Thy fong could cure his Afiatic fpleen,

35

And make him wish to see and to be seen;
That folemn vein of irony so fine,

40

Which, e'en Reviewers own, adorns thy line,
Would make him foon against his greatness fin,
Defert his fofa, mount his palanquin,
And poft where'er the goddess led the way,
Perchance to proud Spithead's imperial bay ;
There should he fee, as other folks have feen,
That ships have anchors, and that seas are green,
Should own the tackling trim, the streamers fine, 45
With Sandwich prattle, and with Bradshaw dine,

Emperor of China is a poet. M. de Voltaire did him the honour to treat him as a brother above two years ago; and my late patron, Sir William Chambers, has given a fine and moft intelligible profe verfion of an ode of his Majesty upon tea, in his postfcript to his Differtation. I am, however, vain enough to think, that the Emperor's compofition would have appeared ftill better in my heroic verse ; but Sir William foreftalled it ; on which account I have entirely broke with him.

Verfe 37. That folemn vein of irony.] "A fine vein of solemn irony runs through this piece. See Monthly Review, under the article of the Heroic Epistle to Sir William Chambers.

Verfe 43. There fhould he fee.] A certain naval event happened just about two calendar months after the publication of the Heroic Epiftle. 'Twas impoffible, confidering the neceffary preparations, it could have been fooner. Facts are stubborn things.

And

And then fail back, amid the cannon's roar,
As fafe, as fage, as when he left the shore.

Such is thy pow'r, O Goddefs of the fong,
Come then and guide my careless pen along;
Yet keep it in the bounds of sense and verse,
Nor, like Mac-Homer, make me gabble Erfe.
No, let the flow of these spontaneous rhymes
So truly touch the temper of the times,

That he who runs may read; while well he knows 55
I write in metre, what he thinks in profe;
So fhall my fong, undisciplin'd by art,
Find a fure patron in each English heart.
If this it's fate, let all the frippery things
Be-plac'd, be-penfion'd, and be-ftarr'd by Kings, 60
Frown on the page, and with fastidious eye,
Like old young Fannius, call it blafphemy.

Verfe 52. Nor like Mac-Homer J See, if the reader thinks it worth while, a late tranflation of the Iliad.

Verfe 62. Like old young Fannius.] The noble personage here alluded to, being asked to read the Heroic Epiftle, faid, " No, it was as bad as blafphemy."

Ibid. Fannius.] Before I fent the MS to the prefs, I difcovered, that an accidental blot had made all but the first fyllable of this name illegible. I was doubtful, therefore, whether to print it Fannius or Fannia. After much deliberation, I thought it beft to ufe the mafculine termination. If I have done wrong, I ask pardon, not only of the Author, but the Lady, The Editor.

Let

Let these prefer a levee's harmless talk,
Be afk'd how often, and how far they walk,
Proud of a fingle word, nor hope for more,
Tho' Jenkinson is bleft with many a score;
For other ears my honest number found,
With other praise those numbers shall be crown'd,
Praise that shall spread, no pow'r can make it less,
While Britain boasts the bulwark of her press.
Yes, fons of Freedom! yes, to whom I pay,
Warm from the heart, this tributary lay;

65

70

75

That lay shall live, tho' Court and Grub-street figh,
Your young Marcellus was not born to die.
The mufe fhall nurfe him up to man's estate,
And break the black asperity of fate---
Admit him then your candidate for fame,
Pleas'd if in your review he read his name.
Tho' not with Mafon and with Goldsmith put,
Yet cheek by jowl with Garrick, Colman, Foote, 80
But if with higher Bards that name you range,
His modesty muft think your judgment strange-
So when o'er Crane-Court's philofophic Gods,
The Jove-like majesty of Pringle nods,

If e'er he chance to wake on Newton's chair,
He "wonders how the devil he came there."

Verfe 76. And break the black asperity of fate.]
fata afpera rumpas,

«Si qua

Tu Marcellus eris."

65

VIRG.

What

Whate'er his fame or fate, on this depend
He is, and means to be, his country's friend.
'Tis but to try his ftrength that now he sports
With Chinese gardens, and with Chinese courts: 90
But if that country claim a graver strain,

If real danger threat fair Freedom's reign,
If hireling P**rs, in prostitution bold,
Sell her as cheaply as themselves they fold;
Or they, who honour'd by the People's choice,
Against that People lift their rebel voice,
And bafely crouching for their paltry pay,
Vote the best birthright of her sons away,
Permit a nation's in-born wealth to fly
In mean, unkingly prodigality;

Nor, e'er they give, afk how the fums were spent,
So quickly fquander'd, tho' fo lately lent-

If this they dare, the thunder of his fong,

Rolling in deep-ton'd energy along,

95

100

Shall strike, with Truth's dead bolt, each mifcreant's

name,

Who, dead to duty, fenfelefs e'en to fhame,
Betray'd his country. Yes, ye faithless crew,
His mufe's vengeance fhall your crimes purfue,
Stretch you on Satire's rack, and bid you lie
Fit garbage for the hell-hound, Infamy.

105

ODE

ODE TO MR. PINCHBECK, UPON HIS NEWLY IN

VENTED PATENT CANDLE-SNUFFERS. BY MAL

COLM M'GREGOR, ESQ; AUTHOR OF THE HEROIC EPISTLE TO SIR WILLIAM CHAMBERS, AND THE HEROIC POSTSCRIPT.

Quoufque ergo fruftrà pafcemus ignigenum iftum ?

Apuleii Met. Lib. 7. Why should a Patent be granted to this Candle-Snuffer in vain ?

I.

ILLUSTRIOUS Pinchbeck! condefcend,
Thou well-belov'd, and best King's-Friend,
Thefe lyric lines to view;

O may they prompt thee, ere too late,
To fouff the candle of the ftate,

That burns a little blue.

II. It

ADVERTISEMENT.

Ever fince my first publication, the curiofity, not to say anxiety, of the world concerning my name, has been fo great, that it has frequently given me pain to conceal what the world will now fee it was not poffible in my power to discover.

In fhort, I had no name, till the royal favour lately restored my very antient and honourable clan to its priftine title and honours. I was therefore in the fame deplorable cafe with a certain nameless lady, whom I have long had the honour to call my neighbour, and who, I fincerely hope, will foon, by the same favour, be restored to

that