Purfued by phantoms through life's This a moft fapient Whig; that a [way. ftaunch Tory. troubled day, Coward and fool go with him all the Their country's mutual boaft! Old In confcious re&itude, confirmed, and bold, (mould: To-night appears a man of different Who meets misfortune; fate defies; and braves [waves: The rolling thunder and the furging -Rides fafe among the rocks, though tempeft toft, Where many a tall built bark lies wrecked and loft England's glory! The Greek, a student in the fchool of tafte, [grac'd, Who cultivates the arts by which he's Sports his half-boots; buttons his halfgreat coat; And props his chin with wool-pack round his throat : With bludgeon arm'd, to knock down thofe that laugh, Poetically rides: but-Thought of fear! He fallies forth the bear and ragged Should one more hurricane o'ertake him Bid the wild billows of damnation rife, Epilogue to the fame. ONCE more I'm fent, the poet's plenipo, [know. Your high beheft, dread potentates, to Say, mighty monarchs how fhall I begin [to win? (Oh that I knew the way!) your hearts That critics are unjuft, is falfely ru [veer. ftaff! The Jew-Great Houndsditch never The cunning Jew with every wind can faw his peer!"I lend my mon efh, 'caufe I lofe de nation : I join, mit all my art, to pay taxa DeVar and Peeth to me be quite all von, Yet do not think, proud firs, that we The genius we admire is yours alone. We claim our share. wisdom too, Can equal yours: fo let us have our due. We ftudy the antique! Its fimple grace Shines forth in ev'ry form, and every face! Thus Lady Candlewick, Sir John just And fearlet petticoat, the fatin rustling, The prototype of Wenus and the Slim as a porter-butt, tall as a drum, come ! Beef-eaters ftand abafh'd, fall back and ftare; Yonder fits Solomon! Socrates, there! One queu'd and powder'd: t'other! She waddles on with fuch a Greek, cropt and bare, Dutch air! None Our author makes of virtue no parade, And only ridicules the vice of trade; Expofes folly in its native tint, And leaves mankind to profit by the hint, The modern buck, how diff'rent from - the beau In bag and ruffles fixty years ago? The City Coxcomb then was feidom seen (Confin'd to Bunhill Row, or Bethnal Green): [[carcely meet Weft of Cheapfide you then could The gay Lothario-- of Threadneedleftreet! His folly rarely met the public eye," As gay St. James's is from Temple-bar.. And ftrives to join by diffipation's aid, The Man of Fashion with the Man of Trade. Vain to affociate with fuperior rank, He quits his Ledger--for the Faro Bank; His dafhing curricle down Bond-ftreet drives, [horfes' lives; Rifking his own--and worfe----his Till, urging Fortune's glowing wheel too faft--[at laft! This empty air-blown bubble breaks Though Trade may give fuch upstart mushrooms birth, bestows The mufe pays homage to its real worth. This Ifle to Commerce owes her fplendid state, [great; The fource of all that makes het truly And 'midft her bufy fons enough are found [ground. To raife dejected Mis'ry from th While Commerce, with a lib'ral heart [woes; Her wealth to mitigate the poor man's Seeks out the wretch, his gloomy prifon cheers, [dow's tears; And wipes with pitying hand the wiTh' applauding world will fay (fuch bounty giv❜n) [of Heav'n! The English Merchant is the Steward Our Author now that candour would implore [before; Which your indulgence has bestow'd Still on a gen'rous Public he depends; Give your fupport---he afks no better friends. Epilogue to the fame. Written by Captain Topham. Spoken by Mrs. Mattocks.. THE dubious title of our play this night [with fright--Might fill Mamma with joy or Mifs The way to get an Hufbend," and what not--- [they're got? Eut are they worth the getting when Yes," cries bold Mifs, whom mother's kind regard [card," Has led at young fourteen to "cock her "Yes," cries bold Mifs, whate'er the formals fay, [way. They are worth getting, and I know the The way's up Bond-ftreet,---where we daily range, [full exchange; ་་ Proud to be noticed by his titled friends, Where faunt'ring Bloods croud fashion's There-- There---(charming fcene!) as undif- Pure as the primros'd morn, the blushes T may'd we ftrut, [full butt! Dogs, Miffes, Dukes and Draymen,meet There, lounging arm in arm, halfbooted Crops, [were black mops; With heads fo dark---you'd fwear they There mulin petticoats, with mud fo laced; [waift-Here fcarlet fpencers with an inch of So fcarlet, all my rouge they feem to fcoff, [cut off. And look like lobsters with their tails Here for a husband is the fcene to daih! [a splash." Here for a town-bred Mifs to---" make The plump, brifk widow takes a different raid, [fhe's a load: She cannot walk down Bond-ftreetGood fixteeen ftone to carry---but yet trong ; [as long. She rolls a wool-pack VENUS---broad Yet fhe's a tender paffion for the stage, With her, dear private acting is the rage: SHAKESPEARE Confeffes beauties not his choice, [voice. And JULIET grieves in a fine manly Her ROMEO, a Lord, might fuit your pocket, Looks like a candle funk into the focket. In tones like these their mutual paffions run-- speak, (ray, Whofe mind, illumn'd by Nature's fober Domeftic happiness and lafting peace! Anecdote of Painting in Portugal. A LADY who refided many years at Oporto relates the following anecdote of a rich merchant of that city, who intended to embellish his apartments with paintings for this purpose he applied to Signor Glama, who happened then to have fome valuable antient pictures in his poffeffion, which he was commiffioned to fell at a very moderate price; but the merchant, who was a better judge of the grape than of the pencil, ftarted with furprife when he demanded twenty moidores for a Corregio, and faid, "that he had lately bought two new pictures of larger dí menfions for the fame money!" Claffic Gleanings. the victory in boxing. His adverfary had knocked out his teeth, but he fwallowed them, that the accident might not be feen by his opponent. URYDAMUS of Cyrene obtained AS Diogenes was one day taking his repaft at a tavern, he faw Demofthenes paffing by, and invited him in. Demofthenes refufed. "What," faid Diogenes," do you object to being in a tavern? your mafter is here every day:" meaning by this term the common people. Thus Diogenes intimated that the Orators and Declaimers were the flaves of the multitude. IT is faid of the younger Antigonus, that when he was told that his fon was flain in battle, he went to look upon the body, but he neither changed colour nor wept. He commended him as a valiant foldier, and ordered him to be buried. British British Parliament. T (Continued from page 176.) •HE first business that engaged the attention of both houses, when they met, for the first time after the recefs, on the 2d of February, was to vote each a congratulatory addrefs to the king, another to the queen, and a third to the prince and princefs of Wales, on the happy delivery of her royal highness of a princess. The fame day, in the house of commons, fir John Sinclair moved for leave to bring in a bill, to facilitate the divifion of wafte lands by agreement among the parties interested, and to remove certain legal difabilities to carrying fuch meafures into effect.' In whatever view, he said, the matter was confidered, whether as affecting the population of the country, and of courfe its navel and military power, or as influencing its commerce and manufactures, by improvements in agriculture, from which the ftrength of a state was derived, it deferved the most ferious attention. As far as he could judge from an excursion he had made into the best cultivated parts of this ifland, particularly the county of Norfolk, and from furveying the improvement that had taken place both in the land of the richest foil, and that which was originally barren, he was convinced, that, great as thefe were, they were nothing compared to the advantages that would refult from the plans propofed by the committee, provided they were fanctioned by parliament. The bill would have the advantage of being drawn by a select committee of that houfe. It had been fubmitted to the infpection of the most refpectable judges, the most diftinguished lawyers, and the most enlightened country gentlemen, of which the nation had to boast, and even in its prefent hape many perfons of the greatest eminence had pronounced, that by it there would be no difficulty in dividing lands in the kingdom. Its intention was to diminish the expence of inclofing lands. Including thofe that might have the fanction of this house before the end of the feffion, there had already paffed in all near 1900 private bills, the expence of which had been at leaft 800,000l. If the legislature had employed the fame fum in encouraging agriculture, the fcarcity now prevailing might not have been felt, Bor fhould we have been under the neceffity of expending millions annually in bounties upon corn, and in ftimulating the industry and promoting the agriculture of other countries. By giving effect to the measure recommended by the committee, a fimilar preffure might in future be prevented, and the wealth of the nation infinitely increafed.-Leave was granted nem, con. Sir John Sinclair likewife moved; • That this day fennight the house do refolve itself into a committee of the whole house to confider the propriety of granting bounty on the raifing of potatoes.' Agreed to. Mr. Grey rofe to remark, that, previously to the adjournment, a meffage had been received from his majefty, announcing that fuch a state of things had taken place in France, as would inHib. Mag. March, 1796. duce him to give the speedieft effect to any defire for peace that might be fhewn by the French government. This communication had raised a very general hope of peace. He rofe, therefore, to afk minifters if they meant to give any communication to the houfe in confirmation of this hope. The chancellor of the exchequer faid, that it was not incumbent upon him to make any anfwer to the question. Mr. Grey then gave notice that on Monday fe'nnight he would make a motion relative to proposals of peace. On Monday, Feb. 8, Mr. Manning prefented a petition from the merchants of London, praying that the house might take into its confideration the inconvenience that trade and the shipping experienced in the Thames, and that wet docks might be formed to remedy that inconvenience. The petition was oppofed by all the city reprefentatives. The lord-mayor faid, he rofe to oppofe the petition, and ftated the objections of the corporations, viz. that the trade of London would be carried out of the city by this means, and that a new London would be raised, which would carry all the trade from the old. The corporation would, he said, produce a plan, which would accommodate all parties. Sir William Young fald in reply, that instead of injuring the city of London, it would eventually profit it, as the intereft of the corporation was evidently fet against the intereft of the city of London; that the trade which ought to come to the port of London was carried elsewhere; that only a few individuals of the number stated would be affected by fuch a bill as the petition prayed for, and that even to thefe the merchants were ready to grant an indemnification, thould it be found neceffary. The petition was referred to the confideration of a committee-the faid committee to be compofed of the city members, and the gentlemen of the long robe. The fame day, Mr. Grey rofe to beg leave to prefent a petition, which he held in his hand, of an extraordinary nature, inasmuch as it was figned by only one perfon But when he informed the house that the perfon was fir Francis Blake, a perfon of the pureft patriotifm, and of tried integrity, he trufted there would be no uneafy apprehenfions. When it was recollected that the national burdens have rifen to the most alarming amount, it would not furprise the house, that a man of his difpofition should turn his thoughts to the prevention of that evil which has often been foretold, but which now, faid Mr. Grey, comes more immediately in prospect, a national bankrupicy. Our prefent fituation called in a peculiar degree for foine prudent intervention, fince we had juft seen that taxation could no longer be extended, for the bill that had been lately read, appeared to be one of the last of our resources. Some remedy was required to the uncontrolable profufion of minifters, and the petitioner had attempted to fuggeft a plan for it. There certainly were many objections to it, fome of which he could start himlelf, but notwithstanding he thought it entitled to the confideration of the M m house house. It has been a repeated affertion, that the land of the kingdom pays all taxation, for that commerce can shift it off and elude it by a thoufand ways, when the land has none. This might be true in the infancy of commerce, but now it was matter of a little doubt. When the minister, however, had himself computed the rental of the landed property of the kingdom to be no more than twenty-five millions, while the annual taxes were equivalent, fome enquiry ought to be made upon the state of the national finances. The houfe might probably recollect, that fome years ago, a perfon of the name of Hutchinfon made an ingenious calculation upon this subject, afferting that there was no public debt, for it was the debt of individuals, who might each difcharge his fhare, and, in lieu of taxes, propofed that each fhould make a contribution for its difcharge. The petitioner had, in fome measure, taken up this idea, and acted upon the fame plan.-The petition was then brought up; in this, fir Francis states, that whatever attempts are made to tax luxuries, manufacturers, dealers, &c. the confequence invariably is, that the whole falls upon the landholders, as traders had the means of shifting the burdens from themselves to their cuftomers. From this he draws a plan, for putting ftock-holders, tythe-holders, and fome few others on an equal footing, and allows every man to pay his proportion of the national debt of the country out of his fortune, and in lieu of taxes. He reprefents this as an eafy, convenient, and efficacious method of discharging at once the whole of the national debt. To fhew the manner in which it would bear, he alleges that the value of lands was always found to rife in proportion to the encreased extent of commerce and manufactures; and thus, though in the year 1588, the whole terreftrial rent-roll of the inland was no more than fix millions, it rapidly rose, in fome years after, to the fum of fourteen millions; and, as it is not probable that the present estimate would decrease, he thinks it would, in future, amount to about fixty millions. But as the land-tax of 4s. in the pound took away one-fifth, he takes it at fifty millions per annum, clear of taxes. He then uses some observations to shew what portion of that annual income would fuffice to pay off the prefent public debt; and concludes, with praying for leave to charge his own eftate, with the fum of 30,000l. or whatever elfe may be thought his fair proportion of the prefent public debt of the country, in lieu of all tax s; and that he may alfo be allowed to defray in the fame manner his contingent of any future contributions which parliament may deem necellary. The petition was ordered to lie on the table. On Monday, Feb. 15, Mr. Grey role to make a motion, of which he had before given notice, refpecting a negociation for peace. In a long exordium, he adverted to a variety of circumftances that had preceded and followed his majesty's meffage to the houfe, that he was ready to give full effect to any difpofition which the French, in their new order of things, might fhow toward a a negociation.' He lamented that nothing had been done in confequence of that meffage, although delivered two months ago; and feeling, as he did, the necessity of terminating this deftructive war; obferving, moreover, that the voice of God himself was raised against its continuance, and proclaimed in ftorms and dreadful tempefts, he fhould fill endeavour to get the means of pacification opened, that if the infolence of the enemy left us no alternative but war, we should be able to make an honeft appeal for its juftice to our own confciences, to our pofterity, and to God. He then moved, that an humble addrefs be prefented to his majesty, to state to his majefty the defire of this houfe, that his majesty may be pleased to take fuch steps as to his royal wildom fhall appear most proper, for communicating directly to the executive government of the French republic his majesty's readiness to meet any difpofition to negociate on the part of that government, with an earnest defire to give it the fulleft and speedieft effect.' The chancellor of the exchequer entered into a variety of reafons to convince the house of the neceffity of refifting the motion made by the honourable gentleman. On this fubject he was more explicit than ufual. To fatisfy,' he said, the fears expressed by the honourable gentleman upon this occafion, he would affure the house, that it was not any point of etiquette, any unwillingness to be the first to make advances, any fear of humiliation, or any difficulty in finding a medium of communication on our part, that flood in the way of negociation. The fact was, that matters had been, and were now, in a train for founding the difpofition of the French government upon the fubject of negociation. What the refult of this may be, depended not upon him. There certainly was no person who wished more ardently for peace than he did; but he did not with to be understood as holding out to the country any expectation of the precife time at which it may arrive; but whenever it came, it must be fuch as was honourable and suitable for this country to receive, nor was it to be expected till the French government gave greater affurances of moderation, and till its practical difpofition was materially altered from its profeffions. To thew what the difpofition in the French government was, he referred to the declaration addreffed from the executive directory to its own body, which profefled nothing less than a dispofition toward a general peace. From this he turned his attention to a document lefs authentic, but of no small import, if we may judge of it from the industry with which it was circulated, both in this country and on the continent; he meant the terms upon which France in her mercy would condefcend to grant to this country the biedings of fraternization. In the first place, we were required to affume the character of perfidy, and bafely abandon those allies, whom it was the pride and policy of our ancestors to affift at the expence of much blood and treasure for upward of century. This degradation was not all we were to pay as the price of this pacification. It was farther demanded, that we fhould make an unconditional and uncompenfated furrender of all the acquifitions made upon the enemy by the arms of Great Britain. Hard and fallen indeed must be the condition of this country, when he, |