Thine efficacious power! enraptur'd see The Planets roll obedient to the WORD Which spake them into being !-Happiest change! [Night, Whence flow revolving Seasons-Day and Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter-each in turn Advancing on the other!-Copious field Of Meditation! whence the curious few Less frequent objects seek!-the paths explore Of devious Comets: or, with eager eye, Survey th' ECLIPSING Planetary Orbs !-But see! already o'er the trembling Earth The shades of Darkness gleam: still more and more There all is calm aud happy; there the band, Which hurls its lightning through the vaulted skies, Imprints tranquillity!-And see! the Moon Now seems to shift her station; now the Light, Slowly emerging, charms again the soul Of every glad spectator!-Hence arise More pleasing thoughts!-Hence copious themes of praise! Oh! rightly use them then, ye sons of men; Dispel the mists which clog the heavenborn mind, And re-illumine every spark of grace! POETRY. Who dare deny th' Existence of a God, Of DEATH, unutterable, wait the hour, HORACE. Book III. ODE XIII. Translated by Rev. F. WRANGHAM, M. A. F. R. S. (See p. 250.) FOUNT of Bandusia, glassy spring, Of scatter'd flowers and sweetest wine! HORACE. Book III. ODE XXX. THAN brass more durable, with head Where Aufidus his torrent pours, SONG. Air-"Good morrow to your Night-cap." WHAT Farce and Tragedy have been Perform'd on Europe's Stages! In skipping France began the dance, When heads flew thick! then in the nick, This dashing little fellow, So fond of warlike glory, Was wont to strut and bellow, And wish'd to live in story; He spar'd no pains to knock out brains No hero of antiquity Was half so fond of fighting, In all kind of iniquity He vastly did delight in ; The Greek of yore hit not so sore Big Ben nor Crib broke not more ribs But after beating many foes He challeng'd Old John Bull, Sir, Could he but cross the pool, Sir; I'm mighty Bonaparte. The challenge came to Britain's shore As shook the beds men lie on! On his own ground, to have a round, And soon they met upon a plain, 1 See an account of Bow Church and Steeple in p. 222.-This Poem is written in the style peculiar to the time of Charles II. and refers to many circumstances of historical importance. * More properly the supporter of the City Arms. 3 Alluding to the shifting state of City contentions at that period. 4 Originally twelve Bells in Bow Church, now ten, but the holes for two more are still open. 5 The Duke of York, afterwards James II. at that time lately gone there. 6 Scotch Rebellion then breaking out by the Covenanters. 7 A worthy Citizen had given two tenements for maintenance of the great Bell. 8 A famous Rope-dancer, in great favour with Charles the Second's Court, of remarkable strength, agility, and beauty, on whom the Duchess of Cleveland bestowed much of that wealth which she received from her Royal Master. Sir Robert Clayton, Lord Mayor at that time; Sir John Jefferies was Recorder, afterwards the notorious Judge Jefferies. GENT. MAG. September, 1820. The And if thy visual ray can reach the main, Facing about, next view our Guildhall Thy roving eye perhaps from Hague may How the New League 12, has made old foes new friends. But let substantial witness credence give it, [it! Or ne'er believe me, if the House believe If true, I fear too late! France at one sup (Like pearls dissolv'd in Cleopatra's cup) Trade, Empire, Netherlands, has swallow'd up. But hark! the Dragon speaks from bra- To you of noble souls, and gallant minds, winds! To timorous feeble spirits, that live be- Learn not of me to turn with every breath! 1 The Fifty-two Churches were rebuilt by a Tax upon Coals sea-borne of 2s. per. chaldron for 17 years, but still continued under the name of Orphan Fund. 2 Supposed Reverend when Popish. 3 Building at that time. 4 Envious to see St. Paul's building on so much grander a scale. 3 Cant term for the Monument, intended by Sir Christopher Wren as a Hill or Telescope to view the Stars. 6 The Monument is pretty well Bedragoned, as any passer-by may observe. 7 The Monument and Bedlam were built at the same time: the latter cost 17,000%. 8 It has at all times been a vulgar fear, that the Monument was a very dangerous erection, and on the eve of falling. 9 A new Parliament had just been assembled, but as the preceding one had continued 17 years without change, and had on many occasions proved itself but too ready to assist Charles II. in his various arbitary and oppressed objects, it is no wonder that this new Parliament was looked upon with hope or jealousy. 10 Duke of York, just gone to the Low Countries, at his Majesty's recommendation, for quietness sake; he was accompanied by Col. Churchill, afterwards the celebrated Duke of Marlborough. Probably alluding to the dismissal of Lord Lauderdale from the command in Scotland, or of Lord Danby, whom the Commons demanded should be brought to Trial. 12 A Treaty at that time on foot, but the French, whom we had been assisting, were then negociating separately. 13 Quasi, Good Sooth. 14 From this and the preceding language, it would appear that the writer was a Papist. HISTORICAL CHRONICLE. PROCEEDINGS IN PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS, July 6. Lord Dacre presented the following Petition from her Majesty "CAROLINA REGINA. "The Queen has heard, with inexpressible astonishment, that a Bill, conveying charges, and intended to degrade her, and to dissolve her marriage with the King, has been brought by the first Minister of the King into the House of Lords, where her Majesty has no Counsel or other officer to assert her rights. The only alleged foundation for the Bill is the Report of a Secret Committee, proceeding solely on papers submitted to them, and before whom no single witness was examined. The Queen has been further informed, that her Counsel last night were refused a hearing at the bar of the House of Lords, at that stage of the proceeding when it was most material they should be heard; and that a list of the witnesses, whose names are known to her accusers, is to be refused to her. Under such circumstances, the Queen doubts whether any other course is left to her, but to protest in the most solemn manner against the whole of the proceeding; but she is anxious to make one more effort to obtain justice, and therefore desires that her Counsel my be admitted to state her claims at the bar of the House of Lords." On the motion that Counsel be called in, The Lord Chancellor asked to what points Counsel could, in the present stage of their proceeding, be heard? To what particular points at present could their Lordships instruct Counsel to confine themselves, if they were called in? The Earl of Liverpool recommended that they should be called in, and asked to what points they wished to be heard. Mr. Brougham and Mr. Denman were then called in. The former on the part of her Majesty stated, in general terms, her objections to the course of proceedings adopted against her. Mr. Brougham not having stated particular points, The Lord Chancellor rose to oppose hearing Counsel in that stage generally. Messrs. Brougham and Denman being a second time called to the Bar, demanded earnestly, and by command of her Majesty, that no delay should take place on the second reading of the Bill, and the examination of witnesses in support of it; her Majesty being conscious, that the more the charges against her honour were sifted, the more false they would appear. It was at last carried, on a division, 56 to 19, that Lord Liverpool should on Monday (and not on Friday, as moved by Earl Grey) submit to the flouse his views as to the time at which the future stages of the Bill should be taken, and his reasons for any further delay, if it should be thought necessary. In the Commons, the same day, Mr. Holford reported from the Committee appointed to inspect the Lords Journals, that a Secret Committee had inquired into the charges against her Majesty, and that, on their Report, a Bill had been brought in to annul the marriage between George IV. and his present Queen, Caroline Amelia. Sir Ronald Ferguson addressed the House on the subject of the Milan Commission. The invention of that plan of collecting evidence against her Majesty belonged, he understood, not to Ministers, but to the Vice Chancellor, who had recommended for the mission a person who had long practised in the same court with him, and one of whose notable qualifications was, that he understood no language but English. A second and a third person were joined in the Commission, and the Vice Chancellor, who was at the head of this corps of espionage, went afterwards in person to Milan in 1818. The Commission had cost the country 23,000l.; during the first five months the Commissioners drew 11,000l. He concluded with moving an Address to his Majesty for a Copy of the Commission and instructions to the Agents at Milan, and an Account of their Ex. pences, and the Names of those by whom such sums were respectively issued. Lord Castlereagh said, when the proper time came, when all the facts of the case were before the House, Ministers would explain every particular respecting the Commission. Ministers had not fished for information respecting her Majesty. They had not stirred in the business until reports transmitted from various quarters, many of them of the most grave and official character, compelled them, as servants of the Crown, to institute an inquiry. The Noble Lord then defended the conduct of the Vice Chancellor and Mr. Cooke, and concluded with moving the previous question. Mr. Creevey, in an animated speech, approved of the course taken by the gallant General, General. In the course of his speech Mr. C. was particularly severe on the conduct of the Vice Chancellor. Lord Castlereagh then rose to postpone the order for taking the Message respecting the Queen into consideration. His Lordship observed, that as the subject of the Message would most probably come before them by a Bill from the other House, it would be inexpedient now to resume the debate upon it; but as the Bill might fail from some technical informality, or might be ultimately rejected by the Lords, and the matter would thus revert to the House of Commons, he should not move to discharge the order for tomorrow, but would postpone it to the 15th of August. Sir M. W. Ridley was for discharging the order. Mr. Bennet, in a long and eloquent speech, complained of the conduct of Ministers, and ably defended her Majesty; in the course of which he was called to order by Lord Castlereagh. Mr. Tierney said, he would henceforth act in this affair judicially. He should keep his mind clear and unbiassed, until the Bill now in progress came before them. He should then do his duty without fear, favour, or affection; without regarding popular clamour on one hand, or Court influence on the other. After some observations from Mr. C. Wynn and Mr. A. L. Keck, a short conversation took place between Lord Castlereagh, the Speaker, and Mr. Tierney, when it was agreed that the order should be discharged. The Report of the Committee of Supply was brought up, and the resolutions agreed to. In answer to a question by Mr. Hume, as to the allowance proposed to be made to the Queen, Mr. Vansiltart said, that the allowance made last quarter was intended to be continued till a permanent provision could be made. July 7. Sir J. Mackintosh presented a Petition from Mr. Alexander Tilloch, (Proprietor of the Star Newspaper and Philosophical Magazine), setting forth, that, in 1797, he had laid before the Directors of the Bank of England a plan for rendering the forgery of their notes more difficult; that this plan was then rejected, but that recently it had been adopted; and complaining of the Bill now before the House, as preventing the free exercise of the art of engraving; and contending that, if the Bank of England monopolized the use of his invention, he was entitled to remuneration. Lord Castlereagh moved the second reading of the Alien Bill. Mr. Bernall opposed the measure, and moved that the second reading should be postponed for six months. Lord A. Hamilton, Col. Davies, and Mr. Ward supported the amendment. Mr. B. Bathurst supported the original motion, and Mr. Maxwell the amendment, which, on a division, was negatived by 113 to 50; and the Bill was read a second time. HOUSE OF LORDS, July 8. The Royal Assent was given by Commission to the 25 Millions Exchequer Bills Bill, the Barbadoes Free Trade Bill, the Newfoundland Fishery Bill, the Demerara Trade Bill, the Quarter Sessions Bill, the Southwark Bridge Bill, the Drury Lane Theatre Bill, and to a great number of private Bills, amounting altogether to about 50. In the Commons, the same day, Mr. H. Sumner, ou presenting the Report of the Agricultural Committee, expressed his regret that the late period of the Session would prevent any measure being taken upon it. He felt it his duty also to state, that this inquiry had been a very limited oue, and ought not to preclude further investigation at a future period. His conviction was, that, unless much more was done than this Committee had been able to accomplish, the difficulties under which the agricultural interest laboured must ultimately overwhelm them. Mr. Western thought it right to state in the House, that the Committee, in their inquiry, had not discovered frauds, in taking the average, to any extent. The Committee had recommended a new mode of taking the averages, but it was one which would rather facilitate than retard the opening the ports in future. HOUSE OF LORDS, July 10. The second reading of the Bill against the Queen, or, in other words, the commencement of the Investigation, was fixed for 17th August. The motion was proposed by Lord Liverpool, and agreed to as to the same without dissent. The Noble Earl expressed his anxiety that the inquiry should proceed as expeditiously as the administration of substantial justice would admit. The constitutional usage in such cases, he said, required the presence of at least a certain proportion of the Judges; and four of those learned persons would be enabled to attend the House at the period named.-He entreated every Noble Peer to attend constantly upon the investigation, for without daily attention to the course of evidence, their Lordships could not competently pronounce upon this great question. Earl |