[Bards] Bards Digest, Vol 11, Issue 19

[Jay Rudin]

Gaerraed wrote:

> Very nice piece Cadfan:) Wasn't there another famous Green Dragon Tavern
> in Boston that was the headquarters for the Sons of Liberty? Kind of a
> starting point for the American Revolution?

Yes, there was.  Good catch.  Story available here:
http://freemasonrywatch.org/boston_tea_party.html

The Boston Tea Party was planned there, and Dr. Warren sent Paul Revere on 
his ride from there.  Not only was it connected with the start of the 
revolution, but also with its end -- in 1788, a group of artisans met at the 
Green Dragon and passed a series of resolutions urging that the U.S. 
Constitution be ratified.

It evidently still exists, as shown here:
http://www.celticweb.com/greendragon/
http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-2826519-green_dragon_tavern_boston-i

According to one site, there was a song about it:
The Rally Mohawks Song
(Sung after the Boston Tea Party)
 Rally, Mohawks bring out your axes!
And tell King George we'll pay no taxes
     on his foreign tea!
His threats are vain - and vain to think
To force our girls and wives to drink
     His vile Bohea!
Then rally boys, and hasten on
To meet our Chiefs at the Green Dragon.
Our Warren's there, and bold Revere,
With hands to do and words to cheer
     For Liberty and Laws!
Our country's Braves and firm defenders
Shall ne'er be left by true North-Enders,
     Fighting Freedom's cause!
Then rally boys and hasten on
to meet our Chiefs at the Green Dragon


(I can't vouch for the website's accuracy.)

> My 'Canadian' may be getting the better of me, so don't take my word for
> it - I may be getting my radical plots confused. All your rebel plots
> blend together sometimes:)

It's easy to keep them apart.  Just sort them by plan and level of success:

Runnymede.  Plan: ignore the King's power.  Succeeded.
John Cade.  Plan: kill all the lawyers.  Failed
Guy Fawkes.  Plan: kill all the MPs.  Failed.
Cromwell.  Plan: destroy the King's power.  Succeeded for eleven years, then 
failed.
Glorious Revolution.  Plan: ignore the King's power.  Succeeded.
Washington.  Plan: ignore the King's power.  Succeeded.
Sepoy Mutiny.  Plan: ignore the Queen's power.  Failed.
Boxer Rebellion.  Plan: ignore the Queen's power.  Failed.
Gandhi.  Plan: ignore the King's power.  Succeeded.

Does that help?

> I loved the allusions to all of the different dragons and can imagine
> this might be fodder for another verse. Is there a tune? If not I have a
> few ideas;)

I'm not sure you could do the extra verse, though, just because the poem is 
shaped by the seasons: spring, summer, autumn, winter.  Another verse just 
doesn't scan:
And when I went to Boston
On the July Fourth of my year,
We found the old Green Dragon
With Warren and Revere....

Robin of Gilwell / Jay Rudin