FASHIONS FOR OCTOBER.

265

Elate the Hero's swelling soul

Bursts forth enraptur'd o'er the whole
And more than mortal now he seems to be,
He quaffs their healths-to ev'ry clerk is free!

Whilst they, delighted more and more,
Again drink his, full o'er and o'er;
Till, mad'ning with ecstatic joys,

They shout a wish in thund'ring noise :-
u Ye mighty Gods and Goddesses on high,
Great Hercules was plac'd amidst the sky

For actions lowly to compare

With those of elder Chatham's heir !
For all his former worth, his greatness past,
Let him be made a demi-god at last;
Crown--crown his glory, ne'er forsake him;
Be kind, ye Gods, and unto heaven take him!!!

P.R.

EPIGRAM.

(From the same, Oct. 6.]
CANNING, you did but waste your shot,

Since, take whatever aim you may,
I'll answer for it that you 'll not
Blow out the binins of Castlereagh.

ANOTHER.
On Putney Heath-in Downing Street
If our enlightend statesmen meet,

It matters not feather.
The world has but too plainly seen,
That in both places they have been

At loggerheads together.

FASHIONS FOR OCTOBER.

[From the Times, Oct. 7.] THERE is not likely to be such a general change

this month as was expected. The duelling habit gains ground. The Canning whines and the Castle

reagh

VOL. XIII.

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266

ON THE PRESENT STATE OF AFFAIRS.

reagh swaps have entirely gone out. The Portland designs are on the decline. The attempt to introduce the Grey and Grenville whigs has been the cause of a complete refusal of that article ; for it cannot consistently be worn with the Perceval spencer, which has now gained universal sway. It is preferred by some à la Liverpool. The military costumc à la Chatham has not yet gone out, although it has considerably lessened in the esteem of the political fashionables, The Scotch costume à la Melville seems likely to come in: it is the same that was so prevalent some years back, and was then set aside by various peach-coloured articles.

ON THE PRESENT STATE OF AFFAIRS.

(From the same ]
To the Tune of “ Ok! 'tis a tight little island."
IT
T's scarce more than a year,
Since the sounds far and

near,
Of “ No Popery" ran through the nation;

When the Tories combin'd,

With one heart and mind,
To run down the Administration :-
" Oh, the poor Administration !
Was e'er such an Administration ?

If they don't wheel about,

And quickly turn out,
It's plain that they 'll ruin the nation."

Thus with clean hand and heart

The Whigs quickly depart,
And give up the care of the nation

And the Tories proceed,

As well there was need,
To patch up an Administration.
Oh, such an Administration!
Was e'er such an Administration?

But they'd not the wit,

This one truth to hit,
That they could not govern the nation.

Let us judge by th' event,
Though by this their intent

Seems

ON THE PRESENT STATE OF AFFAIRS.

267

poor sation;

Seems to have been, not to save the

For they greatly have err'd,

In the way they preferr'd
To proceed in their Administration.
Was there e'er such an Administration?
· Old England says, “ No;

I'm sure it's not so
No; not such an Administration."

From the first to the last,
They have talk'd

very

fast In abuse of one Administration

Because Madam Fame

Chose to give them a name,
Which they could not procure from the natioi..
But this is the Administration;
There ne'er was such an Administration,

If they don't wheel about,

And quickly turn out,
It's over, I fear, with the nation,

Expeditions they've sent,

But what was their intent,
No one knows, save to ruin the nation;

Which would soon be the case,

Were they longer in place
Oh! this wonderful Administration !
Was there e'er such an Administration
Pretty fellows to govern the nation!

I swear, by St. Paul,

That they'll ruin us all,
If they keep in the Administration,

Moreover we see,

Since they cannot agree
Twixt themselves, what will come to the nation;

Therefore let them be gone,

And that very soon,
Aud give up the Administration.
Pretty fellows to govern the nation !
Away with such Administration !

Let them fight to their fill,

And do what they will,
If they do not quite ruin the nation.

M. Y. P.
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TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

[From the same.] SIR, 1 AM just arrived in town from on board one of the

last trigates returned from the boasted expedition, and which with so much "pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war,” sailed a few weeks past for Flushing. We have at last, thank God, though in a very sickly state, brought our ship to a safe anchorage ; and I dare say you will not be surprised when I tell you that we were all well pleased, after so long a spell in the Dutch swamps, to get on shore, and enjoy the comforts of sweet water and fresh provisions, Having the good luck to be in the Chatham division, I got leave of absence at Sheerness, and on the top of a coach was soon trundled to London. You may better suppose than I can describe to you, my trouble of mind and heaviness of heart, on being told, as soon as I left my station aloft, that you have here had almost as foul weather and bad success as we experienced on t'other side the water. The first newspaper ) grappled at Sheerness was full of nothing but Admiral Curtis's jubilee; but in going up to the Golden Cross, some old shipmates, who had just left the Admiralty as the coach passed, spied, hailed, and followed me; and on my getting down, one of them, with tears in his eyes, told me that the famous firstrate, the Britannia, had in a high and sudden landbreeze been deserted by the crew, and most of her officers, they all had indeed left her, but the governor of the Cinqne Ports, who is no navigator, but a great palaverer--the sly smirking boatswain, who about two years ago piped the late crew together, and was then boatswain's mate of the Queen Charlotte-and the old purser, who we all know will never quit the ship as long as a rat will remain within hail of her. He'll have, to be sure, said he, poor doings with his slops

during

3

DESERTION OF THE BRITANNIA, 269 during the absence of the crew: but he need not mind that now, for he has been so many voyages is her, under his old commander Admiral Pittachio, that they say he is from prize-nioney alone as rich as a goldmine, and has timber enough in his woods to build a navy: “ Shiver my timbers, messmate,” said I, " this is sorrowful news, indeed !What could be the cause of it? The crew of that ship were 'alt thought to be so fund of her, that they would have gone into Port Internal with her, before they would have lost their foot-hold!"-" Why, faith, messmate," replied my friend Jack," so l'have heard too; but it seems the first and second lieutenants could not agree. The first found fault with the bad construction and management of the last new frigate the Expedition, which was trusted to the sleerage of the other, and applied also to the admiral to dismiss him the ship, on account of some smuggling and trafficking in East India commodities, and for a breach of orders in that famous second-rate the Parliament, which 30 nettled the second lieutenant, that as soon as they were off duty they look a pop at each other, and on the second shot the first lieutenant was winged. Some of the other officers, not liking the smell of powder, left the ship in a hurry; and the crew taking advantage of this want of discipline, followed the scandalous example, turned tail upon that fine stately vessel, and left her to the management of the boatswain and purser, who with great difficulty brought her into Port Deliberation and they are now in a mess with the Governor, in the great cabin of the Windsor Castle, trying what they can do to new-officer and man this renowned ship of war."

This dismal story ended, we adjourned to the Ship, at Charing Cross, to drink success to the navy of Old England, and to the speedy refit of the Britannia, ihat has so long been the admiration and terror of her nur

N 3