first, and then the Boyne,In both, his counsels and his conduct shine;
His martial valour Flanders will confess,
And France regrets his managing the peace;
Faithful to England’s interest and her king,
The greatest reason of our murmuring:
Ten years in English service he appear’d,
And gain’d his master’s and the world’s regard;
But ’tis not England’s custom to reward,
The wars are over, England needs him not;
Now he’s a Dutchman, and the Lord knows what.
Schonbergh, the ablest soldier of his age,
With great Nassau did in our cause engage;
Both join’d for England’s rescue and defence,
The greatest captain and the greatest prince;
With what applause his stories did we tell,
Stories which Europe’s volumes largely swell!
We counted him an army in our aid,
Where he commanded, no man was afraid;
His actions with a constant conquest shine,
From Villa Vitiosa to the Rhine;
France, Flanders, Germany, his fame confess,
And all the world was fond of him but us:
Our turn first served, we grudged him the command,
Witness the grateful temper of the land.
We blame the King, that he relies too much,
On Strangers, Germans, Hugonots, and Dutch;
And seldom does his great affairs of state,
To English counsellors communicate:
The fact might very well be answer’d thus:
He had so often been betray’d by us,
He must have been a madman to rely,
On English gentlemen’s fidelity;
For, laying other argument aside:
This thought might mortify our English pride;
That foreigners have faithfully obey’d him,
And none but Englishmen have e’er betray’d him:
They have our ships and merchants bought and sold,
And barter’d English blood for foreign gold;
First to the French they sold our Turkey fleet,
And injured Talmarsh next at Cameret;
The king himself is shelter’d from their snares,
Not by his merits, but the crown he wears;
Experience tells us ’tis the English way,
Their benefactors always to betray.
And, lest examples should be too remote,
A modern magistrate of famous note,
Shall give you his own history by rote;
I’ll make it out, deny it he that can,
His worship is a true-born Englishman;
By all the latitude that empty word,
By modern acceptation’s understood:
The parish books his great descent record,
And now he hopes ere long to be a lord;
And truly, as things go, it would be pity,
But such as he bore office in the city;
While robb’ry for burnt-offering he brings,
And gives to God what he has stole from kings;
Great monuments of charity he raises,
And good St. Magnus whistles out his praises;
To city jails he grants a jubilee,
And hires huzza’s from his own mobile.
Lately he wore the golden chain and gown,
With which equipp’d he thus harangued the town.
His Fine Speech, &c.
With clouted iron shoes, and sheep-skin breeches,
More rags than manners, and more dirt than riches,
From driving cows and calves to Leyton market,
While of my greatness there appear’d no spark yet,
Behold I come to let you see the pride,
With which exalted beggars always ride.
Born to the needful labours of the plough,
The cart-whip graced me, as the chain does now.
Nature and fate in doubt what course to take,
Whether I should a lord or plough-boy make;
Kindly at last resolv’d they would promote me,
And first a knave, and then a knight they vote me.
What fate appointed, nature did prepare,
And furnish’d me with an exceeding care,
To fit me for what they design’d to have me;
And every gift but honesty they gave me.
And thus equipp’d, to this proud town I came,
In quest of bread, and not in quest of fame.
Blind to my future fate, an humble boy,
Free from the guilt and glory I enjoy.
The hopes which my ambition entertain’d,
Where in the name of foot-boy, all contain’d.
The greatest heights from small beginnings rise;
The gods were great on earth, before they reach’d the skies.
Backwell,
