 | The Taxes |  |
33
SCENE III.
An appartment in the palace.BRITANNIA walking, with a roll in her hand.
Enter Lord WORTHY.
BRITANNIA.
You see, my lord, this roll has kept us company
E'er since we parted, and we take it kindly
This freedom us'd with us—But, e'er we treat
On other subjects, it first concerns us
To clear ourselves—
WORTHY.
My liege, my honest breast ne'er harbour'd thought,
To charge you with one grievance—grace and lustre
Have still shone round you, and if those had reach'd us,
Complaint had still been dumb—Our constitution,
Has never boasted yet a tenderer guardian.
BRITANNIA.
Indeed, my lord, we would not seek to govern,
The states join'd with us in our happy system,
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So as to let them feel our warmth, and fill
Their orbs opaque with lustre—but aim not,
By stretch of lawless power, to over-rule
Their force centrifugal, which the same hand
That fill'd us with our glory, lent to them;
Whereby they may preserve a healthful distance,
And qualify their course with temperate coolness!
This league in operations, theirs and ours,
Gives order mutual aspect—Let 'em both
Be weigh'd, each 'gainst the other to a grain,
And keep the ballance even to a hair.
WORTHY.
Spoke like yourself—when monarchy stands rein'd,
Far better so than absolute—for power
Warp'd from it's lender's purpose, is a storm,
That, raging from the east, indeed proclaims
It's strength, by scorching up our fields;
By scattering destruction, wrecks, and death,
But render'd sensible by warmth and light.
Power rules in love—and, not an atom lost,
Beholds each blessing given, reflected back,
From every object gilded with it's ray:
True mark of royal greatness, mutual ardor,
Given and receiv'd—Best plan of government:
Best—because plan'd by nature—where our states,
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By a well-temper'd mixture—happy compound
Of freedom and dependence—giving proof,
By bending in their curves to princely love,
Of being true liege subjects—but without
Delivering up one inch of liberty.
BRITANNIA.
Take it—'tis yours!—your powers, as ours, are sacred—
The order of our state then keeps due course,
When they both act in concert!—
The order of our state then keeps due course,
When they both act in concert!—
But now, my lord, to prove we've not been idle,
[Waving the roll.
This we've perus'd—which, with becoming freedom,
Glowing with loyal zeal, and patriot warmth,
Kindly informs us, how our grace and favour,
Have been witheld, from shedding on our people
Their benign influence—With finite powers,
We cannot see men's thoughts!—if, by professions,
Our ear has been impos'd on, 'tis a weakness,
Our uprightness of heart, may well attone for—
But—now!—complaint has reach'd us—to redress,
Our care has wings!—and therefore, in our choice
Of Men, who, in our burthens, and our honours,
Have dividend with us, lest our mistaking
The fullness of abilities, should throw
Suspicion on our love—only to Honour,
That bears the mark, of having stood The Test,
We'll yield our confidence—To This! to This,
We'll give the half-way meeting—nay we'll seek it
In it's retirement!—and, where'er we find it,
Preventing application, we'll assign it
Our offices of highest trust; that so
The ray of delegated power, may shine
Enlivening as our own—to preserve which,
Free from all spots, we'll learn ourselves to doubt
Profession unassay'd—They shall not mix
Their beam with ours, with whom fair character,
A feather in the scale, kicks up in air,
While base self-interest (in the worth they set on't)
Weighs to the ground—who with the shew of duty,
(The juggling mask of civil hypocrites!)
Seek but to serve themselves—our love shall be
More on the watch—nor will we hug to our breast
Such hollow-hearted zeal, to th'exclusion
Of our more faithful subjects—but we'll seek
T'erect our building on a Broader Base.
[Britannia refers to the roll at the close of every
paragraph.
[Waving the roll.
This we've perus'd—which, with becoming freedom,
Glowing with loyal zeal, and patriot warmth,
Kindly informs us, how our grace and favour,
Have been witheld, from shedding on our people
Their benign influence—With finite powers,
We cannot see men's thoughts!—if, by professions,
Our ear has been impos'd on, 'tis a weakness,
Our uprightness of heart, may well attone for—
But—now!—complaint has reach'd us—to redress,
Our care has wings!—and therefore, in our choice
Of Men, who, in our burthens, and our honours,
Have dividend with us, lest our mistaking
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Suspicion on our love—only to Honour,
That bears the mark, of having stood The Test,
We'll yield our confidence—To This! to This,
We'll give the half-way meeting—nay we'll seek it
In it's retirement!—and, where'er we find it,
Preventing application, we'll assign it
Our offices of highest trust; that so
The ray of delegated power, may shine
Enlivening as our own—to preserve which,
Free from all spots, we'll learn ourselves to doubt
Profession unassay'd—They shall not mix
Their beam with ours, with whom fair character,
A feather in the scale, kicks up in air,
While base self-interest (in the worth they set on't)
Weighs to the ground—who with the shew of duty,
(The juggling mask of civil hypocrites!)
Seek but to serve themselves—our love shall be
More on the watch—nor will we hug to our breast
Such hollow-hearted zeal, to th'exclusion
Of our more faithful subjects—but we'll seek
T'erect our building on a Broader Base.
And this will be the means, my lord, to cure
Party's hot-raging fever—
Which in it's frantick fits attempts to unravel,
The cable of the state, for separate drawings,
Weak'ning the very purpose of it's make,
Whose union gives strength to every thread—
[Pausing, and referring again to the roll.
Party's hot-raging fever—
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The cable of the state, for separate drawings,
Weak'ning the very purpose of it's make,
Whose union gives strength to every thread—
As to the loan that's lent us, we'll consider
The honest toil that gives it, and the ends
For which 'tis given!—and (both these weigh'd together)
The one shall teach us Thrift—the other Justice.
In our Exchequer lodg'd, 'tis still the lender's!
'Tis trusted with us, as the seed that's sown,
To yield 'em back their harvest—But to take
Somewhat from off the burthen—
As we design to practise for the future,
Aiding frugality, the publick calls
We'll draw to narrower compass—the defence
Of British liberties, (too rich a jewel
To trust with mercenaries!) we'll assign
To our Militia—whose native ardor
Will give an edge to valor, keener far
Than sordid hire can set, with the link'd motives
Of Altars! Civil and Religious Rites!
Of Property and Freedom! uninspir'd!—
This guard of love (trusting our cause to heaven!)
Will give us leave t'unmoor our gallant navy,
To guard our colonies, and send our veterans
To gather laurels in our Western World!—
The honest toil that gives it, and the ends
For which 'tis given!—and (both these weigh'd together)
The one shall teach us Thrift—the other Justice.
In our Exchequer lodg'd, 'tis still the lender's!
'Tis trusted with us, as the seed that's sown,
To yield 'em back their harvest—But to take
Somewhat from off the burthen—
As we design to practise for the future,
Aiding frugality, the publick calls
We'll draw to narrower compass—the defence
Of British liberties, (too rich a jewel
To trust with mercenaries!) we'll assign
To our Militia—whose native ardor
Will give an edge to valor, keener far
Than sordid hire can set, with the link'd motives
Of Altars! Civil and Religious Rites!
Of Property and Freedom! uninspir'd!—
This guard of love (trusting our cause to heaven!)
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To guard our colonies, and send our veterans
To gather laurels in our Western World!—
And, not to give to murmur an occasion,
To think, we pluck in waste the ripen'd fruits,
Of painful industry, we purpose freely,
Of our own grace to sink the gatherer's toll;
Pensions, and needless Places, and the Sums
We've paid for foreign aids, of which, the profits
We'll take as part of the too great supplies
Our present danger calls for—
To think, we pluck in waste the ripen'd fruits,
Of painful industry, we purpose freely,
Of our own grace to sink the gatherer's toll;
Pensions, and needless Places, and the Sums
We've paid for foreign aids, of which, the profits
We'll take as part of the too great supplies
Our present danger calls for—
But when victorious peace (crown'd with her wreath
Of braided bays and olive—seated between
Plenty and Honour!—with fell Treachery, bound
Behind her chariot wheels, crouching in fear—)
Returns in her triumphal chariot home,
Our Savings shall redeem our property,
From sharp-fang'd mortgages—and debt's decrease,
Shall make each year, still happier than the last—
Of braided bays and olive—seated between
Plenty and Honour!—with fell Treachery, bound
Behind her chariot wheels, crouching in fear—)
Returns in her triumphal chariot home,
Our Savings shall redeem our property,
From sharp-fang'd mortgages—and debt's decrease,
Shall make each year, still happier than the last—
And, as we hope, some means will soon be thought of,
That, what full-gorg'd collection else devours
May reach us with less burthen—to turn each
Occurrence to advantage, those in the' excise,
Who've follow'd trade, we'll turn back to their work,
And so prevent the cry of wanting hands,
And save our bread from foreign harpeis claws.
As for the rest—we'll take 'em to our navy—
That, what full-gorg'd collection else devours
May reach us with less burthen—to turn each
Occurrence to advantage, those in the' excise,
Who've follow'd trade, we'll turn back to their work,
39
And save our bread from foreign harpeis claws.
As for the rest—we'll take 'em to our navy—
And now our hand is in, my lord, we'll teach
Our dilatory laws to mend their pace;
Nor shall the love of fees prolong the cure
Of heart-sick poverty!
[Referring to the roll.
Those other grievances,
That find not present help, thro' our love's zeal,
That hastens to redress the ills fore-nam'd,
Our care shall watch occasion, in their turns,
To remedy.
Our dilatory laws to mend their pace;
Nor shall the love of fees prolong the cure
Of heart-sick poverty!
[Referring to the roll.
Those other grievances,
That find not present help, thro' our love's zeal,
That hastens to redress the ills fore-nam'd,
Our care shall watch occasion, in their turns,
To remedy.
And these our resolutions,
With all convenient speed, we would have publish'd:
No matter if they are out-run by rumour,
It will be still the better—we should like it,
To have the common joy engag'd for us—
And, good my lord, give it encouragement—
Let it exert itself in ev'ry shape:
It's good effects will keep down the disgust,
(Which else may shew it's teeth) of those who fatten
On our distractions, like Those cruel wretches,
Who, on our coasts, enrich themselves by Wrecks;
Whose thirst of cursed gold, makes nature savage,
To keep back help, and dries up pity's tears!—
With all convenient speed, we would have publish'd:
No matter if they are out-run by rumour,
It will be still the better—we should like it,
To have the common joy engag'd for us—
And, good my lord, give it encouragement—
Let it exert itself in ev'ry shape:
It's good effects will keep down the disgust,
(Which else may shew it's teeth) of those who fatten
On our distractions, like Those cruel wretches,
Who, on our coasts, enrich themselves by Wrecks;
Whose thirst of cursed gold, makes nature savage,
To keep back help, and dries up pity's tears!—
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Expression's lost, to tell the joy it gives me,
Commands so full of Goodness to obey!—
Commands so full of Goodness to obey!—
O! was our union but at home sincere,
We've nothing from our foreign foes to fear!—
And learn from hence, who regal sceptres sway,
'Tis love alone to glory leads the way;
The surest maxim, to be TRULY GREAT,
Is first to ease the burthens of THE STATE.
We've nothing from our foreign foes to fear!—
And learn from hence, who regal sceptres sway,
'Tis love alone to glory leads the way;
The surest maxim, to be TRULY GREAT,
Is first to ease the burthens of THE STATE.
Exeunt.
| The Taxes | |