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POETRY.

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Offenfive to love and to me !

For, if you be living, or if you be dead,
I fwear by the Virgin, that none in your stead,
Shall Hufband of Imogine be.

"If e'er I, by luft or by wealth led afide, Forget my Alonzo the Brave,

God grant, that, to punish my falsehood and pride,

Your ghost at the marriage may fit by my
fide,

May tax me with perjury, claim me as bride,
And bear me away to my grave?"
To Palestine haften'd the hero fo bold;
His love-fle lamented him fore :

But fcarce had a twelvemonth elaps'd, when
behold,

A baron, all cover'd with jewels and gold,
Arriv'd at Fair Imogine's door!

His vizor was clos'd, and gigantic his height;
His armour was fable to view:

All pleasure and laughter were hufh'd at his
fight;

The dogs, as they ey'd him, drew back in affright;

The lights in the chamber burn'd blue !
His prefence all bofoms appear'd to dismay;
The guests fat in filence and fear;

At length spoke the bride, while fhe trem-
bled,
"I pray,
(lay,
Sir knight, that your helmet afide you would
And deign to partake of our cheer!"
The lady is filent: the ftranger complies :
His vizor he flowly unclos'd:
Oh, God! what a fight met Fair Imogine's eyes!
What words can exprefs her difmay and fur-
prife,

When a fkeleton's head was expos'd!
All present then utter'd a terrified fhout,

All turn'd with disgust from the scene; The worms they crept in, and the worms they crept out,

And fported his eyes and his temples about,
While the Speare address'd Imogine :
"Behold me, thou falfe one! behold me!
(he cried)

Remember Alonzo the Brave!

God grants, that, to punish thy falfehood and pride,

My ghoft at thy marriage fhould fit by thy fide,
Should tax thee with perjury, claim thee as bride,
And bear thee away to the grave!"

Thus faying, his arms round the lady he wound,

While loudly fhe fhrick'd in difmay; Then funk with his prey through the wideyawning ground!

His treafure, his prefents, his fpacious do- Nor ever again was Fair Imogine found, Or the fpectre who bore her away.

Not long liv'd the baron; and none fince
that time

To inhabit the caftle prefume;
For chronicles tell, that, by order fublime,

main,

Soon made her untrue to her vows :
He dazzled her eyes, he bewilder'd her brain;
He caught her affections fo light and fo vain
And carried her home to his houfe!

And now had the marriage been bleft by the There Imogine fuffers the pain of her crime, And mourns her deplorable doom.

At midnight four times in each year does her fpright,

2

When mortals in fluntber are bound, Array'd in her bridal apparel of white, Appear in the hall with the skeleton knight, And fhrick, as he whirls her round! While they drink out of skulis newly tora from the grave, ali

.Dancing round then the spectres are feen! Their liquor is blood, and this horrible ftave They howl-" To the health of Alotzo the

Brave,

And his confort, the Falfe Imogine!"

prieft;

The revelry now was begun ;

The tables they groan'd with the weight of the feaft;

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N'd

Nor yet had the laughter and merriment
ceas'd,
When the bell at the caftle toll'd-one
Then first, with amazement, Fair Imogine

found

That a franger was placed by her fide.
His air was terrific; he utter'd no found;
He spoke not, he mov'd not, he look'd not
around

But earneftiy gaz'd on the bride!

ΤΟ

TO SUSAN.

FROM POEMS BY T. S. NORGATE.

AH, Sufan! guard thy tender heart
From flatt'ry's foft delusive song,
Nor let the voice of truth depart

Unheeded from an artlefs tongue,
No tale have I to charm thine ear,
No eloquence, alas! have I;
My tale is but a fimple tear,
And all my eloquence—a figh!
But I've a cottage in the vale,

With quiet and with plenty bleft,
Where oft I hear the stranger's tale,

And welcome ev'ry wand'ring guest. There would I nurse thine aching head, When old and feeble thou art grown; And when thy beauty shall have fled,

Would love thee for thy worth alone. Then Sufan, calm this brow of care,

Nor let me thus in forrow pine; Believe me, thou wilt never share A foul fo full of love as mine.

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If not fo great, is beauteous to behold:
This the fine tumults of the heart approve;
It is the walk to death unbought of gold.
But for mere majesty to meet a wound—

Who holds that great or glorious, he mif-
takes:

That is the fury of the pamper'd hound,
Which envy, anger, or the whip awakes.
And for a tyrant's fake to seek a jaunt
To hell -ʼs a death which only hell en-
joys:

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Where such a hero falls--the gibbet plant
A murderer's trophy, and a plunderer's
prize.
VOL. LVIII

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gone;

Some truant ploughboy, who, neglecting toil, Join'd him to feize the tempting orchard's fpoil;

Or, in defpite of peril, spread the fnare,
As through the thicket pafs'd the nightly hare
Then fhall he think on all the woes of life,
His thankless children, or his faithless wife,
His fortune wafted, or his wishes croft,
His tender brother, fifter, parents, lost,
Till, every object finking into fhade,
He figh, and call oblivion to his aid.

The buxom lafs, who late fecure from
harm,

With gay importance buftled through the farm;

Tended her dairy at the break of dawn,
Or fed her circling poultry on the lawn;
O'er the wash'd floor the cleanly fand let fall,
And brush'd th' unfeemly cobweb from the
wall;

Who in the hay-time met the lufty throng,
And with her share of labour join'd her fong,
To the faint reapers bore the humming ale,
Or jok'd the thrasher leaning on his flail;
By vain ambition led at length to town,
In queft of fortune, and fuppos'd renown,
If there, the victim of some worthless rake,
She chance its fickly pleasures to partake,
Mix'd with the pamper'd crowds whose looks

disclaim

The file of virtue and the blush of shame; 5 F Will

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NEW PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS. Sept. 27. After the two Houfes had met, and the ufual forms were gone through, the Lord Chancellor addreffed them nearly as follows:

66 My Lords and Gentlemen of the Houfe of Commons,

"We are commiffioned by his Majefty to inform, that he defers acquainting you with the weighty and important matters, which at the prefent moment have induced him to call his Parliament together, till fuch time as you, Gentlemen, shall have chofen for yourfelves a Speaker. You will therefore, Gentle men, be pleafed to retire to the place where you are to fit, and there, without delay, proceed to the choice of a proper perfon to officiate for you in that important ftation, and, having done fo, you will be further pleased to return to this Houfe to-morrow at twelve o'clock, with the perfon fo chofen, in order to prefent him to this Commiflion for his Majesty's approbation."

Oct. 6. His Majefty having fent a meffage to the Commons, commanding their attendance, and the Commons having accordingly come to the Bar, his Majefty made the following moft gracious Speech from the Throne:

"My Lords and Gentlemen, "It is a peculiar fatisfaction to me, in the prefent conjuncture of affairs, to recur to your advice, after the recent opportunity which has been given for collecting the fense of my people, engaged in a difficult and arduous conteft, for the prefervation of all that can be moft dear to us.

"I have omitted no endeavours for fetting on foot negociations to reftore peace to Europe, and to fecure for the future the general tranquillity. The fteps which I have taken for this purpofe have at length opened the way to an immediate and direct negociation, the iffue of which muft either produce the defirable end of a juft, honourable, and folid peace for us, and for our Allies, or must prove, beyond dispute, to what caufe alone the prolongation of the calamities of war must be afcribed.

"I will immediately send a person to Paris with full powers to treat for this object, and it is my anxious wifh, that this measure may lead to the refto

ration of general peace: but you must be fenfible that nothing can fo much contribute to give effect to this defire, as your manifefting that we poffefs both the determination and the refources to oppofe, with increafed activity and energy the further efforts of those with whom we may have to contend.

"You will feel this peculiarly neceffary at a moment when the enemy has openly manifefted the intention of attempting a defcent on thefe kingdoms. It cannot be doubted what would be the iffue of fuch an enterprize; but it befits your wisdom to neglect no precautions that may either preclude the attempt, or fecure the speedieft means of turning it to the confufion and ruin of the enemy.

"In reviewing the events of the year, you will have obferved that by the skill and exertions of my navy, our extenfive and increafing commerce has been protected to a degree almoft beyond example, and the fleets of the enemy have for the greatest part of the year been blocked up in their own ports.

"The operations in the Eaft and West Indies have been highly honourable to the British arms, and productive of great national advantage; and the valour and good conduct of my forces, both by fea and land, have been eminently confpicuous.

"The fortune of war on the Continent has been more various, and the progrefs of the French armies threatened, at one period, the utmoft danger to all Europe; but from the honourable and dignified perfeverance of my ally the Emperor, and from the intrepidity, difcipline, and invincible fpirit of the Auftrian forces, under the aufpicious conduct of the Archduke Charles, fuch a turn has lately been given to the courfe of the war, as may infpire a well-grounded confidence, that the final refult of the campaign will prove more difaftrous to the enemy, than its commencement and progrefs for a time were favourable to their hopes.

"The apparently hoftile difpofitions and conduct of the Court of Madrid, have led to difcuffions of which I am not yet enabled to acquaint you with the final refult; but I am confident, that whatever may be their iffue, I shall have given to Europe a further proof of my 5 F 2

mo

moderation and forbearance; and I can have no doubt of your determination to defend, against every aggreffion, the dignity, rights, and interefts of the British empire.

"Gentlemen of the House of Commons, "I rely on your zeal and public spirit for fuch fupplies as you may think neceffary for the fervice of the year. It is a great fatisfaction to me to obferve, that, notwithstanding the temporary embarraffements which have been experienced, the state of the commerce, manufactures, and revenue of the country, proves the real extent and folidity of our refources, and furnishes you fuch means as must be equal to any exertions which the prefent crifis may require.

66 My Lords and Gentlemen, "The diftreffes which were in the faft year experienced from the fcarcity of corn, are now, by the bleffing of God, happily removed, and an abundant harveft affords the pleafing profpect of relief in that important article to the labour ing claffes of the community. Our internal tranquillity has alfo continued undifturbed: the general attachment of my people to the British Conftitution has appeared on every occafion, and the endeavours of thofe who wished to introduce anarchy and confufion into this country, have been repreffed by the energy and wifdom of the laws.

he joined administration on this principle" that he thought the war a just and a neceffary one," and that it was ftated to him, the measure of hoftility against France, was commenced and pursued for the purpose of reftoring monarchy to France, as the only means of establishing the balance of power, and preferving the real rights and liberties of Europe. The prefent address, which, as ufual, was the echo of the fpeech, departed from that principle, and feemed to indicate that government were will ing to acknowledge the French republic, and in fo doing, to depart from that very principle on which all their arguments at the commencement of the war refted. He acknowledged the fplendid victories of the Archduke Charles, and he ac quiefced in the idea, that we should not depart from fupporting our best ally; but he wished to know, if on a peace being patched up with the French Directory, whether Minifters were prepared to meet the adoption of the French National Cockade in this country-whether they were prepared to meet the thoufands of French incendiaries that would land here to teach the English how to plant the Tree of Liberty? Whether they were prepared to meet the confequences of difmantling our navy, the grand bulwark of the nation?-And whether they were prepared to meet, what, from the reduction of our land forces, might be the confequences of a peace acknowledged on the basis of a French Republic? We could place no reliance, his Lordship contended, where eternal changes made conftantly new fyftems. It was our business first to see that their government was an established one, before we entered into any treaty. This was the original idea of ministry, and he was forry to find they had departed from it.

"To defeat all the defigns of our enemies, to restore to my people the bleffings of a fecure and honourable Peace, to maintain inviolate their religion, laws, and liberty, and to deliver down unimpared to the lateft pofterity the glory and happiness of these king. doms, is the conftant wifh of my heart, and the uniform end of all my actions. In every measure that can conduce to thefe objects, I am confident of receiving the firm, zealous, and affection. ate fupport of my Parliament."

The Commons having retired, and his Majefty having quitted the Throne, Lord Bathurst, after a long encomium on the fpeech, and recapitulating the principal points, moved an addrefs, which, as ufual, was the echo of the speech.

Lord Oory feconded the Addrefs.

Earl Fitzwilliam rofe to object to the address, or rather to propofe an amend ment. The noble Earl's idea of oppofition was founded on what made the fub ftance of his fpeech at the opening of the laft feffion of Parliament. He said,

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Earl Guildford thought otherwife, and as peace was the object, the Address had his moft hearty concurrence.

Lord Grenville infifted, that neither the Houfe, nor miniftry ftood pledged to any fuch agreement and though nothing fhort of monarchy could fecure permanent happiness to France, yet we were not to continue the war on that account. Peace was the grand object at prefent, and if it could not be ob.. tained on honourable terms, the war must continue.

At half past seven the Houfe adjourned.

HOUSE A

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