William Shippen

“ If then what I have said be true, and the Sense of the honest Part of the Kingdom, the Reader cannot think, any Liberty I have taken Reflecting or Scandalous; for Truth is never so, tho' it may be sometimes Unseasonable. But he must own that I have acquitted the Duty of a good Subject in endeavouring to lay the Enemies of our Constitution. A Constitution whose Government is Projected upon a more refined Policy, and experienced Wisdom, than any in the World. Other Countries labour under the Bondage of Arbitrary Princes, or more Arbitrary Commonwealths. ”

“ Nor Tyranny, that Savage Brutal Pow'r,
Which not protects Mankind, but does devour.
Nor Commonwealth, a Monster, Hydra-State,
Whose many Heads attempt each others Fate,
And load their Body with unweildy Weight. ”

“ The Characters are already sufficiently known to the World, and this Edition will not make them much more so, but only make the Poems appear more Correct, and that Justice every Body must own ought to be done to them. ”

“ We are like to be well instructed indeed, when such Men as these pretend to give us Schemes of Morality and Government, when they undertake to direct our Principles, and guide our Consciences. Sure he has a very contemptible Opinion of Mankind, or a very great one of himself, to imagine, that because he was Read with Pleasure, when he fell in with the Peoples just Resentments of the Proceedings of a devouring Ministry ”

“ AT a Time when we are celebrating the Successes of our Arms Abroad, and the Wisdom of our Councils at Home; when there seems to be no room left for Complaints, and the Nation is only prepared to receive Panegyrick; I am sensible a Piece of this kind will be severely censur'd. For those that are taken up with the present Appearances of Things, who are by much the greatest part of the World, will be apt to say it is Unseasonable at least, if not False and Malicious. ”

“ For how can Men of common Understanding pretend to look two ways at once, to blow hot and cold, and fancy that every body does not see through the pitiful Disguise and Artifice? They call themselves true Sons of the Church, and yet make no Scruple of opposing a Bill, which (they own) is essential to its Preservation. Because it is offered at an unreasonable Time, and in a violent and unparliamentary Method. ”

“ But in a mixt and limited Monarchy, where the deepest Resorts of Policy and Turns of Government are in some measure known to Men of Rank and Condition, and where a Right of Impeachment is lodged in the House of Commons, it can never be maintained; for that it would destroy this Fundamental Right, and render the Accusation of Great Officers, tho' guilty of never so fatal and pernicious Scotch Counsels, Impracticable. But I wou'd not here be suppos'd to countenance that scandalous Principle of Appealing to the Mob. ”

“ The same just Stile, the same deep Sense appears.
No Jests nor Puns deform the studied Page,
But all is Manly Thought and Noble Rage;
But all along the mighty Genius shines,
Informs and Animates the sacred Lines. ”

“ When for th' Establish'd Faith they should contend,
Meekness and Christian Charity pretend;
But with a blind Enthusiastick Rage,
For Schism and Toleration they engage;
With strange Delight and Vehemence espouse
Occasional Conformists shameful Cause;
Oppress thy Friends, and Vindicate thy Foes,
Thy Guardian Laws to weaken they Combine,
And tamely thy Essential Rights resign.
Thy Antient Truths with [2] Modern Glosses blend,
Destroying the Religion they would mend.
But Muse proceed, nor dwell on Thoughts too long,
That would Inflame thy Satyrizing Song. ”

“ But that King seems to Act upon the most rational Principles, and must be allowed to acquit himself with Honour and Justice, who as he attempts not to stretch the Prerogative into Tyranny, so he firmly adheres to all its just Rights and Priviledges; who maintains a good Correspondence with his Parliaments, especially such as give distinguishing Proofs of their Loyalty, in settling large Revenues, in raising quick and satisfactory Supplies, in supporting the Interest of his Kingdoms, and the cause of his Crown ”

“ Upon the Infant Luminary gaze;
They find their Heav'n enlarg'd, and wait from thence
Some Blest, some more than common Influence:
But suddenly alas! the fleeting Light
Retiring leaves their Hopes involv'd in endless Night. ”

“ A History might teach succeeding Kings,
Whence the long Train of all their Sorrow Springs,
What draws their Subjects Love, what moves their Hate,
Who would support their Crowns, who work their Fate. ”

“ Hence it is, that the Crown of England seldom sits easy on the Heads of our Princes, it being almost impossible for them to give Universal Satisfaction to their Subjects. The Scepter is too ponderous to be wielded by every Hand, and there is required more depth and penetration to Reign here, than in other Nations. ”

“ For it is Compounded of so many obstinate Sectaries and inveterate Parties, that they are no more to be Reconciled than the differing Principles in Nature, and are like to carry on their Disputes too the End of the World. ”

“ Uncheck'd by Fear, unhumbled by Disgrace;
Whose Working, Turbulent, Fanatick Mind
No Tenderness can move, no Ties can bind.
To gain a Rake he'll Drink, and Whore, and Rant;
T'engage a Puritan will Pray and Cant.
So Satan can in diff'ring Forms appear,
Or Radiant Light, or Gloomy Darkness wear.
Thrice he Blasphem'd, and thrice he frantick Swore
By ev'ry Terrible Infernal Pow'r;
Then wav'd his Staff, and said:
Tho N———'s Death has all our Measures broke,
Yet never will we bend to A———'s Yoke.
The glorious Revolution was in vain,
If Monarchy once more its Rights regain. ”

“ Nor can I yet be convinced, that it is an arrogant Presumption in private Persons (as some wou'd have it) to examine and censure the Actions of Publick Ministers: who (say they) being nearest the Helm, are consequently best able to judge of what ought, and ought not to be done; whereas Men in a remote Sphere, and at a distance, can not possibly enter into the Councils of State, and must therefore determine rashly and without Knowledge. ”

“ Exert their Pow'r, and make the World my own.
⁠Camillo, tho' triumphant in the Field
Seduc'd by Grants shall to this Party yield.
A Chief, to form whose mighty Mind, conspire
The Roman Conduct, and the Grecian Fire.
Germania's Stator, and Britannia's Joy,
Whose Fame does the whole Western World imploy.
By whom (so Heav'n and Anna have decreed)
Tyrants are humbled, enslav'd Nations freed. ”

“ Provokes the Ladies Scorn, and mocks their Eyes.
But Balls and Musick are his greatest Care,
So willing is the Wretch to please the Fair.
'Tis strange, that Men, what Nature has deny'd,
Should make their only Aim, their only Pride. ”

“ But false Friends are the most dangerous Enemies, and they are yet much more so, when they are invested with Power, and the Ministration of Affairs wholly put into their Hands.
'Tis to be wish'd there were no Occasion for Invectives of this kind, that Great Men did always execute their Trusts, and perform their Duty, and were only the Objects of our Esteem and Admiration. ”

“ I heartily pity some young Gentlemen, who were unwarily drawn in. For they now find themselves impos'd upon, their Fortunes not much advanc'd, and their Reputations sacrificed. There is no need of a Prophetick Spirit to foresee, that their Crafty Leader himself will in a very short time be supplanted by his New Allies; and if he falls unpitied by his Old Friends, he must consider, 'tis but the just Reward of his prevaricating deceitful Practices. ”

“ TIS the Criticks Objection to Lucan, that his Poem is too Historical; but it must be said in his Defence, that tho' for that Reason he may perhaps delight less; yet he certainly Instructs more, which is the better End of Poetry. We have a more distinct Idea of the Characters of Cæsar, Pompey, Cato, and Brutus, in him, than we have of Augustus (under the Person of Æneas) in Virgil. We have Truth and Nakedness in one; Fiction and Embellishment in the other. ”

“ Alike their Friendship and their Hate disdains,
Disdains their Clamour and Seditious Noise,
Secure in the Applauding Senate's Voice.
Of Noble Stem, in whose Collat'ral Lines
Virtue with equal Force and Lustre shines. ”

“ A Soul he boasts with Native Grandeur born,
That my Volpone's Schemes rejects with Scorn:
Form'd of a brighter and diviner Mould,
Can ne'er by humbler Reason be controul'd;
Can ne'er in Dark involv'd Designments join,
But bravely with the Court will all_its Pow'r resign. ”

“ Nor wou'd I be understood in the least to detract from the Prerogative, which no Man living has in higher Veneration than myself. For I think it never violated but by a profligate abandon'd Nation, and I wish, for the Honour of the English Name, our Annals had recorded no Instances of that kind. But every Age constantly produces some Promoters of Sedition and publick Discontent ”

“ And as none has labour'd more, so none is more Scandalous, than a certain Doctor, who after having Scribled himself, and that simple Wretch his Son, into Preferment, has lately appear'd in his proper Colours, and unsaid what he formerly urg'd with so much Vehemence and pretended Zeal for his Country's Good. ”

“ But when the Case is quite otherwise, when they become Treacherous, and betray the Authority delegated to them; 'tis fit they should hear of their Faults, and the People be undeceiv'd, who are grosly impos'd upon by the servile Flatteries of Hireling Writers. A Generation of Animals, that always infest the Doors of Men in Power; and tho' one wou'd think their Trash cou'd never pass upon the Moderate, the Grave, and the Wise, yet they are sometimes thought worthy of Pensions, and Places of 1200l. ”