAD-PIECE again and again;

But then to your praise it may justly be said,

You have given us a Notable TAIL-PIECE in stead.

"Tis true, that the ARMS of a good British King, Have been forc'd to give way to a SNAKE - with a STING; Which some would interpret, as tho' it imply'd,

That the KING of a wound by that SERPENT had died.