Patriotism, a mock-heroic. In five cantos:

PATRIOTISM, A MOCK-HEROIC.

CANTO IV.

IN study'd Dignity of Action slow, Bespeaking Favour with a winning Bow, AMBITION next arose. Her pow'rful Lore, Credulity preventive stepp'd before: For Eloquence, the Cheat, had brought her upLine 5 To all the Slight-hand of the Ball and Cup; Taught her to twist, and turn, and shew, and hide, And make the worse appear the better Side;

Shew'd her, to clash how Contradictions ceas'd, While Fact and Reason took what Shape she pleas'd.Line 10

As the bright Stream, which Nature loves to pour Irriguous thro' the Vale, had nurs'd each Flow'r, Had charm'd the Ear and Eye thro' op'ning Glades, With untaught Murmurs from unforc'd Cascades; But when compress'd thro' Pipes, as Whim prevails,Line 15 Squirts into Fans, and Suns, and Peacocks Tails: The glitt'ring Baubles who with Wonder spies, Receives the Spout at last in his own Eyes.

And thus she said: "O Thou, who dost preside "O'er Britain's Isle, and all her Measures guide,Line 20 "Whose Doctrine Heav'n's own Precept far out-goes, "Bids us love, better than ourselves, our Foes;

"O Janus-Party! now incline to hear "Thy double Face and thy quadruple Ear. "And ye, now present, to my Nod devote,Line 25 "Lords, and Lords Betters, Aldermen! take note "That FOLLY to my Bosom here I bend, "Her, my Contempt till now, but now my Friend: "Link'd in the common Cause she shall remain "My firm Confed'rate, till I rule again.Line 30

"'Twere needless here to tell, what yet you see "Draws its conceal'd, dim, Origin from me— "The Rage of Faction, when each Nerve it moves, "He who does not disclaim, be sure approves. "Behold! the Cloud, I said, would threat the Land,Line 35 "That Cloud shall rise in Likeness of this Hand, "Pour all its Storms, directed as I please, "And wash away the hateful Works of Peace:

"Works, which myself I dar'd not bring about, "I knew them right, but knew they'd throw me out. "Another ventur'd, foolish, or secureLine 41 "In his own Soul, and above Lust of Pow'r, "Seal'd the great Deed to which his Wish aspir'd, "And unrewarded, but by That, retir'd.

"And could he think, of Peace the Foe profestLine 45 "Title and Pension had inclin'd to Rest? "That on AMBITION'S Eye Repose would creep, "Lull'd by those medicated Sops to sleep?

"She who twin'd Unanimity, and shew'd "The wond'ring World how firm Britannia stood,Line 50 "Can the reverted Wheel as quick incite, "Till all the splitting Fibres disunite.

"She who fell Party's tortuous Folds could break, "And set her Foot upon that Dragon's Neck,Line 54 "The deadly Teeth, which from those Jaws she drew, "Can plant, and they can pullulate anew. "Those Grains of Discord giv'n to fertile Land "Sprout rank, and faithful to the Sower's Hand. "Yes, in ripe Harvest see them nod again, "A threatning Crop of discontented Men;Line 60 "Which Way to wave they from my Breath expect, "Blame as I point, and hate as I direct.

"It grieves me FOLLY, nay it gives me Fears,— "This foul Defection of your black Hussars, "Whose wav'ring Duty, truant from its String,Line 65 "Transfers itself from C—r to K—g. "Now by the Laurels of Belleisle, my Boast, "And the unnumber'd Millions which they cost,

"Shoul'd e'er my B—h for addressing move, "And honest A—n dare the Peace approve,Line 70 "In such Contempt the Rebels I should hold, "I'd toss them back their dirty Box of Gold!

"But ere th' Infection spreads, haste we to use "The Sp'rit we've been so happy to infuse; "The English Oak-boy as you bid him crys,Line 75 "And to roar louder firmly shuts his Eyes: "He's yours at Pleasure clos'd while they remain, "All's over if he opens them again. "Employ him while, all Enemies o'ercome, "He longs for new ones in his Friends at home,Line 80 "The proper Catch-words Party shall provide, "To range the Fools on either foolish Side; "No previous Injury need rouse their Force, "Match but the Broughtons, and they hate of Course.

"Oh, if we seize with Skill the coming Hour,Line 85 "And re-invest us with the Robe of Pow'r, "Rule while we live! Let future Days transmute "To ev'ry Merit all we've charg'd on BUTE; "Let late Posterity receive his Name, "And swell its Sails with ev'ry Breath of Fame; "Downward, as far as Time shall roll his Tide,Line 90 "With ev'ry Pennant flying, let it glide, "And Truth, emerging from the Clouds we raise, "Gild all their Orient Colours with her Blaze. "Let his lov'd Arts, attendant on his Way,Line 95 "Their wanton Trophies to the Gale display; "While each dispassionate, each honest Pen "(Deterr'd by Clamour, nor allur'd by Gain, "Bard or Historian) shall from either ShoreLine 99 "Hail its Approach, and its great Course explore;

"Faithful to Probity, and Virtue's Cause, "Pursue its Progress, and direct th' Applause: "Glad Gratulation shall with Shouts approve, "And own him worthy of his Sov'reign's Love."

She had proceeded, but the mingled SoundLine 105 Of arguing Voices spread the Table round, Some affirm'd positive, some ask'd perplext, And some launch'd out in Notes upon the Text; Till one more audible than all the rest, With strong Exertion thus himself express'd:Line 110 "Why sit we here projecting some new Blow, "Since FATE determins all Events below? "On that Tribunal let our Envoy wait, "And who so fit as FOLLY upon FATE?"

Th' Advice was grateful to the gen'ral Ear,Line 115 All beg'd that great Commission she would bear, Which, bowing low, she said should be atchiev'd, Tho' trembling at the Honour she receiv'd; The Point thus settled, from the Board they move, Dispers'd as Pleasure led, or Bus'ness drove.Line 120

But FOLLY sought her Library with Speed, For one she had for Show, but not to read, There jumbling in her Head what she thought, Thought, How best to find the trackless Road she sought, She chose t' essay the Force of her own Prate,Line 125 Remembring to how many once 'twas Fate.

And now the mystic Gibberish she tried, Something that neither promis'd nor deny'd,

But drew one on to hope, "it wish'd so well— "And though it doubted, yet—it could not tell—Line 130 "O! my dear What's-your-Name, of me be sure, "I would a Member had not ask'd before— "You'll let me see you soon, by then I'll try"— Then seem'd to squeeze a Hand, and said, Good-by.

Strange Force of Charms! By this the solid Ground Grew mortal sick with the unmeaning Sound,Line 136 In strong Convulsions rock'd; at length it cleft, And a wide Opening tow'rds the Center left, To Regions unexplor'd, which, dark and great, Are the Domain of MYSTERY-OF-STATE.Line 140 Pond'ring a while she stood, and wish'd to know The Calais-Passage to these Realms below, 'Till Curiosity her Fears expung'd, And she intrepid on her Errand plung'd.

Now, as she journey'd, faded on her SightLine 145 The feeble Glimmerings of distant Light, Faint and more faint the intercepted Ray Withdrew itself, and died upon her Way. And now, thro' Darkness, palpable, abhorr'd, Her groping Hands the doubtful Path explor'd,Line 150 'Till nigh the Confines, where the lower Sphere Joins to our World, but yet is ne'er the near, Thin Streaks of budding Day salute her Eye With the first Dawnings of the nether Sky; For other Suns they have and Stars than we,Line 155 By which no Mortal but themselves can see.

Now the receding Gloom her Sight renew'd, And cloath'd with Form each bright'ning Object stood. The opening Scene with Wonder she surveys, Not knowing that she travell'd her own Ways,Line 160

Here for the upper Surface she discern'd, How Flatt'ry lay to bubling Lather churn'd, Whose Bottom form'd a thicker Sediment Of coarse and clumsy Clergy Compliment. This happy Compost with its supple OilLine 165 Invigorates and opes the fertile Soil, Calls forth each Seed of Dirt to bud and flow'r, And trick itself in all the Hues of Pow'r; While from her Urn Partiality supplies The Stream, to Blood and Merit, she denies.Line 170 Hence blooms th' unlearn'd Divine in all the Glow His double-petall'd Mitre can bestow, Hence spreads the Under Clerk his ample shoot, And strikes in the Revenue deep his Root, Hence high his flourish'd Head the Valet rears,Line 185 And hence Attornies blossom into Peers.

Still lower, in their different Strata spread, As Levity thought fit to range, were laid Close in their Shells involv'd, yet innocent, The unhatch'd Vermin of a Government.Line 180 Here Grubs and Maggots Favour's Sun-shine wait, To get new Shapes, and wing the World in State, Or more industrious, snug, and warm as Milk, Spin their soft Nests, and wrap themselves in Silk. Here Snails of Office thro' their slimy TracksLine 185 Crawl off at last with Houses on their Backs. Hence Worms and Earwigs in new Figures sport, And tinge themselves in ev'ry Dye of Court, 'Till pinch'd with Cold, another Form they try, And dip their varying Films in LIBERTY.Line 190 Here yet unfang'd, wriggle the Viper Race, Which fond Administration broods in Place,

'Till fatten'd on herself, and fit for Strife, They thro' her Bowels gnaw their way to Life. Here public Zeal, the Alligator, hidesLine 195 Her selfish Eggs, and for their Birth provides, Of Incubation in no Need they stand, But hatch in Popularity's hot Sand; To prey with open Mouths away they scour, Yet seem to mourn the Country they devour.Line 200

Now lower as she went the hoary Deep Discovers where the Seeds of Metals sleep. She saw, and lik'd to see, the plodding Head Do the World's Bus'ness, yet be only Lead; That Impudence, its Copper Birth forgot,Line 205 Grows Brass, and is important on the Spot; That Talk and Pertness still succeed by Din, And shine and tinkle in the Shape of Tin;

That Ignorance and Meanness rais'd to Pow'r, Their low Materials quickly silver o'er;Line 210 That Whig and Tory Principles unfold Their like Constituence, and turn to Gold. But Wit, the Quick-silver, escap'd her View, Or seeing what it was she little knew, Last saw, where Party-Gems their Rays refine,Line 215 How Patriotism inflames the blazing Mine.

She now perceiv'd, from this instructive Sight, A kind of Reminiscence, all was right.

The Soul is never taught, but recollectsLine 220 The Traces of its prior Intellects, Acknowleges the State she held before, And owns the beaming Shield at Troy she bore.

END OF CANTO IV.