Shall fwains fo bleft refuse to touch the lyre, Shall we be laft in nature's grateful choir ? Shall our addrefs behind the linnets flow, Who trick their glossy plumes on yonder bough; Or yield the lark the earliest mattin fong, Who high in air pours harmony along? Philenor. No feather'd bard, tho' e'er fo fweet his lay, His orifon before our praife fhall pay; We'll laud his Name who did these fields bestow, Who bids the fruits of ev'ry feafon grow; Who laves our furrow'd fields with genial rains, Who bids gay harvest dwell on all our plains! 'Tis he, ye fwains, who pregnant makes our ground, With grateful hearts, ye swains, his praises found. All, all are objects of wife ruling care: Philenor. And may foft peace for ever on our field, With gay content, and fmiling plenty yield; Ah! let not gery War moleft our plain, Nor from his peaceful cot pursue the swain, Who now with industry's enliv'ning hand, His orchard prunes, or cultivates his land; Or with his flock, o'er flow'ry meadows ftrays, While woods and vales repeat his grateful lays. Varo. Let fuch as bleft contentment never knew, The rugged toils of fierce campaigns purfue; Let them in fame's bright annals peerless shine, Domestic blifs with all its joys are mine. Nor wealth, nor glory s charms fhall make me change My lot, tho' low, and diftant nations range, Since with my hook and pipe I now poffefs, On thefe my native plains, fweet Happiness. Philenor. He gives us Peace by his almighty hand, On the smooth rock, yon bank of flowers There empires totter, and here kingdoms above, Where the wild bee her curious cells hath wove; 'Tis where our mid-day feat we shepherds take, I grav'd this verfe, and taught the rock to speak: "Adore, ye fwains, the Author of all good, The ripening Sun who form'd-the cooling flood, The fragrant air, thefe flow'ry fruitful plains, Your life's great Author praife in highest Arains. ftand; Now, fhepherds, now give o'er your pleafing ftrains, Your other themes for other times remain; Your fongs have led the hours in filence by, Ere long the fun will reach the mid-day sky. Well have you fung, but end the gratefullay, Our flocks from view o'er yonder hillocks fray Come fee if yet they unmolested feed, Soon must we lead them to the level mead; There while we 'neath the fanning fhades recline, We'll fill the air with harmony divine. Dear fhepherds, while your pipes fuch mufic play, The fweets of Spring around us feem more gay; With lovelier afpect fhines the crimson rofe, The lillies too, far fweeter fcents disclose; To blooming Spring your lays give fresher bloom, That with us feem thefe days already come, When latter times fhall vie wwith former days, And we in ftrains more pure our Maker praife. en day. On yonder hill, a pleasant villa ftood, Half hid, and chear'd with breezes from the wood, And half lay open, to the genial heat; Green at their doors rofe up the turfy feat, Whereon the antient fwains bask'd in the ray, And fmil'd to fee their little grandfons play. Far up the vale there graz'd the gallant freed, Here cleanly heifers gambol'd o'er the mead, Here placid heep quick crop'd the daisy'd ground, And lightfome lambkins wanton'd all around; The fhepherd tun'd his pipe to nobleft rains, His cheep now ceas'd to crop the flow'ry plains. Old Tray from couchant pofture rofe amaz'd, Straight prick'd his ears, and on the reed he gaz'd; ty ftrays, And fmiling o'er the lovely landscape plays; On hills, in vales, and thro' refreshing groves, While thus in infant innocence fhe roves, Mark how her fancies fair elude her hand, In gay profufion deck the charming land. Her num'rous flowers adorn the fertile field, And brightest trees with sweetest fragrance yield: Both rofes here ambrofial fcents exhale, There various pinks perfume the western gale; Befide the ftream here golden crowfoots glow, Of beauty confcious view the waves below. The ftream beneath the meadow's herbage glides, Now here, now there in filver fheets it rides; That charm my ears, or gratify mine eyes. more; There groves of mountain fir nod o'er the plain, And through their boughs awake the untaught ftrain; There rows of rocks in horrid grandeur stand, To whofe high cliffs, far from the open land, The fearful coney bends his blood- thot eyes, And from the hound with hafty bound the flies; A gelid fount, gurgling from yonder hill, Pours down impatient an amufive rill. Primrofes there in fweet profusion grow, The ftream reflects their dewy breafts below: The cultur'd fields unto the farmer dear, Stretch their rich wombs and infant harvest bear. The lark foft, number'd with expanded wings Soaring he views his callow brood and fings; The mead a many-colour'd carpet lyes, Sweet fhining with gay gold and crimson dyes; Silver and purple thro' the ground-work How pleasant thro' the healthful fields to More than envy, merit pity, From the low bat cheerful fwains. PROCEEDINGS OF THE THIRD SESSION OF THE EIGHTEENTH PARLIAMENT OF GREAT BRITAIN. HOUSE OF LORDS.-Dec. 10. 1798. HE Houfe having refolved itself into nuity Bill, Lord Walfingham in the chair, the Provifions of the Bill were agreed to nem. diff. 17. The Royal Affent was given, by Commiffion, to the following Bills, viz. The Malt Duty Bill, the Place and Penfion Duty Bill, Lord Nelfon's Annuity Bill, and the Bill for the better Prevention, &c. of Perfons ferving in his Majesty's Sea or Land Forces being feduced from their Duty and Allegiance. Mr Hobart prefented from the Houfe of Commons the Bill for continuing the Act of laft Seffion refpecting the Service of the British Militia in Ireland. Mr W. Bird brought up the Small Note Continuation Bill, which, with the foregoing Bill, was read a first time. On the queftion for the fecond reading of the Bill for authorizing the Continu ance of the British Militia ferving in Ireland, The Earl of Radnor rose to express his difapprobation of the measure. His lead ing objection against the Bill was, that it Ed. Mag. Feb. 1799. Lord Grenville moved the Order of the Day for taking the Militia Service Bill into confideration; which being read, Lord Holland faid, this was a fubject fo uncoustitutional as to admit of no de bate; that was even allowed by his Majefty's Minifter; but in a matter of fuch vaft magnitude, he was amazed they had not deemed it prudent, as well as political, to have a Call of the Houfe. He did not fee any neceffity for the continuation of the English militia in Ireland, now tranquillity was reftored there, and he T knew knew of no reafon for it. It was faid, that they had all volunteered their fervices: he knew the contrary to be the cafe. Officers of certain regiments, who had local interefts in that country, exert. ed every influence to perfuade and induce the men to go thither; thofe who had no fuch interefts were observed to be not only lefs fanguine, but in many inftances not even to offer their fervices for that occafion. He therefore defired fome plaufible pretext, if not argument, for fo great an innovation of the Conftitution. Lord Grenville replied, that it did not appear that any Call of the Houfe was neceffary, as there was not a Noble Lord in it but who was acquainted with the progrefs of the Bill, and equally acquainted with its purport. If laft year they fanctioned it from the neceffity of the times, they would this year find the fame caufe for continuing it. Though the Rebellion was extinct, ftill there remained fufficient reafon to continue fome English regiments in Ireland, as it was juft as important to maintain tranquillity as to fuppress rebellion. The Bill was then read a second time, and ordered to be committed. Adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS.-Dec. 8. The Speaker ftated, that he bar, in compliance with the Orders of the Houfe, tranfmitted their thanks to Sir John Borlafe Warren; that he had received an answer from that Officer, in which he expreffed the high and grateful fenfe en tertained by him, his officers, and his men, of the honour conferred upon them by the House of Commons; and adding, that next to the honour of ferving their Country, they confidered the approbation of Parliament as their greatest reward. The Report of the Penfion, Place, &c. Duty Bill was brought up and agreed to; as was that of the Malt Bill. 10. General Tarleton prefented a petition from the Mayor, Aldermen, Recorder, and Freemen of Liverpool, praying for leave to bring in a Bill for the improvement of its harbour.-The petition was received, and ordered to be referred to a Select Committee. The House in a Committee of Ways and Means, Mr Pitt faid, he would not trouble the House many minutes on the fubject of Finance, which he fhould fubmit for their confideration.-An eftimate of the Supply was already before them, as was that of the Ways and Means. At prefent he would confine himself to the matter of the Loan recently made, the amount whereof was no more than three millions. In his opinion it was the most beneficial and advantageous to the country ever made fince he had the honour of filling the ftation which he now holds; and he had the fatisfaction of informing the Houfe, that the offers were to any extent he might have reasonably thought fit to claim; but he confined himself to what he fhould only want until the meeting after the recefs, which he faid would be fufficient for the public fervice during that period, viz. three millions. The terms he made were as follow, viz. at 554 which were thus agreed on, Confols 52 10 O of the Reduced 46 12 11 Bonus inftead of discount o 13 4 Total 99 15 5/ For 100l. money, which was pr cent. under the actual valuation of their money. This he fubmitted to be the best terms ever made on any fimilar occafion. The Houfe being refumed, the Report was ordered to be received to-morrow. Sir Francis Burdett, after fome few obfervations, moved, That there be laid before the Houfe a lift of the names of the feveral perfons committed by virtue of an Act, intitled "An Act empowering his Majefty to confiae persons fufpected of being guilty of treasonable or feditious practices," together with the feveral prifons wherein they are confined. Mr Pitt faid, he had no objection to the motion; but if it were intended to found any other motion thereon, he fignified that his oppofition then would depend on the nature of the intended motion. The motion was then amended, on a fuggeftion from the Speaker, that as it was a power committed to the Crown, an Addrefs to his Majefty was the proper mode to adopt. An Addrefs was agreed to, agreeable to the tenor of the motion. 11. A Meffage from the Lords announced that their Lordships had agreed to the Bill for granting Lord Nelfon an annuity of 2000l. during his life, and that of his next two heirs bearing the title. Mr Tierney, purfuan to the notice he had given, role to make his promised motion. In doing which, he wifhed it. might be known that he acted from himfelf as an individual, in no wife connected with any party influence. The purport of his motion was, "That it is the duty of his Majefty's Minifters not to advife his Majefty to make any Alliances which may impede or prevent a Negotiation for Peace with the French Republic, whenever that Power fhows a difpofition to make Peace confiftent with the honour and intereft of the British Empire.' Concerning Continental Alliances, he was of opinion they could not be advantageous to England, and it must be other arguments than thofe he had already heard that would convince him to the contrary. It may be faid that the motion infringes on the Royal Prerogative; that he denied: as well might it be faid, that the withholding, or even refufing the fupply, which can prevent carrying on war, infringed upon the prerogative of the Monarch, who had the power of making peace and war. He was aware of the many objections that might be ftarted to the motion. It might be faid it damped the rifing spirit that prevailed throughout the nation, and throughout all Europe against the common enemy. He denied there exifted on the Continent fuch a tendency. He begged the Houfe to confider the relative fituation of Ruffia, Pruffia, and the Porte, the formidable Allies with whom we were to engage. Could any man of common fenfe believe that cordiality would exist between the Ottomans and the Ruffians? Or fuppofe that the Emperor and the Ruffians could agree in a common cause? or could a child in politics be convinced that Ruffia, the Emperor, and the Porte, could be called to gether in any one caufe whatsoever, particularly in a fubfidiary war? He was convinced of the impoffibility. He adverted to the former "General Confederacy;" and fhewed how Prussia, with 1,200,000!. in her pocket, fell off the first; how the Emperor followed her example; and how, at this moment, each of these powers are actually endeavouring, each for themselves, to fecure a lafting peace with the French Republic on the beft terms they can. He was of opinion Peace could now be made with France on eligible terms; the time of victory was the time to achieve it. We manifefted a difpofition in a moft generous way foon after the victory of Lord Duncan; it was still more within our reach now, fince that fplendid victory gained by Lord Nelfon. If, however, we are to have war and alliances, the way for England to co-operate would be with her Navy; but if we were to fend away our troops, he would, by his duty as a Reprefentative of the Nation, proteft against it; and if we were to fend fubfidies, he would, by the fhare of domeftic happiness which he muft forfeit on the occafion, protest against them. He then took a view of the ftate of Ireland, which he confidered at this inftant in a precarious fituation. He noticed the dangers that threatened our Eaftern fettlements from the irruption of Buonaparte in India. He obferved also that the Weft Indies indicated fymptoms no lefs alarming. Whilft, therefore, we had fo much to apprehend at home, and fo little to do with foreign alliances, he would ever oppofe crufades. He then moved as before expreffed. The motion being feconded, Mr Canning oppofed it in very warm and energetic terms. He took a comprehenfive view of the war, its progrefs, and its prefent ftate; he adverted in a mafterly manner to the observations made concerning our allies, and fhewed in pictureique colours the cruelties committed by the French in Switzerland, the crimes committed againft Venice, their ufurpaation of the Netherlands, of Holland, and of Egypt, their depredations in Germany, and their fpoliation in Italy. Hence he argued the neceffity of refifting them, and of forming alliances for that purpose. He took into confideration, in a masterly manner, our relative fituation with that of all other countries, and displayed a vigour of mind equally intelligent, equally claffical; and having replied, in a convincing ftile of argument, to the feveral points adduced by the Hon. Gentleman who made the motion, concluded with invoking the House to refift it in every shape. Mr Jykell faid, he disapproved of continental aliiances, and would therefore vote for the motion; as continuing the war, and increasing our expence in fo romantic a measure as improving French morals, would be attended with such an expence to English justice, that the amount would be infinite, and the end unanswered. Sir James Murray oppofed the motion, as did Mr William Dickinson. The motion was then put and negatived without a divifion. 12. The House, in a Committee on the Bill empowering his Majefty to accept the voluntary offer of fuch militia regiT2 ments |
