Note 5, page 177, col. 1. That Ghost of Her, The world's Imperial Mistress. This image is borrowed from Hobbes, whose words representer la ville de Rome. C'était le Gonfalon de la Liberté. Le Second, à fonds blanc, avec un St-Paul tenant de la droite une Epée nue et de la gauche la couronne de Justice, était porté par Etienne Magnacuccia, notaire apostolique. Dans le troisième, St-are, as near as I can recollect:-. For what is the PaPierre avait en main les clefs de la Concorde et de la pacy, but the Ghost of the old Roman Empire, sitting Paix. Tout cela insinuait le dessein de Rienzi, qui était crowned on the grave thereof?. de rétablir la liberté, la justice, et la paix.-Du CerCEAU, liv. 2. And all were pleased, and cold, and stately, To all plebeian fears a stranger, As Madame Krudener, when consulted, Had pledged her word there was no danger. It is well known that the Empress Anne built a palace of ice. on the Neva, in 1740, which was fifty-two feet in length, and when illuminated had a sur, rising effect. —PINKERTON, So, on he caper'd, fearless quite, Thinking himself extremely clever, Just fancy how a bard like me, Who reverence monarchs, must have trembled, To see that goodly company At such a ticklish sport assembled. Nor were the fears, that thus astounded Were seized with an ill-omen'd dripping, Could scarce get on for downright stumbling, So used, was cursedly near tumbling. Yet still 't was who could stamp the floor most, This precious brace would hand in hand go; Intreated them his toes to spare- And a fandango, faith, they had, At which they all set to like mad,- But, ah! that dance-that Spanish dance- Who, bursting into tears, exclaim'd, A thaw, by Jove!--we 're lost, we're lost! Run, F! a second Waterloo Is come to drown you-sauve qui peut! is Why, why will monarchs caper so Crowns, fiddles, sceptres, decorations; With double heads for double dealingsHow fast the globes and sceptres glided Out of their claws on all the ceilings! Proud Prussia's double bird of prey, Tame as a spatch-cock, slunk away; While-just like France herself, when she Proclaims how great her naval skill isPoor *****", drowning fleur-de-lys Imagined themselves water-lilies. Whereas, all light must be kept out- And, while his lips illustrious felt " Came slowly thawing from his tongue. While ******, lapsing by degrees, And sighing out a faint adieu Or, like that goodly King they make Of sugar, for a twelfth-night cake, When in some urchin's mouth, alas, It melts into a shapeless mass! In short, I scarce could count a minute Shining along its chainless way— In simple grandeur to the sea, Than when in sparkling fetters tied, And deck'd with all that kingly pride Could bring to light its slavery! Such is my dream-and, I confess, That Spanish dance—that southern beam- FABLE II. THE LOOKING-GLASSES. WHERE Kings have been by mob-elections Men have required in royalty. Some, liking monarchs large and plumpy, Have chosen their Sovereigns by the weight; Some wish'd them tall; some thought your dumpy, Dutch-built the true Legitimate. 1 The Easterns, in a Prince, 't is said, Touching the acquired or natural right Fable. THERE was a land--to name the place By right of their superior beauty. Of these great persons' chins and noses, But so it was-a settled case Some act of Parliament, pass'd snugly, Some change it made in visual organs; Of course, if any knave but hinted That the King's nose was turn'd awry, But rarely things like this occurr'd: The people to their King were duteous, And took it, on his royal word, That they were frights and he was beauteous. The cause whereof, among all classes, And, therefore, did not know themselves. Sometimes, indeed, their neighbours' faces Might strike them as more full of reason, The Goths had a law to chuse always a short thick man for their king.-MUNSTER, Cosmog. lib. iii, p. 164. 2 In a Prince, a jolter-head is invaluable.»-Oriental Field Sports. 182 Besides, howe'er we love our neighbour, And take his face's part, 't is known We never half so earnest labour, As when the face attack'd's our own. So, on they went-the crowd believing (As crowds well govern'd always do); Their rulers, too, themselves deceivingSo old the joke they thought it true. But jokes, we know, if they too far go, "T was said, some Radicals, somewhere, However this might be, the freight Was landed without fees or duties; And, from that hour, historians date The downfal of the race of beauties. The looking-glasses got about, And grew so common through the land, That scarce a tinker could walk out Without a mirror in his hand. Comparing faces, morning, noon, And night, their constant occupation By dint of looking-glasses, soon They grew a most reflecting nation. In vain the Court, aware of errors In all the old, established mazards, Prohibited the use of mirrors, And tried to break them at all hazards: In vain-their laws might just as well If chance a Duke, of birth sublime, Just hinting, by that gentle sign, From Dukes' they pass'd to regal phizzes, Compared them proudly with their own, And cried, How could such monstrous quizzes In Beauty's name usurp the throne? They then wrote essays, pamphlets, books, Which made the King try various looks, And satires at the Court they levell'd, No, no-it is n't foolish Kings That move my wrath, but your pretenders, Your mushroom rulers, sons of earth, Who, not like t' others, crown'd offenders (Regular gratia Dei blockheads, Born with three kingdoms in their pockets), Nor leaving, on the scale of mind, These royal Zeros far behind, Yet, with a brass that nothing stops, Push up into the loftiest stations, This class it is that moves my gall, And stirs up spleen, and bile, and all. While other senseless things appear To know the limits of their sphere While not a cow on earth romances Pigmy as are their minds, to set them At any time that fools will let them. To whom, and to their right-line glory, Fable. THE wise men of Egypt were secret as dummies; And, even when they most condescended to teach, They pack'd up their meaning, as they did their mummies, In so many wrappers, 't was out of one's reach. They were also, good people, much given to KingsFond of monarchs and crocodiles, monkeys and mystery, Bats, hierophants, blue-bottle flies, and such thingsAs will partly appear in this very short history. A Scythian philosopher (nephew, they say, To that other great traveller, young Anacharsis) Stepp'd into a temple at Memphis one day, To have a short peep at their mystical farces. He saw a brisk blue-bottle Fly on an altar, ' Made much of, and worshipp'd as something divine; While a large handsome Bullock, led there in a halter, Before it lay stabb'd at the foot of the shrine. Surprised at such doings, he whisper'd his teacher- No wonder, said t' other, you stare at the sight, And that Bullock the people that's sacrificed to it.» FABLE IV. CHURCH AND STATE. Proem. The moment any religion becomes national, or established, its purity must certainly be lost, because it is then impossible to keep it unconnected with men's interests; and, if connected, it must evidently be perverted by them.-SOAME JENYNS. THUS did SOAME JENYNS-though a Tory, A Lord of Trade and the Plantations Feel how Religion's simple glory Is stained by State associations. When CATHERINE, after murdering Poles, All in the name of the bless'd Trinity; According to Elian, it was in the island of Leucadia they practised this ceremony - -Busty Bouv Tats putziz.-De Animal. lib. ii, cap. 8. a Ames, demi-àmes, etc. Or when her grandson, ALEXANDER, Puts every fire of Freedom out- In holy water dips the spunge, I must, of course, like other men, bow) That you may roll in wealth and bliss?" Suffering nor peace nor love to grow, If more you want, go, see a bevy To heaven or earth most turn their disks? This, this it is-Religion, made, The extremes of too much faith, and none- Than erst could Egypt, when so rich This-this it is-and here I pray Those sapient wits of the Reviews, Who make us poor, dull authors say, Not what we mean, but what they chuse; Who to our most abundant shares Of nonsense add still more of theirs, As caterpillars find those flies Lay eggs upon their backs likewise- Of others' meanings in my rhymes (A thing more needful here, because it's A subject ticklish in these times), I here to all such wits make known, Monthly and weekly, Whig and Tory, 'Tis this Religion-this alone I aim at in the following story: Meanwhile, the friar, whose head was turn'd By the laced coat, grew frisky tooLook'd big-his former habits spurn'dAnd storm'd about as great men do Dealt much in pompous oaths and curses- As work like this was unbefitting, And flesh and blood no longer bore it, The Court of Common Sense then sitting, Summon'd the culprits both before it. Where, after hours in wrangling spent (As courts must wrangle to decide well), Religion to Saint Luke's was sent, And Royalty pack'd off to Bridewell: With this proviso-Should they be Restor'd in due time to their senses, They both must give security In future, against such offences Religion ne'er to lend his cloak, Seeing what dreadful work it leads to; And Royalty to crack his joke But not to crack poor people's heads, too. FABLE V. THE LITTLE GRAND LAMA. Proem. NOVELLA, a young Bolognese, The daughter of a learned law doctor, ' Who had with all the subtleties Of old and modern jurists stock'd her, And over hearts held such dominion, To lecture on the Code Justinian, Lest, if her charms were seen, the students Should let their young eyes wander o'er her, And quite forget their jurisprudence. Just so it is with Truth-when seen, Too fair and bright-'t is from behind A light, thin allegorie screen, She thus can safest teach mankind. Fable. IN Thibet once there reign'd, we 're told, Which proves historians should be wary. Andreas. * Quand il étoit occupé d'aucune essoine, il envoyait Novelle, sa fille, en son lieu lire aux escholes en charge, et, afin que la biaûté d'elle n'empêchat la pensée des oyants, elle avoit une petite courtine devant elle.-Cunist, de Piso, Cité des Dames, p. 11, ch. 36, |