"But soft!-Your eyes the sorrows share "Ah, DICK!-'tis what wE ALL must come to! "When MINISTERS assail'd the Press, ""Twas with mask'd battery and finesse "They strove the subject's rights to master— "And, when the Commons' House made fast her "Doors on the discontented herd, ""Twas then mum chance, and snug 's the word! "(If still I harp on "Shutting Door""Forgive me on that point I'm sore) * "But although the means employed to silence the Press be not so glaring as in another kingdom, and therefore do not make the same impression; and although the shutting the doors of the House of Commons are alarming enough, and not the less so to a discerning mind for being moderate in appearance; yet, upon one occasion, Ministers dealt candidly by the public-they spoke boldly out." Mr. Fox's Speech. "Yet once THEY borrow'd Candour's vest, “ Of windmill-raft and air-balloon, "Like Bedlamites at full o' the moon; "To our State-chiefs his service tender'd: "Marshall'd on ev'ry side you then saw "(Not Cadmus, dentist to the dragon, * “ Some time ago, as you all remember, from the apprehension of danger, a great spirit appeared ready for the public defence, and all descriptions of persons offered themselves for that purpose." Mr. Fox's Speech. "Saw CLERKS their sable stole and beaver "Discarding, catch the scarlet fever; "Zeal militant DISSENTERS seize, "And make starch QUAKERS "stand at Ease;" "Then Cooks took leave of roast and fried, "And clapp'd their spits upon their side, "Forswore their gridironic toils, "And sigh'd for none but hostile broils: "Then CHIMNEY SWEEPS and PRINTERS' IMPS, "From black turn'd red, like scalded shrimps; "BUTCHERS their slaught'ring blades on steel "While sound of spirit-stirring drum "Then SQUIB-MAKERS their art renounc'd, "And of feats martial crack'd and bounc'd; "BARBERS, for Britain's weal alarm'd, "Turn'd out, with barb'rous * weapons arm'd, Suspending on their poles, 'till then signs "Of peaceful shavery, warlike ensigns; "BLACKSMITHS recoiling from their labours, "Hammer'd their horse-shoes into sabres; "PORK-WIVES left sausages and souse, "To stuff ball-cartridges for spouse; "Nay, chitterlings to sword-belts twisted: "While e'en the HANGMAN'S self inlisted, "Threat'ning with steel, instead of rope, "To give destruction ampler scope. * The subsequent extract, from an Oration of the venerable RALPH BATHURST, delivered in the Convocation House of the University of Oxford, over which he presided as Vice-Chancellor as long ago as the year 1676, may be regarded as an Academical Prediction of the extraordinary though not unnatural influence of the Military Mania in after times upon the Tonsoric Species: "TONSORUM plena sunt omnia: obtrudunt se proficiscen "tibus, invadunt redeuntes; obvio cuicunque, BARBARA TELA, "forfices et novaculas intendunt." Orat. habit. in Dom. Convocat. Oxon, See the Life and Literary Remains of Ralph Bathurst, by T. WARTON. "Amidst this military bustle,* "Summon'd his merry men brave RUSSEL, "And took his station at their head: "Not those in livery white and red, Grinds, unconcern'd, the poor and needy,) * "Mr. TIERNEY and the DUKE of Bedford, with a considerable body of men, offered their services, but they were rejected. Administration told them-' You must not have arms in your hand, because you have not the confidence of the Ministers.' In other words, Ministers have said-'You are not for us personally, and we will not trust you with arms. We will arm but one half of the country, lest the other half should recover its liberties.' I think it is impossible for any man of the least common sense to help seeing the drift of all this conduct." Mr. Fox's Speech, October, 1798. The Duke of Bedford was surcharged for twenty-five servants, in addition to twenty-six, which he had entered; they acted in the following capacities: Porter, 1; Gardiner, 1; Postillion, 1; Helpers, 21; Gamekeeper, 1. His Grace was also surcharged for seventeen horses (forgotten in his statement) in addition to thirty, which were previously entered. |