The Poetical Works of Thomas Moore :: :: University of Virginia Library

Whom certain Whigs—to make a fuss—
Describe as much resembling us ,
Informing gentlemen, at home.
But, bless the fools, they can't be serious,
To say Lord S---dm---th's like Tiberius!
What! he, the Peer, that injures no man,
Like that severe, blood-thirsty Roman!—
'Tis true, the Tyrant lent an ear to
All sorts of spies—so doth the Peer, too.
'Tis true my Lord's Elect tell fibs,
And deal in perj'ry—ditto Tib's.
'Tis true, the Tyrant screen'd and hid
His rogues from justice — ditto Sid.

176

'Tis true the Peer is grave and glib
At moral speeches—ditto Tib.
'Tis true, the feats the Tyrant did
Were in his dotage—ditto Sid.

So far, I own, the parallel
'Twixt Tib and Sid goes vastly well;
But there are points in Tib that strike
My humble mind as much more like
Yourself, my dearest Lord, or him,
Of th' India Board—that soul of whim!
Like him, Tiberius lov'd his joke ,
On matters, too, where few can bear one;
E.g. a man, cut up, or broke
Upon the wheel—a devilish fair one!
Your common fractures, wounds, and fits,
Are nothing to such wholesale wits;
But, let the suff'rer gasp for life,
The joke is then worth any money;

177

And, if he writhe beneath a knife,—
Oh dear, that's something quite too funny.
In this respect, my Lord, you see
The Roman wag and ours agree:
Now as to your resemblance—mum—
This parallel we need not follow ;
Though 'tis, in Ireland, said by some
Your Lordship beats Tiberius hollow;
Whips, chains—but these are things too serious
For me to mention or discuss;
Whene'er your Lordship acts Tiberius,
Phil. Fudge's part is Tacitus!

The name of the first worthy who set up the trade of informer at Rome (to whom our Olivers and Castleses ought to erect a statue) was Romanus Hispo;—“qui formam vitæ iniit, quam postea celebrem miseriæ temporum et audaciæ hominum fecerunt.” —Tacit. Annal. i. 74.

They certainly possessed the same art of instigating their victims, which the Report of the Secret Committee attributes to Lord Sidmouth's agents:—“socius (says Tacitus of one of them) libidinum et necessitatum, quo pluribus indiciis inligaret.”

“Neque tamen id Sereno noxæ fuit, quem odium publicum tutiorem faciebat. Nam ut quis districtior accusator velut sacrosanctus erat.”—Annal. lib. iv. 36.—Or, as it is translated by Mr. Fudge's friend, Murphy:—“This daring accuser had the curses of the people, and the protection of the Emperor. Informers, in proportion as they rose in guilt, became sacred characters.”

Murphy even confers upon one of his speeches the epithet “constitutional.” Mr. Fudge might have added to his parallel, that Tiberius was a good private character:—“egregium vitâ famâque quoad privatus.”

“Ludibria seriis permiscere solitus.”

There is one point of resemblance between Tiberius and Lord C. which Mr. Fudge might have mentioned —“suspensa semper et obscura verba.”