(Thus fung a bard of old)

A dire black stone, bound by a thread,
Trembled o'er each devoted head,

And all the mirth appall'd.

A Fury too, among the reft,
Uprear'd her dreadful fnaky crest,
And hifs'd among the meat :
And, ftrange to tell! th' unwelcome guest
Quite difcompos'd the joyous feast,
And spoilt the regal treat.

The poets fing too, as I'm told,
(I mean they fung in times of old)
The dangers of the great;

How Fortune's wheel, rolling about,
Whirls giddy mortals in, or out,
Fixt to no fteady feat.

The lofty fcaffold tow'rs on high,
And climbs ambitiously the sky;

One rotten plank is found§ Tumbles from its aërial height The whole, by its unlucky weight, A ruin on the ground.

Excelfa turris tabulata, unde altior effet
Cafus, et impulfæ præceps immane ruinæ.

Juv. Sat, 10.

The

dreffed himself in a very fmart manner, to the gentleman's houfe. Will went in to the gentleman, and left his friend without to cool his heels, as the phrase is, in the antechamber, having acquainted him, that he should foon be called in and hired. The Carlisle lad waited a long time expecting the return of Will, who had flipt down a pair of back stairs and departed; at last the house-maid coming to fweep the rooms, found this young man walking backward and forward, and, instead of getting his place, he narrowly escaped being carried before juftice De Veil, on fufpicion of having a felonious defign on the house.

Many other changes and experiments were to have been attempted; but Heaven always tries the virtues of a hero by fome difappointments, which balk his hopes and baffle all his great defigns; as you will fee in the fecond part of our important history.

PART THE SECOND,

ON the fourteenth day of the fame month of February, in the very fame year of our Lord one thoufand feven hundred and forty-five, the right hon. earl Granville refigned the feals into his Majesty's hands, which his Majefty was pleased to deliver to his grace the duke of New caftle, and to the right honourable the earl of Harrington. And thus endeth the fecond and last part of this aftonishing adminiftra

tion, which lafted forty-eight hours, three quarters, feven minutes and eleven feconds; which may truly be called the most wife and moft honeft of all administrations; the minifter having, to the astonishment of all men, never tranfacted one rash thing; and, what is more marvellous, left as much money in the treasury as he found in it. This worthy hiftory I have faithfully recorded in this mighty volume, that it may be read with the valuable works of our immortal countryman Thomas Thumb, by our children, grand-children, and great-grand-children, to the end of the world.

A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION FROM CARDINAL RICHLIEU.

me

Mr. Campoa, Savoyard and Frier, is to be the bearer to yeu of this letter he is one of the most vicious perfons that I ever yet knew, and hath earnestly defired to give him a letter for you of recommendation, which to his importunity I have granted; for I fhould be forry you should be mistaken in not knowing him, as very many others have been who are of my best friends. 1 am defirous to advertise you to take especial notice of him, and to fay nothing before him in any fort; for I may truly affare you, there can't be a more unworthy perfon in the world, I am iure, that as foon as you have any acquaintance with him, I thall receive thanks for the advice. Civility hindereth me to write any more on the subject.

of the holy order of St. Bennet, fome news from me, by means of difcreet, wife and leaft amongst all I have converfed with, to write to you in his favour, and credence in his behalf and my merit (I affure you) rather than his he deferves greatly your esteem, and backward to oblige him by being I fhou'd be concern'd if you were already upon that account, Hence, and for no other motive, that you are obliged for my fake to pay him all poffible respect, that may offend or displease him fay, he is a worthy man, and convincing argument of an than to be able to injure him. ceafe being a stranger to his virtue,& you will love him as well as I, and The affurance I have of your farther of him to you, or to fay

THE

THE LITCHFIELD DEFEAT.

GOD profper long our noble king!

Our lives and fafeties all;

A woful horfe-race late there did
At Whittington befall.

Great Bedford's duke, a mighty prince!
A folemn vow did make,
His pleasure in fair Staffordshire
Three Summer's days to take,

At once to grace his father's race,
And to confound his foes.:

But ah! (with grief my Mufe does speak)
A lucklefs time he chose.

For fome rude clowns, who long had felt
The weight of Tax and Levy,
Explain'd their cafe unto his Grace
By arguments full heavy.

* At Litchfield races, in 1748, a riot happened upon the race-ground (Whittington Heath), in which the late duke of Bedford, and other gentlemen, were infulted and beaten. The rioters (the chief of whom was a Mr. Toll, dancing-master) were afterwards tried at the next Stafford affizes, and fined 6s. 6d. each for this offence.

"No

"No Gow'r! they cry'd; no tool of pow'r !” At that the e-1 turn'd pale :

"No Gow'r, no Gow'r, no tool of pow'r. !" Re-echo'd from each dale.

Then Bedford's mighty breaft took fire,
Who thus, enrag'd, did cry,

"To horfe, my Lords, my Knights, and 'Squires s "We'll be reveng'd, or die."

They mounted ftraight, all men of birth,

Captains of land and fea;

No prince or potentate on earth

Had fuch a troop as he.

Great lords and lordships clofe conjoin'd,
A fhining fquadron flood:
But to their coft, the yeoman hoft
Did prove the better blood.

"A Gow'r, a Gow'r! ye fons of whore,
"Vile spawn of Babylon !"
This faid, his G-ce did mend his pace,
And came full fiercely on.

Three times he fmote a sturdy foe;

Who undismay'd reply'd,

"Or be thou devil, or be thou d—ke,

"Thy courage fhall be try'd."

1

The