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Turn'd all her terrors on the tyrant's head,
And sent him in despair to beg his bread;
Whilst she, (may every state in such distress
Dare with such zeal, and meet with such success)
Whilst she, (may Gotham, should my abject mind
Choose to enslave rather than free mankind,
Pursue her steps, tear the proud tyrant down,
Nor let me wear if I abuse the crown)
Whilst she, (through every age in every land,
Written in gold, let Revolution stand)
Whilst she, secured in liberty and law,

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. I.

HEN. II.
RICH. I.
JOHN.
HEN. III.

EDW. I.
EDW. II.

William the Norman conquers England's state.
In his own forest, Rufus meets his fate.

Though elder Robert lives, Henry succeeds.
STEPHEN. For Stephen's dubious title Albion bleeds.
Victorious Henry bows to Becket's shade.
And Richard lion's heart a prisoner's made.
Deserted John to Rome submits his throne.
Now slave, now tyrant, see his long-lived Son.
From Edward's hand, Scotland her king receives.
His Heir his power to wretched minions gives.
EDW. III. Two captive monarchs grace third Edward's train.
Richard scarce claims a tear, deposed and slain.
Domestic foes fourth Henry's arms engage.
France feels at Agincourt fifth Henry's rage.
The Sixth, France, England, Son, life-all must quit
EDW. IV. Gay, gallant Edward, Love and Conquest greet.
Edw. V. O'er his boy's head the crown uncertain hangs.
RICH. III. With royal blood fell Richard stains his fangs.
HEN. VII. Tudor the roses joins, and faction quells.

RICH. II.

HEN. IV.

HEN. V.
HEN. VI.

HEN. VIII. Harry's fierce hah! monks, nuns, and pope expels. EDW. VI. Religion Edward's short-lived bloom deplores.

MARY.

ELIZA.
JAMES I.

CHAS. I.
CROMW.

Mary her Rome with ten-fold rage restores.
Eliza. forms the church and humbles Spain.
No kingly virtues mark weak James's reign.
Charles, by the axe, before his palace dies.
Stern Cromwell views the crown with eager eyes.

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,
And Mary's virtues save the sinking land.
In peace inglorious Anna's laurels fade.

MARY.

ANNE.

GEO. I.
GEO. II.

GEO. III.

See George the Brunswick line majestic lead.
Wealth, glory, peace, our second George attend.
His grandson three score years his people's friend.
Colonial loss and Gallia's rage sustain'd.

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?
Can she forget the darling of her heart,
The little darling whom she bore and bred,
Nursed on her knees, and at her bosom fed,
To whom she seem'd her every thought to give,
And in whose life alone she seem'd to live?
Yes, from herself the mother may depart,

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15

She may forget the darling of her heart,
The little darling whom she bore and bred,
Nursed on her knees, and at her bosom fed,
To whom she seem'd her every thought to give,
And in whose life alone she seem'd to live;
But I cannot forget, whilst life remains, [veins,
And pours her current through these swelling
Whilst memory offers up at Reason's shrine;
But I cannot forget that Gotham's mine. [wild,
Can the stern mother, than the brutes more
From her disnatured breast tear her young child,
Flesh of her flesh, and of her bone the bone,
And dash the smiling babe against a stone?
Yes, the stern mother, than the brutes more wild,
From her disnatured breast may tear her child,
Flesh of her flesh, and of her bone the bone,

1 Isaiah, chap. xlix. v. 15.

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And dash the smiling babe against a stone;
But I, (forbid it, Heaven!) but I can ne'er
The love of Gotham from this bosom tear;
Can ne'er so far true royalty pervert

From its fair course, to do my people hurt. With how much ease, with how much confidence,

As if, superior to each grosser sense
Reason had only, in full power array'd,
To manifest her will, and be obey'd,

Men make resolves, and pass into decrees
The motions of the mind; with how much ease,
In such resolves, doth passion make a flaw,
And bring to nothing what was raised to law!
In empire young, scarce warm on Gotham's

throne,

The dangers and the sweets of power unknown, Pleased, though I scarce know why, like some

young child,

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Whose little senses each new toy turns wild, 40
How do I hold sweet dalliance with my crown,
And wanton with dominion, how lay down,
Without the sanction of a precedent,

Rules of most large and absolute extent;
Rules, which from sense of public virtue spring,
And all at once commence a patriot king!
But, for the day of trial is at hand,
And the whole fortunes of a mighty land
Are staked on me, and all their weal or woe
Must from my good or evil conduct flow,

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