Page images
PDF
EPUB

My theme the herald of no war's alarms, Of grandeur, power, of honour, or of fame; [charms, Of Aructures loft to all their former Mingled in duft, and found but by a

name.

More arduous far the Mufe's talk's affign'd;

Thy aid, Melpomene, her efforts crave, Whilft the reviews the ruins of the mind, Poor Reafon, buried in the body's grave. O Reason, lamp that lights the bufy foul, To govern human paffion kindly giv'n; Our faith, our joys, and forrows, to controul; [Heav'n: = Thou brightest mirror of reflected

Bleft taper, lighting to Religion's throne, Ah! what were man without thy genial fway! [known, His hopes how frail! how little had he Without thy ftrong and unerroneous ray!

Poor infects had we been in nature's fcale, [brute; Confign'd to dullness, levell'd with the The wanton fport of Folly's vicious gale; Of Wisdom's tree precluded from the fruit.

Reafon depos'd, how art thou funk, O Man? [then thy boaft? Hoodwink'd thy mind, ah! where is Confus'dly restless, and without a plan, Immers'd in doubt, and to reflection loft.

So yon fair feat of elegance and tafte Which spread its charms to admiration's eye, Defroy'd, behold a defolated waste, And low in duft its fplendid honours lie.

-Wort Pandemonium of the human mind, [from thee? Tremendous Madness-who's exempt The weak, the ftrong, the brave, thy fhackles bind,

And victims fall to thy fevere decree. How vaft thy havoc o'er the human form, [lente: O'er beauty, mem'ry, excellence, and Perfection's safe not from thy ruthlefs ftorm, [tence. And wit or learning but a teeble

How fhall the Mufe thy varied woes recite,

Thy wild ideas, fofter'd in the brain, That warm the cheated foul with fond delight, [pain. Or form huge phantoms of fictitious

ear,

Yet her's the task, the strives the course to fteer, [fail, With diffidence expands the vent'rous While beterogeneous founds diftra&t the [tune's vale. And urge her paffage thro' MisforBehold that ftately figure-Child of Pride! I knew him ere to madnefs thus a - prey,

When felf-importance urg'd him to deride, [fway. And, fcarcely own a great Creator's And now in all the mockery of state,

Tho' clad in rags, this oftentatious thing [await, Believes around him thousand flaves Himself in fancy a defpotic King.

Thus human nature, when o'ercaft with pride,

Infulted Heav'n moft feverely scans; Of arrogance repels th' impetuous tide, Humbles rank infolence, and man un

mans.

All dark within-Olivia, love-lora maid, In tatter'd garb, and with difhevell'd

hair, Avoids the light, of faithlefs man afraid, Her haggard form the picture of defpair.

Afk you the cause why poor Olivia's loft, Her fpirits broke, her bofom fwoln with woe? [crofs'd, By flighted vows and difappointment Distraction urg'd her eyes to overflow. Blushes the hectic on her pallid cheek, Where lately breath'd the fweetly living rofe: [speak; Of forrows paft now hear her piteous Of forrows paft a Cazonette compofe.

She fings; 'tis melody's moft plaintive Itrain, [tear;

Big with a figh, and ufher'd with a Ever and anon abridg'd by pain,

And check'd with fudden starts of grief or fear.

The late noble manfion on Blackheath, confeffedly one of the most grand and fuperb feats in the kingdom; which on the demife of Sir Gregory Page, Bart. devolved to his heir Sir Gregory Page Turner, was fold, pulled down, and the materials difpofed of in lots by public auction.

And

And now in moody filence fee fhe fits, Abforb'd in apathy or mental gloom; Or rous'd-bewails, or laughs, or fings, by fits; [not whom.

Reviles, condemns, or calls fhe knows That piteous object which our ears affails With clam'rous rage and ceafelefs discontent,

Attacking with his teeth his fqualid nails, Defp'rate in thought, on fable mifchief bent.

Bright as the fun before th' approaching ftorm, [tafte; He fhone confpicuous in the rings of But paffion reafon to deform,

Her fruitful foil became a dreary waste. In midnight orgies were his moments paft? Was diffipation his without controul? The reckonings came and finish'd the repaft, [foul,

And pale distraction overwhelms his Who's this all mirth and mummery we fee, [wealth, and pow'r; That laughs at fortune, pomp, and From pride and malice, and from forrow free,

The very May fly of the frantic hour. Behold her brisk with freakish ftep ad

vance,

In every gefture, every gambol fhown, On toe fantastic round and round she'll dance,

cere,

And deem the fairy regions all her own. 'Twas her's to flirt, and only seem fin[her own, The vain coquet, with blandifhments To laugh, to fing, to wheedle, and to jeer, [throne. 'Till Reafon loft its unfubftantial No ftings of mem'ry to her vacant mind

Reflection's busy images convey; Tho' fad her friends, herself to mirth inclin'd,

Is ne'er unhappy, never less than gay. Charming delufion! when distraction reigns, [range: And fancied pleasure's falfe ideas But when black choler ftagnates in the veins, [change. Behold and mark the melancholy His words how broken! fault'ring! and

how flow!

Sunk into darkness like a fallen ftar. Melanthus view immers'd in fullen woe, The door of reafon does despondence bar.

The poor fanatic, buried in despair,

Madly anticipates each future pain; Caught in some bigot's unrelenting fnare, Religion ftretches out her hand in vain.

Dark as his brow-the chaos of hig mind

A Deity no longer good and kind: Prefents eternal torments to his fight;

His apprehenfions endless fears excite.

Ill-founded fear! but who fhall comfort bring, [breaft; When wild Enthufiafm occupies the When horrors hence delufion's vifions bring,

To rob Devotion of her pureft reft.

O Melancholy! 'tis thine, in varied Shape, [fupprefs,

The voice of Peace and Pleature to To bind the brows of Reafon with thy [to prefs. And o'er the mind thy leaden weights

crape,

[blocks in formation]

Unfocial mortal, opulently poor,

Deaf to Misfortune's penetrating plaint, He fpurn'd poor fhiv'ring merit from his door, [his faint. And ftarv'd midft plenty, making gold

This Miferfranke, in epitome,

Still is himself, altho' in madden'd plight, Collecting bits of rags, or leaves of tea, As hoards, in Fancy's eye, immensely bright.

The Poet's dreams, his frenzy rolling eye, [intrude. The Mufe might paint, but ceases to Or jealous Rage, or fell Milanthropy, And other various fhapes of Reason

crude,

Curtails her flight as tender feelings rise, And confcious tears protract the Which speaks my heart in fympathetic mournful tale, [fighs, And kindred Nature drops Compalfion's veil.

Finale.

JOURNAL

JOURNAL OF THE PROCEEDINGS

OF THE

FIRST SESSION OF THE SECOND PARLIAMENT OF THE UNİTED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND.

(Continued from Page 390.)

HOUSE OF LORDS.

TUESDAY, APRIL 19.

SIR J. SAUMAREZ's Annuity Bill was read a third time, and paffed.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20. Earl Grosvenor, Lord Melville, the Bishop of Lincoln, and the new Bifhop of Hereford, took the oaths and their feats.

FRIDAY, APRIL 22. Lord Courtenay was fworn, and took his feat; after which the Royal Affent was given to fome public and private Bills.

MONDAY, APRIL 25.

The Grenada Loan Bill was read a third time, and paffed.

TUESDAY, APRIL 26. Lord Moira, on the fecond reading of the Pancras Poor's Bill, defired that the Petitioners against it might be permitted to bring evidence in support of their Petition, which was acquiefced in.

Lord King expreffed his concern, that the difcuffion upon the papers on the table, relative to the general revenue and expenditure of the nation, fhould have been fo long deferred. He fignified his intention, if the causes of delay fhould not be renewed, to bring it on on Tuesday.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27.

The Houfe was principally occupied with hearing evidence on Mr. Brydges's claim to the Chandos Peerage.

Lord Auckland moved for an account of the fums granted to the Commiffioners for managing Queen Anne's Bounty, &c.-Ordered.

THURSDAY, APRIL 28. Evidence on Markham's Divorce Bill was brought, to prove the adultery between the Lady and Captain Fanhaw; and their Lordships debated upon the fubject of fome property which had lately accrued to Mrs. Markham.

Lord Bulkeley was fworn in.

VOL. XLIII. JUNE 1803.

[blocks in formation]

MONDAY, MAY 2.

The Earl of Suffolk moved, that an account of Vicars and Curates holding livings under 100l. per annum, be laid before the Houfe: he faid, there were about 10,000 fuch fituations in the country, half of which were under 70l. per annum.

On the fuggeftion of the Lord Chancellor, the Earl confented to delay his motion for a few days: it was, how ever, previously oppofed by Lord Auckland.

Lord Auckland moved for the production of certain accounts relative to the Revenue. He stated the revenue of the country, for the last twelve months, to have exceeded 34,000,000l. thereby creating an excefs, after paying the intereft of our debt, &c. of 17,000,000l. towards the extraordinary fervices of the country.

TUESDAY, MAY 3.

Lord King made a propofition to infert a claufe in the Irish Bank Reftriction Bill, that at the expiration of fix months the Bank of Ireland fhould pay its own notes in thofe of the Bank of England; but, after fome remarks from the Earl of Limerick and Lord Auckland, the Bill was read a fecond time.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 4.

Lords Hereford and Say and Sele took their feats.

The claufe in Markham's Divorce Bill, for invefting the Lady with her jewels, &c. was thrown out.

THURSDAY, MAY 5.

Several new claufes propofed in the Irish Bank Restriction Bill by Lord

Lord King were negatived, and the Bill paffed.

FRIDAY, MAY 6.

Lord Moira, in a Committee on the Infolvent Debtors' Bill, explained its principles, which were, to give relief to those who were doomed to perpetual imprisonment for having contracted debts; but he should propose a claufe to prevent any fraudulent debtor taking advantage of it.

Lord Ellenborough objected to the Bill, on the ground that there were more fraudulent debtors than harth creditors.

The Lord Chancellor was of the fame opinion; he entered upon a long detail of the improper conduct of debtors, and contended that creditors had an equal claim for juftice and humanity.

After fome farther converfation, the queftion was put and negatived; on which the Bill was rejected.

Lord Pelham faid, that between this time and Monday he thould probably be able to make fome communication to the Houfe; and although he was not now empowered to do fo, yet he thought it neceflary to ftate, that General Andreoffi had applied for pafiports to return to France, and that directions had been fent to Lord Whitworth to quit Paris on a certain day, unless the negociation fhould be fatiffactorily terminated. He then moved to adjourn to Monday.

Lord Darnley oppofed the motion; and Lord Spencer expreffed his aftonishment at it, as it was not improbable that the information might be received in an hour.

The Lord Chancellor fpoke in favour of the adjournment, and Lord Carlile against it; after which the question for the adjournment was put and carried.

MONDAY, MAY 9.

Lord Pelham informed the Houfe, that circumstances had occurred which prevented him from making his promifed communication. On Friday Mihifters fuppofed Lord Whitworth to be on his return; but he had been induced to delay his departure. He concluded with faying, that he had not the smallest doubt that the information which was fo anxiously expected would be brought forward in a few days.

Lord Darnley intimated, that if the communication should prove fatiffactory, he should probably decline

[blocks in formation]

FRIDAY, MAY 13.

Lord King, purfuant to his notice, drew the attention of the Houfe to the Accounts of the Revenue and Expenditure of the Nation; entered into a minute examination of the different papers; and dwelt, with much force, on the variations that appeared in the totals of thofe delivered at the end of March, and thofe prefented, on the motion of Lord Auckland, in April which he seemed to confider as intended to impofe on, and mislead the public. The conclufion of his calculations was, that, inftead of there being a furplus, as had been ftated, the Revenue was far fhort of the Expenditure. He therefore moved, that the accounts be

referred to a Committee.

Lord Auckland went through the fame accounts, and drew very different conclufions. By his ftatement it appeared, that fo far from there being a

deficiency in the Revenue, by its very great increase, on an average of feveral years from 1786, the produce of each of which he took into his argument, there was above 9,000,000l. for contingent application. He did not, however, deny that there was á floating debt.

Lord Moira fpoke at length in refutation of the laft fpeaker's affertions; and contended, that if the Revenue was double what it was in 1786, we had double as many burthens now to bear. He thought, that before Minifters had held out fuch fallacious ftatements, and come forward with a Peace Eftablishment, they ought to have been certain that France had abandoned her ambition.

Lord Grenville fpoke for two hours and a half; the tenor of his arguments

was,

was, a reply to the fpeech which had been published as that of the Chancel lor of the Exchequer on the 10th December, on the State of our Finances; by which we were informed, that there was a furplus of a million. To prove that this was not the fact, he reverted to the different items; and from their enormous ftatements, together with the omiffions, he drew a conclufion, that, instead of one million furplus, there was a deficiency of at leaft four millions.

Lord Pelham condemned Lord G. for arguing from a pamphlet, and thought it unfair to decide, from the expenditure of last year, as to what would be the Peace Establishment.

The question was at length negatived.

Lord Ellenborough brought in a Bill for removing difficulties on Trials for Murder, and for determining under what jurifdiction perfons acceffary to finking veffels fhould be tried.

MONDAY, MAY 16.

Lord Pelham, by command of his Majesty, laid before the House the Meffage given in the proceedings of the Commons, and moved that it be taken into confideration this day fe'nnight.

Lord Stanhope expatiated on the importance of the fubject, and rather approved of than condemned the delay. He could not, however, forbear mentioning one fubject, which he knew to be a fact, viz. that the French Government were in poffefion of a fecret for destroying the whole Navy of Great Britain. He added, that he had lately informed the Chancellor of the Exchequer of a remedy for counteracting

its effects; but he knew not whether any fteps had been taken in confequence. The motion was agreed to. TUESDAY and WEDNESDAY. Nothing of importance.-Adjourned

to

FRIDAY, MAY 20.

After hearing Counfel in Scotch Appeals, Lord Boringdon moved for feveral papers relative to the negociation, not contained among thofe before the Houfe. He prefaced his motion with remarks on the ftrefs laid on the infults faid to have been received from France with refpect to British fhipping, &c. without any proof having been adduced. He then touched on the arreft of Captain D'Auvergne, on a counter project hinted at by France; and, in conclufion, moved for Copies of whatever Correfpondence had taken place fince the date of the laft papers on the table.

Lord Pelham had no defire to oppose the production of any paper that could with propriety be made public. As to the counter-project, a paper of that nature had been received, but it was unofficial. He at length decidedly ftated, that at preient no negociation was pending.

Lord Boringdon then waved his laft motion; and the firft, relative to the fhipping, was agreed to.

Lord Fitzwilliam then moved for feveral papers on the Armaments, fimilar to those moved for in the Cornmons on Thursday; but after feveral remarks from Lords Pelham and Hobart, on the impropriety of making this information public, he withdrew his motion. Adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

TUESDAY, APRIL 19.

SIR J. W. ANDERSON moved to bring in a Bill for making a Free Market in London for the Sale of, Coals.Granted.

The Grenada Loan Bill was read a third time, and paffed.

The Coventry Election Petition was ordered to be taken into confideration on the 19th of Auguft; and the Ilchef ter Petition on the 22d.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer moved, that the House should on Thursday refolve itself into. a Committee to confider that part of the

King's Speech of the 23d November, which related to the allittance to be afforded by Parliament to mercantile transactions.

General Gascoyne hoped that fome communication would previously be made by Ministers upon the state of the country; and truited, that no commercial regulations would be made, till merchants knew whether their speculations were to proceed upon a war or a peace eftablishment. If fuch a communication was not made, he thould confider the Minister as culpable.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer 0002 faid,

« ՆախորդըՇարունակել »