ページの画像
PDF
ePub

come Imperial, and fight with Imperial weapons. Down, then, with the Militia! Call up a ftanding force! Prepare the prifons! Let not Princes of Wales nor Dukes of Norfolk command Englishmen! Hire the hungry Heffian and the countrylefs Hanoverian to guard our hearths and our laws! Oh, Pitt! oh, Colonel! I long to fee thee in the plenitude of power. Would thou wouldst create a new office for thyfelf, and be Lord Advocate of England!

I hope the reader will pardon this apoftrophe, efpecially as it is no digreffion; for I have been fhewing the neceffity of railing the Colonel up to that elevation which would enable him to cope advantageously with the Emperor of the French. And I have the fatisfaction to believe that our Colonel himself has long been meditating on the means. In the laft war he found himself not fully a match for Bonaparté ; becaufe, although he furpaffed him in the ftudy of human nature, he knew little or nothing of the practice of war. Many people of good information fuppofe that the confcioufnefs of this defect was the true caufe of his refigning his place, and that he gave the reins to the Doctor juft to hold for him till he should learn the field exercife. It is not my bufinefs to comment on the roguery of the Doctor in keeping the place after the Colonel had picked up a proper knowledge of drilling; but of this I am certain, that, in doing fo, the Doctor has unwittingly conferred a great and lafting benefit on his country, by keeping the Colonel employed for two campaigns in military fervice, and, upon one occafion, fourteen days together on permanent duty. I know the Colonel too well to think he would endure an extravagant compliment; but I may take upon me to fay, that thofe who have feen Colonel Pitt at the head of his Volunteer Corps, will not be furprised that Bonaparté has hitherto been fo fhy about invading us, I might here, likewife,

5

allude

allude to the Colonel's new Defence Bill, the evidence and proud monument of his military fkill, which must excite the most warlike sensations over the whole country, by introducing the drum and fife into the workhouse, the prifon, and the hospital; and furnishing with cockades and beating orders the meek beadles of our holy church.

The Colonel's treatment of the Doctor is the next point that occurs to me; but as that is a very nice fubject, and likely to run into fome length, I must referve it until I afcertain whether you have liberality enough to print what I have already written.

July 19.

[The fubject was not refumed.]

JOHN BULL'S INVITATION TO BONAPARTÉ, [From the General Evening Poft.]

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR CONSULSHIP,

WE, the undersigned, Minifters Plenipotentiary of John Bull, our mafter, appointed to make a report to your high and mighty Confulfhip, beg to inform you, that John Bull has heard, with much pleasure, the repeated declarations of your Confulfhip's intention to vifit the good people of England; and that he has accordingly made every neceffary preparation to give you a hearty welcome. Among every defcription of his people the utmoft anxiety prevails to have the honour of guarding your auguft perfonage in this land of Liberty. The wealthy citizens of London in particular stand forward with an ardour not to be paralleled, and, heart in hand, are ready to meet you with a fraternal embrace. The Lord Mayor is eager to prefs you to dine with the beef-eaters in the Tower; and the Sheriffs' officers will wait on you with their best-bodied porter. They have preferved

for

for you a new drop, in good wood, at the Old Bailey, which will foon be up. It is rather ropy, and apt to fly to the head; but if taken coolly, though at first it. may take away the breath, it never fails to fit eafy on the ftomach afterwards. But not only in the imperialcity does this refpect for your Confulthip difplay itfelf; the fame ftrong proofs of attachment will be cheerfully fhewn you in every part of John Bull's dominions, from the Cornish hug at Penzance to the grand. falute of the Portsmouth garrifon.

John Bull, moreover, in his defire to fhew you every polite attention, has ordered fome of his beft men to cruife off all your principal ports, for the purpose of affording you eafer accommodation in your paffage to the little island of Great Britain; and if your Confulfhip will have the goodness to put to fea in one of your wonderful flat-bottomed boats, you will find thefe feady pilots ready and willing to convoy you over the herring-pond; or, if you prefer it, they will Send you a fhorter way to David Jones, who has long been on the look-out for you. Should you, however, unfortunately miss these brave fellows in the dark, and by accident get near our fhores, you will be fure to find our trusty brother, Sam Signal, ftationed to give us the earlieft notice of your approach; on which we will inftantly fly with open arms to give you a warm reception, and make ready to prefent to your Confulthip the load of kindness which the fire of our friendship has in reserve for you.

We have it alfo in command from John Bull to fay, that the favours which he has on fome former occafions conferred on the French Nation, justify him in the hope that your Confulfhip will not decline this opportunity to teftify your gratitude, and make the return which he fo anxiously defires. He begs to remind you, that in the year 1346, Edward III. king of England, fhewed great partiality to France, by vifiting

fiting it with 30,000 attendants; and, at a place called Creffy, was wonderfully civil and obliging. Afterwards, accompanied by his fon, the Black Prince, he gained fuch influence over the French monarch at Poitiers, that he felt himself bound (though rather reluctantly) to come to England; where, having been fome time taken great care of, he, at his departure, left behind him 300,000l. Again, in the year 1415, Harry V. did another memorable act of kindness to the French people at Agincourt, when he treated 100,000 of them with true English fare until they got a complete bellyful. And, in a more recent inftance, which ought not to efcape your recollection, John Bull fent a few of our fellow-fervants, under the command of Sir Sydney Smith, to meet you at Acre; when that gallant officer, with his accustomed addrefs, perfuaded you by the most forcible arguments to defift from the dangerous enterprife which you had then undertaken. Should this act of kindness, from the fmall number of Englishmen concerned in it, be thought to give John Bull no great claim on 3 gratitude, he prefumes to think that the impreffion it made on you at the time, and the feasonable relief he afterwards gave to your deferted army in Egypt, will not be very foon forgotten.

your

Thefe well-known inflances of John Bull's friendly difpofition towards your Confulfhip may convince you of the fincerity and good ground on which he makes his prefent pretenfions. We therefore only defire to fay farther for our felves, that if you will accept his kind invitation, and give him a perfonal interview, we will engage to difcharge our duty, and immediately come to the point.

We beg to offer our beft withes that your Confulship may become the diftinguished mark of high confideration at which we aim.

JOHN CANNON,

FRED. MUSKet,

BOB BAYONET,

PETER PIKE.

BONAPARTÉ'S ANSWER TO JOHN BULL'S CARD,
INVITING HIM TO ENGLAND;

WITH A FEW LINES CONCERNING HIS BROTHERS,
TAFFY, SAWNEY, AND PADDY.
[From Afperne's Collection of Loyal Papers.]
Tune-"Here we go up, up, up."

MY

Y dear Johnny Bull, the laft mail
Brought over your kind invitation,
And ftrongly it tempts us to fail

In our boats, to your flourishing nation.
But Prudence the whifpers-" Beware,
Don't you fee that his fleets are in motion ?
He'll play you fome d-d rufe de guerre,
If he catches you out on the ocean."

CHORUS. Our fears they mount up, up, up,
Our hopes they fink down-y, down-y,
Our hearts they beat backwards and forwards,
Our heads they turn round-y, round y.

You fay that pot-luck shall be mine,
Je n'entends pas ces mots, Monfieur Bull;
But think I can guess your defign,

When you talk of a good bellyful.
I have promis'd my men, with rich food
Their courage and faith to reward;
I tell them your puddings are good,
Though your dumplings are rather too hard.
O my Johnny, my Johnny,

And O my Johnny, my dear-y,
Let a few of us come over,

To tafte your beef and beer-y.
I've read and I've heard much of Wales,
Its mines, and its meadows, and fountains,
Of black cattle fed in the vales,

And goats fkipping wild on the mountains,
Were I but fafe landed there,

What improvements I'd make in the place!
I'd prattle and kiss with the fair,

Give the men the fraternal embrace.

O my Taffy, my Taffy,

Soon I'll come, if it please ye,

To riot on delicate mutton,
Good ale, and tóafted cheefe-y.

Caledonia

« 前へ次へ »