John Quincy Adams to William Cranch, 20 August 1786
JQA
Cranch, William
John Quincy Adams to William Cranch, 20 August 1786
Adams, John Quincy
Cranch, William
John Quincy Adams to William Cranch
Sir
Cambridge Augt: 20th. 1786
You are, though living in a garret
No more a Poet, than a Parrot
At first you take a doggrel verse,
And, alexandrine then rehearse.
You hobble on, or wrong or right
With sometimes ten and sometimes eight.
By your own syllogistic rule
You must confess yourself a fool.
and if Bob Longer lacks of wit
He that is shorter must have it.
Besides I see you've chang'd your name
Because the first brought you to shame
324
And must certainly be wrong
Who now is short, and now is long.
R. S.1
RC
(Privately owned); addressed: “Mr: Bob Longer. In the paradise of fools.”
1.
Probably an abbreviation for “Robert Shorter” (that is, Bob Shorter), a comment on JQA's and Cranch's relative heights.
