Bear Britain's thunder o'er the subject wave, To curb the tyrant, and release the slave; Where WELLINGTON, for ever known to Fame, Supports the honour of his country's name! Whose manly breast, alive to Pity's tear, Has made the Victor to the vanquish'd dear. For when the town was storm'd in dreadful fight, Amidst the tenfold horrors of the night; When War's stern laws, for many a hero slain, [Spain, Call'd out for vengeance on the scourge of Mercy, inherent in the nobly brave, Withheld his sword, and gave the word When Latian guilt the wrath of Heaven awoke, [yoke; And Rome was bow'd beneath the Vandal Scath'd by the with'ring tempest, Learning died; [pride. And bursting outrage whelm'd the Muses' Then perish'd too the pride and charm of [and strife. With Ignorance reign'd weakness, want, In feodal gloom the heavy nations lie, Oppress'd by Power, and torn by Anarchy. life: Peace knows not calm, War bleeds without effect: [protect; Laws, strong to crush, are powerless to And hovering o'er, to give the blacker [light. Hangs Superstition, and prevents the Earth shakes convuls'd, the eternal [God. Storms rend, and fires devour before the But, when he comes, storms, fires, and earthquakes cease, (God of peace. And by the still, small voice, is known the Now Learning, roused from ages of re[goes. Mounts on her car, and kindles as she Where tread her steeds of light, with rich inlay Spontaneous flowers enamel all the way. Man springs to life beneath her quick'ning glance: [dance, Before her, hand in hand, the Graces Arts, Commerce, Freedomt with elated mien, [queen. Attend her triumph, and confess their + "Personal, as well as political freedom, in its extension to the lowest order of the community, must be regarded as one of the most unquestioned results of revived night, mountains nod, pose, learning, To Britain thus in laurel'd state she And here in pomp, the Capitol ascends. Awake to justice! to thyself be true! 'Tis thou art injured by their claim denied. To twine with votive gold the hallow'd bay. And letter'd Genius whisper'd at his ear: And leave the Muse to praise and poverty. She felt a winter of a hundred years. eyes: power; Great Prince! proceed, and as her friend And lead them blushing to adorn the light. Dirt's insect-brood, Corruption's family. Stir living worth to emulate the dead. In other Newtons range the universe: To cover Albion with a blaze of light. state. The general hand must plant her in the But from the drops that cluster on her face, Essay'd to place her in the Nation's arms. learning, and its consequent civilization. During the dark ages, notwithstanding the powerful opposition of the Clergy, who much to their own honour very strenuously resisted this execrable and anti-christian abuse, predial and domestic slavery prevailed in every nation of Europe: and in our island slaves continued for some centuries to form an article of commercial export. In proportion to the progress of general information, this abominable outrage on man experienced a gradual decline, till under the Tudors (but not by the influence of that hateful dynasty, or by any positive act of the legislature), it ceased finally to exist. I speak with immediate reference to England; but, in other parts of Europe, the effects, in this instance, of diffusive knowledge, have been precisely and uniformly the same. In Poland and Russia, where the progress of learning has been very small, predial slavery still subsists; and in Turkey, which is yet plunged in Scythian barbarism, slavery of every description continues in undiminished force," *"I mean to designate in this place by its most illustrious Administration the whole of that brilliant period in our history, when the great of both parties, Whig and Tory, were eminent for their patronage of literary merit; when Swift, Prior, Locke, Addison, Newton, &c. were either the confidential friends of ministers, or were in public office, and ministers themselves." + "David Williams, the founder of the Literary Fund Society," For And Britain, bright through centuries of De PRINCIPE nostro, qui nuper in se suscepit totam Regni Administrationem, et qui, Nullum tulisset nomen, in ultimum Si stirpe vitis deterior suâ, Tu ducis ortum de Jove, vel Deis, Non sic petivit rex ab origine, W. C. LANGTON. On the Death of JAMES VAN DE SPIEGEL, Esq. (See Obituary, March 5.) posthabitis aliis sibi à tenera adolescentia AH! why should we with "tears full salt" conjunctis, inter quos Nobilissimus MOIRA numerandus est, Partium Adversarum Primarios, populo suffragante, in re publicâ ordinandâ Administros adhibuit. Πξοσδόκιμος κραδίη σπουδαῖου, κοίρανε, λαοῦ, τῶν ἀγαθῶν ταμίης ἔρχεο σεμνότατος. τήνγε μὲν ἐυνομίην ἐσορῶμες καλλιθέμεθλον ἐν κορυφῇ θέμενοι δημοσίας ἀρετᾶς, γαῖας ἠδὲ φίλων περὶ μαρναμένοις μετέδωκε ἐοῦ νικηφερέω ἔγχεος ὠκὺς "Αρης· Ἐννοσίγαιου ἄνακλος ἐς ἄρμα βεβάκαμεν άμμες, Augment the briny wave, That curls its foaming head so high Above thy watery grave? Thy body's plunge at evening hour To our weak sense terrific seem'd. ΕΡΙΤΑΡΗ To the Memory of Mrs. FRANCES TEMPLE, Wife of Col. TEMPLE, (Sec p. 394.) δυσμενέων θ' ύβρεις ουκ ἔτι πόντος ἔχει. STRANGER, approach! beneath this ἀλλ ̓ ὄλβον τοῦτον ποτιβλέψει ὁ τηλόθεν ἀιών, mound of earth Sleep the pale relicks of departed worth; A form that once the purest soul enshrin'd, The loveliest Temple of a lovely mind; Unstain'd by sin, undimm'd by mortal fear, Clos'd is the chapter of her brief career. Hist! Hist! a voice my drooping spirit hears, [less tears; "Restrain," it cries, "restrain thy fruitShe, whom thou weepest with a daughter's Soars a proud Seraph in the realms above; In brightness clothed, untouch'd by Sor[throne of God." Mourner! thy Mother dwells before the love, row's rod, L. S. T. 1 HISTORICAL CHRONICLE, 1812. PROCEEDINGS IN THE SIXTH SESSION OF THE FOURTH PARLIAMENT HOUSE OF COMMONS, March 9. In a Committee of Supply, a variety of sums for Irish Miscellaneous services were voted. The Ordnance Estimates for the present year, amounting to nearly four millions and a half, were moved by Mr. Ward, who stated the excess (merely nominal) at 268,000l.: the Resolutions were agreed to. March 10. A Bill for the Relief of Infant Suitors in Courts of Equity, entitled to stock in the public funds, was read the first, as was a Bill for repealing the Act of Elizabeth, with regard to Wanderers, the third time. Lord Folkestone, in moving for a return of ail foreigners, by name, in the British army, stated that the foreign troops in our service had been increased from 16,000 to 30,000. Lord Palmerston defended the necessity of the measure. Sir F. Burdett complained that the fences of the constitution were broken down; and observed, that it was strange, while we were inviting foreigners into our service, any regulation should subsist against the enlistment of Irishmen. Mr. Palmer explained, that not only Irishmen, but English manufacturers were rejected by the Colonel of the 10th Hussars, because they were unacquainted with the treatment of horses, which was understood by recruits who had been trained to agriculture. Lord Folkestone then, on the suggestion of Mr. Perceval, withdrew his motion; and another for a return of the number of foreign officers and soldiers serving in the different regiments of this country, was substituted. A Bill for abolishing the oaths taken by Members of Parliament before the Lord Steward, or his deputy, was brought in by Mr. Wynne, in opposition to Mr. Perceval, and read the first time. Mr. W. Pole stated that the contract made by Mr. Willan with Government, for the supply of 8500 horses at 3s. per day per horse, was relinquished, on his discovering that the contractor was making a profit of 70,000l. per annum. HOUSE OF LORDS, March 11. Lord Boringdon, after enquiring of the Earl of Liverpool if the letter he held in his hand, purporting to be signed by the Prince Regent, and addressed to the Commander in Chief, on the subject of formGENT. MAG. May, 1812. ing a liberal and extended administration (see p. 184), was genuine (to which the noble Earl declined giving any answer); said that he was satisfied that the authenticity of the letter was not denied. Being satisfied in his conscience that his Royal Highness was perfectly sincere in the communication, and that it was the first wish of his heart to bring the correspondence in question to a successful issue, he should, on Thursday (the 19th instant), submit to their Lordships the propriety of addressing his Royal Highness the Prince Regent to form an Administration upon such a broad, firm, liberal, and efficient basis, as would produce confidence at home and respect abroad. If, when the matter came to be particularly considered, any other form of proceeding should be found more desirable, he should have no objection to concur in any alteration of his motion not inconsistent with its object. * Lords Grey and Grenville admitted that the answer to the communication was gemuine, and that it contained their unbiassed sentiments on the present situation of the country. In the Commons, the same day, a motion by Mr. Abercrombie, for a return of the convicts transported, pardoned, or received into the Army and Navy, was opposed by Messrs. Ryder and Perceval, who observed that it would tend to expose those men, who, on the recommendation of Mr. Graham, were for their good conduct permitted to enter into regular regiments in this country, instead of condemned ones. There were three regiments formed of these men, namely, the Royal African Corps, the York Rangers, and another : the Rangers had distinguished themselves at the taking of Guadaloupe. Gens. Tarleton and Fergusson reprobated the practice, as lowering the character of the Army. March 13. The Chancellor of the Exchequer presented a Message from the Prince Re gent, stating, that "the assistance which we had been able to give to the Portuguese Government, his allies, had furnished the means of improving the military establishment of that country, and of rendering conspicuous the valour and discipline of its armies, in the successful deliverance from, and defence of Portugal, against the Enemy; and trusting that he will be enabled to give the same assistance in the present war as in the last from which such such important consequences to the cause of the allies have resulted." Referred to the Committee of Supply. On the motion for the third reading of the Mutiny Bill, Sir F. Burdett animadverted on the military punishment of flogging, and urged by many arguments the policy of its abolition in the British Army. He said, that many persons died, in consequence of its infliction by sentence of a regimental court martial, whose sufferings never met the public eye; and instanced, on the authority of a Missionary, the case of a soldier at the Cape of Good Hope, who being sentenced to receive 1000 lashes, had 250 inflicted, when the surgeon interposed, and he was taken from the halberts, but died in a few days after. He understood that the Commander in Chief, Lord Moira, Lord Hutchinson, and the Earl of Wellington, were desirous of abolishing the practice. Mr. M. Sutton urged the impossibility of supporting the discipline of the army, should the fear of this punishment be entirely removed. Gens. Tarleton, Phipps, and Porter, Sir G. Warrender, Mr. Abercrombie, Mr. C. Adams, Lord Palmerston, Lord C. Somerset, Lord Cochrane, and Mr. W. Smith, spoke against the abolition; Sir S. Romilly and Mr. Whitbread in its favour. The Bill was then read the third time; but the clause proposed by Sir F. Burdett was negatived by 79 votes to 6. March 16. In a Committee of Supply, Lord Castlereagh, after noticing the essential service which the supply of last year had afforded to the Government of Portugal, in raising and disciplining a military force, which had at Busaco, and on other occasions, shewn itself competent to meet the regular troops of France; said that such were the financial exertions of the Govern ment, and the willingness of the people to aid the general cause, that the revenue of Portugal, applicable to the prosecution of the war, was higher in point of amount than at any former period during the war; and such measures had lately been adopted as were calculated to augment the receipt to a still farther extent. He concluded by moving, that a sum, not execeding two millions, be granted, to continue, in British pay, a body of Portuguese troops; which, after some observations from Mr. Freemantle, and a very pertinent reply from the Hon. Mr. Ward, was carried nem. diss. On the motion of Mr. Yorke, 80,000l. were granted towards making the breakwater in Plymouth Sound; the probable expence of completing which was stated by him at 1,500,000/. A Bill, declaring the seats of Members 1 who should become bankrupt, vacant after six months, unless a certificate were produced from the commissioners, was read the first time. March 17. Mr. Perceval, after a division, on which the numbers were 73 to 26, obtained leave to bring in a Bill to continue Lord Stanhope's Act, with amendments, and to extend it to Ireland. March 18. Mr. Maurice Fitzgerald noticed the present alarm which prevailed on account of the high price of provisions, and which led many to fear there would be a scarcity. He had no doubt the latter apprehension was unfounded; but suggested the propriety of Government prohibiting the exportation of corn from Ireland, and likewise the use of it in distillation in Ireland. He then moved for a Return of the Spirits made in Ireland. Mr. W. Pole agreed in the propriety of the Hon. Mover's observations, and acknowledged that the increased exportation of corn from Ireland to England was owing to Sir John Newport's Bill. Mr. Marryatt recommended, on several grounds, the use of sugar in the Irish distilleries. The motion was agreed to. HOUSE OF LORDS, March 19. Lord Boringdon prefaced his motion on the Prince Regent's Letter, by claiming for it a liberal construction, and stating that it had originated with himself. After glancing at the conquest of the Enemy's Colonies, and our late achievements in the Peninsula, he adverted to the commercial distress which prevailed in this country, increased as it had been by the impolicy of late acts (Orders in Council) and the prospect of a war with America. The present state of Ireland, from the avowed hostility of Ministers to Catholic Emancipation, was also alarming, as well as the intolerance of an Ecclesiastick, who had endeavoured to excite the fury of bigotry against the Members of the Catholic Church, and who had been rewarded by being made one of the Prince Regent's Chaplains. His Lordship next adverted to the state of the London and Provincial press, divided into two parties, and directing the coarsest invectives, on the one hand against the Aristocracy of the country, and on the other, making the most scandalous personal attacks on the Prince Regent. He then explained, that his Noble Friends, in their letter, did not wish to make any concession to the Catholicks without the proper securities to the Protestant Establishment. His Lordship concluded by moving an humble Address to the Prince Regent, deploring the state of 1 |