The Sun.
London, England, 1822-02-13 00:00:00

P 0 E T Ft Y.

ELEGY,
Spoken on a
•
COUNTRY RILL-SIDE. -
WRITTEN BY JOHN TAYLOR, ESQ.
The ruin spread by War is wisely o'er, (I)-
The grateful mob a peace receive with glee,
The drooping Party cease their wonted roar,
And leave these shades to silence and to me.
Now sinks the distant ling'ring hope of pow'r,
And all the world our scattered Squadron shun,
Save where some Mongrel turns in lucky hour,
-Or needy Genius flies a threatening Dun.
Save that among the titleevarnish'd tribe, (2)
- Some Wealthy Dupe, inclin'd to purdhase fame,
Our leading Patriots may with banquets bribe, •
. In fond ambition of a Statesman's name.
' Amid our Tavern Crowds, and clubs select,
Who formed full many a Gallic scheme for pow'r,
Each in his flatt'ring dreams for ever checkt,
The bold Reformers of the Nation low'r.
The specious Creed of rebel-raising France,
The tempting triumphs of her blood-stain'd race, .
The Mob's wild clamehr, tir capricious Chance,
No•more shall cheer them with a gleam of place.
For them no more the Tavern bells shall ring,
Or,easy Landlord trust the daily fare,
No Waiters at the sound shall eager spring,
Or lend their val,s (3) the Gamester's throw to share.
Oft would the giddy to their doctrines yield,
- Their, fury oft the bounds of order broke,
How would they bawl in COPENHAGE:s' field,
Ifow.laugh'd the mob (4) at cv'ry vulgar joke.
Let not the Placetnan their distress deride,. .
Their shifting life, the hardships they endure,
Nor Ministry behold with scornful pride
The.hopeless horrors of the patriot Poor.
The prop of Cabinets, the_Monarch's choicer
And-all that Budgets, all that Loans provide,
Depend alike upon the Senate's voice.' -.
The paths of-Office lead to t'other side.-
- Nor you, ye Rich, impute to these the crime,
• If Patronage to them her gifts refuse,
Wher,e; through the long-drawn lapse of hee.dless Time,
The Perquesites are faiebeyond the dues.
.
Can studied speech, or unprepared reply,
Rouse all the Commons to a factious ire ?
Can Wisdom's voice be baffled by a lie,
Or clamour force our Rulers to retire ? •
Perchance among our Party's ruined Band •
Are hearts still zealous with aspiring aim,
Heads that thc.fall of Empire might have plann'd,
Or raised with energy a gen'ral flame.
But Britain, adverse to their golden dreams,
Blind to the light of France tippos'd the storm,
Dull Magistrates repress'd their daring. schemes,
And damped the noble spirit of Reform. •
Full many a hardy Patriot of our gang,
The dark unwholesome cells of Prisons bear,
Full many a'-Hero Law has doomed to hang.
• A shackled warning in the tainted air.
SinneloW-born ORLEANS, who,if nobly bred,
• Would paltry titles of his birth decline,
Some bold ambidouS FACISFAX might have led,
Soine BRADSHAW whO a 1110Ilafeh'S doom would sign,
Th' abuse of loyal Bigots to disdain,
The slavish code of Britain to despise,
The cause of Gallic Freedom (5) to maintain,
And paint its•glories to the Nation's eyes,
Our Party boast—nor do we only boast
Of sounding words, but active measures try,
To stop the needless levies for our coast, (6)
And on the faith of Gallia to rely,
The thoughtless Crowd of abstract rights (7) to tell,
To shew ;n them true Majesty (3) we find,
To teach a people when they may, eebel, (2)
With maxims suited to the.7ulgar mind.
Lost to the chance of all official sweets.
A casual income some derive from play,
Along obscure and unfrequented streets
Some keep the cautions tenor of their way.
Yet e'en our Band from Bailiffs to protect,
Those fam'd for parts a happier fortune meet,
:And, ,wheedling Peers or People to elect,
Secure the lucky shelter 6f a seat. .
Their names, their jokes, pfift hi the daily news,
The world with pointed paragraphs surprize,
And many a daring comment they diffuse,
That teach the timid Democrats to rise.
For who, to tame obscurity a prey".
The lively tattle of the town resign'd,
Scorned the diverting Columns of the day,
Nor wish'd some notice of himself to find !
On'sorne kind Print the Orator depends
The morning record of his speech to bring,
E'n when at home we tell it to our friends,
-E'en in our dreams we make Sr. STEPHEN'S ring:
For thee who, feeling for thy Party's fate,

Post in these mimiclines bemoan their woe,
If chance, loug-bury'd inTsequester'd state,
.Some simple Stranger sect; thy course to know,
Haply Annie ankry .Traviller then may say, (10)
Oft have we seen hit: to the Tit utt.t.call;s go,
." Casting all sense of British pride away, •
" To fawn upon his Country's, deadliest foe.
" There at the foot of Gallia's haughty chief,..
" Who rears his stern presumptuous head so high,
" In abject state he stood; that mocks belief,
" To catch each motion of the CoNsuL's. eye.
" Grave as if now.with studious aims in view,
Searching the musty roll); of for4ter days, . •
" Now rev'lling freely with an cxil'd crew,
"Or mourn'd their .fate, or cheor'd with baneful praise,
" One morn I saw him on the Cowsur. wait,
" Beside the throne, and with a banded knee,
" Another came, and still in cringing state,
" With supple joint beside the throne was he.
‘ The-next with censures due he tOoklis way,.
." In praise of Gallia eager to.declaim,
" Attenu.and hear (for all should hear) the lay
" That still withhonest scorn should braml his name."
INSC RI ON. k •
hleie rests his.tongne,.in.this deserted place, •
A Wight to Fortune and to Fame well-known,
Kind Nature stied his mind ,with lib'ral grace, .
But Dissipation triark'd him for her own.
•
Wild .was his conduct though• he fain would:teach,
Fortune her favours did as wildly
He .gave his Party—all he had—a, speech :,- .• ,
His Party gave—'twos all he wish's —their cash. . .
No farther seek his errors here to tell,
Or e'en his follies to the,worldproclaini,
(There they, alas ! have long been known coo vfell)
The Idol of his faction, andtheir shame. .

•
(1) The party here alluded to have uniformly contended,
against the evidence of the plainest facts, that the war preced-
ing the short-lived Peace of Amiens _had its origin in English
folly, not French aggression.
(2) It may seem strange that the hero of this parody, who-
ever he may be supposed to.have beep, should affect to speak
with contempt of the. higher brdentof Society.; but it may be
inferred ffiht the triumph of democratic principles in France
had corrupted his judgment.
(3) Incredible as it may appear, it is a fact, that at. the higher
Gaming Clubs, the waiters are in the habit of lending motley.
to the members, and of partaking in the chance.
(4) The
.party leaders, though dispnsed to " pander to the
worst passions of the multitude," in reality despise-theiii, and
only employ popularity as the means to:rise into power.
(5) Never should' it be forgotten, that during the horrors Of
the French Revolution, it was hailed by a party in England as
" theinost glorious fabric ever raised by human wisdom and in,
tegrity;" and there has not appeared any recantation of this
senseless panegyric. "
(6) Every body must remember the efforts that were made by
the Opposition at the period alluded to, to prevent a defensive
establishment, in order to guard against invrsion, in case of a
rupture, and their warm recommendation of confidence in Gal-
lic honour..-Mr. SHERIDAN was indeed an exception..
(7) The Utopian RIGHTS OF .31ax,. as expounded by
THOMAS PAINE, were favourite doCtrines of the Party.
(8) THE MAJESTY OF THE PEOPLE is rt standard toast
at. the Oppobition festivals.
(9) A favourite doctrine with the party at this time was, hat
the people, in disputes with their rulers, were to consider re-
sistance as merely a question of expediency-and power. •
(10) As our Hero is, supposed to be in solitary retirement,
it is natural to imagine that he might reflect on his career, and
presage the opinion likely to be given respeeting his political
conduct. Upon the same principle, we may account for the
contempt with which he appears to speak in private of those
whom he courted in public,