Whatever unto them is brought

Is carried on the wings of thought
Before his throne, where, in full state,
He on their merits holds debate,
Examines, cross-examines, weighs
Their right to censure or to praise
Nor doth his equal voice depend
On narrow views of foe and friend,
Nor can or flattery or force

Divert him from his steady course;
The channel of inquiry's clear,
No sham examination's here.
He, upright Justicer, no doubt,
Ad libitum puts in and out,
Adjusts and settles in a trice
What virtue is, and what is vice;
What is perfection, what defect;
What we must choose, and what reject;
He takes upon him to explain
What pleasure is, and what is pain;

plexy and died upon the spot, in consequence, as it was thought, of the terror with which Jefferies had inspired him. He was from thence carried prisoner to the Tower, where, either to drown the thoughts of his atrocious cruelties or through cowardice, he fell to excessive drinking spirituous liquors, which soon put a period to his life.

148 Alluding to the conduct of the House of Commons, respecting one Alexander Dunn's attempt to assassinate Wilkes. Dunn was brought to the bar, but discharged on the ground of his insanity. The friends of Mr. Wilkes denied the fact of 'nsanity, and insisted that it was a ministerial manœuvre to screen their instrument. See vol. ii. p. 41.

Whilst we, obedient to the whim,
And resting all our faith on him,
True members of the Stoic weal,
Must learn to think and cease to feel.

This glorious system form'd for man
To practise when and how he can,
If the five senses in alliance

To Reason hurl a proud defiance,

And, though oft conquer'd, yet unbroke,
Endeavour to throw off that yoke,
Which they a greater slavery hold
Than Jewish bondage was of old;

165

Or if they, something touch'd with shame,
Allow him to retain the name

Of Royalty, and, as in sport,
To hold a mimic formal court,
Permitted, no uncommon thing,
To be a kind of puppet king,
And suffer'd, by the way of toy,
To hold a globe, but not employ,
Our system-mongers, struck with fear,
Prognosticate destruction near;
All things to anarchy must run;
The little world of man's undone.

Nay, should the eye, that nicest sense,
Neglect to send intelligence
Unto the brain distinct and clear,
Of all that passes in her sphere;

170

175

180

Should she presumptuous, joy receive
Without the understanding's leave,

184

They deem it rank and daring treason
Against the monarchy of Reason,

Not thinking, though they're wondrous wise,
That few have reason, most have eyes;

So that the pleasures of the mind

To a small circle are confined,

Whilst those which to the senses fall

Become the property of all.

Besides, (and this is sure a case
Not much at present out of place)
Where nature reason doth deny,
No art can that defect supply;
But if (for it is our intent
Fairly to state the argument)
A man shall want an eye or two,
The remedy is sure, though new;
The cure's at hand-no need of fear-
For proof-behold the Chevalier-

194

199

200

204 The chevalier John Taylor, a quack oculist of much notoriety in his day, who advertised himself as Opthalmiator, Pontifical, Imperial, and Royal. In 1761, he published his adventures, which book is perhaps the strangest rhapsody that ever appeared in public. His travels through all parts of the world occupy the greatest portion of his work, and are little inferior in the marvellous, though much so in ingenuity, to those of the celebrated Baron Munchausen; he introduces his work with the following pompous address: "O thou mighty, O thou sovereign Pontiff, O thou great luminary of the church, O ye imperial, O ye royal, O ye great masters of empire, O ye empresses, O ye queens, O ye great people of Rome, once masters of the willing world, governors of that great mistress of the terrestrial globe, have you not declared with one voice the praise of my works. O ye learned, great

As well prepared, beyond all doubt,
To put eyes in as put them out.

But, argument apart, which tends
To embitter foes and separate friends,
(Nor, turn'd apostate from the Nine,
Would I, though bred up a divine,
And foe of course to Reason's weal,
Widen that breach I cannot heal)
By his own sense and feelings taught,
In speech as liberal as in thought,
Let every man enjoy his whim;
What's he to me, or I to him?

Might I, though never robed in ermine,
A matter of this weight determine,

No penalties should settled be

To force men to hypocrisy,

To make them ape an awkward zeal,
And, feeling not, pretend to feel.

205

210

215

220

in the knowledge of physic, excellent in virtue, you who are placed at the head of human wisdom, have you not told man.. kind how highly you approve my deeds?" During a long life he contrived to be always per fas aut nefas before the public eye, and died in 1788. His son, John Taylor, many years editor of the Sun evening paper, was a punster by profession in the same style, but of an inferior grade to Caleb Whiteford. He was a writer of prologues, epilogues, songs, and minor poems, which were published in two volumes by subscription. He died in 1832.

Johnson, talking of irregular practitioners in physic, said that Taylor was the most ignorant man he ever knew, Ward the dullest, and that Taylor was an instance how far impu dence could carry ignorance.

I would not have, might sentence rest
Finally fix'd within my breast,
E'en Annet censured and confined,
Because we're of a different mind.

Nature, who in her act most free,
Herself delights in liberty,
Profuse in love, and without bound,

Pours joy on every creature round;
Whom yet, was every bounty shed
In double portions on our head,
We could not truly bounteous call,
If freedom did not crown them all.

By Providence forbid to stray,
Brutes never can mistake their way;
Determined still, they plod along
By instinct, neither right nor wrong;
But man, had he the heart to use
His freedom, hath a right to choose;
Whether he acts or well, or ill,
Depends entirely on his will.

225

230

235

240

225 Peter Annet having been convicted of blasphemy for writing a paper entitled the "Free Inquirer," in which he impugned the authority of the books of Moses, and denied the miracles related in the New Testament, was sentenced by the court to suffer one year's imprisonment in Bridewell with hard labour, and to stand twice in the pillory. The latter punishment was inflicted in November, 1762; he bore it with fortitude, and his age, being about 70, and respectable appearance, excited the compassion of the populace. It is related of this man, that he so hated the Bible, that if he chanced to call at any bookseller's shop, and saw it on the counter, he would earnestly request the removal of it.