UPON THE BISHOP OF ROCHESTERS BANISHMENT, IN 1723.] BY PHILIP, DUKE OF WHARTON.* I. As o'er the fwelling ocean's tide An exile TULLY rode, The bulwark of the Roman state, The facred GENIUS of majestick Rome 5 II. Farewel, renown'd in arts, farewel, Thus conquer'd by thy foe, Of honours and of friends depriv'd, In exile muft thou go: " Yet go content; thy look, thy will fedate, Thy foul fuperior to the fhocks of fate, III. Thy wisdom was thy only guilt, Thy virtue thy offence; With godlike zeal thou didft efpouse Thy country's juft defence: 10 15 No fordid hopes could charm thy fteady foul, No fears, nor guilty numbers could controul. IV. What tho' the noblest patriots stood What tho' thou couldt display the force Of rhet'rick and of laws, No eloquence, no reasons could repel 20 Th' united strength of CLODIUS, and of hell. V. Thy mighty ruin to effect What plots have been devis'd! What arts, what perjuries been us'd! What laws and rites defpis'd! 25 How many fools and knaves by bribes allur'd, And witneffes by hopes and threats fecur'd! VI. And yet they act their dark deceit And form a fpecious fhew of right With arbitrary pow'r the people awe, 35 * ....CLODIUS, who procur'd the banishment of Ci CERO, was a lewd Roman fenator, and made tribune of the people. That great orator was afterwards recall'd by POMPEY, and CLODIUS was killed by MILO, a perfon of confular dignity; which the genius of ROME, in the two laft ftanzas, is here made particularly to point at, as in a prophetick manner. The character is intended for fir Robert Walpole. VII. Let CLODIUS now in grandeur reign, Let him exert his pow'r, A short-liv'd monster in the land, Let pageant fools adore their wooden god, And act against their senses at his nod, VIII. Pierc'd by an untimely hand To earth fhall He defcend, Tho' now with gaudy honours cloath'd, Bleft be the man who does his pow'r defy, And dares or truly Speak, or bravely Die. 40 ON THE DEATH OF A YOUNG GENTLEMAN. BY CHRISTOPHER PITT." WITH joy, bleft youth, we faw thee reach thy goal; 5 10 Fair was thy frame, and beautiful thy foul; * Born 1699; dyed 1748. } |