LANSDOWNE.
While on the Treasury-Bench you, PITT, recline,
And make men wonder at each vast design;
I, hapless man, my harsher fate deplore,
Ordain’d to view the regal face no more;
That face which erst on me with rapture glow’d, 5
And smiles responsive to my smiles bestow’d:
But now the Court I leave, my native home,
“A banish’d man, condemn’d in woods to roam;”
While you to senates, BRUNSWICK’s mandates give,
And teach white-wands to chaunt his high prerogative. 10

PITT.
Oh! LANSDOWNE, ’twas a more than mortal pow’r
My fate controul’d, in that auspicious hour,
When TEMPLE deign’d the dread decree to bring,
And stammer’d out the Firmaun of the King:
That power I’ll worship as my houshold god, 15
Shrink at his frown, and bow beneath his nod;
At every feast his presence I’ll invoke,
For him my kitchen fires shall ever smoke;
Not mighty HASTINGS, whose illustrious breath
Can bid a RAJAH live, or give him death, 20
Though back’d by SCOTT, by BARWELL, PALK, and all
The sable squadron scowling from BENGAL;
Not the bold Chieftain of the tribe of PHIPPS,
Whose head is scarce less handsome than his ship’s;
Not bare-breech’d GRAHAM, nor bare-witted ROSE, 25
Nor the GREAT LAWYER with the LITTLE NOSE;
Not even VILLIERS’ self shall welcome be,
To dine so oft, or dine so well as he.

LANSDOWNE.
Think not these sighs denote one thought unkind,
Wonder, not Envy, occupies my mind; 30
For well I wot on that unhappy day,
When BRITAIN mourn’d an empire giv’n away;
When rude impeachments menaced from afar,
And what gave peace to FRANCE—to us was war;
For awful vengeance Heav’n appeared to call, 35
And agonizing Nature mark’d our fall.
Dire change! DUNDAS’s cheek with blushes glow’d,
GRENVILLE was dumb, MAHON no phrenzy show’d;
Though DRAKE harrangu’d, no slumber GILBERT fear’d,
And MULGRAVE’s mouth like other mouths appear’d; 40
In vain had BELLAMY prepar’d the meat;
In vain the porter; BAMBER could not eat;
When BURKE arose no yell the curs began,
And ROLLE, for once, half seem’d a gentleman:
Then name this god, for to St. JAMES’s Court, 45
Nor gods nor angels often make resort.

PITT.
In early youth misled by Honour’s rules,
That fancied Deity of dreaming fools;
I simply thought, forgive the rash mistake,
That Kings should govern tor their People’s sake: 50
But Reverend JENKY soon these thoughts supprest,
And drove the glittering phantom from my breast;
JENKY! that sage, whom mighty George declares,
Next SCHWELLENBURGEN, great on the back stairs:
’Twas JENKINSON—ye Deacons, catch the sound! 55
Ye Treasury scribes, the sacred name rebound!
Ye pages, sing it—echo it, ye Peers!
And ye who best repeat, Right Reverend Seers!
Whose pious tongues no wavering fancies sway,
But like the needle ever point one way. 60

LANSDOWNE.
Thrice happy youth! secure from every change,
Thy beasts unnumber’d, ’mid the Commons range;
Whilst thou, by JOVE’s Ætherial spirit fired,
Or by sweet BRUNSWICK’s sweeter breath inspired,
Another ORPHEUS every bosom chear, 65
And sticks, and stocks, and stones, roar hear! hear! hear!
Raised by thy pipe the savage tribes advance,
And Bulls and Bears in mystic mazes dance:
For me no cattle now my steps attend,
Ev’n PRICE and PRIESTLY, wearied, scorn their friend; 70
And these twin sharers of my festive board,
Hope of my flock, now seek some richer Lord.

PITT.
Sooner shall EFFINGHAM clean linen wear,
Or MORNINGTON without his star appear;
Sooner each prisoner BULLER’s law escape; 75
Sooner shall QUEENSBURY commit a rape;
Sooner shall POWNEY, HOWARD’s noddle reach;
Sooner shall THURLOW hear his brother preach;
Sooner with VESTRIS, Bootle shall contend;
Sooner shall EDEN not betray his friend; 80
Sooner DUNDAS an Indian bribe decline;
Sooner shall I my chastity resign;
Sooner shall Rose than PRETTYMAN lie faster,
Than PITT forget that JENKINSON’s his maker.

LANSDOWNE.
Yet oft in times of yore I’ve seen thee stand 85
Like a tall May-pole ’mid the patriot band;
While with reforms you tried each baneful art,
To wring fresh sorrows from your Sovereign’s heart;
That heart, where every virtuous thought is known,
But modestly locks up and keeps them all his own. 90

PITT.
’Twas then that PITT, for youth such warmth allows,
To wanton Freedom paid his amorous vows;
Lull’d by her smiles, each offer I withstood,
And thought the greatest bliss my country’s good.
’Twas pride, not passion, madden’d in my brain, 95
I wish’d to rival FOX, but wish’d in vain;
Fox, the dear object of bright Freedom’s care,
Fox still the favourite of the BRITISH fair;
But while with wanton arts the syren strove
To fix my heart, and wile me to her love; 100
Too soon I found my hasty choice to blame,
—Freedom and Poverty are still the same—
While piles of massy gold his coffers fill,
Who votes subservient to his Sovereign’s will.

LANSDOWNE.
Enough, break off—on RICHMOND I must wait; 105
And DEBBIEG too will think I stay too late;
Yet ere I go some friendly aid I’d prove,
The last sad tribute of a master’s love.
In that famed College where true wisdom’s found,
For MACHIAVELIAN policy renown’d, 110
The pious pastors first fill’d LANSDOWNE’s mind,
With all the lore for Ministers design’d:
Then mark my words, and soon those Seers shall see
Their famed IGNATIUS far outdone in thee;—
In every action of your life be shown, 115
You think the world was made for you alone;
With cautious eye each character survey,
Woo to deceive, and promise to betray;
Let no rash passion Caution’s bounds destroy,
And ah! no more appear “THE ANGRY BOY!” 120

PITT.
Yet stay—Behold the Heav’ns begin to lour,
And HOLLAND threatens with a thunder show’r;
With me partake the feast, on this green box,
Full fraught with many a feast for factious Fox;
Each sapient hint that pious PRETTY gleans, 125
And the huge bulk of ROSE’s Ways and Means;
See too the smoaky citizens approach,
Piled with petitions view their Lord Mayor’s coach;
Ev’n now their lengthen’d shadows reach this floor,
Oh! that d—n’d SHOP-TAX—AUBREY, shut the door! 130

THE STATESMEN.] It will be unnecessary to inform the classical reader, that this Eclogue evidently commences as an imitation of the 1st. of Vergil—the Author, however, with a boldness perfectly characteristic of the personages he was to represent, has in the progress of his work carefully avoided every thing like a too close adherence to his original design.

Line 8.—A banish’d man, &c.] Vide the noble Marquis’s celebrated speech, on the no less celebrated IRISH PROPOSITIONS.

Line 14.—And stammer’d out the FIRMAUN, &c.] When a language happens to be deficient in a word to express a particular idea, it has been ever customary to borrow one from some good-natured neighbour, who may happen to be more liberally furnished. Our Author, unfortunately, could find no nation nearer than TURKEY, that was able to supply him with an expression perfectly apposite to the sentiment intended to be here conveyed.

Line 25.—Not bare-breeche’d GRAHAM.] His Lordship some time since brought in a bill to relieve his countrymen from those habilliments which in ENGLAND are deemed a necessary appendage to decorum, but among our more northern brethren are considered as a degrading shackle upon natural liberty. Perhaps, as the noble Lord was then on the point of marriage, he might intend this offering of his opima spolia, as an elegant compliment to HYMEN.

Line 51.—But Reverend JENKY.] Our Author here, in some measure deviating from his usual perspicuity, has left us in doubt whether the term Reverend is applied to the years or to the profession of the gentleman intended to be complimented. His long experience in the secrets of the CRITICAL REVIEW, and BUCKINGHAM HOUSE, would well justify the former supposition; yet his early admission into DEACON’S ORDERS will equally support the latter: our readers therefore must decide, while we can only sincerely exult in his Majesty’s enjoyment of a man whose whole pious life has been spent in sustaining that beautiful and pathetic injunction of scripture, “SERVE GOD, AND HONOUR THE KING.”

Line 68.—And Bulls and Bears in mystic mazes dance.] The beautiful allusion here made to that glorious state of doubt and obscurity in which our youthful Minister’s measures have been invariably involved, with its consequent operation on the stockholders, is here most fortunately introduced.—What a striking contrast does Mr. PITT’s conduct, in this particular, form to that of the Duke of PORTLAND, Mr. Fox, and your other plain matter of fact men!

Line 83.—Sooner shall ROSE than PRETTYMAN lie faster.] This beautiful compliment to the happy art of embellishment, so wonderfully possessed by this par nobile fratrum, merits our warmest applause; and the skill of our author no where appears more conspicious than in this line, where, in refusing to give to either the pre-eminence, he bestows the ne plus ultra of excellence on both.