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XII.

Pelham! 'tis thine with temp'rate zeal
To guard Britannia's public weal,
Attack'd on every part;

Her fatal difcords to compose,
Unite her friends, difarm her foes,
Demands thy head and heart.
XIII.

When bold Rebellion fhook the land,
Ere yet from William's dauntless hand

Her barbarous army fled;

When valour droop'd, and Wisdom fear'd, Thy voice expiring Credit heard,

And rais'd her languid head.

XIV.
Now by thy ftrong affifting hand,
Fix'd on a rock I fee her ftand,
Against whose solid feet,

In vain, through every future age,
The loudeft, most tempestuous rage
Of angry war shall beat.
XV.

And grieve not if the sons of Strife
Attempt to cloud thy fpotlefs life,

And fhade its brightest fceries;
Wretches, by kindness unfubdu'd,
Who fee, who fhare the common good,
Yet cavil at the means.

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TH

HE court was met; the pris'ner brought;
The counsel with inftructions fraught;
And evidence prepar'd at large,
On oath, to vindicate the charge.

But firft 'tis meet, where form denies
Poetic helps of fancy'd lies,
Gay metaphors, and figures fine,
And fimilies to deck the line;
'Tis meet (as we before have faid)
To call description to our aid.

Begin we then (as firft 'tis fitting)
With the three Chiefs in judgment fitting.
Above the reft, and in the chair,
Sat Faction with diffembled air;
Her tongue was fkill'd in fpecious lies,
And murmurs, whence diffentions rife ;

* George Lyttelton, Efq. afterwards Lord Lyttelton. The Perfian Letters of this nobleman were written under the character of Selim, which occafioned Mr. Moore to give him the fame name in this poem.

3

A fmiling mask her features veil'd,
Her form the patriot's robe conceal'd;
With ftudy'd blandishments she bow'd,
And drew the captivated crowd.
The next in place, and on the right,
Sat Envy, hideous to the fight;
Her fnaky locks, her hollow eyes,
And haggard form forbad disguise;
Pale difcontent and fullen hate
Upon her wrinkled forehead fat;

Her left-hand, clench'd, her cheek fuftain'd,
Her right (with many a murder ftain'd)

A dagger clutch'd, in act to strike,
With starts of rage, and aim oblique.
Laft on the left was Clamour feen,
Of stature vaft, and horrid mien;
With bloated cheeks, and frantic eyes,
She fent her yellings to the skies;
Prepar'd with trumpet in her hand,
To blow fedition o'er the land.

With thefe, four more of leffer fame,
And humbler rank, attendant came;
Hypocrify with smiling grace,
And Impudence with brazen face,
Contention bold, with iron lungs,
And Slander with her hundred tongues.

The walls in fculptur'd tale were rich,
And ftatues proud (in many a nich)
Of chiefs, who fought in Faction's cause,
And perifh'd for contempt of laws.
The roof in vary'd light and shade,
The feat of Anarchy difplay'd.
Triumphant o'er a falling throne
(By emblematic figures known)
Confufion rag'd, and Luft obfcene,
And Riot with distemper'd mien,
And Outrage bold, and Mischief dire,
And Devastation clad in fire.
Prone on the ground a martial maid
Expiring lay, and groan'd for aid:
Her fhield with many a stab was pierc'd,
Her laurels torn, her spear revers'd;
And near her, crouch'd amidst the spoils,
A lion panted in the toils.

With look compos'd the pris'ner stood,
And modeft pride. By turns he view'd
The court, the counfel, and the crowd,
And with submissive rev'rence bow'd.

Proceed we now, in humbler strains,
And lighter rhymes, with what remains.
Th' indictment grievously set forth,
That Selim, loft to patriot worth,
(In company with one Will Pitt*,
And many more, not taken yet)
In Forty-five, the royal palace+
Did enter, and to shame grown callous,
Did then and there his faith forfake,
And did accept, receive, and take,
With mischievous intent and base,
Value unknown, a certain place.
He was a fecond time indicted,
For that, by evil zeal excited,
With learning more than layman's share,
(Which parfons want, and he might spare)

*Afterwards Earl of Chatham.

+ Mr. Lyttelton was appointed a Lord of the Treasury 25th Dec. 1744.

In Letter to one Gilbert Weft,*
He, the faid Selim, did attest,
Maintain, fupport, and make affertion
Of certain points, from Paul's converfion,
By means whereof the faid apostle
Did many an unbeliever jostle,
Starting unfashionable fancies,
And building truths on known romances.
A third charge ran, that knowing well
Wits only eat as pamphlets fell,
He, the faid Selim, notwithstanding,
Did fall to anfw'ring, shaming, branding
Three curious Letters to the Whigst;
Making no reader care three figs
For any facts contain'd therein;
By which uncharitable fin

An author, modeft and deferving,
Was deftin'd to contempt and starving;
Against the king, his crown and peace,
And all the tatutes in that cafe.

The pleader rose with brief full charg'd,
And on the pris'ner's crimes enlarg’d--
But not to damp the Mufe's fire

With rhet'ric, fuch as courts require,
We'll try to keep the reader warm,
And fift the matter from the form.
Virtue and focial love, he faid,
And honour from the land were fled;
That patriots now, like other folks,
Were made the but of vulgar jokes ;
While Oppofition dropp'd her crest,
And courted pow'r for wealth and rest.
Why fome folks laugh'd, and some folks rail'd,
Why fome fubmitted, fome affail d,
Angy or pleas'd-all folv'd the doubt
With who were in, and who were out.
The fons of Clamour grew fo fickly,
They look'd for diffolution quickly;
Their Weekly Journals, finely written,
Were funk in privies all befh-
-n;
Old-England t, and the London-Evening,
Hardly a foul was found believing in ;
And Caleb[], once fo bold and ftrong,
Was ftupid now, and always wrong.

Afk ye whence rose this foul disgrace?
Why Selim has receiv'd a place,
And thereby brought the cause to shame;
Proving that People, void of blame,
Might ferve their country and their king,
By making both the self-same thing:
By which the credulous believ'd,
And others (by strange arts deceiv'd)
That Minifters were fometimes right,
And meant not to destroy us quite.

That bart'ring thus in ftate affairs,
He next muft deal in facred wares,
The clergy's rights divine invade,
And muggle in the gofpel-trade ;

* Entitled, "Obfervations on the Converfion and Apostleship of St. Paul. In a Letter to Gilbert Weft, Efq." 8vo. 1747.

+ Entitled, "Three Letters to the Whigs; occafioned by the Letter to the Tories." 8vo. 1748. ↑ An Opposition Paper at that time published, in which Mr. Lyttelton was frequently abused.

Caleb D'Anvers, the name affumed by the writers of the Craftsman.

And all this zeal to re-inftate
Exploded notions, out of date ;
Sending old rakes to church in fhoals,
Like children, fniv'ling for their fouls
And ladies gay, from fmut and libels,
To learn beliefs, and read their bibles;
Erecting conscience for a tutor,
To damn the present by the future:
As if to evils known and real
'Twas needful to annex ideal;
When all of human life we know
Is care, and bitterness, and woe,
With fhort tranfitions of delight,
To fet the hatter'd fpirits right.
Then why fuch mighty pains and care,
To make us hum ler than we are?
Forbidding fhort-liv'd mirth and laughter,
By fears of what may come hereafter?
Better in ignorance to dwell;
None fear, but who believe a hell;
And if there fhould be one, no doubt,
Men of themselves would find it out.

But Selim's crimes, he said, went further,
And barely stopp'd on this fide` murther;
One yet remain❜d to close the charge,
To which (with leave) he'd speak at large,
And, first, 'twas needful to premise,
That though so long (for reasons wife)
The prefs inviolate had stood,
Productive of the public good;
Yet ftill, too modest to abuse,

It rail'd at vice, but told not whose.
That great improvements, of late days,
Were made, to many an author's praise,
Who, not fo fcrupuloufly nice,
Proclaim'd the perfon with the vice;
Or gave, where vices might be wanted,
The name, and took the reft for granted.
Upon this plan, a Champion * rofe,
Unrighteous greatness to oppose,
Proving the man "inventus non eft,"
Who trades in pow'r, and still is honeft;
And (God be prais'd) he did it roundly,
Flogging a certain junto foundly.
But chief his anger was directed,
Where people least of all suspected;
And Selim, not fo ftrong as taill,
Beneath his grafp appear'd to fall.
But Innocence (as people say)
Stood by, and fav'd him in the fray.
By her affifted, and one Truth,
A bufy,. prating, forward youth,
He rally'd all his strength anew,
And at the foe a Letter threw†:
His weakest part the weapon found,
And brought him fenfelefs to the ground.
Hence Oppofition fled the field,

And Ignorance with her feven-fold fhield;
And well they might, for (things weigh'd fully)
The pris'ner with his Whore and Bully,
Must prove for every foe too hard,
Who never fought with such a guard.

But Truth and Innocence, he faid,
Would stand him here in little ftead;

* Author of the Letters to the Whigs. † Probably, "A Congratulatory Letter to Selim on the Letters to the Whigs." Svo. 1748.

For they had evidence on oath,
That would appear too hard for both.
Of witneffes a fearful train
Came next, th' indictments to sustain ;
Detraction, Hatred, and Distrust,
And Party, of all foes the worst,
Malice, Revenge, and Unbelief,
And Disappointment worn with grief,
Dishonour foul, unaw'd by fhame,
And every fiend that Vice can name.
All these in ample form depos'd,
Each fact the triple charge difclos'd,
With taunts and gibes of bitter fort,
And asking vengeance from the court.
The pris'ner faid in his defence,
That he indeed had small pretence
To foften facts fo deeply fworn,
But would for his offences mourn;
Yet more he hop'd than bare repentance
Might ftill be urg'd to ward the fentence.
That he had held a place fome years,
He own'd with penitence and tears,
But took it not from motives base,
Th' indictment there mistook the cafe;
And though he had betray'd his truft
In being to his country juft,
Neglecting Faction and her friends,
He did it not for wicked ends,

But that complaints and feuds might cease,
And jarring parties mix in peace.

That what he wrote to Gilbert West,
Bore hard against him, he confefs'd;
Yet there they wrong'd him; for the fact is,
He reafon'd for Belief, not Practice;
And People might believe, he thought,
Though Practice might be deemed a fault.
He either dreamt it, or was told,
Religion was rever'd of old,
That

gave breeding no offence,
And was no foe to wit and fense;
But whether this was truth, or whim,
He would not fay; the doubt with him
(And no great harm he hop'd) was, how
Th' enlighten'd world would take it now:
If they admitted it, 'twas well;
If not, he never talk'd of hell;
Nor even hop'd to change men's meafures,
Or frighten ladies from their pleasures.
One accufation, he confefs'd,

Had touch'd him more than all the reft;
Three Patriot-Letters, high in fame,
By him o'erthrown, and brought to shame.
And though it was a rule in vogue,
If one man call'd another rogue,
The party injur'd might reply,
And on his foe retort the lie;

Yet what accru'd from all his labour,
But foul difhonour to his neighbour?
And he's a most unchristian elf,
Who others damns to fave himself.
Befides, as all men knew, he said,
Those Letters only rail'd for bread;
And hunger was a known excuse
For prostitution and abuse:

A guinea, properly apply'd,

Had made the Writer change his fide;

He wifh'd he had not cut and carv'd him,

And own'd, he should have bought, not starv'd him.

The court, he faid, knew all the reft?
And must proceed as they thought best;
Only he hop'd fuch refignation
Would plead fome little mitigation;
And if his character was clear
From other faults (and friends were near,
Who would, when call'd upon, attest it)
He did in humbleft form requeft it,
To be from punishment exempt,
And only fuffer their contempt.

The pris'ner's friends their claim preferr'd,
In turn demanding to be heard.
Integrity and Honour swore,
Benevolence, and twenty more,
That he was always of their party,
And that they knew him firm and hearty.
Religion, fober dame, attended,

And, as he could, his caufe befriended.
She faid, 'twas fince he came from college,
She knew him introduc'd by Knowledge
The man was modeft and fincere,
Nor farther could she interfere.
The mufes begg'd to interpofe;
But Envy with loud hiffings rofe,
And call'd them women of ill fame,
Liars, and prostitutes to shame;
And faid, to all the world 'twas known,
Selim had had them every one.

The pris'ner blush'd, the Mufes frown'd,
When filence was proclaim'd around,
And Faction rifing with the reft,
In form the pris'ner thus address'd.

You, Selim, thrice have been indicted:
First, that by wicked pride excited,
And bent your country to difgrace,
You have receiv'd, and held a Place:
Next, Infidelity to wound,

You've dar'd, with arguments profound,
To drive Freethinking to a ftand,
And with Religion vex the land:
And lastly in contempt of right,
With horrid and unnat'ral spite,

You have an Author's fame o'erthrown,
Thereby to build and fence your own.

Thefe crimes fucceffive, on your trial,
Have met with proofs beyond denial;
To which yourself, with fhame, conceded,
And but in mitigation pleaded.
Yet that the juftice of the court
May fuffer not in men's report,
Judgment a moment I fufpend,
To reafon as from friend to friend.

And first, that You, of all mankind,
With Kings and Courts should stain your mind!
You! who were Oppofition's lord!

Her nerves, her finews, and her fword!

That You at laft, for fervile ends,
Should wound the bowels of her friends!
Is aggravation of offence,

That leaves for mercy no pretence.

Yet more For You to urge your hate,
And back the Church, to aid the State!
For You to publish such a Letter!

You! who have known Religion better!
For You, I fay, to introduce

The fraud again!-there's no excufe.
And laft of all, to crown your fhame,
Was it for You to load with blame

The writings of a Patriot-Youth,
And fummon Innocence and Truth

To prop your caufe?Was this for You?
But Juftice does your crimes pursue;
And fentence now alone remains,
Which thus, by Me, the court ordains :
"That you return from whence you came,
There to be ftript of all your fame
"By vulgar hands; That once a week
"Old-England pinch you till you squeak;
"That ribbald Pamphlets do pursue you,
"And lies and murmurs, to undo you.
"With every foe that Worth procures,
"And only Virtue's friends be Yours."

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But tell me, David, is it true?
Lord help us! what will fome folks do?
How will they curse this stranger!
What! fairly taken in for life!
A fober, ferious, wedded wife!
O fie upon you, Ranger!
III.

The clergy too have join'd the chat;
"A papift!-Has he thought of that?

"Or means he to convert her?!' Troth, boy, unless your zeal be stout, The nymph may turn Your faith about, By arguments experter.

IV.

The ladies, pale and out of breath,
Wild as the witches in Macbeth,

Afk if the " deed be done!"

O, David! listen to my lay!
I'll prophefy the things they'll fay;

For tongues, you know, will run.
V.

"And pray, what other news d' ye hear?
"Marry'd! But don't you think, my dear,
"He's growing out of fashion?
"People may fancy what they will,
"But Quin's the only actor ftill,

To touch the tender passion.
VI.

"Nay, madam, did you mind, last night, "His Archer? Not a line on't right!

"I thought I heard fome hiffes. "Good God! if Billy Mills, thought I, Or Billy Havard would but try,

"They'd beat him all to pieces.

VII.

"'Twas prudent though to drop his Bayes "And (entre nous) the Laureat says,

"He hopes he'll give up Richard. "But then it tickles me to fee, "In Haftings, such a shrimp as he "Attempt to ravish Pritchard. VIII. "The fellow pleafed me well enough

"In

what d'ye call it? Hoadley's ftuff; "There's fomething there like nature:

"Juft fo, in life, he runs about,
"Plays at bo-peep, now in, now out,
"But burts no mortal creature.

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XVI.

Then if her heart be good and kind, (And fure that face befpeaks a mind As foft as woman's can be) You'll grow as conftant as a dove, And taste the purer sweets of love, Unvifited by Ranby,

ENVY AND FORTUNE;

SAY

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AYS Envy to Fortune, "Soft, foft, Madam Flirt! "Not fo faft with your wheel, you'll be down in the dirt!

"Well, and how does your David? Indeed, my dear creature,

"You've shewn him a wonderful deal of good-nature;

"His bags are so full, and fuch praises his due, "That the like was ne'er known and all owing to you;

"But why won't you make him quite happy for life, "And to all you have done add the gift of a wife?" Says Fortune, and smil'd, “Madam Envy, God fave ye!

"But why always fneering at me and poor Davy? I own that fometimes, in contempt of all rules, "I lavish my favours on blockheads and fools; "But the cafe is quite different here, I aver it, "For David ne'er knew me, 'till brought me by Merit,

"And yet to convince you-nay, Madam, no hisses"Good-manners at least-such behaviour as this is!"

(For mention but Merit, and Envy flies out With a hifs and a yell that would filence a rout. But Fortune went on)" To convince you, I fay, "That I honour your scheme, I'll about it to day; "The man shall be marry'd, fo pray now be easy, "And Garrick for once shall do something to please ye."

But the first was too great, and the last was too good, And as for the reft, fhe might get whom she cou'd.

Away hurried Fortune, perplex'd and half mad,
But her promise was pafs'd, and a wife must be had:
She travers'd the town from one corner to t'other,
Now knocking at one door, and then at another.
The girls curtly'd low as she look'd in their faces,
And bridled and primm'd with abundance of graces;
But this was coquettish, and that was a prude,
One stupid and dull, t'other noify and rude;
A third was affected, quite careless a fourth,
With prate without meaning, and pride without
worth;

A fifth, and a fixth, and a feventh were fuch
As either knew nothing or fomething too much-
In short as they pafs'd, fhe to all had objections;
The gay wanted thought, the good-humour'd affec、
tions,

The prudent were ugly, the fenfible dirty,
And all of them flirts, from fifteen up to thirty.

When Fortune faw this she began to look filly, Yet still she went on till fhe reach'd Piccadilly; But vex'd and fatigu'd, and the night growing late, She rested her wheel within Burlington gate. My lady rofe up, as the faw her come in, "O ho, madam Genius! pray where have you been?"

(For her ladyship thought, from so serious an air, Twas Genius come home, for it seems she liv'd

there.)

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So faying, fhe rattled her wheel out of fight, While Envy walk'd after, and grinn'd with delight. It seems 'twas a trick that she long had been brewing, To marry poor David, and fo be his ruin: For Slander had told her the creature lov'd pelf, And car'd not a fig for a foul but himself; From thence she was fure, had the Devil a daughter," He'd fnap at the girl, fo 'twas Fortune that brought

her:

And then should her temper be fullen or haughty,
Her flesh too be frail, and incline to be naughty,
'Twould fret the poor fellow fo out of his reason,
That Barry and Quin would fet fashions next season.
But Fortune, who faw what the Fury design'd,
Refolv'd to get David a wife to his mind:
Yet afraid of herself in a matter fo nice,
She vifited Prudence, and begg'd her advice.
The nymph fhook her head when the business she
knew,

And faid that her female acquaintance were few;
That excepting Miss R ***-O, yes, there was one,
A friend of that lady's, she visited none;

"But who, my dear, who?for you have not told yet"

Who indeed, fays my lady, if not Violette?
The words were scarce fpoke when she enter'd the

room;

A blush at the stranger still heighten'd her bloom; So humble her looks were, fo mild was her air, That Fortune, astonish'd, fat mute in her chair. My lady rofe up, and with countenance bland, "This is Fortune, my dear," and prefented her hand:

The goddess embrac'd her, and call'd her her own, And, compliments over, her errand made known.

But how the fweet girl colour'd, flutter'd, and trembled,

How oft she said no, and how ill fhe diffembled ;
Or how little David rejoic'd at the news,
And swore, from all others, 'twas her he would chufe;

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