Fierce from defeat, and with collected might,
The low-born Commons claim the people's right:
And mad for freedom, vainly deem their own,
Their eye presumptuous dares to scan the throne.
See-in the general wreck that smothers all,
Just ripe for justice-see my HASTINGS fall
Lo, the dear Major meets a rude repulse,
Though blazing in each hand he bears a BULSE?
Nor Ministers attend, nor Kings relent,
Though rich Nabobs so splendidly repent.
See EDEN'S faith expos'd to sale again,

Who takes his plate, and learns his French in vain.
See countless eggs for us obscure the sky,
Each blanket trembles, and each pump is dry.
Far from good things DUNDAS is sent to roam,
Ah!-worse than banish'd-doom'd to live at home.
Hence dire illusions! dismal scenes away-

Again he cries, "What, what!" and all is gay.

90

95

100

Come, BRUNSWICK, come, great king of loaves and

fishes,

Be bounteous still to grant us all our wishes!
Twice every year with BEAUFOY as we dine,
Pour'd to the brim-eternal George-be thine
Two foaming cups of his nectareous juice,
Which-new to gods-no mortal vines produce.
To us shall BRUDENELL sing his choicest airs,
And capering MULGRAVE ape the grace of bears";

106

ΙΙΟ

IMITATIONS.

Ver. 106. Sis bonus; O! felixque tuis

Ver. 107. Pocula bina novo spumantia lacte quot—annis
Craterasque duo statuam tibi,

Ver. 109. Vina novum fundum calathis Arvisia nectar.

A grand thanksgiving pious YORK compose,
In all the proud parade of pulpit prose;
For sure Omniscience will delight to hear,
Thou 'scapest a danger, that was never near.
While ductile PITT thy whisper'd wish obeys,
While dupes believe whate'er the Doctor says,
While panting to be tax'd, the famish'd poor
Grow to their chains, and only beg for more;
While fortunate in ill, thy servants find
No snares too slight to catch the vulgar mind:
Fix'd as the doom, thy power shall still remain,
And thou, wise King, as uncontroul'd shalt reign.

WILKES.

115

120

Thanks, Jenky, thanks, for ever could'st thou sing, 125
For ever could I sit and hear thee praise the King.
Then take this book, which with a Patriot's pride,
Once to his sacred warrant I deny'd,

IMITATIONS.

Ver. 114. Cantabunt mihi Damætas et Lictius Ægon.
Saltantes Satyros imitabitur Alphæsibæus.

Ver. 121. Dum juga montis aper, &c.

Semper honos, nomenque tuum, laudesque manebunt.

NOTES.

Ver. 119. The public alarm expressed upon the event which is the subject of this Pastoral, was certainly a very proper token of affection to a Monarch, every action of whose reign denotes him to be the father of his people. Whether it has sufficiently subsided to admit of a calm enquiry into facts, is a matter of some doubt, as the addresses were not finished in some late Gazettes. If ever that time should arrive, the world will be very well pleased to hear that the miserable woman whom the Privy Council have judiciously confined in Bedlam for her life, never even aimed a blow at his August Person. Ver. 127. This Book, Sec. Essay on Woman.

P

Fond though he was of reading all I wrote:
No gift can better suit thy tuneful throat.

JENKINSON.

And thou this Scottish pipe, which JAMIE's breath
Inspir'd when living, and bequeath'd in death,
From lips unhallow'd I've preserv'd it long:
Take the just tribute of thy loyal song.

130

134

NOTES.

Ver. 130. No gift can better suit thy-throat. The ungrateful people of England, we have too much reason to fear, may be of a different opinion.

IMITATIONS.

Ver. 130. At tu sume pedum, quod cum me sæpe rogaret

Non tulit Antigenes, et erat tum dignus amari.

Ver. 134. Est mihi

Fistula, Damætas dono mihi quam dedit olim,

Et dixit moriens, "Te nunc habet ista secundum."

ECL. II.

CHARLES JENKINSON.

ARGUMENT.

THE following is a very close Translation of VIRGIL's SILENUS; fo clofe indeed that many Readers may be surprised at such a Deviation from our Author's usual Mode of imitating the Ancients. But we are to consider that VIRGIL is revered by his Countrymen, not only as a Poet, but likewise as a Prophet and Magician; and our incomparable Translator, who was not ignorant of this Circumstance, was convinced, that VIRGIL in his SILENUS had really and bona fide meant to allude to the Wonders of the present Reign, and consequently that it became his Duty to adhere most strictly to his Original, and to convey the true Meaning of this hitherto inexplicable Eclogue.

MINE was the Mufe, that from a Norman scroll

First rais'd to Fame the barbarous worth of ROLLE,
And dar'd on DEVON's hero to dispense
The gifts of Language, Poetry, and Sense.

IMITATIONS.

Ver. 1. Prima Syracosio dignita est ludere versu,

Nostra nec erubuit sylvas habitare Thalia.
Cum canerem regis et prælia, Cynthius aurem
Vellit, et admonuit, &c. &c.

In proud Pindarics next my skill I try'd,

But SALISB'RY way'd his wand and check'd my pride: "Write English, friend (he cry'd), be plain and flatter, "Nor thus confound your compliment and satire. "Even I, a critic by the King's command,

5

"Find these here odes damn'd hard to understand." 10 Now then, O deathless theme of WARTON's Muse,

Oh great in War! oh glorious at Reviews!

While many a rival anxious for the bays,
Pursues thy virtues with relentless praise;
While at thy levee smiling crowds appear,
Blest that thy birth-day happens once a year:
Like good SIR CECIL, I to woods retire,

15

And write plain eclogues o'er my parlour fire.
Yet still for thee my loyal verse shall flow,

Still, shou'd it please, to thee its charms shall owe;
And well I ween, to each succeeding age,

20

Thy name shall guard and consecrate my page.
Begin, my Muse!AS WILBERFORCE and BANKS
Late in the Lobby play'd their usual pranks,
Within a water-closet's niche immur'd

(Oh that the treacherous door was unsecur'd),
His wig awry, his papers on the ground,

25

Drunk, and asleep, CHARLES JENKINSON they found.

IMITATIONS.

Ver. 11. Nunc ego (namque super tibi, erunt, qui dicere laudes

Ver. 18.

Ver. 23.

Vare, tuus cupiant, et tristia condere bella)

Sylvestrem tenui meditabor arundine musam.
-Si quis tamen hæc quoque, siquis

Captus amore leget, te nostræ, Vare, myricæ

Te nemus omne canet, &c.

Chromis et Mnasylus in autro
Silenum pueri somno videre jacentem.