552

POETICAL ESSAYS in OCTOBER, 1776.

But only to fuch of a good reputation
For temper, morality, and moderation.
Fire! fire! a wild-fire,

Which greatly disturbs the peace,

Lies running about; and if you don't put it out,

(That's pofitive) will increase:

And any may fee,

With half of an eye,

That it comes from our Priefts and Papistical

Ye have one of thefe fellows,

With fiery bellows,

Come hither to blow and to puff here;

Who, having been toft

From pillar to poft,

At laft vents his rafcally fluff here:

[fry.

As here from this place we charge you to do,
As ye'll answer to man, befides ye know who.
Ye have a Diocefan .

But I don't know the man

They tell me, however,

The man's a good liver,

And fiery never!

Now, ye under-pullers,

That wear fuch black colours,
How well would it look,
If his measures ye took !
Thus for head and for rump
Together to jump;

For there's none deferve places,
I fpeak't to their faces,

But men of fuch graces,

And I hope he will never prefer any affes:
Efpecially when I'm fo confident on't,

For reafons of ftate, that her Majesty won't.
Know, I myself I

Of a turbulent Preacher, who, curfedly

hot, [gun-powder plot! Turn'd the fifth of November, even the Into impudent railing, and the Devil knows

what.
Exclaiming like fury it was at Paul's,
London-
[undone,
How Church was in danger, and like to be
And fo gave the lie to gracious Queen Anne;
And, which is far worte, to our Parliament-

And then printed a book,
Into which men did look:
True, he made a good text;
But what follow'd next

[men:

But there was no engine could poffibly do't,
Till the Commons play'd theirs, and fo quite
So the man was tried for't [put it out.
'. Before highest coart:

Now it's plain to be seen,
It's his principles I mean,

Where they fuffer'd this Noify and his law-
yers to bellow:
Which over, the blade
A poor punishment had
For that racket he made.
By which ye may know

They thought as I do,

That he is but at beft an inconfiderate fellow.

That the country rides rufty, and is all out
And for what,
May I not
In opinion vary,

And think the contrary,
But it must create
Unfriendly debate,
And difunion ftraight;
When no reafon in nature

Can be given of the matter,

Any more than for thapes or for dif

ferent ftature?

[or Queen,

If you love your dear felves, your Religion,
Ye ought in good-manners to be peaceable

Like making a blufter;

For nothing disgufts her

And your making this riot,

Is what he could cry at,

[men:

[quiet.

Since all her concern's for our welfare and

I would ask any man

Of them all that maintain
Their Paffive Obedience
With fuch mighty vehemence,
That damn'd doctrine, I trow!
What he means by it, ho',
To trump it up now?
Or to tell me, in short,
What need there is for't?

Ye may fay I am hot;
I fay I am not,

[got.

Only warm as the fubject on which I am
There are thofe alive yet,

If they do not forget,

[and ftate;
May remember what mifchiefs it did church
Or at least must have heard
The deplorable calamities

It drew upon families,
About fixty years ago, and upward.
And now, do ye fee,
Whoever they be,

That make fuch an oration

In our Proteftant nation,

As though Church was all on a fire,

With whatever cloak

They may cover their talk,

And

Dr. Offspring Blackall. He was made Bishop of Exeter in 1707, and died in 1716 He published a volume of Sermons in 8vo, 1707; re-printed, with bis other works, in 2 veis, folio, 1723.

POETICAL ESSAYS in OCTOBER, 1776.

Of which I'm inform'd by good hands, I charge you all prefent, by way of request, This infulting of perfons by blows and rude

554

POETICAL ESSAYS in OCTOBER, 1776.

From being obliged to attend at affizes.
And ferve upon juftices of Nifi Prius;
From damp beds, or itchy, or fuch where there
lice is,

From dealing with great men,

Libera me.

and taking their word; [my lord, From waiting whole mornings to speak with Who puts off his payments, and puts on his fword,

Libera me. From trufting to hypocrites, wretches who trifle

With heaven, that on earth more Who confcience, and honour, ftifle,

[may rifle, fecure they and honefty Libera me.

From black coats who never the Gofpel yet.
taught;

Prom red coats who never a battle yet fought;
From petticoats where the infide's very naught,

Libera me.

No more, refounding from the filver Spray,
The vocal fongfters gratulate the day;
Nor from the fhady wood, or bushy dell,
Are heard the notes of warbling philomel.
Thofe joys are fied-The eye of

low'rs,

nature.

And mutt'ring clouds relent in thunderfhow'rs!

Bleak ftorms increase, and louder tempefts

rife,

Fill all the air with horror and furprise, And peals of lightening rend the earth and fkies!

To thefe-the barb'rous sportsman's joys
fucceed;

In every grove fome feather'd victims bleed,
If not their airy pinions wing their speed.
Purfu'd by hounds, fwift flies the timid hare,
And thundering guns with clamours pierce
the air.

But fee, brown Ceres (as decline the leaves)
Rears ev'ry where her pyramids of sheaves;
Spreads o'er the land her elevated flore,
And gives, with open heart, her gleanings to

the poor.

Thro' ev'ry field behold a jocund train,
That kemp and frolic at their pleafing
pain;

While 'neath each fickle fwells the teem-
ing grain,

Mirth fills each look, each gesture, and each
mien,

And fimple modefty attends ferene.

On them the rays of fortune ever smile,
And fweet contentment crowns their humble
toil.

Blefs'd are their fports, unfully'd are their
joys,

And rude contention ne'er their peace annoys.
Their humble boards (unknown ro foreign

fare).

Yield not the woes of fad corroding care.
They live in peace-to heaven all refign,
And know the band of nature is divite.

THE

J. M.

HE following Ode is inferted because it has already appeared in print. But we are forry to find that what was intended only for the amufement of a private fociety, should have been perverted by a note that has appeared with it in most of the publick papers.

This animated feu d'Esprit was the pro-
duction of the prefent Dean of Derry, Dr.
Barnard, who advanced in converfation with
Sir Joshua Reynolds and other wits, that he
thought" no man could improve when he
was paft the age of forty-five." Johnfon
(Samuel) who was in company, with his
ufual elegance and polished graces, immedi-
ately turned round to the facetious Dean, and
told him that he was an inflance to the con-
trary, for that there was great room for im-.
provement in him (the Dean) and wished be'd
fet about it; upon which, the Dean the next
day fent the following elegant bagatelle to
Sir Joshua Reynolds and the fame company.

To Sir JOSHUA REYNOLDS and Co.
By the DEAN of DERRY.
Lately thought no man alive,
Cou'd e'er improve paft forty-five,
And ventur'd to affert it;
The obfervation was not new,
But feem'd to me fo juft and true,

That none cou'd controvert it.

"No, Sir," fays Johnson, " 'tis not fɔ,
"That's your mistake, and I can fhew

"An inftance if you doubt it;
You, Sir, who are near forty-eight,
May much improve, 'tis not too late,
"I wish you'd fet about it."

* A barweft phrase, a fubfiitution for the word “frining,”

En

The MONTHLY CHRONOLOGER.

Encourag'd thus to mend my faults,
I turn'd his counfel in my thoughts,
Which way I fhou'd apply it;
Learning and wit feem'd paft my reach,
For who can learn when none will teach?
And wit-I cou'd not buy it.

Then come, my friends, and try your skill,
You can improve me if you will,

(My books are at a distance.) With you I'll live and learn, and then Inftead of books, I fhall read men,

So lend me your affistance.

Dear Knight of Plympton, teach me how
To fuffer with unruffled brow,

And fmile ferene like thine;
The jeft uncouth, or truth fevere,
To fuch I'll turn my deafeft ear,
And calmly drink my wine.

Thou fayft, not only fkill is gain'd,
But genius too may be attain'd,

By ftudious imitation;
Thy temper mild, thy genius fine,
I'll copy till I make thee mine,

By conftant application.

Thy art of pleafing, teach me, Garrick,
Thou, who reverfeft + Odes Pindaric,
A fecond time read o'er ;

Sir Joshua Reynolds.

Oh! could we read thee backwards too,
Laft thirty years thou should'ft review,
And charm us thirty more.

If I have thoughts and can't exprefs 'em,
Gibbons fhall teach me how to drefs 'em,
In terms felect and terfe;
Jones teach me modefty and Greek,
Smith how to think, Burke how to speak,
And Beauclerc to converse.

Let Johnson teach me how to place,
In faireft light, each borrow'd grace,
From him I'll learn to write;
Copy his clear familiar ftyle,
And from the roughnefs of his file,
Grow like bimfelf-polite.

The CONSULTATION,

THREE Doctors, met in confultation,
Proceed with great deliberation.
The cafe was defperate, all agreed;
But what of that? they must be fee'd.
They write then (as 'twas fit they shou'd)
But for their own, not patient's good.
Confulting wifely (don't mistake, Sir)
Not what to give, but what to take, Sir.

+ This alludes to Mr. G.'s having reverfed a few fianzas of a Pindaric Ode, upon a Gentleman's afferting that all Pindarics might be treated in the fame manner, and be equally intelligible. But fo far from Mr. G.'s having the leaft intention of ridiculing either the Ode or the Author, be bad before expressed bis approbation of it, without knowing at the time

who wrote it.

T

THE MONTHLY CHRONOLOGER.

LONDON.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 28.

**

HIS day a common-hall was held at Guildhall, for the election of a sheriff in the room of Alderman Wooldridge, who is excufed from ferving the office; and alfo for the choice of a lord-mayor for the year ensuing; at which the following aldermen were prefent, befides the lord-mayor, viz. Alfop, Crosby, Bull, Halifax, Efdaile, Plumbe, Kennett, Kirkman, Plomer, Thomas, Peckham, Hayley, Newnham, Wooldridge, Lee, Smith, and Clarke; when Mr. Alderman Thomas was unanimously elected fheriff in the room of Mr. Wooldridge.

Wooldridge made the following speech from the huftings:

"Gentlemen,

"When I addreffed myfelf laft to you from this place, I requested your acceptance of my humble and honeft thanks for the high honour conferred on me in the important trust to which you were pleased to call me, by chufing me one of your sheriff's for the enfuing year. I accepted that high office in a confidence which has never failed me, of the integrity of my refolution to execute it with the utmost fidelity and regard to your rights and interefts, and with a diligence and cirtumfpection which might in fome measure compenfate for my want of ability.

"I made you thofe acknowledgements with an entire fenfe of the difficulties which Previous to the election, Mr. Alderman might attend the execution of that important

4 B 2

office

556
office in the then alarming, and every day.
fince more alarming and critical fituation of
publick affairs.

The MONTHLY CHRONOLOGER.

"I did not, I could not then forefee, that the publick calamity. fhould fo affect me in my private fituation, as in any fort to render my ferving that office doubtful in point of propriety or effect. I do not, Gentlemen, intend to detain you by entering at all into my particular fituation, further than boldly to affirm, that whatever difficulties are attendant on it, arife not from, any fault of mine, but folely from the general, and let me fay most unhappy condition of the empire at large. I have early felt the bad effects of that condition; may others feel it very late, or rather, may they, under the guidance of a more favourable Providence, never feel it.

"It has been fuggefted to me, from very refpectable authority, that I might even now ferve the office with equal honour to myself, and equal good effect to you, but in a way not ufual, not generally understood to be confiftent with the dignity and just grandeur of this great city.

"Gentlemen, I hope I have firmnefs of mind, I flatter myself that I am not without courage to discharge my duty to you, and to ferve you under any difficulty, or in the face of any danger (I truft in God my life will prove it) but I have not confidence enough, though fupported as I have faid by very refpectable opinions, to make any striking deviation from the long, and perhaps, wifely eftablished exterior of the office.

"Thus circumftanced, I made the neceffary application to be excufed from ferving as one of your fheriffs for the year enfuing, and in compliance with my request, I have met that juftice and favour which my knowledge of the candour and equity of my fellow citizens had encouraged me to expect.

"Gentlemen, I have thus fhortly laid before you my conduct, and the motives by which I was influenced. I do, and ever fhall, hold myfelf accountable so you for my publick conduct. From your candour, I look for excufe on this occafion; may 1, without prefumption, add, for your approbation? From that approbation I fhall truft ag-in to receive that honour and confidence, which the unhappy influence of publick caufes upon private life, make it, according to my best judgment, prudent to decline for the prefent.

"I have taken the liberty to mention to you that I have not been without encouragement to serve the office of theriff, even under By prefent circumstances; that explicit manner which I fhall ever preferve to you, induces me to tell you, that I have been advised to refign my alderman's gown, and thus abandon every thing to which the favour of my fellow-citizens has raifed me, and every power of fhewing my gratitude to them by an

Oct.

"active, disinterested, and zealous exertion in their fervice.

"This I have pofitively declined; I have already affured my refpectable and much effeemed conflituents, that I fhould continue to ferve them with the utmoft zeal and fidelity as their alderman. I take this more publick opportunity of making the fame deelaration, and of affuring you, Gentlemen of the Livery, that however circumstanced, (whether feeling private inconvenience from publick misfortune, or, may it foon be eur better lot, every one fharing in the happy effects of the fortunate return of our former profperity) you fhall find me upright, zealous, and indefatigable in your service."

The election for a lord-mayor then came on, when the aldermen eligible to that office were put up; the fhew of hands appeared in favour of Sir Thomas Halifax and Sir James Efdaile. George Hayley, Efq. had alfo a very refpectable appearance. The sheriffs returned Sir Thomas Halifax and Sir James Eldaile to the court of aldermen, who made choice of the former of those gentlemen to be lord-mayor for the year enfuing; upon which he made a handsome speech to the livery, for the honour they had done him; and promised to do every thing in his power for the preservation of their rights, liberties, and franchises.

The bufinefs was conducted with great regularity and decorum, and when over, the lord mayor elect returned in the coach with the prefent mayor to the Manfion-house, where he and fome other aldermen, &c. were elegantly entertained; and the reft dined with Mr. Sheriff Plumbe at Goldsmith's Hail

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3.

On Friday morning laft, at nine o'clock, the King and Queen, with the Prince of Wales, the Bishop of Ofnaburgh, the Princefs Royal, and the Princess Augusta, attended by Lady Charlotte Finch, General Defaguliers, and Col. Hotham, went to Mr. Hartley's houfe, on Wimbledon-Common, to fee a repetition of the experiments upon the method of fecuring houfes from fire. Their Majefties, with the Princes and Princeffes, first breakfasted in one of the rooms, the teakettle being boiled upon a fire made upon the floor of the oppofite room, which their Majeflies afterwards went into, and faw the bed fet on fire, the curtains of which were foon deftroyed, and part of the bedftead, but not the whole, the fire burning more and more dead, for want of being able to lay hold of the floor, and at laft going out of itself. Their Majesties then went down ftaire, and faw an horfefhoe forged in a fire made upon the floor; as alfo a large faggot lighted, that was hung up to the ceiling inftead of a curtain; after which two fires were made upon the staircase, and one under the fairs,

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