University of Virginia Library

Unhappy Island! what hard Fate ordains,
That thou should'st change thy Liberty for Chains?
Thou who to stubborn Nations once gav'st Law,
And kept the jarring World in peaceful Awe;
Holding that Ballance in thy steddy Hand,
By which the Weaker does the Strong withstand;
From Goths and Vandals long in vain set free,
And now thy self become a Colony,
The Scots and Irish are repriz'd in thee.
Starv'd Fugitives scatter'd by Want abroad,
Great Travellers for want of an Abode,
All meet in Swarms in this unlucky Place,
To lead our Armies, and our Counsels grace.
While croaking Priests, and greedy Troops devor,
The faithful Land with sacrilegious Pow'r.
Prevailing Nonsense Reason over-rules,
And Providence has giv'n us up to Fools.
Fools did th'excluding of a Fool prevent,
By a Rebellion Fools have Slav'ry sent,
And Fools confirm it still in Parliament.
Talbot Supplies of Fools from Ireland sends,
And Cl---don's return'd to make amends.
The Fav'rite Brother wears th'Almighty Rod,
Courted and prais'd by each created Toad,
The Sorcerer repines to be a God.
Pharaoh and he these Plagues of Egypt bring,
And such our Fate must be, while such our King.
Conspiring Sun***land still saves the Tide,
A Knave most useful to the unjustest Side:
And does as fit an Instrument now prove
Of lawless Pow'r, as once adulterous Love.
The little Chit does scarce deserve Rebuke,
That looks behind the Chair as if 'twould puke;
Beats time with Politick Head, and all approves,
Pleas'd with the Charge of the Queen's Muff and Gloves.
Much fam'd in Youth for Poetry and Sense,
By Jack Berkeley's early Correspondence.
But who can our great Chancellor describe,
The noisy Oracle of the Scarlet Tribe?
Of James's Instruments the keenest Tool,
The hottest, pertest and the boldest Fool:
Chose early, by himself design'd for Glory,
Since Whig-Law yielded first to conqu'ring Tory:
A mortal Enemy to saucy Charters,
Now less in fashion than the Book of Martyrs:
Than sharp L'Estrange, a more admir'd Prater,
Wittier in Bench than he in Observator.
O for some skilful Painter now to draw
The Western Triumph of avenging Law!
When angry Justice with resistless Force,
Not like a Stream, but Torrent stopt its Course;
Nor poorly bore a single Rebel down,
In Shoals the Wretches fell beneath his Frown.
Kirk the poor Beast did but for Hunger prey,
And only hang'd a Rogue that could not pay:
For Luxury the Wolf and Lion kill,
And scarce take time to taste the Blood they spill.
Now, Fame, thy Trumpet sound, thy Man of War
Great Feversham appears with his triumphant Star,
To the Clouds bear him in thy airy Chair.
Let Oglethorp be pinion'd to his Wing,
And as he tells the Tale, so do thou sing
His Courage, such as needs not Conduct's Aid,
Conduct makes Generals but seem afraid:
Therefore he scorns much to be found prepar'd,
And sent his Men to rest without a Guard.
O but for that unlucky Knock he gat
By Block, too sympathetick to his Pate,
When he his Brother Craven did aspire
To equalize in vain in quenching Fire,
Where might not James his Conqu'ring Army lead?
But Brains are some want in a General's Head.

Now, Muse, let thy just Indignation cease,
Touch not the lowsy Vermin after these.
When such a Quarry does thy Vigour claim,
Scorn to descend to an ignoble Game.
Thus while the Huntsman eagerly in view,
A foaming Boar or Lion does pursue,
Safe to their Holes the Fox and Badger creep,
And dare not look abroad, but stink and sleep.

Let honest Laureat now, whose pliant Rhymes,
With his Religon, wait upon the Times,
Rail at the Man who these bold Truths has told,
And call him dull Phanatick, Whig and Scold;
Franklyn, Lloyd, Sackville, and the meaner Rout
Of little Underlings, that sit about,
Pretend they know the Author by his Stile:
I've eas'd my Mind, and will securely smile.