If you want a receipt for that popular mystery, <br />Known to the world as a Heavy Dragoon, <br />Take all the remarkable people in history, <br />Rattle them off to a popular tune! <br />The pluck of LORD NELSON on board of the VICTORY - <br />Genius of BISMARCK devising a plan; <br />The humour of FIELDING (which sounds contradictory) - <br />Coolness of PAGET about to trepan - <br />The grace of MOZART, that unparalleled musico - <br />Wit of MACAULAY, who wrote of QUEEN ANNE - <br />The pathos of PADDY, as rendered by BOUCICAULT - <br />Style of the BISHOP OF SODOR AND MAN - <br />The dash of a D'ORSAY, divested of quackery - <br />Narrative powers of DICKENS and THACKERAY - <br />VICTOR EMMANUEL - peak-haunting PEVERIL - <br />THOMAS AQUINAS, and DOCTOR SACHEVERELL - <br />TUPPER and TENNYSON - DANIEL DEFOE - <br />ANTHONY TROLLOPE and MISTER GUIZOT! <br />Take of these elements all that is fusible, <br />Melt 'em all down in a pipkin or crucible, <br />Set 'em to simmer and take off the scum, <br />And a Heavy Dragoon is the residuum! <br /> <br />If you want a receipt for this soldierlike paragon, <br />Get at the wealth of the CZAR (if you can) - <br />The family pride of a Spaniard from Arragon - <br />Force of MEPHISTO pronouncing a ban - <br />A smack of LORD WATERFORD, reckless and rollicky - <br />Swagger of RODERICK, heading his clan - <br />The keen penetration of PADDINGTON POLLAKY - <br />Grace of an Odalisque on a divan - <br />The genius strategic of CAESAR or HANNIBAL - <br />Skill of LORD WOLSELEY in thrashing a cannibal - <br />Flavour of HAMLET - the STRANGER, a touch of him - <br />Little of MANFRED (but not very much of him) - <br />Beadle of Burlington - RICHARDSON'S show - <br />MR. MICAWBER and MADAME TUSSAUD! <br />Take of these elements all that is fusible - <br />Melt 'em all down in a pipkin or crucible - <br />Set 'em to simmer and take off the scum, <br />And a Heavy Dragoon is the residuum!<br /><br />William Schwenck Gilbert<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-heavy-dragoon/
