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[Page 56]
"For this reason, MY LORDS, are the MANAGER'S striving
"To bring in new matter, by way of depriving
'The Rogue of th' advantage of ducking and diving.
"MY LORDS, let him duck if he pleases; why then
"Five and twenty intrepid, invincible men,
"When he pops up his head, will have at him agen:
"But, MY LORDS, I beseech you, for fear we should not
"Opportunity find repeating the shot,
"To let us go on with our firing and popping,
"As fast as we can, till we see the BIRD dropping."
In this manner, did EDMUND his arguments press
On the Court, with much humour and little success.
'Twas half after four and when their LORDSHIPS withdrew,
To consult about what was most proper to do,
Which as soon as I know, I shall forward to you.
There was one thing, however, as I understood,
Which shews PLUMMY's heart is surprizingly good;
Tho' he made it appear, that the COMPANY gain'd
Half a Million almost, yet he loudly complain'd,
With tears in his eyes, of the loss they sustain'd.
Farewell! and rejoice, for the season is coming,
When all will go mad to hear CHARLES FOX's summing,
For he is the Hero by EDMUND appointed,
For putting together what PLUMMY disjointed.
For the WORLD.
SIMKIN to SIMON.
I said in my last that their LORDSHIPS withdrew,
TO consider of what was expedient to do;
When the COURT re-assembled, the CHANCELLOR said,
"That ANSTRUTHER'S papers ought not to be read;
"That the MANAGERS ought to make no variations,
"Nor the Articles burthen with new accusations."
Then CHARLEY set off with Calamity's cry,
That he did not know WHAT, that he could not tell WHY:
Then he sadly lamented their keeping the ground
Of their Judgement from him such a secret profound:
He resolv'd to submit to it, nevertheless,
As no method occur'd of obtaining redress.
PLUMBOSO now felt himself hurt and defeated,
As the LORDS has rejected whatever he stated;
He therefore determin'd to do by the tongue,
What he could not by paper - so call'd upon YOUNG.
He wanted to know, whether he understood
The best means to let Lands for the COMPANY's good,
And his duty official, as well as he shou'd?
Then he wish'd to inquire, if the OFFICE he got
His emolument from, should be broken or not?
He ask'd, if in making a new BUNDOBUST
Himself or a Black were more fit for the trust;
And, supposing the value of lands were adjusted,
Whether YOUNG, or the RAJAH, were fit to be trusted?
As PLUMMY proceeded, thus certain and slow,
With wishing to ask, and with wanting to know -
One of HASTINGS's Counsel stood up, to oppose
The putting some question - then EDMUND arose ; -
He said, "We are plac'd in a strange situation,
"Such as never occur'd to one man in this Nation.
"If a Question we ask, if a Paper we read,
"We must tell why we do it, before we proceed;
"We must say of what use is the question we ask,
"Which is, to be sure, a most difficult task."
This ended, PLUMBOSO declar'd he was going
A step further on, with his stating and showing,
The sound of which pleasant, agreeable news,
A general happiness seem'd to diffuse;
Though 'twas ask'd in a whisper, Can PLUMMY forget,
That he has not got forward a single step yet?
As PLUMMY this step was attempting to go,
He said to the Witness, "I want next to know,
"From what you know of, and concerning the mind
"Of the Natives at large, if they stood well inclin'd?
"That is, if the FARMERS were not discontented
"On account of the Provinces KELLERAM rented?
"I mean, can you tell us, what sort of impression
"Was made on their minds by this horrid transgression?"
But DALLAS, who thinks 'twere as safe to confide
In the constant, and uniform flux of the tide;
As to fit to rely on the course of the wind,
As it were to depend on the thoughts of mankind,
Begg'd leave to their LORDSHIPS to make a suggestion,
That the EVIDENCE ought not to answer the question.
But PLUMMY his question refus'd to withdraw,
And 'twas therefore referr'd to the JUDGES of Law.
Their LORDSHIPS, of course, were oblig'd to adjourn,
And I hope, on next Thursday, to see them return:
A question important will then be adjusted,
Whether public opinion is fit to be trusted?
You, SIMON, remember, that CHARLEY once mov'd,
To create SEVEN KINGS, and the COMMONS approv'd,
Of the MEN and the MEASURE, and 'twould have gone down,
Had the TERROR not spread thro' each city and town,
That NORTH and CHARLES FOX meant to seize on the Crown.
CHARLES has often declar'd, by the force of DELUSION,
PITT and THURLOW occasion'd THAT scene of confusion;
Common Fame, he affirm'd, was an impudent Jade,
Which had ruin'd his friends, and the Nation betray'd;
But in HASTINGS's case all this doctrine's unsound,
And it now suits Friend CHARLES to rely on fresh ground.
There is one thing, Dear BROTHER, I wish to obtrude
On your patience a moment, before I conclude:
You remember, BURKE formerly said to the COURT,
That on Mr. PATERSON made that Report,
From which he extracted the wonderful things
Perform'd by the cruel, iniquitous SINGS:
This Gentleman hearing that BURKE had exprest,
To the highest Tribunal, a humble request,
That his own name and PATERSON's ty'd by one tether,
To posterity latest might go down together,
He asserted, but wherefore I cannot conceive,
That he does not like having BURKE pinn'd to his sleeve:
He, therefore, has published a strong Declaration,
To show BURKE was guilty of gross defamation,
When DEBY SING's crimes were to HASTINGS imputed,
And thus the whole calumny stands now refuted.
I know there are those who suppose it a plot,
A forgery, done by the treacherous SCOTT;
And, indeed, I must own, it looks rather suspicious,
As SCOTT, without doubt, is extremely officious,
And, without the least scruple, would offer a fee
To PATERSON, JOSEPH, or even to ME;
And I hear there are some of the ORATOR's tribe,
Who suspect honest JOSEPH of taking a bribe;
But this is a story, that never can hold,
For the virtue of JOSEPH is proof against gold-
Your men of sound judgement are apt to suppose,
That JOSEPH the ruin of EDMUND foreknows.
And therefore, in order to make his escape,
Pick'd a quarrel, and got himself our of the scrape:
But whate'er be his motive, to me it is hateful,
To see human nature so very ungrateful;
And tho' all others leave him alone to be hurt,
I will ever stick him as close as his shirt.
For the WORLD.
SIMKIN to SIMON.
DEAR SIMON, the LORDS have been pleas'd to decide
That in popular clamour you should not confide;
This, the MANAGERS say, is provokingly odd,
As the voice of the Mob, is the voice of their God.
When the CHANCELLOR stated the COURT's resolution,
That the Question was foreign to this prosecution,
Fox rose, and in passionate language lamented,
That himself and his Colleagues were all discontented;
His disconsolate wailings I need not go o'er,
As you've heard them repeated so often before.
When CHARLEY had given free scope to his tongue,
PLUMBOSO, as second time, call'd upon YOUNG;
He had scarce wish'd to ask, for he wanted to know
What effects were observ'd, is a constant Dissenter,
And deserves the nick-name of the Question Preventer;
He declar'd, that PLUMBOSO was trying once more
A proof which the COURT had rejected before:
In aid of ANSTRUTHER, and LAW, to oppose,
A trio of HEROES invincible, rose.
CHARLES said, there was nothing unjust, or absurd,
In HASTING's changing the Revenue Board;
That the Act, in itself, might be proper and right,
But the motives, perhaps, were not very upright;
That the MANAGERS would be delighted and glad,
To bring in a proof that his motives were bad;