- in smooth confectionary style, The simpering sadness of his MULGRAVE's smile. From the character of this nobleman we shall only select a part of one couplet, which tends to elucidate our author's astonishing powers in imitative harmony, -" within his lab'ring throat The shrill shriek struggles with the harsh hoarse note." sent. As we mean to excite, and not to satisfy at once the curiosity of our readers, we shall here put a period to our extracts for the preWe cannot, however, conclude this essay, without observing, that there are very few lines in the whole work which are at all inferior to those we have selected for the entertainment of our readers, NUMBER III. IN proof of the assurance with which we concluded our last number, we shall now proceed to give the character of SIR RICHARD HILL. Our Readers, probably, are well acquainted with the worthy Baronet's promiscuous quotations from the Bible and Rochester; and they may possibly remember (if they were awake, when they read them) some elegant verses, which he repeated in the House of Commons, and afterwards inserted in the public papers, as the production of a fleepless Night. We know not, however, if they may so easily recal to mind his remarkable declaration, both of his Loyalty and Religion, in the prettily-turned phrase, "that indeed he loved King GEORGE very well, but he loved King JESUS better." But as our Poet has alluded to it, we thought necessary to mention it; and for the same reason to add, that like Lord MAHON, Major ScoтT, Mr. ATKINSON, Mr. WILKES, and Captain J. LUTTRELL, he writes his own speeches for the public Reporters. We should also have been happy to have enlivened our commentary with some extracts from the controversy, at which our Author glances; we mean the answer of Sir Richard to Mr. Madan, on the doctrine of Polygamy; a subject, which the tenour of our Baronet's reading in his two favourite books, peculiarly qualified him to handle with equally pleasantry and orthodoxy. But all our industry to procure his pamphlet unfortunately proved ineffectual. We never saw more of it than the title-page, which we formerly purchased in the lining of a trunk, at the corner of St. Paul's Church-yard. We are conscious, that these introductory explanations must seem doubly dull, to Readers impatient for such exquisite poetry as the ROLLIAD. They appeared, however, indispensible to the due understanding of the verses, which we shall now give without further preface. Brother of RowLAND, or, if yet more dear Scholar of various learning, good or evil, Alike what God inspir'd, or what the Devil; Speaker well skill'd, what no man hears, to write; Polemic, Politician, Saint, and Wit, Now lashing MADAN, now defending PITT; Friend of King GEORGE, tho' of King JESUS more! The solemnity of this opening is well suited to the dignity of the occasion. The heroes of Homer generally address each other by an appellative, marking their affinity to some illustrious personage. The Grecian poet, it must be confessed, in such cases, uses a patronymic, expressive of the genealogy; as Pelides, Eacides, Laertiades; but it is not absolutely necessary to observe this rule.-For, *M'Pherson, a poet with whom our author is most likely to be intimately acquainted, makes his hero, Fingal, address Ossian by the title of "Father of Oscar." It should seem therefore to be sufficient, if in addressing a great man, you particularise any celebrated character of the family who may be supposed to reflect honour on his connections; and the Reverend ROWLAND HILL was certainly the most celebrated of our worthy Baronet's relations, before the late creation of Lord BERWICK, on which the next line happily touches. Our author seems very fond of Mr. DUNDAS, Whose exalted soul No bonds of vulgar prejudice controul. Of shame unconscious in his bold career, He spurns that honour, which the weak revere; * Mr. McPherson is said to be one of the principal writers on the side of the present administration. For, true to public Virtue's patriot plan, Alike the advocate of NORTH and Wit, The friend of SHELBURNE, and the guide of PITT. This day can censure, and the next retract, Turn and re-turn; whole hours at HASTINGS bawl, By opposition, he his King shall court; Our author here seems to understand the famous starvation-scheme of Mr. DUNDAS, as literally designed to produce an actual famine in America, though undoubtedly from the most benevolent motives imaginable. But this is contradicted by a * late writer, who appears to be perfectly conversant with the language and purposes of our present men * Key to Parliamentary Debates, published by Debrett. |