ANECDOTE OF HIS MAJESTY.

IS MAJESTY, during the two nights of the

HIS

riots, fat up with feveral general Officers in the Queen's Riding-Houfe, from whence meffengers were conftantly dispatched to obferve the

motions of the mob.-Between three and four thousand troops were in the Queen's Gardens, and surrounded Buckingham-Houfe. During the first night the alarm was fo fudden, that no straw could be got for the troops to reft themselves on; which being told his Majefty, he, accompanied with one or two officers, went throughout the ranks, telling them," My lads, my crown cannot purchase you ftraw to night, but depend on it, I have given orders that a sufficiency fhall be here to-morrow forenoon; as a substitute for the ftraw, my fervants will inftantly ferve you with a good allowance of wine and spirits, to make your fituation as comfortable as poffible; and I fhall keep you company myself till morning." The King did fo, walking moftly in the garden, fometimes vifiting the Queen and the Children in the palace, and receiving all meffages in the Riding-Houfe, it being in a manner head quarters. When he was told that part of the mob was attempting to get into St. James's, and to the Park, he forbade the fol

diers to fire, but ordered them to keep off the rioters with their bayonets; the mob, in confequence of that, were fo daring as to take hold of the bayonets and shake them, defying the foldiers to fire or hurt them; however, nothing further was attempted on the part of the rioters in that quarter.

ΟΝ ΤΗ Ε

CHARACTER OF A SLANDERER.

Ο
OF

F all the characters in life, none can be more defpicable, none more pernicious to fociety, than that of a Slanderer. He feems to poffefs a genius only, fit for mischief and dark defigns. He feizes every opportunity to heighten his own importance, whilft he takes every advantage of weaknefs or misfortune to deprefs that of others. He envies those whom he fees united, and waits for a convenient opportunity to diffolve the union. If adverfity is our lot, how alleviating is the folace of a friend; fhould fuccefs fmile on our endeavours, ftill his converfation is one of the most fatisfactory pleasures we can enjoy. What ideas, then, can be fufficient, or expreffions fevere enough, to characterife a being who would deftroy

that

power

that comfort which a friend can afford us in dif trefs! or, when we are profperous, that delight which arifes from his participation! But, how much worse, and more unpardonably cruel, is it, if he flanders us to those who have it in their power to refent, nay, perhaps, to ruin us, by withdrawing their favours, to our difadvantage. It is not in the of imagination to paint, in its true colours, villainy like this. Mr. Addifon afserts, and on his authority I prefume," that every honest man fets as high a value upon a good name as upon life itself; and I cannot," fays he, "but think that those who privately affault the one, would deftroy the other, might they do it with fecrecy and impunity." If this, then, be fo, those who are detected in flander ought to be looked upon as affaffins in their hearts, and meet with that contempt and abhorrence which fo bafe a crime excites and deferves.

An O DE

FOR

HIS MAJESTY's BIRTH-DAY.

WHAT native Genius taught the Britons bold

To guard their fea-girt cliffs of old?

'Twas Liberty: fhe taught difdain

Of Death, of Rome's Imperial chain:
She bade the Druid harp to battle found,
In tones prophetic, through the gloom profound
Of forefts hoar, with holy foliage hung,
From grove to grove the pealing prelude rung;
Belinus call'd his painted tribes around,

And, rough with many a veteran scar,
Swept the pale legions with fcythed car:
While baffled Cæfars fled, to gain
An easier triumph on Pharfalia's plain;
And left the ftubborn ifle to ftand elate
Amidst a conquer'd world, in lone majestic ftate.

II.

A kindred spirit foon to Britain's fhore The fons of Saxon Elva bore;

Fraught with th' unconquerable foul,

Who died, to drain the warrior-bowl,

In that bright Hall, where Odin's Gothic throne With the broad blaze of brandifh'd falchion fhone;

Where

Where the long roofs rebounded to the din
Of spectre chiefs, who feafted far within :

Yet, not intent on deathful deeds alone,
They felt the fires of focial zeal,
The peaceful wifdom of the public weal;
Though nurs'd in arms and hardy ftrife,
They knew to frame the plans of temper'd life;
The King's the people's balanc'd claims to found
On one eternal bafe, indiffolubly bound.

III.

Sudden, to fhake the Saxon's mild domain, Rufh'd in rude fwarms the robber Dane, From frozen waftes, and caverns wild, To genial England's fcenes beguil'd; And in his clamorous van exulting came The Demons foul of famine and of flame: Witness the fheep-clod fummits, roughly crown'd

With

many a frowning fofs, and airy mound, Which yet his defultory march proclaim! Nor ceas'd the tide of gore to flow, 'Till Alfred's laws allur'd th' inteftine foe; And Harold calm'd his headlong rage To brave atchievement, and to counfel fage; For oft in favage breasts the buried feeds

Of brooding Virtue live, and Freedom's fairest

deeds!

IV.