GEORGE THE FIRST.

"Thrice happy are Britannia's bounded Kings,
"What tho' not theirs the boast in dungeon glooms
"To plunge bold freedom; to control the laws,
"And make injurious will their only rule ?
"To clothe the naked, feed the hungry, wipe
"The guiltless tear from lone affliction's eye,
"Make a whole glorious people sing for joy,
"Bless human-kind, and through the downward depth
"Of future times to spread that better sun
"Which lights up British souls."

THOMSON.

SUCH splendor as an isle like ours,
In trust deputing sov'reign pow'rs;
Cou'd give to grace a royal day,

. ORMOND and STAFFORD ;-next declare
The HABEAS CORPUS Barrier suspended,
On grounds of mischief to the state intended.

More

More nobles are disgraced, and such

Our fears, that succour from the Dutch
Are ask'd in haste.--While JAMES's son,
(Who to his interest had won

MAR,* FOSTER, and a list who stood
In high degree of northern blood,)

In Scotland lands with aid from France,
Attended by a warlike train,

With checquer❜d fortune, who advance

Mid wars alternate frown and smile,

Which cheers or sinks them, 'till ARGYLE Sends baffled JAMES to Paris back again.† 1716.

Prior to this, at Preston town,

Victorious, GEORGE's colours fly;
And FOSTER'S chiefs their arms lay down,
Trusting to royal clemency.

Yet

* The Earl of Mar had been Secretary of State; had taken the oath to King George, and signed the proclamation, declaring him to be his lawful Sovereign; but, on some disgust, retired to the Highlands, where he was met by the Marquises of Huntley and Tullibardine, the Earls of Nithisdale, Mareschal, Traquair, Errol, Southesk, Carnwath, and Seaforth, who raised 6000 men, and proclaimed James VIII.

† He had been proclaimed, called a council, fixed the day of his coronation, and assumed other acts of royalty.

The Earls of Derwentwater, Widdrington, and Mr. Foster, proclaimed James Stuart at Morpeth, Hexham, &c. and at length

at

Yet 'ere the Prince, so styled, retired,
His highlanders, by warm attachment fired,
With target round and broad claymore,

At Sheriffmuir wrought muckle pain,
To lads who ne'er had seen the like before,
Nor ever wish'd to see the like again!

Septennial Parliaments this year,
First sanctioned by the law appear.
A lunatic attempt assails

The safety of the Prince of Wales;
But, to the joy of Britain, fails.†

at Preston, where they were attacked by Generals Wills and Carpenter, to whom 1400 of them, including General Foster, Lords Derwentwater, Nithisdale, Wintoun, Carnwath, Widdrington, Kenmure, with 143 other Scotch Noblemen and Gentlemen, and 75 English Gentlemen, surrendered. Forster and some others afterwards escaped, particularly Lord Nithisdale. Many were executed and transported, but the major part received the benefit of an Act of Grace.

* November the 13th, the very day of the surrender at Preston, the right of the Duke of Argyle's army had routed the left of the Highlanders, when the right charged the Duke's left wing so furiously, that they came close to the muzzles of our soldier's musquets, and, warding off the bayonets with their targets, so used their broadswords that they made dreadful slaughter of the King's forces.

† At Drury-Lane Theatre, Freeman was the name of an unfortunate man whose pistol, supposed to be aimed at the Prince, wounded one of the Guards in the shoulder.

The

The iron KING of SWEDEN, vext

Bremen and Verden had been bought

Of Danes, who won them of him, thought
(Furnish'd by this unsound pretext,)
To work our island wondrous harm,
And in King JAMES's cause to arm;
But all his menaces were vain,
Measures so very prompt were ta’en :
That he, thro' ORLEAN'S mediation,
Sought timely reconciliation.

About à measure of supplies,*

'Twixt Parliament and King arise

Dissensions warm; and these scarce done,
When 'twixt the royal sire and son,
Some unexplain'd domestic jar,†

Ends in a sort of party war.

* Occasioned by His Majesty's asking money, to conclude alliances, without informing his parliament of the particulars.

†The King appointed the Duke of Newcastle to stand Godfather with him to the Prince of Wales's infant son; which much displeased the Prince, who was ordered to leave St. James's, and retired to Leicester-llouse: thus there were two Courts, and the partizans of each were denied access to the other. His Majesty never afterwards, on visiting his foreign dominions, entrusted the Government to the Prince, but always left a Regency. The infant mentioned died soon after its baptism.

Germany,

Germany, Britain, Holland form

With France a QUADRUPLE ALLIANCE
'Gainst which, regardless of a coming storm,
IBERIA hurls a bold defiance;

'Till BYNG* by signal grand defeat,
Nearly annihilates her Fleet.
Another landing in the north is tried,
Supported by the help of Spain;

But soon is quell'd, and Spanish pride

1719.

Is glad the Peace, late spurn'd at, to obtain.

The South Sea Bubble now appears,

1720.

Which caused some smiles, some countless

tears:

And set half Europe by the ears!

Lord MACCLESFIELD on accusation,
Of most unseemly peculation;

Tried by his Peers, and guilty found,
Is fined in thirty thousand pound !†

*

July 31st, near Messina, Sir George Byng signally and gloriously defeated the Spanish Fleet.

+ I hope the Poetic Licence will excuse the insertion of pound for pounds.

The