trPR 3505 Greene The politician THE POLITICIAN. POEM. Addressed to Mr. J A ME S SCOTT, Fellow of TRINITY COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE. By the Author of Juvenal's Satires imitated and adapted to the Times. LONDON: Printed for J.Ridley, St. James's Street, 1766. THE POLITICIAN. TH E Patriot falls each gay Delufion dies, And dreams of Grandeur fade before his eyes ; With factious Strains at Hinchinbroke no more He joins the lordly Bacchanalian Roar ; To Silence lull'd, the ribald Murmurs ceafe, And Scandal finks into the Arms of Peace. B Reft 8585 Reft to her Afhes no unhallow'd Tread Difturb the Slumbers of the facred Dead ; Unfummon'd reft fhe in eternal Gloom, And foft Oblivion confecrate the Tomb. And thou, my Scott, to crown the fav'rite Bier, Indulge the Tribute of a focial Tear ; One pious Hymn the folemn Rites attend, One filken Ditty to embalm thy Friend. Yet tho' by matchlefs Genius rear'd to Fame, Thou fpurn'ft the Trappings of a borrow d Name ; And dar'ft, collected in thyfelf, to quit The Paths of Slav'ry for the Realms of Wit ; Dar'ft, a returning prodigal, refufe Thy darling Sandwich, for the dearer Mufe j Wilt thou, from Poefy's Elyfian Bow'rs, Where Fancy weaves her variegated Flow'rs, Wilt thou with me the Sons of Faction trace, And crufh the Hydra of the Party-Race ; Re- [ 3 ] Relentlefs Herd, by zealous Frenzy mov'd, The dear AfTociates, whom fo late you lov'd, Nor fpare the Dupe, who reads, the Tool, who writes, . The Fly that buzzes, or the Snake that bites. All, all are Statefmen — mark the gen'ral Rage, From earlier Records to the prefent Age ; The Young, the Old, the Rabble and the Peer, Swell the loud Clamor, and indulge the Sneer ; Triumphant Fadlion claps her fable Wing, And blafts alike the Courtier, and the King. Blefs'd with th' Applaufes of a Nation's Voice, Call'd by their Pray'rs, and Monarch of their Choice, In vain a William fhone, with patriot-Hand Who fow'd the Seeds of Freedom o'er the Land ; And ftill'd the Tempeft of Oppreflion's Hour, Deaf to the Siren of defpotic Pow'r ; The Northern Siren, with alluring Grace That fondly fmii'd, and crufh'd the Steuart Race. In C 4 ] In vain, true Guardian of his England's Fame, Guide of her Arms, and Bulwark of her Name, 'Gainft Foes combin'd embattled he denies Reft to his Soul, and flumber to his Eyes ; At Home ftill watchful o'er his Subject's Caufe Their Rights he foiters, and improves their Laws ; To gen'ral Good devotes the princely Plan, And with the Sovereign's Virtue crowns the Man. Too bright the Luftre ! with a baleful Howl, Sick of the Glare, fell Fadion, like the Owl, Flits thro' the Shades of Night, and blots the Throne, With venial Faults, or Errors not its own ; Bids cold Referve on JubjeEl Courtiers wait, While Hdla?id only meets the Smile of State. In Annas Days, whofe hypccritic Zeal, Secur'd a Brunfwick for the public Weal, While Reafon faw, behind the Mafk of Art, A kindred Steuart luiking in her Heart, Iii [ s ] In Anna's Days undaunted Marlborough wore Th' avenging Falchion, which a William bore, Thought on his Brow, and Calmnefs in his Soul, No Danger moves him, and no Fears control, Himfelf the great Machine a World in Arms — — Hurls the full Thunder, and directs th' Alarms ; Where'er he turns he marks his deftin'd Prey, And Conqueft fmiling leads him in his Way ; France, at his Pow'r appall'd, beholds around Her boafted Bulwarks fmoaking on the Ground, Intrench'd me paufes o'er her flaughter'd Hofb, Her wither'd Laurels, and her ravag'd Coafts ; In vain his Country, with a fond regard, Hang o'er the Warrior, and his Toils reward, Hail every Triumph, and his Glories own, Lov'd of the State, and Idol of the Throne : Faction arous'd, now ftarting from her Screen, Frowns at the Sight, and mars the happy Scene ; C SIk [ 6 ] She fummons at a Nod her trait'rous Band To curfe the Bounties of a grateful Land ; Gold madly fhow'rd, and Titles ill-apply 'd To pamper Av'rice, and to fatiate Pride ; Succefsful in her Courfe the Crown fhe fhakes ; The Great infult him, and his Queen forfakes : He quits the Stage for Blenheim's lovM Refort, And nobly fpurns the Creatures of a Court. Succeeding Times th' invidious Fiend proclaim, Alike her Vengeance, and her Cares the fame ; Full thro' the Soul, with unrefifted Sway, This Foe to Merit wings her rapid Way, Broods o'er the Palace, fattens on the State, The Good her Plunder, and her Prey the Great. Is't not enough beneath a Brunfwics Reign, That Freedom fhow'rs her animated Strain, Screen'd from th' Oppreffion of a courtly Tool ; And dares to lafli the Villain and the Fool ? With C 7 ] With honeft Rage on titled Minions fprings, Tears from their Bread the Ribbons and the Strings, Far, far aloof the wretched Gewgaws hurl'd, To thruft the Traitors naked to the World ? Is't not enough, tho' faucy Grandeur frown, That Satire dares, unbiafs'd by a Crown, Spurn the Perogative of Right divine, And bids the Father in the Monarch fliine ? But foul Sedition with ungovern'd Mind Will boldly forge the Crimes, fhe cannot find, Curfe fpotlefs Worth, and titled Wealth difown, When — called to Pow'r, and feated near the Throne. In Peace let ilander roufe her envious Tide To footh the Pangs of difappointed Pride ; While hungry Malice bids her libels roll To blaftthe Greatnefs of a Conway's Soul, With Sneers a. patriot- Rocking/jam to foil, A Grafton s Candor, and an Egmonts Toil ', While c 8 ] While Folly dares without a Blum difplay The Name of S ch to the Face of Day : Once more invokes him with her blunifring Strains, To reel into the State, and feize the Reins ; Commends, with flow funereal Dullnefs fraught The grave Proccjjion of a Gr lis Thought, And fwears his Budget opes, tho' Leggis no more, The Sibyl MyiVries of a Kingdom's Store ; Full well the Themes their wretched Parent's fuit, And amply crown the laft Remains of B—le. Hail happy Scene, where minifterial Youth Treads the bold Paths of Reafon and of Truth, Where manly Prudence checks the Statefman's Rage, And gives a Lcflbn to expericne'd Age ; To thefe, America, much injur'd Land, Sighs her full Sorrows, and extends her Hand; To thefe fhe heaves the fupplicating Strain, Nor to their Country's Friends laments in vain ; To thefe her animated Tears deplore Corruption curfingthe maternal Shore ; Deplore [ 9 J Deplore (till Povv'r with friendly Armreliev'd) A S te cheated, and a Realm deceiv'd, Yes ! fuch the Fetters of the Slave defy, Nor view Deftru&ion with a carelefs Eye ; Fix'd to their Rights (fair Nature's charter'd Plan) To roufe the confcious Dignity of Man) Thofe Rights they fpeak, nor meanly bend the Knee, But by our own Example dare be free. Rous'd at her Subject in the Patriot's Caufe, My Mufe fpontaneous kindles to Applaufe, See ! motionlefs, and pale Ambition ftand, Pale with Defpondence from her palfy'd Hand, She drops, unwilling drops OpprelTion's Chain, Againit her Country's Welfare forg'd in vain. Reviving Commerce hoifls th' impatient Sail, And opes her Treafures to th' alluring Gale, Hark ! from her raptur'd Sons triumphant Cries Fill the wide Strand, and eccho to the Skies ; D O'er [ TO ] O'er diftant Climates panting to impart The genial Tidings, each according Heart Bears, deeply bears, with adamant engrav'd, A People lighted, and a Kingdom fav'd Methinks, fome hoary- headed Sage I hear, — Fair Wifdom ever crowns the fixtielh Year; Ever, when Nature droops to Time a Prey, Supplies with Strength of Mind the great Decay ; (For Soul and Body live unfocial Friends, And when this Bucket rifes, that defcends) His Head v, ell fettled by the Coffee's Draught, And trembling o'er the News with anxious Thought, While at his Side forgot the Crutches lie, His Wig heav'd back, his Spectacles thrown by, I hear impo?~ta7it Gravity exclaim,