The Sun.
London, England, 1818-06-26 00:00:00

POETRY.

TENTH EPISTLE to the EDINBURGH REVIEWERS.
[SRCOND PART.]
Est turba, arguraentum pessinst,
By visit, speech, parody, pamphlet, redeye,
Such in part are the plans which the factious pursue,
To let eak down of social restraints every bar,
And make mere discontented with things as they are:
But how they would have them, they donut well know ;
In this they all differ, for some would lay low
Each practice and fern of reroute Institution,
And modernize all by complete revolution :
Forgetting French horrors and scenes full of dread,
Which-tell them, when rivers of blood base been shed,
A despot will fix ore the people his chain,
And tithe all their struggles for liberty vain.
Whilst some would avert, if they could, such a storm,
And change in a peaceable way by reform.
But when, how they would do it, we come to enquire,'
We find they all (Infer like water and fire.
Some for Annual Parliaments clatnaor aloud,
And that votes without stint should to all be ellow'd
They don't women and children exclude from their plan.
lint suppose that they limit the voting
Still mark what great evils from this would ensue,
The vice, folly, confusion, which now we may view,
World return every year, and encreased by the votes,
Which for drink and for cruise woald but furnish more
throats.
If each voter must skew at the hustings his face,
What a waste of time, money, and labour takes place;
And if ire each parish is open 'd a book,
To register names—there will not be a nook
Throughout Britain, from centre each way to the sea,
Which will he from confusion and drunkenness free.
Like each borough town—they each village will split
Into factions and parties when issues the writ.;
And if annual elections are every where held,
This hid spirit of party will never be yfiell'd;
But throughout all the year, and throughout all the land,
Oppos'd Tory and Whig in each village will stand.
Think not of corruption you thus gain a cure,
Or iii any way make, your electionmore,pare ;
Fur some Husr and some Conn Err will each have his
gang,
Round whom like bees swarming their clusters will hang.
And they, for this act, all the patriot set, •
Will sell tlvir vile mob-fry tor what they can get.
The Parliament, too, would so soon see its end,
They would not have time to make Laws oramenal,
And should they do aught, why the next 'night undo
All it did—w hien a third one again might renew.
And thus on from one to another they'd run,
Undoing and doing till nothing was done.
The ev,ls hence flowing i further might trace,
But let us now see the tree state of the case.
We lite in a land which abounds with enjoyment ;
Where Arts and whore Commerce for all filed employment;
Where the liner tnay,'as well as the rich. from the laws
The full justice obtain that belongs to their cause;
By a Parliament rtil'o, so cemented together,
As support one part serves, and as check to the other—
At the head is a King, who need cause no alarm,
For he may do much good, though he can't do much harm,
As he is by the Lords and the Commons controurd;
Who have on each other again a firm hold,
Sot cierit the evil tee check in approach,
If either should strive beyond hounds tee encroach.
You, will tell us the hounds have haw cross'd ;
That the scales are not true—that the balance is lost;
That as men will to that which has patronage cling,
Lords and Commons bow down at the foot of the King;
I deny not that pationage acts in each station,
But of Commons and Lords suet& submissive prostration
I deny it in toto, on this full authority,
That Ministers could not command a majority,
On a point to obtain Mild) they did all they could,
As they thought- it invole'd in their cortutry's true good:
Many with them so tt,onght—yet they lost it, 'tis known—
Theo what apprehensions have we from the throne 2
Much more that rebellion shoold cast that. theone clown,
Than that we should see front it an .autocrat frown—
All this you well kiml—yet with traitorous aim,
You pour your false reasoning, your charges, and blame,
In the hope to bring Ministers into disgrace,
And put All the Talents once more into place.
Then what is now darkness would all become light ;
King. Lords, Commons, Parliament, all would be right ;
In gratitude, then, for the gift of a gown,
You would swear the restraints were too great on the Crown,
When Judge— again on the bench should he plac'd,
With all his great namesake's zreat altriuntes grised.