Poems on Affairs of State

Ye vile Traducers of the Female Kind,
Who think the Fair to Cruelty inclin'd,
Recant your Error, and with Shame confess,
Their tender Care of Skipwith in Distress.
For now to vindicate this Monarch's Right,
The Scotch and English equal Charms unite;
In solemn Leagues contending Nations join,
And Britain labours with the vast Design:
An Opera with loud Applause is play'd,
Which fam'd Motteux in soft Heroicks made,
And all the sworn Confederates resort
To view the Triumph of their Sov'reigns Court;
In bright Array the well-train'd Host appears,
Supreme Command brave Darentwater bears.
And next in Front George Howard's Bride does shine,
The living Honour of that antient Line.
The Wings are led by Chiefs of matchless Worth,
Great Hamilton, the Glory of the North,
Commands the left; and England's dear Delight,
The bold F---ter, charges on the Right.
The Prince to welcome his propitious Friends,
A Throne erected on the Stage ascends.

He said: Blest Angels for great Ends design'd,
The best (and sure the fairest) of your Kind,
How shall I praise, or in what Numbers sing
Your just Compassion of an injur'd King?
Till you appear'd no Prospect did remain
My Crown and falling Scepter to maintain,

249

No noisy Beaux in all my Realm were found,
No beauteous Nymphs my empty Boxes crown'd.
But still I saw (O dire heart-breaking Wo!)
My own sad Consort in the foremost Row:
But this Auspicious Day new Empire gives,
And if by your Support my Nation lives,
For you my Bards shall tune the sweetest Lays,
Norton and Henly shall resound your Praise;
And I, not last of the Harmonious Train,
Will give a loose to my Poetick Vein.

To him Great Darentwater thus replied:
Thou Mighty Prince in many Dangers try'd,
Born to dispute severe Decrees of Fate,
The nursing Father of a sickly State;
Behold the Pillars of thy lawful Reign,
Thy Regal Rights we promise to maintain;
Our brightest Nymphs shall thy Dominions grace
With all the Beauties of the Highland Race;
The Beaux shall make thee their peculiar Care,
(For Beaux will always wait upon the Fair)
For thee kind Bereton and bold Web shall fight,
Lord Scot shall ogle, and my Spouse shall write:
Thus shall thy Court our English Youth engross,
And all the Scotch from Drummond down to Ross.

Now in his Throne the King securely sate,
But O! this Change alarm'd the Rival State;
Besides he lately brib'd in breach of Laws,
The fair Deserter of her Uncle's Cause.
This rouz'd the Monarch of the neighbouring Crown,
A drowsy Prince too careless of Renown,
Yet prompt to Vengeance and untaught to yield,
Great Scarsdale challeng'd Skipwith to the Field.
Whole Shoals of Poets for this Chief declare,
And Vassal Players attend him to the War.
Skipwith with Joy the dreadful Summons took,
And brought an equal Force: Then Scarsdale spoke;

Thou Bane of Empire, Fo to Human kind,
Whom neither Leagues nor Laws of Nations bind,

250

For Cares of high Poetick Sway unfit,
Thou Shame of Learning and Reproach of Wit;
Restore bright Helen to my longing Sight,
Or now my Signal shall begin the Fight.

Hold, said the Fo, thy warlike Host remove,
Nor let our Bard the Chance of Battel prove;
Shou'd Death deprive us of their shining Parts,
What would become of all the Liberal Arts?
Should Dennis fall, whose high Majestick Wit
And awful Judgment like to Tallies fit,
Adiue strong Odes and every lofty Strain,
The Tragick Rant, and proud Pindarick Vein.
Shou'd tuneful Durfey now resign his Breath,
The Lyrick Muse would scarce survive his Death:
But should Divine Motteux untimely die,
The gasping Nine would in Convulsions lie.
For these bold Champions safer Arms provide,
And let their Pens the double Strife decide.

The King consents, and urg'd by publick Good,
Wisely retreats to save his Peoples Blood.
The moving Legions leave the dusty Plain,
And safe at home Poetick Wars maintain.

University of Virginia Library

The Confederates:

or the first Happy Day of the Island Princess.