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"But never let our charge affright

"Folks who can pay a bill at sight,

"Nor tremble in a vain belief

"We scent your herrings and smok'd beef;
"Each French Reformer with his own is
"Contented-your sage BELGIC CRONIES
"Won't in this weighty point mislead ye,
"Consult them and experto crede.*
"Then set your hearts at rest, and hear
"Our conscientious Chieftains swear
"By Him on high, whose kingdom stood
"As long as France thought fit it should;

*The French entered this unfortunate country (Belgium) under repeated and solemn promises of Protection and Freedom.-No sooner had they obtained possession, than they put every article of property, which could be of use to their armies, into requisition, and compelled the people to receive payment in depreciated assignats AT PAR; levied immense contributions; ordered measures to be taken to compel the people to exchange their money for assignats AT PAR; placed the country under the government of military commissioners, &c. &c.—and, having THUS afforded "LIBERTY AND PRO"TECTION" to the Belgians, having thus "BROKEN THEIR 66 CHAINS," &c. they proceeded to seize and confiscate for their own use, the whole property of the clergy in Belgium, to the amount of more than two hundred and fifty millions of dollars. Harpur's Observations, p. 51.

"Or Him below, th' infernal blade,

"Whom we've outdone at his own trade

"Or we the Veidam oaths a score on

"Will take, or, if you please, the Koran,
"That France of your high mighty persons
"Shall be as tender as of hér sons-
"Shall pledge herself in solemn pact
"To keep your property intact—
"That of Batavian Independence

"We'll be th' assertors and defendants-
"With kind embrace fraternal greet you,
"And love you well enough—to eat you."*
The Dutchmen auswer'd in a fright:
Since their French friends were too polite
To stand on formal invitation,

They felt a load of obligation,

*The Hollanders have been so happy as to experience the warmth of French affection, wound up to its highest pitch, which exactly resembles the insatiable ardours of the wonderful Stallion, of whom it is related, that he always endeavoured to devour the Mares which had admitted of his caresses.

See the account of King Michrage's Mares, from the World Underground.-Sinbad the Sailor.-Arab. Nights.

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Whose weight they could not well express,
And therefore left their Guests to guess,
Who, over rivers, dams, and ditches,
As if they'd been convoy'd by witches,
On broomstick-geldings, whip and spur,
Brought 'em good news and gunpowder:
For both which blessings to requite 'em,
They would do any thing but fight 'em.
The points on which they had descanted
They took most thankfully for granted;
And since they could not send them packing-
Drank their good healths, gin-grog and 'rack in.
"Save
you, Mynheers"-cried these new-comers,

And merrily toss'd off their rummers—

"As

you ne'er strove to keep us out,

"We'll grant you are wise men and stout;

"And for your victuals, drink, and lodgings,

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Expect, in lieu, from us true Trojans,

"Such feats, that ev'ry mother's son

"Shall own performance has outrun
"Our promises. Our word we gave t' ye,
"To guarantee your persons' safety-
"And, lo, our thrice-redoubted soldiers

"Have left your heads upon your shoulders!

"This, from OUR REFORMADO-RACE, "Account no common mark of grace.— "We swore we would forbear to seize "Your Property.—Then keep your fleas : "And from your marshes, fens, and bogs, ""Though French-men, we'll not filch your frogs, "But gratis be content to cut on

"Sirloins of beef, prime veal and mutton.

"And deem not we infringe our oath in

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Engrossing all your carnal clothing,

"Shirts, waistcoats, pantaloons and brogues,

"To furbish up our tatter'd rogues:

"Nor growl, tho' stripp'd from snout to great-toe,

"As naked as a par'd potatoe:

"What if your dinners, shirts, and shoes-Sirs,

"We borrow,-You can be no losers,

"Since WE FRATERNITY commute

"For meat and drink and clothes to boot,

"And, generating Reformation

"By fundamental denudation,

"Make Dutchmen, on whose spoils we've fatten❜d,

"What this end loses gain at that end;

σε And, from incumbrance freed below decks, "Sansculottize both SOUL and Podex,

"Like those of CLOOTZ,* a precious pair, "Stripp'd sympathetically bare;

" "Till ev'ry Frenchified-Mynheer

"Shall emulate THAT BRITISH PEER, "And most profound Gymnosophist +

"Of all the Anglo-gallic list;

"Who, 'midst th' Aristocratic corps,

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Abjured the breeches that he wore : ‡ "Dismantling his lean § Lodge of Honour "To class with Citizen O'CONNOR.

"You've a rare bargain, Sirs! In th' end on 't, "We vow'd to make you Independent—

*"MON AME EST SANS-CULOTTES," said Jean Baptiste, alias Anacharsis, Clootz, the ingrafter of spiritual upon carnal Sansculottism: whom, during the paroxisms of his Skeleaphobia,-when he was untrowsered to the very soul of himRobespierre judiciously arrested,

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and sent him down bare breech'd

"To Pedant Rhadamanthus, in posture to be switch'd."

See Second Part of St. George and the Dragon. Pills to Purge Melancholy. Vol. III. † Gymnosophists—a name given by the Greeks to certain bare-bottomed Philosophers of Antiquity, many

of whose pecu

liar tenets are cherished among the Bramins of the East,

Earl Stanhope, who avowed himself a SANS-CULOTTE in

the British House of Lords.

§ The place where Honour 's lodg'd. -Butler.

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