142

The Powers of the Pen. A Poem.

The phrafe of peace they speak, 'tis true,
But nothing have with peace to do.
Good humour in their face they bear,
But tho' they finile, and fmile, beware.--.
Beware, my artless mufe, nor deem
All are thy friends, that friendly feem.
Sufpect them while they fmoothly greet,

They murder ev'ry mufe they meet;
Tho' fweet as Phoebus' lute her lay,
The pretty innocent they flay.
To form a fhade their plumes combine
Left fummer's fun, with ray benign,
Shou'd warm young genius into bloom,
And fcent the valley with perfume.
It is not that they hate a rofe,
---But the poor fouls have loft their nose---
And envy never yet could bear
Thofe bleffings which the cannot fhare.
Each moon their trump they blow, and fit
High arbiters of sense and wit;

And in the name of "Candour fcrawl,
"With defp'rate hands, and hearts of
gall."

Poifon'd the ink within their ftand,
Deadly the feathers in their hand;
On the Stymphalides they grew,
And butcher in each month's review.
Sunk twenty fathom under ground,
Paper'd with title-pages round,
A dungeon lies; and plac'd before
Stand printer's dev'ls to guard the door;
To this thefe envious fiends resort,
To hold their inquifition-court.
Fix'd in the middle of the room,
A glimmering lamp reflects a gloom;
⚫ Cluft ring above hang fcalping knives,
By dulne's edg'd 'gainst poets' lives.
The skin of many an author's head,
Victims that at their altars bled,
Dangle in parcels at the top,
Like dry'd leaves in a druggift's fhop.
Curious the figns by which they know,
Whether a work is good, or no.
For thefe all-judging critic elves
Form no opinion from themselves;
Mechanic judges of the brain,
As weatherglaffes are of rain.
Perch'd on a column of reviews,
Sits a grave owl, and feems to muse.
And when they bring home works of wit,
She's taken with a hooting-fit.
An ideot afs gives evidence,

By braying, of the approach of fense.
And oft as from a morning's roam
They bring a work of genius home,
The fcalps with fympathy will shake,
And for their brother fcalps will quake.

March,

The flouching ears, which Midas wore
(Infamous mark!) in time of yore,
And when a Grub-ftreet piece draws
Are nail'd unto their speaker's chair,
Erect and lively they appear,
And give each fign of joy they can,
[near,
Pleas'd with each modern piping Pan.
In the dark corners of the room,
Natur'd to rankle in a gloom,
(Of the true Pandemonium breed,
From Lucifer they had the feed)
Huge ferpents fold their train, and lurk,
Judges of each religious work,
Whofe merit is difcern'd by this-
But when an infidel comes in,
If orthodox, the ferpents hifs-
Atheist, or deift, friend to fin,
The wreathings of their necks of gold;
Pleas'd, as in fport, the fnakes unfold
And then the critics know their cue,
And with the ferpents' tafte review.

Tho' Phabus' felf the numbers fung,
He cou'd not charm their fland'rous tongue;
And tho' thy fong as his was pure,
Thy honour were not then fecure;
For they with fingers rude wou'd tear
The wreathed chaplet from thy hair,
And, urg'd by envy's ftern command,
Wou'd break the lyre that grac'd thy hand.
Of their infernal fpleen afraid;
Yet be not thou, Caftalian maid,
Laugh them to fcorn-the critic-train
Shall throw their venom'd darts in vain ;
For malice, tho' a giant grown,
By just contempt is overthrown-

And now, fair mountain nymph, adieu !
Hie thee to join like Dian's crew!
But from the taint of town first leave
Thy treffes in a chrystal wave;
Then to the fountain, grove, or rill,
To 'tend the goddess of the hill. [part-
But why fo grave, dear Curre?-im-
I know the friendship of your heart—
You tremble to behold your friend
Dare, like young Phaeton, afcend
The airy chariot of the brain,
Unfkill'd the winged steeds to rein;
And, while the rapid axle glows,
Careless, tho' they with vengeance foam,
Drive it across the critics' nofe,
As if in flipper'd ease at home.
Thanks-but your fears are vain, my
Tho' I like Phaeton fhou'd end, [friend
And from the whirling chariot fall,
Still with the critics I
may crawl.

The

The Hiftory of the Seffion of Parliament, which began January 10, 1765, being the fourth Seffion of the Twelfth Parliament of Great Britain; with an Account of all the material Questions therein determined, and of the political Difputes thereby occafioned without Doors. Continued from p. 756.

and

N Wednesday the 24th of April, his Majefly came to the houfe of peers, gave the royal affent to the two bills, then ready, when he was pleafed to make known his royal intentions by a moft gracious fpeech to both houses. (See p. 235-)

The commons having returned to their houfe, the fpeech as ufual was read by Mr. Speaker, and prefently after they received a meffage from the lords, to defire, that they would continue fitting for fome time, which they agreed to do, until they received another meffage from their lordships by the Lord Chief Juftice Pratt and the Lord Chief Baron Parker, to acquaint them that the lords had agreed upon an addrefs to be prefented to his majefty, to which their lordships defired the concurrence of that houfe, which, after reading, was agreed to, and Mr. Chancellor of the exchequer was ordered to carry the faid addrefs to the lords, and acquaint them, that the houfe had agreed to the fame, with which his majesty was attended the next day. (See p. 236.) To this addrefs his majefty was pleafed to give the following answer:

My Lords and Gentlemen, Your affectionate congratulations upon my recovery, and the fenfe which you exprefs of your happiness under my government, give me the greatest fatisfac

tion.

their lordships had paffed a bill, to pro-
vide for the adminiftration of govern-
ment, in cafe the crown fhould defcend
to any of the children of his majesty,
being under the age of eighteen years;
and for the care and guardianship of
their perfons; to which they defired the
concurrence of that houfe; it was imme-
diately read for a first time and ordered
to be read a fecond time the next morn-
ing; but before that order was next day
read, a motion was made, that an hum-
'ble addrefs be pretented to his majefty,
humbly to acknowledge his majesty's
great goodness, in propofing to fecure
the future quiet and peace of thefe king-
doms, by making a fettled provifion for
a regency and for the guardianship of his
children, in cafe (which God avert) these
kingdoms fhould be deprived of the blef-
fing of his majefty's most invaluable life,
before his royal fucceffor fhall have at-
tained the age of eighteen years; and
humbly to intreat his majesty, out of his
tender and paternal regard for his peo-
ple, that he would be graciously pleafed
to name the perfon, or perfons, whom in
his royal wildom, he thall think fit to
propofe to the confideration of parlia-
ment, for the execution of thofe high
trufts; this houfe apprehending it is not
warranted by precedent, nor agreeable
to the principles of this free conftitution,
to veft in any perfon, or perfons, not par-
ticularly named and approved of in par-
liament, the important offices of regent
of these kingdoms and guardian of the
royal offspring, heirs to the crown.

Be affured, I have not a more fincere concern, or a more earnest defire, than to fecure to my faithful people, both now and hereafter, the religious and civil bleffings of our invaluable conftitution.

The houfe of lords, in purfuance of his majefty's fpeech, having ordered a bill to be brought in, nothing was done in the house of commons, after the report of his majefty's answer to the addrefs of both houfes, until the 6th of May, when the house received a meffage from the lords, by the Lord Chief Juftice Pratt and the Lord Chief Baron Parker, that

This motion, we may believe, occafioned a debate; (See p. 258.) but as it was deemed a piece of complaifance in the king to chufe having that done by act of parliament, which had fometimes been done by the fole power of the crown, exerted in the lalt will of the deceafed king, and as the perfons to be optionally appointed by his majefty were either perfonally named or particularly described in the bill, the question, when put, was carried in the negative by a great majori ty; and then the bill being read a fecond time was committed to a committee of the whole houfe for the 9th, after which a motion was made, for having the bill printed; but as it was a bill in which the people without doors could have very little concern, fo far as related to any of

the

the particular regulations, the queftion upon this motion was likewife carried in the negative by a great majority.

Upon the 9th as foon as this order of the day was read, his majetty's mott gracious fpeech to both houfes of parliament, on the 24th of April then laft, was or dered to be referred to the faid committee, and the houfe then having refolved itself into the fame, after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker refumed the chair; and the matter of the rolls reported from the committee, that they had gone through the bill, and made feveral amendments thereunto, which they had directed him to report, when the house would be pleafed to receive the lame; whereupon the report was ordered to be received the next morning.

it was then ordered, that the faid bill be now read a third time, which it accordingly was, and immediately a new motion was made for the houfe to adjourn, which had the fame fate with the former, for upon the question's being put, it was carried in the negative, and then at last it was moved and resolved, that the bill, with the amendments, do pass; and Mr. Chancellor of the exchequer was ordered to carry the bi 1 to the lords, and acquaint them that the house had agreed to the fame with fome amendments; to which amendments, the houfe defired the concurrence of their lordships: which their lordships were pleafed to grant, and on the 13th acquainted the commons by meffage that they had done fo. Thus this important bill was, after fo much truggle, got ready for, and did receive the royal affent on the 15th of May; and I. have been the more particular in my hif tory of it, in order to thew the reader, with what obftinacy it was oppofed, though there was but a very small minority against its being paffed into a law; for in one of the principal divifions upon it, the numbers were two hundred and fifty eight in its favour, and but fixtyfeven against it.

Accordingly, on the 10th, the mafter of the rolls read the report in his place, and afterwards delivered the bill, with the amendments, in at the table, where the report was read; and feveral of the amendments being read a second time, were agreed to by the houfe; but upon the amendment's being read a second time an amendment was propofed to be made thereunto, and upon this a motion was made for recommitting the bill on which the previous question being put and car- As to the act itself, moft of the claufes ried in the affirmative, the queftion was have fo little relation to the people withthen put upon the motion for recommit-out doors, that I think it needlefs to give ting the bill, and carried in the negative; any abstract of them, but in order to whereupon the faid amendment was, with give fome further light into the history of feveral amendments thereunto, agreed to the bill, I fhall give the reader a full abby the houfe. After this the refidue of tract of the preamble, and of the first, the amendments made by the committee fecond, third, and ninth enacting claufes being read a fecond time, were all difa- as follows: greed to by the house; and then a claufe being offered to be added to the bill, after it had been twice read, an amendment was propofed to be made thereunto, when after a fhort debate a motion was made to adjourn the further confideration of the faid report till the 13th; but upon the queftion's being put, it was carried in the negative, whereupon the faid claufe was added, and an amendment was made by the houfe, to the bill. It was then moved, that the faid bill be now read the third time, on which a motion was made, that the houfe do now adjourn, and as a motion for adjourning is by the rules of the houfe preferable to any other motion, the queftion was put upon this motion, and being carried in the negative

PREAM, B L E.

"That his majefty, from a tender concern for his faithful fubjects, and anxious defire to provide for every poffible event which may affect their future happinefs or fecurity, having been graciously pleafed to communicate from the throne to both houfes of parliament, that his late indifpofition (which filled the breafts of all his fubjects with the moft alarming apprehenfions) had led him to confider the fituation in which his kingdoms and family might be left, if it should please God to put a period to his life, while his fucceffor is of tender years; and that the high importance of this fubject to the public fafety, good order, and tranquility; the paternal affection which his ma

jesty

of the wisdom and expediency of what his majesty has thought fit to propofe upon this weighty occafion; are fully and zealously determined to contribute every thing in their power to the firm and lafting eftablishment of the proteftant fucceffion, as fettled by the laws of the land, in his majesty's royal family; the aufpicious encrease of which they confider as the bulwark of their civil and religious liberties, and the pledge of perpetual fecurity to the laws and conftirution of Great Britain: It is therefore enacted,

jefty bears to his children and to all his people; and his earnest defire that every precaution fhould be taken which may tend to preferve the conftitution of Great Britain undisturbed, and the dignity and luftre of its crown unimpaired; had determined him to lay this weighty bufinefs before his parliament; to whofe moft ferious deliberation he was pleafed to recommend the making fuch provifions as would be neceffary, in cafe any of his children fhould fucceed to the throne before they should refpectively attain the age of eighteen years; and, to this end, his majefty was alfo pleafed to propose to their confideration, whether, under the prefent circumstances, it would not be expedient to veft in him the power of appointing from time to time, by inftruments in writing under his fign manual, either the queen, or any other perfon of his royal family, ufually refiding in Great Britain to be the guardian of the perion of fuch fucceffor, and the regent of thefe kingdoms, until fuch fucceffor fball attain the age of eighteen years; fubject to the like reftrictions and regulations as are specified and contained in an act paffed upon a fimilar occafion, in twenty-fourth year of the reign of his late royal grandfather; and that the regent fo appointed fhould be affitted by a council of regency, to be eftablished by authority of parliament: and it further fets forth, that in return for this paternal goodness, expreffed in fo early and provident a care for an event fo truly deplorable, and being filled with the moft cordial fenfe of duty and gratitude to his majelty, for the tender concern and regard which he has always, and now more efpecially, demonftrated for the happinefs of his people, and the lafting fecurity of their religion, laws and liberties, the parliament have taken this important buf- 2d. No perfon hall be capable of being nefs into their most ferious confideration; fo nominated and appointed guardian and and being juftly alarmed at the unhappy regent, other than and except her prefent fituation in which thefe kingdoms and majesty Queen Charlotte, or her royal his majefty's royal family would be left bigbnefs Augufta princess dowager of in cafe it should please Almighty God to Wales; or tome one perfon of his majefput a period to his majesty's ineftimable ty's royal family, defcended from the life (for the long and glorious continu- late king his majefty's royal grandfather, ance of which they offer up daily and whofe ufual refidence, at the time of pafmoft fervent prayers to heaven) before his fing this act, fhall have been, and from royal fucceffor fhall be of fufficient years thenceforth, until fuch nomination and to fupport the weight of government; appointment, thall continue to be in and being likewife thoroughly convinced Great Britain.

the

March, 1766.

Ift. That whenfoever, and as often as the imperial crown of this realin fhall defcend to his royal highness George Auguitus Frederic Prince of Wales, the eldest fon of his prefent majefty, (whom God long preferve) or to any other of the children of his prefent majefty, being respectively under the age of eighteen years'; fuch perfon as his royal fign manual, (revocable at pleasure, and to le fealed and depofited as herein after is mentioned) thall nominate and appoint, fhall be the guardian and have the care, tuition and education, of the person of fuch fucceffor, and the difpofition, ordering, and management, of all matters re lating thereto, till fuch fucceflor fhall attain the age of eighteen years; and shall, during fuch minority, and no longer, in the name of his faid royal highness, or fuch other fucceffor, and in his or her ftead, and under the ftile and title of regent of the kingdom, exercise and adminifter, according to the laws and conftitution of Great Britain, the regal power and government of this realm, and of all the dominions, to the crown of Great Britain belonging, fubject to fuch conditions, reftrictions, and regulations as are herein after specified.

T

3d. It

3d. It shall be lawful for his majefty fon, being a natural born subject of this to nominate and appoint, by fuch inftru- realin, to be a member of the faid council ments, and under the restrictions afore- of regency, in the place of each and evefaid, any number of perfons (as to his ry of their faid royal highneffes fo dying, royal wisdom fhall feem meet) feverally or being conftituted immediate regent; to fucceed each other in the faid guardi- the faid three last mentioned inftruments anfhip and regency by way of fubitituti- to be fealed up and depofited in the fame on, in cafe the perfon or perfons first no- manner, and with the fame perfons, as is minated and appointed thall happen to before directed with refpect to the three die during the minority of such fucceffor; first mentioned instruments containing his but fo as that no more than one perfon majefty's nomination of the regency; fhall at any one time be intitled to fuch and the perfons with whom the three laft guardianship and regency. mentioned inftruments shall be deposited, their executors and adminiftrators, fhall keep, dispose of, and produce the fame un-opened, in the fame manner, to fuch and the fame perfons at fuch and the fame times and places, and under fuch and the fame penalties, as are before specified and directed with respect to the three first mentioned inftruments, containing his majefty's nomination and appointment of the regent.

9th. In order to affilt the regent in the adminiftration of the government, during fuch minorities refpectively, there fhall be a council of regency; which fhail confift of their royal highneffes his majef ty's brothers, Edward Augustus duke of York and Albany, William Henry duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh, Prince Henry Frederic, and Prince Frederic William, and his royal highness his majefty's uncle William Auguftus Duke of Cumberland (the faid Prince Henry Frederic, and Prince Frederic William to be members of the faid council when they fhall refpectively attain the age of twenty-one years and not fooner) and alfo of the perfons and officers following; viz. The archbishop of Canterbury, the lord chancellor or lord keeper, or the first commiffioner for the custody of the great feal, the lord treafurer, or the first commiflioner for executing that office, the lord prefident of the council, the lord privy feal, the lord high admiral of Great Britain, or the firft commiffioner for executing that office, the two principal fecretaries of flate, and the lord chief juftice of the court of King's or Queen's Bench, for the time being: And if it thall happen that all or any of their faid royal highnelles Edward Auguftus duke of York and Albany, William Henry duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh, Prince Henry Frederic, Prince Frederic William, and William Auguftus duke of Cumberland, fhall depart this life during the reign of his prefent majefty; or if any of them fhall be nominated to be the regent immediately on the demife of his majesty, while fuch fucceffor fhall be under the age of eighteen years; in any fuch cafes, it fhall be lawful for his majefty, by three inftruments under his royal fign manual, revocable at his will and pleasure, to nominate fome one per

From fuch a complaifant preamble could it have been expected, that by the enacting claufes of the bill the king would have been difabled from appointing his own mother regent of the kingdom and guardian of his children, in cafe of the queen's dying before him, or one of the council of regency in cafe of the queen's furviving him, and being appointed regent? Or could it have been expected, that his majesty would have been difabled from adding fo much as one to the council of regency appointed by parliament, confidering the late precedent in the reign of his majesty's royal grandfather, and confidering the gracious manner in which he concluded his fpeech from the throne? Yet both of these would have been the cafe, had the bill paffed through the house of commons without any confiderable amendment; for the words [or her royal highness Augufta princess dowager of Wales] in the 2d enacting claufe were inferted by way of amendment in the house of commons; and if they had not been inferted, his majefty might in cafe of the queen's dying before him, have appointed his aunt the Princess Amelia regent and guardian, though not born in this kingdom; but by the words in the fame claufe, he was difabled from appointing his own mother, becaufe of her not being defcended from the late king his majesty's royal grandfather; and if the queen had furvived