Now sage professors, for their learning's curse,
Die of their duty in remorseless verse:
Now sentimental Aldermen expire

In prose half flaming with the Muse's fire;
Theirs while rich dainties swim on every plate-
Theirs the glad toil to feast for Britain's fate;
Nor mean the gift the Royal grace affords,
All shall be knights-but those that shall be lords.
Fountain of Honour, that art never dry,

Touch'd with whose drops of grace no thief can die,
Still with new titles soak the delug'd land,

Still may we all be safe from KETCH's menac'd hand!

JENKINSON.

O wondrous man, with a more wondrous Muse!
O'er my lank limbs thy strains a sleep diffuse,
Sweet as when PITT, with words disdaining end,
Toils to explain, yet scorns to comprehend.
Ah! whither had we fled, had that foul day
Torn him untimely from our arms away?

What ills had mark'd the age, had that dire thrust
Pierc'd his soft heart, and bow'd his bob to dust?
Gods! to my labouring sight what phantoms rise!
Here Juries triumph, and there droops Excise!

IMITATIONS.

Ver. 78. Tale tuum carmen nobis, divine Poeta,
Quale sopor fessis in gramine.

NOTES.

of the public papers. If the author will favour us with a corrected copy, adapted rather to the Pollio than the Messiah, we shall be happy to give it a place in our subsequent editions, of which we doubt not the good taste of the town will demand as many as of the rest of our celebrated bard's immortal compositions.

Fierce from defeat, and with collected might,
The low-born Commons claim the people's right;
And mad for freedom, vainly deem'd their own,

Their eye presumptuous dares to scan the throne.
See in the general wreck that smothers all,
Just ripe for justice-see my HASTINGS fall.
Lo, the dear Major meets a rude repulse,
Though blazing in each hand he bears a BULSE!
Nor Ministers attend, nor Kings relent,
Though rich Nabobs so splendidly repent.
See EDEN's faith expos'd to sale again,

90

95

Who takes his plate, and learns his French in vain.
See countless eggs for us obscure the sky,
Each blanket trembles, and each pump is dry.

100

Far from good things DUNDAS is sent to roam,

Ah!-worse than banish'd-doom'd to live at home.

Hence dire illusions! dismal scenes away

Again he cries, "What, what!" and all is gay.

Come, BRUNSWICK, come, great king of loaves and

fishes,

Be bounteous still to grant us all our wishes!
Twice every year with BEAUFOY as we dine,
Pour'd to the brim-eternal George-be thine
Two foaming cups of his nectareous juice,
Which-new to gods-no mortal vines produce.
To us shall BRUDENELL sing his choicest airs,
And capering MULGRAVE ape the grace of bears;

IMITATIONS.

Ver. 106. Sis bonus, O! felizque tuis

Ver. 107. Pocula bina novo spumantia lacte quot annis
Craterasque duo statuam tibi.

Ver. 109. Vina novum fundam calathis Arvisia nectar.

105

110

A grand thanksgiving pious YORK compose,
In all the proud parade of pulpit prose;
For sure Omniscience will delight to hear,
Thou 'scaped'st a danger that was never near.
While ductile PITT thy whisper'd wish obeys;
While dupes believe whate'er the Doctor says;
While, panting to be tax'd, the famish'd poor
Grow to their chains, and only beg for more;
While, fortunate in ill, thy servants find
No snares too slight to catch the vulgar mind;
Fix'd as the doom, thy power shall still remain,
And thou, wise King, as uncontroll'd shalt reign.

WILKES.

115

120

Thanks, Jenky, thanks; for ever couldst thou sing, 125
For ever could I sit and hear thee praise the King.
Then take this book, which, with a patriot's pride,
Once to his sacred warrant I denied,

IMITATIONS.

Ver. 114. Cantabunt mihi Damotas et Lyctius Ægon;

Saltantes Satyros imitabitur Alphesibæus.

Ver. 121. Dum juga montis aper, &c.

Semper honos, nomenque tuum, laudesque manebunt:

NOTES.

Ver. 119. The public alarm expressed upon the event which is the subject of this Pastoral, was certainly a very proper token of affection to a Monarch, every action of whose reign denotes him to be the father of his people. Whether it has sufficiently subsided to admit of a calm inquiry into facts, is a matter of some doubt, as the addresses were not finished in some late Gazettes. If ever that time should arrive, the world will be very well pleased to hear that the miserable woman whom the Privy Council have judiciously confined in Bedlam for her life, never even aimed a blow at his August Person.

Ver. 127. This Book, &c. Essay on Woman.

Fond though he was of reading all I wrote:
No gift can better suit thy tuneful throat.

JENKINSON.

h;

And thou this Scottish pipe, which JAMIE's breath
Inspir'd when living, and bequeath'd in death
From lips unhallow'd I've preserv'd it long ;
Take the just tribute of thy loyal song.

IMITATIONS.

Ver. 130. At tu sume pedum, quod, cum me sæpe rogaret,
Non tulit Antigenes, et erat tum dignus amari.

Ver. 134. Est mihi

Fistula, Damotas dono mihi quam dedit olim,
Et dixit moriens, "Te nunc habet ista secundum."

180

134

NOTES.

ECL. II.

Ver, 130. No gift can better suit thy

throat. The ungrateful

people of England, we have too much reason to fear, may be of a dife ferent opinion.

CHARLES JENKINSON.

ARGUMENT.

The following is a very close Translation of VIRGIL's SILENUS; so close indeed, that many Readers may be surprised at such a Deviation from our Author's usual Mode of imitating the Ancients. But we are to consider that VIRGIL is revered by his Countrymen, not only as a Poet, but likewise as a Prophet and Magician; and our incomparable Translator, who was not ignorant of this Circumstance, was convinced that VIRGIL in his SILENUS had really and bona fide meant to allude to the Wonders of the present Reign, and consequently that it became his Duty to adhere most strictly to his Original, and to convey the true Meaning of this hitherto inexplicable Eclogue.

MINE was the Muse, that from a Norman scroll
First rais'd to fame the barbarous worth of ROLLE,
And dar'd on DEVON's hero to dispense
The gifts of Language, Poetry, and Sense.

IMITATIONS.

Ver. 1. Prima Syracosio dignata est ludere versu

Nostra, nec erubuit sylvas habitare, Thalia.

Cùm canerem reges et prælia, Cynthius aurem
Vellit, et admonuit, &c. &c.