age,

Simple and unadorn'd, attempts the stage.
Our filly bard, more fimple than his tale,
Thinks on your polish'd manners to prevail;
What in those barbarous days were counted
crimes,

Are flips of course in these enlighten'd times:
Let not your ancefiers too rude appear,
Tho' firm in friendship, and in love fincere:
Love then, like glory, did each heart inflame,
Beauty was virtue, and to win it-fame!
Now, lovers lofe their miftreffes with grace,
As at Newmarket they would lofe a race;
Where, if in hopes, they feem a little cross'd,
"Tis for the money of the match that's loft.
When tilts and tournaments call'd forth the
brave,

The fame of (potlefs innocence to fave,
Each gallant knight prefer'd his love to life;
For then, the greateft bleffing was a wife:
To prove their chastity, the dauntless fair
Would walk through fames, nor finge a fingle
hair!

Nay fome fo chafte, fo cold to all defire,
Not only 'fcaped it, they put out the fire!
But now, no heroes die for love's sweet
paffion;

And fiery trials are quite out of fashion.

Ye fons of frailty-you whom rage devours, For you, this night, the mufe exerts her powers: [fhot eyes, With crimson hands, pale cheeks, and bloodShe bids the Furies in their terrors rife! In valour's breast their scorpion ftings they dart,

Firft fire the brain, and then corrupt the heart. But what avails all virtue! Paffion's guft, Like whirlwinds, drive it from the heart like duft.

To foothe this fatal vice, the flatterer tells, In formy minds how warmest friendship dwells. [ly round, The tree, whofe fheltering arms fpread kindIf light'ning-ftruck, lies blafted on the ground: In vain will merits paft indulgence claim; One moment's rathness blafts whole years of fame.

ESSAY S.

You won't--by council then you'd have it
done,
[gone.
And I muft plead your caufe! well, get you
[Coming forward to the audience.
Now for the great tribunal of Old Drury;
Are you all fworn there-gemmen of the
jury?

Good men and true, I hope--ftay, let me fee,
Among you all, he challenges but three;
Phyficians, lawyers, parfons he admits,
Beaux, ladies, courtiers, macaronies, cits,
And only scratches critics, news-writers,
and wits.

The critic firft we banish from our feffion, (Death is his trade, and damning his profeffion)

Difqualify'd becaufe, to fay no further,
Butchers are never heard in cafe of murther.
Next we difclaim th' artificers of news,
Who live by fibs, and flourish by abuse;
They must condemn, or lofe their daily
bread;
[read;
If they don't cut and flash, they're never
Like fabl'd giants here they roam for food,
And fe! fa! fum! fnuff up an author's
blood;

In the next Ledger hang him up to roaft,
Or tear him piece-meal in the Morning Poft.
To wits we laft except, and 'bove all

other,

The hero of our tale-a rival brother! As rogues, juft 'scaped the gallows, join the fhrieves,

Turn hangmen, and tuck up their fellow thieves;

So bards condenin'd exert the critic's skill,
And execute their brethren of the quill!
If like their own indeed the brat fhould die,
They'll gladly join to write its elegy;
But if the child is ftrong and like to live,
It is a crime they never can forgive,
From fuch let English juries ftill be free,
Our author here appeals to your decree,
The public is a court of equity.

If he has fhock'd your tafte, your fenfe, or reason,

Or against nature guilty been of treason,
Off with his head; but if with honeft art
His well meant fcenes have touch'd the feel-
ing heart,

If they have rais'd your pity, wak'd your fears,

Or fweetly have beguil'd you of your tears, Let venial errors your indulgence claim, Your voice his triumph, your applaufe his fame. [Pit?

Speak by your foreman-what fays goodman Will you condemn the prifoner, or acquit? Your verdict, firs- not guilty-if you pleafeYou fmile-acquitted--hope you'll pay his fees.

N

For

Nay, Mr. Serjeant, good fir, try again.

[Gives money. Serj. The fcrawl improves, [more] O come, 'tis pretty plain.

How's this? The poet's brief again! O ho! Caft, I fuppofe? Att. O pardon me-no

no

We found the court, o'erlooking ftricter laws,
Indulgent to the merits of the cause;
By judges mild, unus'd to harsh denial,
A rule was granted for another trial.

Serj. Then heark'ee, Dibble, we muft mend our pleadings, [ceedings. Errors, no few, we've found in our proAtt. Come, courage, fir, we will amend our plea

With a new brief, and a refreshing fee.
Some fons of Phabus-in the courts we meet,

Serj. And fifty fons of Phoebus in the fleet,
Att. Nor pleads he worse, who with a de-
cent sprig

Of bays-adorns his legal waste of wig.

Serj. Full bottom'd heroes thus, on figns,
unfurl

A leat of laurel-in a grove of curl.
Yet tell your client that in adverfe days,
This wig is warmer than a bush of bays.

Att. Do you then, fir, my client's place fupply,

Profufe of robe, and prodigal of the-
Do you, with all those blufhing pow'rs of.
face,

And wonted bafhful hefitating grace,
Rife in the court, and flourish on the cafe.

[Exit.

Serj. For practice then fuppofe-this brief will fhew it

Me Serjeant Woodward-counfel for the poet. Us'd to the ground I know 'tis hard to deal With this dread court- from whence there's

pute,

We gain fome favour, if not cofts of fuit.
No fpleen is here-no hoarded fury;
I think I never fac'd a milder jury.
Sad elfe our plight!-where frowns are tranf-
portation,

A hifs the gallows-and a groan, damnation.
But fuch the public candour, without fear
My client waves all right of challenge here.
No newfman from our feffion is difmifs'd,
Nor wit nor critic we fcratch off the lift;
His faults can never hurt another's ease,
His crime at worst- a bad attempt to please.
Thus ail refpecting, he appeals to all,
And by the general voice will fand or fall.

EPILOGU E.

Spoken by Mrs. BULKLEY.

Le'd try to coax fome moral from hisplay:

ADIES for you I heard our poet say

"One moral's plain-cried I-without more fufs;

Man's focial happiness all refts in us-
Thro' all the drama-whether damn'd or

not-

[plot." Love gilds the scene, and women guide the From ev'ry rank-obedience is our dueD'ye doubt?-The world's great ftage will prove it true.

The cit-well skill'd to fhun domeftic ftrife[wife: Will fup abroad;-but firft-he'll ask his John Trot, his friend-for once, will do the fame, [dame.— But then-he'll just fep home to tell my The furly 'fquire-at noon refolves to rule, And half the day-zounds! madam is a fool! Convinc'd at night-the vanquish'd victor fays

Ah! Kate! you wemen bave such coaxing ways!

The jolly toper chides each tardy blade,Till reeling Bacchus calls on Love for aid: Then with each toast, he fees fair bumpers fwim,

And kiffes Chloe on the sparkling brim.

Nay, I have heard that fatefmen-great
and wife-

Will fometimes counfel with a lady's eyes;
The fervile fuitors-watch her various face,.
She fmiles preferment-or the frowns dif-
grace,

Curtfiesa penfion here-there nods a place. Nor with lefs awe, in scenes of humbler life,

Is view'd the miftrefs, or is beard the wife.
The poorest peafant of the poorest foil,
The child of poverty, and heir to toil-
Early from radiant love's impartial light,
Steals one fmall spark, to chear his world of
night:

Dear

Dear spark-that oft thro' winter's chilling

woes,

Is all the warmth his little cottage knows. The wand'ring tar-who not for years has prefs'd

The widow'd partner of his day of reftOn the cold deck-far from her arms remov'd

Still hums the ditty which his Sufan lov'd: And while around the cadence rude is blown, The boatswain whiftles in a fofter tone.

The foldier, fairly proud of wounds and toil,

Pants for the triumph of his Nancy's fmile; But ere the battle fhould be loft he cries, The lover trembles-and the hero dies!

That heart by war and honour steel'd to fear, Droops on a figh, and fickens at a tear.

But ye more cautious-ye nice judging few, Who give to beauty only beauty's due, Tho' friends to love-ye view with deep regret [pleat,

Our conquefts marr'd-our triumphs incom-
Till polifh'd wit more lafting charms disclose,
And judgment fix the darts which beauty
throws.

In female breafts did fenfe and merit rule,
The lovers mind wou'd afk no other fchool:
Sham'd into fenfe-the scholars of our eyes,
Our beaux from gallantry wou'd foon be wife;
Would gladly light, their homage to improve,
The lamp of knowledge at the torch of love.

For the LONDON MAGAZINE.
DESPAIR.

E fhepherds and nymphs of the plain,

for a while to my lays;

Give heed to a forrowful fwain,
Who all his misfortunes difplays.
Lucinda, the lovely, the gay,

Who all my affections doth fhare,
She's Tweet as the flowers in May,

But cruel, alas! as fhe's fair.
She treats me with fcorn and difdain,
My fighs are all loft in her ears;
She triumphs and laughs at my pain,
And cruelly sports at my
Thus, defpairing, I spend all my days,
Nor can I expect to be bleft;
Depriv'd both of comfort and ease,
My foul is a stranger to rest.
I'll feek fome difconfolate cell,

Remote from the maid I adore,
No more near her beauties I'll dwell,

I'll contemplate her virtues no more!
There unknown I'll repeat all my woes,
Unheard of lament my hard fate;
Since Lucinda fuch cruelty fhews,
Death only fhall end my fad ftate.
Buckingham.

T.

ment for not obeying the lord-mayor's pre'cept, in not fummoning, as chief warden of the Goldsmiths company, the livery of the faid company to attend in Guildhall, to hear his majefty's answer to the humble addrefs and remonstrance of the corporation of London; as the only legal bufinefs of convening the livery, he faid, was for them to elect their members of parliament, magiftrates, and other officers, and that all other corporate bufinefs of the city came under the cognizance of the common-council, and recited many law reports to confirm his argument. Mr. Davenport, as counsel for the defendant in error, obferved, that it was the duty of the plaintiff to obey the lord mayor's precept, and that he was obliged to do fo by his oath as a freeman; that it was impoffible to know the fenfe of the citizens but by such convention; that no perfon was fo proper to call them together as the mayor or chief magifirate, and enforced his arguments by many Jaw cafes. The judges then adjourned the further arguing on this caufe tili fome day

next term.

An order, having been iffued on Tuesday by the Upper Aflembly, directing an officer of that houfe to take into cuftody the printer of a morning paper, the officer called at the printing-office on Tuesday evening and Wedneiday morning, when he was told that the printer was not at home, but would give him (the officer) the meeting on Saturday morning at eleven o'clock. In expectation, there fore, of his coming, the printer attended at his office from cleven o'clock till half an hour paft one; when he was advifed by his friends to dispatch a letter to the officer, informing him of his long attendance. The bearers of this letter were directed to wait for an answer. In the mean time, it is faid, that leveral peace-officers, &c. were in waising near the printer's houfe, to take into cufti dy any persons that might offer violence to him; but no perfon came to take him into cuftody, nor was any answer to his letter received; and here the matter at prefent x.fts.

WEDNESDAY 8.

On Monday noon there was a very numerous and refpectable meeting of the merchants, traders, &c. concerned in the American commerce, at the King's Arms Tavern, Cornhill, when a refolution for petitioning the House of Lords, on the alarming fitua tion of American affair, was agreed to, and a petition drawn up accordingly.

Sunday morning, owing to the high tide, immenfe damage was done at the wharfs below bridge; on Tapping wharf, Cotton's, Chamberlain's, &c. the water was near three feet deep, and large quantities of oil and other goods were floating in the cellars and warehouses thereabouts; great quantities of fugars, fmall goods, &c. therein very much damaged. A hip laden with fugars and

a

various other goods, broke away from wharf near London Bridge, and was loft on the fterlings.

A poor woman, who lay in a cellar near the church at Rotherhithe, was with great difficulty faved from being drowned, through the humanity of a gentleman who went up to his middle into the water to bring her out, but not till the had fwallowed fo much as to render her quite fenfelefs: a few minutes after the recovered fufficiently to cry for her children. By this time the cellar was quite filled; the floor, however, was broke open, and the children were taken out with iron hoops and ropes, without any figns of life; this the mother had no fooner feen than the grew frantick with despair, and is confined = the children were taken to a furgeon in the neighbourhood, and by the application of falt and flannel, the eldest of them shewed fome marks of remaining life, and is at prefent in a fair way of recovery; the youngest was too far gone to render any remedies fuccefs!ul. MONDAY 13.

The Lower Aflembly, on Friday, took into confideration the American papers; when a motion was made, that leave be given to bring in a bill to restrain the trade and cɔmmerce of the provinces of Maffachusetts Bay, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Providence, and Rhode Island colonies in North Ame rica, to Great-Britain, Ireland, and the West Indies, and to prohibit fuch provinces and colonies from carrying on any fishery on the banks of Newfoundland, or other parts' therein to be mentioned, under certain conditions, and for a time to be limited. paft eleven o'clock, the question being put, the members divided, ayes 261, noes 85.

At

The faid refolution was reported immediately, and a bill ordered in pursuant thereto.

At the court of common-council held at Guildhall on Friday, the following motion was made by Mr. Saxby, and feconded by Mr. Alderman Kirkman, " that the thanks of this court be given to the Right Hon. the Earl of Chatham for having offered to the House of Lords a plan for conciliating the differences which unfortunately fubfift between the mother country and the colonies; alfo to all thofe noblemen who fupported the fame."

The Right Hon. Mr. Alderman H. oppofed the motion. On the question being put, it was carried without one diffentent, except that gentleman.

Mr. Saxby next made the following motion, which was alfo feconded by Mr. Kirkman, "that the thinks of this court be given to all those members of the House of Commons who have defended the cause of the Americans fuffering in the fupport of freedom, under oppreffive measures."

This motion was oppofed by the Ald. Harley, Rawlinson, Hopkins, and Thomas,

Мед

Mef. Jones, Maskall and White. On the question being put, it was carried in the affirmative by the whole court except the above gentlemen.

WEDNESDAY 15.

At the Court of Common Council held on Monday at Guildhall, the Town Clerk acquainted the Court that he had waited on the Earl of Chatham with the thanks of the Court agreed to on Friday laft, to which his Lordship returned the following answer.

"Lord Chatham defires the favour of Mr.

Town-Clerk to offer to my Lord Mayor, the Aldermen, and Commons, in Common Council affembled, his most respectful and grate ful acknowledgments for the fignal honour they have been pleased to confer on the mere discharge of his duty, in a moment of impending calamity.

"Under deep impreffions of former marks of favourable conftruction of his conduct, during the evil hour of a dangerous foreign war, he now deems himself too fortunate to find his efforts for preventing the ruin and horrors of a civil war, approved, honoured, and ftrengthened by the great corporate body of the kingdom."

At the faid Court the following resolutions

were come to:

"Refolved, That the prefent fituation of our public affairs, in confequence of the fevere proceedings against the American colonies, is fo exceedingly alarming, that it is the duty of this Court to ufe every poffible endeavour to prevent all further oppreffion, and to obtain relief to fo numerous and valuable a part of our fellow fubjects.

"Refolved, That as a bill is proposed to be brought into Parliament to prohibit the New-England Fishery, which, if complied with, may materially injure the commercial interefts of this city, and of the kingdom in general, the Lord Mayor be requested by this Court to convene the fame to confider whether it may not be the duty of this Court to petition Parliament against the faid propofed bill, the principles of which, fo far as they have been hitherto declared, appearing to be repugnant both to juftice and the true intereft of the British Empire."

THURSDAY 16.

It is faid that the excife on beer and ale, from January 1774 to January 1775, amounted to 1,385.4201. 10s. The whore revenue of the excife amounted to 3,487,129). 125. 6d.

From the LONDON GAZETTE. St. JAMES'S, THURSDAY, Feb. 9. This day the two Houses of Parliament prefented to his Majesty the following Addrefs:

The bamble Addrefs of the Right Honourable the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in Parliament affembled,

Die Martis, 79 Februarii, 1775.

Moft Gracious Sovereign,

WE, your Majefty's most dutiful and loyal fubjects, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in Parliament affembled, return your Majefty our most humble thanks for having been graciously pleafed to communicate to us the feveral papers relating to the present state of the British Colonies in Ame rica, which, by your Majesty's commands, have been laid before us : we have taken them into our most serious confideration; and we find, that a part of your Majefty's fubjects, in the province of the Maffachusetts Bay, have proceeded fo far to refift the authority of the fupreme legiflature, that a rebellion at this time actually exifts within the said province; and we fee, with the utmost concern, that they have been countenanced and encouraged by unlawful combinations and engagements, entered into by your Majesty's fubjects in feveral of the other colonies, to the injury and oppresfion of many of their innocent fellow-fubjects, refident within the kingdom of Great Britain, and the reft of your Majefty's dominions: This conduct, on their part, appears to us the more inexcufable, when we confider with how much temper your Majefty, and the two Houses of Parliament, have acted in fupport of the laws and conftitution of Great Britain. We can never fo far defert the truft repofed in us, as to relinquish any part of the fovereign authority over all your Majefty's dominions, which, by law, is vefted in your Majefty, and the two Houfes of Parliament; and the conduct of many perfons, in feveral of the colonies, during the late difturbances, is alone fufficient to convince us how necessary this power is for the protection of the lives and fortunes of all your Majesty's fubjects.

We ever have been, and always fhall be, ready to pay attention and regard to any real grievances of any of your Majefty's fubjects, which fhall, in a dutiful and conftitutional manner be laid before us; and whenever any of the colonies fhall make a proper application to us, we fhall be ready to afford them every juft and reasonable indulgence: at the fame time, we confider it as our indif penfible duty, humbly to befeech your Majefty, that you will take the most effectual meafures to enforce due obedience to the laws and authority of the fupreme legiflature; and we beg leave, in the moft folemn manner, to affure your Majefty, that it is our fixed refolution, at the hazard of our lives and properties, to stand by your Majesty against all rebellious attempts, in the maintenance of the juft rights of your Majefty, and the two

Houses of Parliament.

His MAJESTY's moft gracious Anfwer.

"My Lords and Gentlemen,

"I thank you for this very dutiful and loyal addrefs, and for the affectionate and folemn affurances you give me of your fup

port