PITT. Enough, my friends-break off your tuneful sport, 'Tis levee day, and I must dress for Court; Which hath more boldly or expertly lied, Not mine th' important contest to decide. 105 Dear BANKS, this CORONET belongs to you: 110 IMITATIONS. Ver. 104. Non nostrum inter vos tantas componere lites. MARGARET NICHOLSON. ARGUMENT. Mr. WILKES and Lord HAWKESBURY alternately congratu late each other on his Majesty's late happy Escape. The one describes the Joy which pervades the Country: the other sings the Dangers from which our Constitution has been preserved. Though in the following Eclogue our Author has not selected any single one of Virgil for a close and exact Parody, he seems to have had his Eye principally upon the Vth, or the DAPHNIS, which contains the Elegy and APOTHEOSIS of Julius Cæsar. THE Session up: the INDIA-BENCH appeas'd, 5 The LANSDOWNES satisfied, the LOWTHERS pleas'd, To plans of Eastern justice hies DUNDAS; And comley VILLARS to his votive glass; To embryo.tax bills ROSE; to dalliance STEELE; 15 And hungry hirelings to their hard-earn'd meal. A faithful pair, in mutual friendship tied, Once keen in hate, as now in love allied (This, o'er admiring mobs in triumph rode, Libell'd his monarch and blasphem'd his God; That, the, mean drudge of tyranny and BUTE, At once his practis'd pimp and prostitute), Adscomb's proud roof receives, whose dark recess And empty vaults, its owner's mind express, While block'd-up windows to the world display How much he loves a tax, how much invites the day. Here the dire chance that god-like GEORGE befel, How sick in spirit, yet in health how well; What Mayors by dozens, at the tale affrighted, 20 25 Got drunk, address'd, got laugh'd at, and got knighted; 30 They read, with mingled horror and surprise, In London's pure Gazette, that never lies. Ye Tory bands, who, taught by conscious fears, 35 Have wisely check'd your tongues, and sav'd your ears,→→ Hear, ere hard fate forbids-what heavenly strains Flow'd from the lips of these melodious swains. Alternate was the song; but first began, With hands uplifted, the regenerate man. WILKES.. Bless'd be the beef-fed guard, whose vigorous twist Wrench'd the rais'd weapon from the murderer's fist, 40 Him Lords in waiting shall with awe behold In red tremendous, and hirsute in gold. On him, great monarch, let thy bounty shine, What meed can match a life so dear as thine? Well was that bounty measured, all must own, Round your sad mistress flock, ye maids elect, Round your bold master flock, ye mitred hive, He breathes he lives! the vestal choir advance, 45 50 55 60 IMITATIONS. Ver. 59. Ergo alacris sylvas et cetera rura voluptas, Ver. 61. Nec lupus insidias pecori, &c. Ver. 63. Jam redit et Virgo, redeunt Saturnia regna, NOTES. Ver. 46. half a crown! Literally so. Ver. 63, 64. It is remarkable that these are the only lines which our Poet has imitated from the IVth Eclogue (or the Pollio) of Virgil. Perhaps the direct and obvious application of that whole Eclogue appeared to our author to be an undertaking too easy for the exercise of his superior talents; or perhaps he felt himself too well anticipated by a similar imitation of Pope's Now sage professors, for their learning's curse, Die of their duty in remorseless verse : Now sentimental Aldermen expire 65 In prose half flaming with the Muse's fire; All shall be knights-but those that shall be lords. Touch'd with whose drops of grace no thief can die, 70 75 Still may we all be safe from KETCH's menac'd hand! JENKINSON. Oh wond'rous man, with a more wond'rous Muse! O'er my lank limbs thy strains a sleep diffuse, Sweet as when PITT with words, disdaining end, Toils to explain, yet scorns to comprehend. 80 What ills had mark'd the age, had that dire thrust IMITATIONS. Ver. 78. Tale tuum carmen nobis, divine Poeta, NOTES. Messiah, which was inserted some time since in one of the public papers. If the author will favour us with a corrected copy, adapted rather to the Pollio than the Messiah, we shall be happy to give it a place in our subsequent editions, of which we doubt not the good taste of the town will demand as many as of the rest of our celebrated bard's immortal compositions. |