THE SPEECH OF THE PROVOST OF TO HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS GEORGE PRINCE OF Wales. I. . ye, ILLUSTRIOUS prince we're come before Deign to descend and give us laws, From this day well-affected.* II. The noble view of your high merits, Has charm'd our thoughts, and fix'd our spirits, That we resolved to be devoted, At least until we be promoted, By your just power and party, III. Urged by a passionate desire Of being raised a little higher, From lazy cloister'd life; We cannot flatter you nor fawn, But fain would honour'd be with lawn, And settled by a wife. † *The Rev. Dr Benjamin Pratt was, at this time, April 1716, Provost of Trinity College; he had been formerly of the Tory party; to which circumstance the phrase, "from this day well affected," alludes. + The statutes of the University enjoin celibacy. IV. For this we have before resorted, Our charge at home long quitting, But now we're come just in the nick, This bait can't fail of hitting. V. Thus Sir, you see how much affection, But sense of loyal duty. For you surpass all princes far, In goodness, wit, and beauty. VI. To you our Irish Commons owe That wisdom which their actions show, Their principles from ours springs, Taught, e'er the deel himself could dream on't, VII. The glad presages with our eyes * "Paid levees punctually and courted." The provost was a most constant attendant at the levees at St James's palace. The see of Killaloe was then vacant; and to this bishopric the Reverend Dr George Carr, chaplain to the Irish House of Commons, was nominated, by letters-patent. See Beatson's Political Index, p. 307. Edin. 1786. A. D. 1716. Who in his youth the Turks attacks, VIII. Since Ormond's like a traitor gone, Fools may pursue their adverse fate, We laugh while they condemn us. IX. For being of that gen'rous mind, And quit the suffering side, X. Hence 'twas this choice we long delay'd, Whilst fortune held the scale; But (since) they're driven like mist before you, Our rising sun, we now adore you, Because you now prevail. XI. Descend then from your lofty seat, Behold th' attending muses wait With us to sing your praises; * Alluding to the sullen silence of Oxford upon the acces Calliope now strings up her lyre, XII. If then our nursery you will nourish, We'll doctrines teach the times to serve, XIII. Now take our harp into your hand, In doleful sounds, no more shall mourn, We with sincerity of heart, To all your tunes shall bear a part, XIV. If so, great Sir, you will excuse us, May live to change our strain; To "the king enjoys his own again.". *This is spelled Chloe, but evidently should be Clio; indeed many errors appear in the transcription, which probably were mistakes of the transcriber. AN EXCELLENT NEW SONG, ON A SEDITIOUS PAMPHLET. 1720. (To the tune of " Packington's Pound.") [This ballad alludes to the Dean's "Proposal for the use of Irish Manufactures," for which Waters the printer was prosecuted with great violence. Lord Chief-Justice Whitshed sent the jury repeatedly out of court, until he had wearied them into a special verdict.] BROCADORS, and damasks, and tabbies, and gauzes, Are by Robert Ballantine lately brought over, With forty things more: now hear what the law says, Whoe'er will not wear them, is not the king's lover. Though a printer and Dean, Seditiously mean, Our true Irish hearts from old England to wean, We'll buy English silks for our wives and our daugh ters, In spite of his deanship and journeyman Waters. In England the dead in woollen are clad, The dean and his printer then let us cry fye on; To be cloth'd like a carcase, would make a teague mad, Since a living dog better is than a dead lion. |