Page images
PDF
EPUB

:

II.

He shall for what the sulky Spring denies,
An annual butt of sugar'd SACK supplies;

That beverage sweet be his inspiring flame.
Cloath'd in the radiant influence of the East,
Thy glory, son of CHATHAM, fires his breast;
And swift to adulate thy vernal fame.
Hark! from his lyre a strain is heard,
In hopes, ere long, to be preferr'd,

To sit in state 'midst mitred peers.
Hark and approve! as did thy sire,
The lays which, nodding by the fire,
To gentle slumbers sooth'd his listening ears.

III.

Long silent since, save when on t'other side,
In KEPPEL's praise to little purpose tried,

I rous'd to well-feign'd scorn the indignant string;
But now replete with a more hopeful theme,
The o'erflowing ink-bottle shall pour its stream,
Through quills by Dullness pluck'd from gosling's
downy wing.

And

St. JAMES's too shall hail the song,
Her echoing walls the notes prolong,
Whilst they alone with sorrow sigh,
Whose reverence for thy parent dead,
Now bids them hang their drooping head,
weep, to mark the conduct of his progeny.

IV.

From earth and these the muse averts her view,
To meet in yonder sea of ether blue

A beam to which the blaze of noon is pale :
In purpling circles now the glory spreads,
A host of angels now unveil their heads,
While heav'n's own music triumphs on the gale.
Ah see, two white-rob'd seraphs lead
Thy father's venerable shade;

He bends from yonder cloud of gold,
While they, the ministers of light,
Bear from his breast a mantle bright,

And with the heav'n-wove robe thy youthful limbs enfold.

V.

"Receive this mystic gift, my son!" he cries,
"And, for so wills the Sov'reign of the skies,
"With this receive, at ALBION's anxious hour,
"A double portion of my patriot zeal,

"Active to spread the fire it dar'd to feel

"Thro' raptur'd senates, and with awful power
"From the full fountain of the tongue
"To call the rapid tide along

"Till a whole nation caught the flame.
"So on thy sire shall heav'n bestow,

"A blessing TULLY fail'd to know, "And redolent in thee diffuse thy father's fame.

VI.

"Nor thou, ingenuous boy! that Fame despise

"Which lives and spreads abroad in Heav'n's pure eyes,

IV.

From these the courtly muse averts her eye.
To meet with genuine unaffected joy

A scene that passes in the Closet's gloom;
In whitening circles the dim glory spreads,
Bedchamber Lords unveil their powder'd heads,
And Tory triumphs sound throughout the room:
Ah! see two Jannisaries lead

Illustrious BUTE's thrice-honour'd shade;
curtain did he stand,

Behind yon

Whilst they (which Whigs with horror mark)
Bear from his cloak a lantern dark,

And trast the hallow'd engine to thy youthful hand.

V.

"Receive this mystic gift, brave boy," he cries,
"And if so please the Sovereign of the skies,
"With this receive at GEORGE's anxious hour,
"A double portion of my Tory zeal,

"Active to spread the fire it dared to feel,

[ocr errors]

Through venal senates, and with boundless pow'r,

"From the full fountain of the tongue,

"To roll a tide of words along,

"Till a whole nation is deceived.

"So shall thy early labours gain

"A blessing BUTE could ne'er attain;

"In fact, a Courtier be, yet Patriot be believed.

VI.

"Nor thou, presumptuous imp, that fame disown, "Which draws its splendor from a monarch's throne,

CC

"The last best energy of noble mind *; "Revere thy father's shade; like him disdain "The tame, the timid, temporizing train, "Awake to self, to social interest blind :

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

Young as thou art, occasion calls,

Thy country's scale or mounts or falls "As thou and thy compatriots strive; "Scarce is the fatal moment past

"That trembling ALBION deem'd her last, "O knit the union firm, and bid an empire live.

VII.

"Proceed, and vindicate fair Freedom's claim, "Give life, give strength, give substance to her name; "The native rights of man with Fraud contest. "Yes, snatch them from Corruption's baleful power, "Who dares, in Day's broad eye, those rights devour, "While prelates bow, and bless the harpy feast. "If foil'd at first, resume thy course,

"Rise strengthen'd with ANTEAN force,

"So shall thy toil in conquest end. "Let others court the tinsel things

"That hang upon the smile of kings,

"Be thine the muse's wreath; be thou the people's friend.”

* In allusion to a fine and well-known passage in MILTON's Lycidas.

"Sole energy of many a lordly mind, "Revere the shade of BUTE, subservient still "To the high dictates of the Royal will; "Awake to self, to social interest blind.

66

66

Young as thou art, occasion calls,

Prerogative or mounts or falls

"As thou and thy compatriots * strive,

"Scarce in the fatal moment past

"Which Secret Influence deem'd her last,

"Oh! save the expiring fiend, and bid her empire live!

VII.

"Proceed!-Uphold Prerogative's high claim, "Give life, give strength, give substance to her name! "The rights divine of Kings with Whigs contest; "Save them from Freedom's bold incroaching hand, "Who dares, in Day's broad eye, those rights withstand, "And be by Bishops thy endeavours bless'd !"

If foil'd at first, resume thy course,

Whilst I, though writing worse and worse,

Thy glorious efforts will record;

Let others seek by other ways,

The public's unavailing praise,

Be mine the BUTT OF SACK-be thou the TREASURY'S LORD!

* Messrs. JENKINSON, ROBINSON, DUNDAS, &c. &c.

« ՆախորդըՇարունակել »