The CRAFTSMAN flourish'd under PULT'NEY'S

eye,

Nor BOLINGBROKE disdain'd its page supply.*
Law processes, which heretofore appear
In Latin, take an English form this year;
VIENNA's treaty bids dissention cease,
And Continental Europe rests in peace.

A standing army next as it should seem,
In either senate form'd a fruitful theme;
SUTTON and GRANT for peculation base,
Incur severe and well deserv'd disgrace ;†

1732.

While BIRCH and BOND the list of crime who. swell'd,

Were by the Commons, properly, expell'd.

That famous measure ministers advise,

1733.

Which met with long resistance,—the EXCISE;

The Craftsman was a celebrated periodical paper, patronised by Mr. W. Pulteney, and often written for by Lord Bolingbroke. Sir Archibald Sutton and Sir Robert Grant were expelled for iniquitous proceedings in the affairs of the "Charitable Corporation;" a public company which lent money on pledges. Mr. Serjeant Birch, and Dennis Bond, Esq. were disgraced for fraud, in disposing of Lord Derwentwater's forfeited estate.

And

And WALPOLE, who the people's anger braved,
By CUNNINGHAM was from their fury saved.*
A change of State Directors now we find, 1734.
And CHESTERFIELD with other chiefs resign'd.
Now sports and gay festivities began

To grace the nuptials of our Princess ANNE,
The Prince of ORANGE and the wedded fair,
Regretted, to Batavia repair.†

On closing Parliament, the royal speech

Was form'd the best of theories to teach;
Long may such doctrine grace Britannia's throne,
And flourish not in theory alone :

So shall we all proclaim with union's voice,
"The throne we honor is the people's choice!"

Some

* Sir Robert, on his way to the House, was so much insulted, that had not Mr. Cunningham, a Scotch Member, drawn his sword and dispersed the leaders of the mob, the consequence might have been fatal.

† On this occasion, when every public occurrence formed the subject of a street ballad, the following elegant lines were sung through the metropolis:

"What's a rhyme for Porringer?

"What's a rhyme for Porringer?
"The King cou'd spare

"A daughter fair,

"And he gave the Prince of Orange her!"

On the 16th of April an end was put to the sessions by a most pathetic speech, in which are these remarkable words: “ May there be no distinction but such as mean the support of our present

N 2

"Some criminals now underwent

“Inoculation,

"Which happ❜ly answer'd the intent
"Of preservation !

"And mothers thought it now their duty
"To save their childrens lives and beauty."*

1735.

The King appears, what office can be greater?
In that 'twixt angry states of mediator;
Russia and Denmark, both of trade and peace,
Sign treaties with us --Yet we much increase
Our naval force, as needful to maintain
An equipoise of pow'r with France and Spain;
The King his German states re-visits, while
His consort mildly governs Britain's isle.
This year, when Parliament had met,
They overhaul'd the public debt;†

1736.

present happy Constitution in Church and State, and such as wish to subvert both: this is the only distinction that ought to prevail in this country, where the intetest of the king and people is one andthe same, and where they cannot subsist but by being so." Vide a comic poem called the last dying words of the 18th century; other authorities place the introduction of innoculation in 1721.

Which then was thought a great evil, amounting to the sum of £47,938,288...3s...S.; the author does not know its amount now to so exact a calculation, but fears the evil is not much, lessened.

And

And talk'd of means by which to pay it,

But, sorry is the Muse to say it,

No one has hit upon a method yet.

Yet rashly let us not conclude,

But hope (of hoping I'm a sanguine lover,)

To pay it off, as also to discover

Decrease of taxes and the longitude.

FRED'RICK, of Wales, a foreign bride espouses, Closer uniting our's with German houses;*

In Edinburgh, we tell with pain,

By lawless hands was PORTEOUs slain ;†

And, proof of the caprice of fate,

To men of high or low estate,
Corsican THEODORE descends

From regal rank, and, canopied, 'tis said,
By humble semi-tester of his bed,‡

1737.

* April 27th, His Royal Highness Frederick Prince of Wales married Augusta, sister to the Duke of Saxe Gotha.

† Porteous, Captain of the City Guard, having commanded his men to fire on the mob at a riot, occasioned by the execution of one Wilson, a smuggler, was himself dragged from prison, and hanged by the populace.

Theodore retained so much attachment to regal form and ceremony, that when the amount of a subscription for his support was presented to him, he received the donors with his hat on, while seated under the half-tester of a wretched bed, which served for a throne and canopy.

His

His life, in London, most obscurely ends;
Nor yet exempt from Death's unerring aim

Are crowns more fortunate.-With spotless fame,

By genuine grief attended to the tomb,

Good CAROLINE partakes our common doom.

"Now COVENT GARDEN Playhouse rose,'
"To Lincoln's Inn an eye-sore !
"Tho' no Processions then, nor Shows,
"Nor Elephants from Mysore!
"The building then gave much delight,
"Tho' not intended all for sight!

"For in these times, as writers say,

They went to hear not see a Play.'

Disputes between our Court and Spain, 1738. Give cause for fearing war again;

'Till the two States, for strifes prevention, Patch up a much disliked convention.

But Discontent, avaunt! this glorious year,

In garb of gayest triumph shou'd appear;

And Fortune's brightest smile shou'd grace the

morn,

Last dying words of the eighteenth century.

When