A Metrical History of England Or, Recollections, in Rhyme, Of some of the most prominent Features in our National Chronology, from the Landing of Julius Caesar to the Commencement of the Regency, in 1812. In Two Volumes ... By Thomas Dibdin |
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 | A Metrical History of England |  |
“What tho' not theirs the boast in dungeon glooms
“To plunge bold freedom; to control the laws,
“And make injurious will their only rule?
“To clothe the naked, feed the hungry, wipe
“The guiltless tear from lone affliction's eye,
“Make a whole glorious people sing for joy,
“Bless human-kind, and through the downward depth
“Of future times to spread that better sun
“Which lights up British souls.”
Thomson.
GEORGE THE FIRST.
In trust deputing sov'reign pow'rs;
Cou'd give to grace a royal day,
And welcome Brunswick's equal sway;
Hail'd George's entrance to a land,
Whose people met him heart and hand.
And with impeachments arm assail
Oxford and Bolingbroke, nor spare
Ormond and Stafford;—next declare
The Habeas Corpus Barrier suspended,
On grounds of mischief to the state intended.
Our fears, that succour from the Dutch
Are ask'd in haste.—While James's son,
(Who to his interest had won
Mar, Foster, and a list who stood
In high degree of northern blood,)
In Scotland lands with aid from France,
Attended by a warlike train,
With checquer'd fortune, who advance
Mid wars alternate frown and smile,
Which cheers or sinks them, 'till Argyle
Sends baffled James to Paris back again.
Victorious, George's colours fly;
And Foster's chiefs their arms lay down,
Trusting to royal clemency.
His highlanders, by warm attachment fired,
With target round and broad claymore,
At Sheriffmuir wrought muckle pain,
To lads who ne'er had seen the like before,
Nor ever wish'd to see the like again!
First sanctioned by the law appear.
A lunatic attempt assails
The safety of the Prince of Wales;
But, to the joy of Britain, fails.
Bremen and Verden had been bought
Of Danes, who won them of him, thought
(Furnish'd by this unsound pretext,)
To work our island wondrous harm,
And in King James's cause to arm;
But all his menaces were vain,
Measures so very prompt were ta'en:
That he, thro' Orlean's mediation,
Sought timely reconciliation.
'Twixt Parliament and King arise
Dissensions warm; and these scarce done,
When 'twixt the royal sire and son,
Some unexplain'd domestic jar,
Ends in a sort of party war.
With France a Quadruple Alliance;
'Gainst which, regardless of a coming storm,
Iberia hurls a bold defiance;
'Till Byng by signal grand defeat,
Nearly annihilates her Fleet.
Another landing in the north is tried,
Supported by the help of Spain;
But soon is quell'd, and Spanish pride
Is glad the Peace, late spurn'd at, to obtain.
Which caused some smiles, some countless tears:
And set half Europe by the ears!
Of most unseemly peculation;
Tried by his Peers, and guilty found,
Is fined in thirty thousand pound!
Own our ascendant o'er the subject main:
Which Wager, Hosier, Jennings, still maintain.
Yet Fortune seldom proves entirely kind;
For, 'ere the year expired, great Newton died,
Who, certes, hath not left his like behind.
Nor high nor low, released from regal cares
And earthly pain, (the Muse is proud to sing),
An honest minded man in England's King;
A man who ne'er cou'd condescend
To fear a foe, or leave a friend;
Not only friends but enemies will own,
That, like a King, he fill'd Britannia's throne.
The Earl of Mar had been Secretary of State; had taken the oath to King George, and signed the proclamation, declaring him to be his lawful Sovereign; but, on some disgust, retired to the Highlands, where he was met by the Marquises of Huntley and Tullibardine, the Earls of Nithisdale, Mareschal, Traquair, Errol, Southesk, Carnwath, and Seaforth, who raised 6000 men, and proclaimed James VIII.
He had been proclaimed, called a council, fixed the day of his coronation, and assumed other acts of royalty.
The Earls of Derwentwater, Widdrington, and Mr. Foster, proclaimed James Stuart at Morpeth, Hexham, &c. and at length at Preston, where they were attacked by Generals Wills and Carpenter, to whom 1400 of them, including General Foster, Lords Derwentwater, Nithisdale, Wintoun, Carnwath, Widdrington, Kenmure, with 143 other Scotch Noblemen and Gentlemen, and 75 English Gentlemen, surrendered. Forster and some others afterwards escaped, particularly Lord Nithisdale. Many were executed and transported, but the major part received the benefit of an Act of Grace.
November the 13th, the very day of the surrender at Preston, the right of the Duke of Argyle's army had routed the left of the Highlanders, when the right charged the Duke's left wing so furiously, that they came close to the muzzles of our soldier's musquets, and, warding off the bayonets with their targets, so used their broadswords that they made dreadful slaughter of the King's forces.
At Drury-Lane Theatre, Freeman was the name of an unfortunate man whose pistol, supposed to be aimed at the Prince, wounded one of the Guards in the shoulder.
Occasioned by His Majesty's asking money, to conclude alliances, without informing his parliament of the particulars.
The King appointed the Duke of Newcastle to stand Godfather with him to the Prince of Wales's infant son; which much displeased the Prince, who was ordered to leave St. James's, and retired to Leicester-House: thus there were two Courts, and the partizans of each were denied access to the other. His Majesty never afterwards, on visiting his foreign dominions, entrusted the Government to the Prince, but always left a Regency. The infant mentioned died soon after its baptism.
| A Metrical History of England | |