Which proves a magical redoubt,
To keep mischievous spirits out.
Sid's rod was of a larger stride,
And made a circle thrice as wide,
Where spirits throng with hideous din,
And he stood there to take them in ;
But when th' enchanted rod was broke,
They vanish'd in a stinking smoke.
Achilles' sceptre was of wood,
Like Sid's, but nothing near so good;
Though down from ancestors divine
Transmitted to the hero's line;

Thence, through a long descent of kings,
Came an HEIRLOOM,* as Homer sings.
Though this description looks so big,
That sceptre was a sapless twig,
Which, from the fatal day, when first
It left the forest where 'twas nursed,
As Homer tells us o'er and o'er,
Nor leaf, nor fruit, nor blossom bore.
Sid's sceptre, full of juice, did shoot
In golden boughs, and golden fruit ;
And he, the dragon never sleeping,
Guarded each fair Hesperian Pippin.
No hobby-horse, with gorgeous top,
The dearest in Charles Mather's † shop,
Or glittering tinsel of May-fair,
Could with the rod of Sid compare.

Dear Sid, then why wert thou so mad
To break thy rod like naughty lad?

* Godolphin's favour arose from his connection with the family of Marlborough.

† An eminent toyman in Fleet-street.

When Godolphin received the Queen's message, removing him from the office of treasurer, he broke his whole rod into two pieces, and threw them into the chimney, desiring the messenger to bear witness he had obeyed her majesty's commands.

You should have kiss'd it in your distress,
And then returned to your mistress;
Or made it a Newmarket switch,*
And not a rod for thy own breech.
But since old Sid has broken this,
His next may be a rod in piss.

PARODY

ON THE RECORDER'S SPEECH TO HIS GRACE THE DUKE OF Ormond, 4TH JULY, 1711.

THIS city can omit no opportunity of expressing their hearty affection for her majesty's person and government; and their regard for your grace, who has the honour of representing her in this kingdom.

We retain, my lord, a grateful remembrance of the mild and just administration of the government of this kingdom by your noble ancestors; and, when we consider the share your grace had in the happy Revolution, in 1688, and the many good laws you have procured us since, particularly that for preventing the farther growth of Popery, we are assured that that liberty and property, that happy constitution in church and state, to which we were restored by King William of glorious memory, will be inviolably preserved under your grace's administration. And we are persuaded that we cannot more effectually recommend ourselves to your grace's favour and protection, than by assuring you that we will, to the

* Lord Godolphin is satirized by Mr. Pope, for a strong attachment to the turf. See his Moral Essays.

utmost of our power, contribute to the honour and safety of her majesty's government, the maintenance of the succession in the illustrious house of Hanover, and that we shall at all times oppose the secret and open attempts of the Pretender, and all his

abettors.

The Recorder's Speech explained by the Tories.

An ancient metropolis, famous of late

For opposing the Church, and for nosing the State, For protecting sedition and rejecting order

Made the following speech by their mouth, the Recorder:

First, to tell you the name of this place of renown, Some still call it Dublin, but most Forster's town.

The Speech.

May it please your Grace,

We cannot omit this occasion to tell,

That we love the Queen's person and government

well;

Then next, to your Grace we this compliment

make,

That our worships regard you, but 'tis for her sake:

Though our mouth be a Whig, and our head a
Dissenter,

Yet salute you we must, 'cause you represent her:
Nor can we forget, sir, that some of your line
Did with mildness and peace in this government
shine.

But of all your exploits, we'll allow but one fact,
That your Grace has procured us a Popery Act.

actions

By this you may see that the least of
your
Does conduce still the most to our satisfactions.
And lastly, because in the year eighty-eight
You did early appear in defence of our right,
We give no other proof of your zeal to your Prince;
So we freely forget all your services since.

It's then only we hope, that whilst you rule o'er us, You'll tread in the steps of King William the glorious,

Whom we're always adoring, though hand over head,

For we owe him allegiance, although he be dead; Which shews that good zeal may be founded in spleen,

Since a dead Prince we worship, to lessen the
Queen.

And as for her Majesty, we will defend her
Against our hobgoblin, the Popish Pretender.
Our valiant militia will stoutly stand by her,
Against the sly Jack, and the sturdy High-flier.
She is safe when thus guarded, if Providence bless
her,

And Hanover's sure to be next her successor.

Thus ended the speech, but what heart would not pity

His Grace, almost choked with the breath of the

City!

The famous Speech-maker of England, or Baron (alias Barren) Lovel's Charge* at the Assizes at Exon, April 5, 1710.

Or the authenticity of this production there cannot be the slightest doubt. It is not only in the manner of Swift, but in his very best and most characteristic style of irony.

-Risum teneatus ?

FROM London to Exon,

By special direction,

Came down the world's wonder,

Sir Salathiel Blunder,

With a quoif on his head

As heavy as lead;

And thus opened and said :

Gentlemen of the Grand Inquest,

Her majesty, mark it,
Appointed this circuit
For me and my brother,
Before any other;

To execute laws,

As you may suppose,

Upon such as offenders have been.

* See the original charge in the Examiner, 1745, No. I. p. 55. -Sir Salathiel Lovel died May 3, 1717.