THE REVIEW. "Longa eft injuria, longæ Ambages; fed fumma fequar faftigia rerum." VIRG. OW have we wander'd a long dismal night, How Led through blind paths by each deluding light! Now plung'd in mire, now by sharp brambles torn, With tempefts beat, and to the winds a scorn! Loft, weary'd, spent! but fee the Eastern star And glimmering light dawns kindly from afar : Bright goddess, hail! while we by thee furvey The various errors of our painful way; While, guided by fome clew of heavenly thread, The labyrinth perplex'd we backward tread, Through rulers' avarice, pride, ambition, hate, Perverfe cabals, and winding turns of state, The fenate's rage, and all the crooked lines As, after Winter, Spring's glad face appears, What fhouts, what triumph, what unruly joy, Of fo erect a mind, and foul fo great! No No diminution to his honour thought, T'enjoy the pleasure of the calm he brought. Him every ; His eafy flowing wit and charming tongue, He now fets up for kinfman of the throne; Earl of Clarendon. G 3 រ And And Anna, by the power her father gain'd, : Thus rais'd, his infolence his wit out-vy'd, And meanest avarice maintain'd his pride: When Cæfar, to confirm his infant state, Drown'd in oblivion all old names of hate, By threatening many, but excepting none That paid the purchase of oblivion. Byrfa his master's free-given mercy fold, And royal grace retail'd for rebel gold That new ftate-maxim he invented first, (To aged Time's last revolution curft) That teaches monarchs to oblige their foes, And their best friends to beggary expose; For thefe, he faid, would ftill beg on and ferve; 'Tis the old badge of loyalty to starve: But harden'd rebels must by bribes be won, And paid for all the mighty ills they 've done : When wealth and honour from their treafons flow, How can they chufe but very loyal grow? This false ungrateful maxim Byrsa taught, Vaft fums of wealth from thriving rebels brought; Titles and power to thieves and traitors fold, Swell'd his ftretch'd coffers with o'er-flowing gold. Hence all thefe tears----in thefe firft feeds was fown His country's following ruin, and his own. * Duke of York. Of Of that accurft and facrilegious crew, Which great by merit of rebellion grew, Had all unactive perish'd and unknown, The falfe Antonius had fuffic'd alone, To all fucceeding ages to proclaim Of this state principle the guilt and shame. Antonius early in rebellious race Swiftly fet out, nor flackening in his pace, The fame ambition that his youthful heat Urg'd to all ills, the little daring brat With unabated ardour does engage The loathsome dregs of his decrepit age; Bold, full of native and acquir'd deceit, Of sprightly cunning and malicious wit; Reflefs, projecting still fome new design, Still drawing round the government his line, Bold on the walls, or bufy in the mine: Lewd as the stews, but to the blinded eyes Of the dull crowd as Puritan precife; Before their fight he draws the juggler's cloud Of public intereft, and the people's good. The working ferment of his active mind, In his weak body's cask with pain confin'd, Would burft the rotten veffel where 'tis pent, But that 'tis tapt to give the treafon vent. Such were the men that from the statesman's hand, Not pardon only, but promotion gain'd: * Earl of Shaftesbury.. G 4 } All |