Their lordships would be aware, that if it was neceffary to the preservation of the leeward iflands at that time, he was fure they must feel, that at this moment they had equally strong claims for the protection of this country. They were now in a fituation which demanded a facred and religious application of the fund deftined for their prefervation; and happy fhould he be if, in his motion, he met that fuccefs which had formerly marked the labours of the house of commons. For a period of fixty years, the money had been regularly applied; at length penfions had been granted to perfons rendering great fervices, and afterward to others; fo the practice became introduced by degrees. Much expectation had heen railed, that a particular perfon of great talents [Mr. Burke] certainly was the object of this motion; but whatever pains had been taken to raife the public curiofity, by whifpers, infinuations, and even publications, he had adopted a line of conduct from which nothing should ever induce him to fwerve. He would fay nothing perfonal. He argued the question upon a much broader bafis. If he should be driven from this part of his argument, he could corroborate it by farther proofs. His majesty's brother, the duke of Gloucester, had 9000l. per anuum, charged upon this fund, which was afterward charged -upon the general fund. To another noble lord (Aukland) it was in contemplation to give a penhion on the fame fund 4 per cent. This he had traced as far as the privy feal, but it stopt at the great feal. How was this to be accounted for? Not becaufe that noble lord had loft his influence; not because there was a verfatility in the cabinet; but he believed it was because they conceived it illegal and improper. He should therefore conclude with the fame motion as made by Mr. fecretary Vernon, That his majefty would please to give directions for the repair and defence of Barbadoes, and the Leeward inlands, to be provided out of the 4 per cent. fund, as appropriated for that purpose.'

Lord Grenville faid, that he felt much fatisfaction at the afpe&t which this subject had now affumed; he felt particularly happy that, from the manner in which the noble lord had opened this debate, it was not neceffary for him to enter into a detail of the merits which called for this penfion. Not that he should feel himself at all incompetent, if there were occafion, to perform that task. He had no doubt but that, if the na

pro

ture of the noble lord's fpeech had called for it, he could have given the most complete fatisfac tion upon that head. He should now treat thi question as an abstract point of law; to do which it became neceffary for him to trouble their lors thips with an historical account of the rife, grefs, and nature of thefe 4 per cent. duties His lorofhip then proceeded to a detail of all the tranfactions relative to thefe iflands, from the time at which thefe duties formed a part of the civil lift, up to the addrefs which was prefente! in the reign of queen Anne, previously to which it appeared, that thefe duties had, to a certain degree, been applied to other purposes than that of the defence of thofe iflands. His lordship the proceeded to ftate the penfions which had been granted upon those duties subsequent to that pe riod-He mentioned the two penfions granted upon them to fir T. Robinfon, who certainly wa not at that time connected with the Leeward iflands; and alfo to many others, who could not be confidered as having any relation to the de fence of thefe inlands, fuch as to the government of Jerfey, &c. Upon looking into the accounts, it appeared that throughout the reign of George II, a confiderable part of these duties had been applied in the manner he had stated, and not to the fortification or defence of the islands.-The pen fion granted to lord Chatham had met with the approbation of Mr. Pratt and Mr. Yorke, of lord Mansfield and lord Hardwicke, and it would be improper for him to enter into the legal defence of a tranfaction fanctioned by the opinion of fuch men.-The circumftance which the noble earl had alluded to in 1785, made directly against his argument; for when the ftate of thefe duties and the penfions upon them were brought before parliament at that period, it was not contended that these penfions were illegal. An act of parlia ment was paffed, containing fome regulations, but not in any fhape declaring them to be contrary to law. If after this fulemn determination the subject was not at rest-if any act of parliament was not decifive upon the fubject, there was nothing like certainty in the constitution. Upo this ground his lordship was of opinion, that per fions upon thefe duties were in conformity to general ufage and to acts of parliament; he fhould therefore give his decided negative to the motion. The house divided, for the motion 6, proxies 4Against it 42, proxies 31.

(To be continued.)`

A

Skeleton of Homer's Iliad.

LPHA two fad vexatious quarrels fings,
'Twixt Jove and Juno and the Grecian
kings;

Beta relates king Agamemnon's dream,
And counts the forces which to Ilion came;
In Gamma, Paris with Atrides fights,
But worsted flies to Ilion's tow'ry heights;

In Delta, Pandarus the treaty breaks,
And peace once more the Trojan plain forfakes
Venus and raging Mars in Epsilon,
Both wounded groaning from the battle run;
Zeta two charming Epifodes contains,
Whilft godlike Hector in the town remains;
Eta relates the dreadful fingle fight,
Which Ajax fought from dewy morn till night
Theta records the deeds of one great day,
In which the Greeks to Hector's arm give way

Iota fings how chiefs in vain were fent,
By night t'appeafe Achilles in his tent;
The king of Ithaca in Kappa goes,
With brave Tydides thro' their fleeping foes;
Lambda with dawning day renews the fight,
And ftern Pelides glories in the fight;
In Mu, Sarpedon breaks the new built wall,
And round their fhips the Grecian heroes fall;
In Nu, the ruler of the foaming waves,
With brave Idomenus the navy faves;
Juno in Xee, lays Jupiter at reft,
Whilft Neptune aids the Grecians fore diftreft;
In Omicron, old Jove in anger wakes,
And victory again the Greeks forfakes;
In Pee, Patroclus falls by Hector's hand,
Who foon fhall perish in his native land;
In Ro, the Greeks and Trojans on the plain,
Fight round the body of Patroclus flain;
Sigma fhews brave Pelides funk in grief
For young Patroclus, brave unhappy chief;
In Tau, Achilles griev'd, prepares t'engage,
And turns 'gainst Hector all his burning rage;
In Hupfilon, Pelides rules the field,

And gods 'gainst gods their thund'ring weapons wield ;

In Phee, Scamander flows with Trojan blood,
And brave Pelides fcarce efcapes the flood;
Kee wounds the heart-when generous Hector
falis,

Achilles drags him round the Trojan walls;
In Pfee, Pelides folemnizes games,
And lay's Patroclus on the fun'ral flames;
Slain Hector's obfequies and weeping friends,
Omega fings, and thus the Poem ends.
Ballymahon.

G.

To the Society of Free and Accepted Mefons, on their intention of establishing a School for the Support of the Orphan and deferted Children of their neceffitous Brethren.

OF

F all the virtues which adorn the mind,
And which denotes its ufe to all mankind,
Is that, which in the annals of your fame,
Has long recorded a pure friendly name.
Long have the widow's penetrating úghs
Been eafed by rules prefcribed both good and
wife :

Yet still the orphan's piteous cafe requires
The farther effort of your known defires;
With hope forlorn, the dreary streets they tread,
And heaven implore for thelter o'er their head?
No moral leffons can their minds pervade,
While thus they rove through error's dark'ning
fhade.

That you, glad friends, their plaintive wants should know,

They plead their caufe with bitter tears of wee!
With you, fraternal brethren, lies the task,
Which thofe poor innocents are doom'd to afk;
With humble fuit at pity's fhrine they bow,
And trust in future they no wants may know.
No vain ambition does their fuit attend,
'Tis to induftry their minds to bend ;
And by plain tracks the road to reafon find,
That by perfuafion wins the glowing mind:
N

T

Charity.

E.

HA

joys,

Where free from buftle, and the city's noife ; The infant mind was train'd in virtue's way, Unaw'd by threats, or ftern correction's fway."

Tho' diftant far the scenes my heart once knew, Still fleeting fancy brings them to my view; Once more befits, as mufing here I stand, The childish play-thing to my willing hand : I ween the tops in circling orbits roll, And balls fwift bounding reach the deftin'd goal; The tow'ring kite on well-poiz'd pinions foar, The boy loud fobbing" that his bird's no more." With heartfelt joy 1 view that verdant spot, Where mimic heroes Troy's old battles fought; Where doughty kings their wooden fceptres fway'd,

Whom felf made fubjects willingly obey'd. Thrice happy fpate! that nought cou'd e'er

annoy,

Save the ambition of the finest toy.
But oh! how idly pants the throbbing foul,
To fly thefe joys, impatient of controul;
To range too foon on pleafure's flipp'ry fhore,
Ere half the bus'nefs of the child is o'er,
There vacant fport the precious time away,
In all the wanton fashions of the day.
Unwary youth take not this truth amifs,
That Spring well fofter'd crowns your winter's
blifs;

That feafon paft, vain is the toil to find
One fleeting moment that you left behind :
Tho' late repentance, ftill 'twill never fail,
'Tis one who feels it-fighing tells the tale.

That houfe, alas! where once contentment
reign'd,

And nought but harmony admittance gain'd,
Now hangs a ruin, scarce a peafant's shed,
Its former mafter number'd with the dead,
He's gone! no more to lead his infant train,
With care parental o'er the verdant plain;
No more benignly join the children's play,
Obey'd himself, in turn no more obey.
Oft have I feen him, when the task was o'er,
Inftruct his pupils with gymnaftic lore;
Pleas'd with each gambol of the pratling race,
His mind unbending, with their fports kept pace.
As firm in virtue, as averfe from vice,
His heart attuned to ev'ry feeling nice.
Whene'er reluctantly the rod he ply'd,
His tender heart wou'd half the pain divide;
Nay more! the culprit fcarcely would imfelf
complain,

Convinc'd his welfare was the only aim.

N 0 T É.

The Rev. B. Aldwell, late of Tipperary.

As

As when'a furgeon probes a fefter'd wound, The patient murmurs with a grateful found. Tho' cold his corfe, his virtues reft behind, At least, they'li bloom for ever in my mind. •Tramore.

But with clearness the fleward the law did expound,

And made her fpeak plain ere he gave her he ground.

The third widow who was to this mandam |

fhame brought

Upon a ram mounted with viciousness fraught, That threw her, by which she was so much op prefs'd,

That he earnestly beg'd not to go thro' the reft; But the fteward who was in the bufinefs wel read,

Remark'd very wifely, and fenfibly said,

That by the rope breaking the culprit's not freed From that infamous fate which the law has decreed.

The fourth that was down in the registry fet, Was a widow, named Ogle, a noted coquette, Who kept half a score lads for two years off and

on,

But behav'd more goodnatur'd to her carter John: By her lovers who ey'd her with looks of amaze, She was introduc'd with a peal of huzzas.

Another was fammmon'd, being named in the lift,

But the steward did not on her entry infift; Convinc'd 'twas the fquire, a good-hearted wight, Had qualify'd her for performing the rite.

Nothing, could Mrs. Quick, but her fruitfulnes plead,

But the fteward remember'd that last year the made

The fame plea, and obferv'd, the might that ftate

elchew,

If the work of the manor the never wou'd do.

Mrs. Sable in new and fresh weeds was array'd, Of hue, fuch as her whimfical palfrey display'd; But taking the dress altogether the wore, In the pageant a decent appearance it bore. Widow Fidget, when charg'd, very frongly reply'd,

[dy'd, She had done nothing more fince her husband had Than fhe us'd to perform when he was in life; Beg'd the steward would think on the ftate of his wife,

If he fhou'd be by accident fnatch'd from her charms,

And lock'd in death's icy and all-felling arms.
A dowager next with a body fo round,
That a ram that cou'd carry her cou'd not be
found;

But the fteward, who muft in fuch cafes decide,
Bad her enter upon an ox with a black hide.

Widow Mafkwell, a woman who long did maintain

A character free from a blemish or ftain, Was brought in by her maid, whom she turn'd away

In a paffion, nine times on the ram the fame day. The proceffion was clos'd by a juvenile crea

ture,

Who had fo much beauty in every feature,
That the steward at her was feen flily to caft
A fheep's eye, and a month had not perfectly paft,
Since his wife had been laid in the duft with the

: dead,

When by marriage the fair one he took to his bed, Trinity College,

1. G.

GAZETTE

NC E.

confiderable portion of her men thus detached. I

LONDON GAZETTES.

Admiralty Office, March 18, 1796.

Extract of a Letter from the Hon. Robert Stopford, Captain of His Majesty's Shp Phaeton, to Mr. Nepean, dated at Sea, March 11, 1796, Cape Finisterre, E. N. E. 40 leagues.

I

HAVE to request you will inform my lords commillioners of the admiralty, that the French corvette, La Bonne Citoyenne, mounting 20 nine-pounders, and carrying 145 men, was captured yesterday by the fquadron under my orders, Cape Finisterre E. by N. 58 leagues. She left Rochfort on the 4th Init. in company with La Forte, La Seine, La Regeneré: frigates, and La Mutine brig, deftined for the Ile de France, and having troops and a great quantity of foldiers cloathing on board. March 22.] The following dispatch has been received at this office from Sir William Sidney Smith.

SIR,

HAVING received information that the armed veffels detached by the prince of Bouillon had chafed a convoy, confifting of a corvette, luggers, four brigs, and two flops, into Herqui, I proceeded off that port, to reconnoitre their pofition, and found the channel, which I found very narrow and intricate. I fucceeded, however, in gaining a knowledge of thefe points fufficient to determine me to attack them in the Diamond, without lofs of time, and without waiting for the junction of any part of the fquadron, left the enemy should fortify themselves ftill farther on our appearance. Lieut. McKinley, of the Liberty brig, and lieut. Goffet, of the Ariftocrat lugger, joined me off the Cape, and, though not under my orders, very handfonely offered their fervices, which I accepted, as fmall veffels were effentially neceffary in fuch an operation. The permanent fortification for the defence of the bay are two batteries on a high rocky promontory. We ob ferved the enemy to be very bufily employed in mounting a detached gun on a very commanding point of the entrance. At one o'clock yesterday afternoon this gun opened upon us as we paffed; the Diamond's fire, however, filenced it in 11 mi

nutes.

The others opened on us as we came round the point; and their commanding fituation giving them a decided advantage over a ship in our pofition, I judged it neceffary to adopt another mode of attack, and accordingly detached the marines and boarders to land behind the point, and take the batteries in the rear. As the boats approached the beach, they inet with a warm reception, and a temporary check, from a body of woops drawn up to oppofe their landing the fituation was critical, the fhip being expofed to a moft gailing fire, and intricate pilotage, with a Hib. Mag. April, 1796.

.

bility of climbing the precipice in front of the batteries; which he readily perceived, and, with an alacrity and bravery of which I have had many proof in the course of our service together, he undertook and executed this hazardous fervice, landing immediately under the guns, and rendering himself master of them before the column of troops could regain the heights. The fire from the hip was directed to cover our men in this operation; is checked the enemy in their advancement, and the re-embarkation was effected, as foon as the guns were spiked, without the lofs of a man, though we have to regret lieut. Carter of the marines being dangerously wounded on this occafion. The enemy's guns three twenty-four-pounders, being filenced and rendered ufelefs for the time, we proceeded to attack the corvette and the other armed vessels, which had by this time opened their fire on us, to cover the operation of hauling themselves on shore. The Diamond was anchored as clofe to the corvette as her draft of water would allow. The Liberty brig was able to approach near; and, on this occafion, I cannot omit to mention the very gallant and judicious manner in which lieut. McKinley, her commander, brought this vestel into action, profiting by her light draft of water to follow the corvette clofe. The enemy's fire foon flackened; and the crew being obferved to be making for the thore, on the English colours being hoifted on the hill, I made the fignal for the boats, manned and armed, to board, directing lieut. Goffet, in the lugger, to cover them. This service was executed by the party from the fhore, under the direction of lieut. Pine, in a manner that does them infinite credit, and him every hohour, as a brave man and an able officer. The enemy's troops occupied the high projecting rocks all round the veffels, whence they kept up an inceffant fire of mufquetry; and the utmost that could be effected at that moment was to fet fire to the corvette (named L'Etourdie, of 16 guns, twelve pounders on the main deck), and one of the merchant brigs; fince, as the tide fell, the enemy preffed down on the fands, close to the vesfls; lieut. Pine therefore returned on board, having received a fevere contufion on the breaft from a mufket-ball. As the tide rofe again it became practicable to make a fecond attempt to burn the remaining veffels. Lieut. Pearfon was accordingly detached for that purpose with the boats; and, I am happy to add, his gallant exertions fucceeded to the utmost of my hopes, notwithstanding the renewed and heavy fire of mufquetry from the fhore. This fire was returned with great spirit and evident good effect; and I was much pleafed with the conduct of lie Goffet, in the hired lugger, and Mr. Knight, in the Diamond's launch, who covered the approach and retreat of the boats. The vellels were all burnt, except an armed lugger, which kept up. her fire to the laft. The wind and tide fuiting at 10 at night to come out of the harbour again, Bbb

we