Turn'd all her terrors on the tyrant's head, 672 Found what she sought, a saviour in Nassau. 678 678 The illustrious house of Nassau, by a succession of heroes, established its claim to the gratitude of Europe no less than to that of Holland and of England. As statesmen and as warriors, they, with unequal means but undaunted resolution, extended and confirmed the civil and religious liberties of mankind against the sanguinary and gloomy bigotry of Philip II. and the insatiable ambition of Louis XIV. A departure in this country from the protestant policy of William III. and an indifference on the part of the modern whigs to the protestant principles of their uncompromising ancestors, has paved the way for a restoration of Popish ascendency and its attendant train of idolatry, ignorance, and superstition, tyranny, and persecution. The whigs were relieved from the odium of being the immediate authors of the fatal measure, which was perpetrated, however, at their instance, by their political opponents, who thus basely sacrificed at once their professed principles and the palladium of British freedom, the best safeguard, under Providence, of the British constitution, on the coward plea of expediency, and in weak and credulous reliance on the proverbial moderation and good faith of Popish priests and jesuits. SUPPLEMENTAL NOTE. To complete Churchill's poetical sketch of a portion of the history of England, we subjoin a very ingenious chronological summary of its sovereigns from the Conquest, giving one line only to each reign, and that comprising its most distinguishing event. It was written as a memoriter exercise by Daniel Wray, Esq., F.R.S. in the reign of George the Second; the lines therefore relating to whose successors have been added on the present occasion. WIL. I. WIL. II. HEN. II. EDW. I. William the Norman conquers England's state. Though elder Robert lives, Henry succeeds. RICH. II. HEN. IV. HEN. V. HEN. VIII. Harry's fierce hah! monks, nuns, and pope expels. EDW. VI. Religion Edward's short-lived bloom deplores. MARY. ELIZA. CHAS. I. Mary her Rome with ten-fold rage restores. CHAS. II. False power, false pleasures, flatter Charles re stored. JAMES II. 'Gainst James law, conscience, freedom draw the sword. WILL. III. The sword consigned to William's patriot hand, MARY. ANNE. GEO. I. GEO. III. See George the Brunswick line majestic lead. GEO. IV. George four, the arts and London's pride main tain'd. WILL. IV. Reform-the boon from sailor William gained. VICTORIA In prime of youth Victoria mounts the throne, And makes her subjects' willing hearts her own. In her loved Albert and their blooming race, Their high descent and higher worth we trace. Thirty-five sovereigns from the Conqueror to William IV. both inclusive, 1066-1837, give an average of 22 years to each reign. During the same period thirty-three sovereigns reigned in France, from Philip I. to Charles X. 1061-1830, which increases the average duration of their reigns to upwards of 23 years, but such average is materially affected by the extraordinary fact of the united reigns of Louis XIV. and XV. amounting to 131 years, and which, had it been recorded of some ancient dynasty, would scarcely have obtained credit. The three longest reigns are those of Henry III. (56) Edward III. (50) and George III. (59) each being the third of his name. George III. is the only English monarch who was upwards of 80 years of age when he died, and his grandfather George II. and his son William IV. are the only others whe attained the age of 70. GOTHAM. BOOK III. CAN the fond mother from herself depart? 10 15 She may forget the darling of her heart, 1 Isaiah, chap. xlix. v. 15. 20 And dash the smiling babe against a stone; From its fair course, to do my people hurt. With how much ease, with how much confidence, As if, superior to each grosser sense Men make resolves, and pass into decrees throne, The dangers and the sweets of power unknown, Pleased, though I scarce know why, like some young child, 33 Whose little senses each new toy turns wild, 40 Rules of most large and absolute extent; |