66 My third and last point I now hasten to state: "No leader can properly guide a debate "Unless, quite familiar with every one's views, "He sees the whole game which each party pur sues; "And knows who are nibbling, who hungry, who nice "The hope of each faction-and every man's price! These arts are not studied, like figures of speech, 66 Experience alone such discretion can teach. "To lead, then, believe me, a man you should call, “All parties who knows-having acted with all, "Has stood at their head, or has sneak'd at their tail, "And all in the spirit of bargain and sale. "I beg that the meeting will not understand, “That I, for myself, have this object in hand; "I mean no such thing; but my honest advice is, "To try to select some such man at this crisis. "Whomever it be-I have no private ends— "I shall give, as I always have done, to my friends, "Unbiassed by party, unswayed by the Court, "A liberal, honest, and solid support." Loud laughter ensued such obstreperous mirth, As Vulcan in heaven or FLOOD† upon earth Excite by their blunders but GEORGE, unamazed, Very readily join'd in the laugh he had raised, And cried to his friends with satirical grin, "Good folks, you may laugh-I'll be damn'd if you win." The judges then said that they never could vote For one, who his party could change, like his coat; And that, whosoever be chosen, he must, At least, be a person that some one would trust. † Sir F. Flood, Bart. M. P. for Wexfordshire, whose speeches are generally accompanied in the reports with "laughs," "laughing," "loud and continued laughter." Vide Parliamentary Debates passim. THE CHOICE OF A LEADER. No. 111. Feb. 20, 1815. ALREADY (ere WHITBREAD OF TIERNEY could close) One often has seen Savoyards, at a fair, Display the joint feats of a monkey and bear; The bear dancing solemnly, while at his back Sits wriggle-tail, mischievous, jabbering Jack; Who, soon as old Bruin has finish'd his prance, Starts up, in a twinkling, to chatter and dance. And thus, of the party which we are reviewing, Old NEWPORT is Jacko and WHITBREAD is Bruin.† * Sir John Newport, Bart. M. P. for Waterford.-E. The speech Jacko utter'd, what pen can describe? Abuse-peculation-corruption and bribe "Knave, jobber, and bigot-defaulter and rogue—” Were the civilest words of his voluble brogue. "The Meeting," he hoped, "would a leader elect, "Whose courage and skill might such culprits detect; "Whose zeal would not think it was going too far "To summon some thousands of rogues to the bar; "For him, he profess'd that he never would fail, To examine each case in the greetest detail: "And that he already was furnish'd with plenty "To last him till March eighteen hundred and twenty. "Would summon two Boards-the Excise and the "At three in the morning, seven burners were out); "The Lord Mayor of Dublin-who, as it is said, “On the first of July wore an Orange cockade― "A weigher and Deputy-weigher at Cork, "Who sunk half an ounce in one barrel of pork, "And (scarcely his tongue his abhorrence could utter) "Overcharg'd thirteen pounds in a cargo of butter. "He also could shew, in direct violation "Of law, that a peer in an eminent station "Had brought to his Lady in this very town. "A remnant of poplin to make her a gown. "He further could state, that in plain contraven tion "Of (if not the letter,) at least the intention "Of that Act of Union so dear to us all, |