THE FOLLOWING ILLIBERAL IMPROMPTU
APPEARED IN THE “MORNING POST.”
“Our Nation’s foes lament
on Fox’s death,
But bless the hour, when PITT resign’d
his breath:
These feelings wide, let Sense and Truth
unclue,
We give the palm, where Justice points
its due.”
TO WHICH THE AUTHOR OF THESE PIECES
SENT THE FOLLOWING REPLY [i]
FOR INSERTION IN THE “MORNING CHRONICLE.”
Oh, factious viper! whose envenom’d
tooth
Would mangle, still, the dead, perverting
truth; [ii]
What, though our “nation’s
foes” lament the fate,
With generous feeling, of the good and
great;
Shall dastard tongues essay to blast the
name [iii]
Of him, whose meed exists in endless fame?
When PITT expir’d in plenitude of
power,
Though ill success obscur’d his
dying hour,
Pity her dewy wings before him spread,
For noble spirits “war not with
the dead:”
His friends in tears, a last sad requiem
gave,
As all his errors slumber’d in the
grave; [iv]
He sunk, an Atlas bending “’neath
the weight” [v]
Of cares o’erwhelming our conflicting
state.
When, lo! a Hercules, in Fox, appear’d,
Who for a time the ruin’d fabric
rear’d:
He, too, is fall’n, who Britain’s
loss supplied, [vi]
With him, our fast reviving hopes have
died;
Not one great people, only, raise his
urn,
All Europe’s far-extended regions
mourn.
“These feelings wide, let Sense
and Truth undue,
To give the palm where Justice points
its due;” [vii]
Yet, let not canker’d Calumny assail,
Or round her statesman wind her gloomy
veil.
FOX! o’er whose corse a mourning
world must weep,
Whose dear remains in honour’d marble
sleep;
For whom, at last, e’en hostile
nations groan,
While friends and foes, alike, his talents
own.—[ix]
Fox! shall, in Britain’s future
annals, shine,
Nor e’en to PITT, the patriot’s
‘palm’ resign;
Which Envy, wearing Candour’s sacred
mask,
For PITT, and PITT alone, has dar’d
to ask. [x]
(Southwell, Oct., 1806. [1])
[Footnote 1: The stanza on the
death of Fox appeared in the Morning Post,
September 26, 1806.]
[Footnote 2: This MS. is preserved at Newstead.]
[Footnote i:
The subjoined Reply.
[4to] ]
[Footnote ii:
Would mangle, still, the dead, in spite
of truth.
[4to] ]
[Footnote iii:
Shall, therefore, dastard tongues assail
the name
Of him, whose virtues claim eternal fame?
[4to] ]
[Footnote iv: And all his errors.—[4to]
]
[Footnote v: He died, an
Atlas bending ’neath the weight Of cares oppressing
our unhappy state. But lo! another Hercules appeared.
[4to] ]
[Footnote vi:
He too is dead who still our England
propp’d With him our fast reviving hopes have
dropp’d.
[4to] ]
[Footnote vii: And give the palm. [4to]
]
[Footnote viii:
But let not canker’d Calumny
assail
And round.—
[4to] ]
[Footnote ix: And friends and foes. [4to]
]
[Footnote x: ‘—would dare to
ask.’ [410]]
