m 
 
 mi 
 
 An Heroic Postscript to the Public, 
 Occasioned by their Favourable Re- 
 ception of a late Heroic Epistle to 
 Sir William Chanbers, Knt. ^c , 
 
 By 
 
 William Mason
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 
 AT LOS ANGELES
 
 A N 
 
 HEROIC POSTSCRIPT 
 
 T O 
 
 THE P U B I. I C. 
 
 IPRICE ONE SHILLING.)
 
 ^^. 
 
 A. N 
 
 HEROIC POSTSCRIPT 
 
 T O 
 
 THE PUBLIC, 
 
 Occafioned by their favourable Reception of a late 
 
 HEROIC EPISTLE 
 
 To Sir WILLIAM CHAMBERS, Knt. &c. 
 
 By the AUTHOR of that EPISTLE. 
 
 Sicelldes mufc, paullo majora canamu?. Virgii., 
 
 LONDON; 
 
 Printed for J, Ai.mok, oppofite BuRi.iNGTON-HouSf, in PiCCADlItv, 
 
 MDCCLXXIV.
 
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 « 
 
 AN HEROIC POSTSCRIPT 
 
 T O 
 
 HE PUBLIC. 
 
 I 
 
 THAT of late. Sir William's Bard, and Squire, 
 jNIarch'd with his helm andb-uckler on my lyre, 
 
 (What time the Knight prick'd forth in ill-ftarr'd hafte, 
 Comptroller General of the works of talte,) 
 
 B Now 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 Verfe i. fl that of late] 
 
 llie ego qu: quondam^ isfc. VlRGiL, or fomebody for him. 
 
 Verfe 4. [Works of taifej Put f^^noiiim-jufiy for his Mjjefty's work.s. See Sir Y-^- 
 2 ^film's title fa^e. 
 
 806952
 
 16 1 
 
 Now to the Public tune my grateful lays, 3 
 
 Warm'd with the fun-fhine of the Public praife ; 
 Warm'd too with mem'ry of that golden time, 
 When Almon gave me veafon for my rhyme ; 
 
 glittering oris, and, what endear'd them more. 
 
 Each glittering orb the facred features bore 10 
 
 Of George the good, the gracious, and the great, • 
 
 Unfil'd, uiifweated, all of fleiling \veight ; 
 
 Or, were they not, they pafs'd with current eafe. 
 
 Good feemings then were good realities ; 
 
 No Senate had convey'd, by fmuggling art, 15 
 
 Pow'r to the mob to play Cadogan's part ; 
 
 Now, thro' the land, that impious pow'r prevails. 
 
 All weigh their Sov'reign in their private fcales, 
 
 And 
 
 NOTE, 
 
 Verfe 16. [Cadogan's part] Mafter of the Mint.
 
 [ 7 ] 
 And find him wanting : all fave me alone, 
 
 For, lad to {Iiy ! my glittering orbs are gone. 20 
 
 ,But ill befeems a Poet to repent. 
 
 Lightly they came, and full as lightly went. , 
 
 Peace to their manes ! may they never feel 
 Some keen Scotch banker's unrelenting fteel ; 
 
 While I again the Mufe's fickle bring 25 
 
 To cut down Dunces, wherefoe'er they fprlng, 
 Bind in poetic fheaves the plenteous crop, 
 And flack my full-ear'd load in Almon's ihop. 
 For now, my Mufe, thy fame is fixt as fate. 
 
 Tremble ve Fools I fcorn, ye Knaves I hate ; 50 
 
 I know the vigour of thy eagle wings, 
 I know thy ftrainscan pierce the ear of Kings. 
 
 Did 
 
 NOTE. 
 
 Verfe 19, [Aad find him wanting.] Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found 
 wanting. Daniel, chap. 8, v. 27.
 
 [ 8 ] 
 
 Did China's ir.onarch here in Britain doze, 
 
 And was, hke weftern Kings, a King of Profe, 
 
 Thy fong could cure his Aiiatic ipleen, 35 
 
 And make him wi(h to fee and to be feen ; 
 
 That folemn vein of irony fo fine, 
 
 Which, e'en Reviewers own, adorns thy line, 
 
 Would 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 Verfe 34. [A King of Piofe.] Kien-Long, the prefent Emperor of China is a poet. 
 M. de Voltaire did him the honour to treat him as a brother above two years ago ; and my 
 late patron, Sir William Chambers, has given a fine and moft intelligible profe verfion 
 of an ode of his Majefty upon tea, in his poftfcript to his DilTertation. I am, how- 
 ever, vain enough to think, that the Emperor's compofition would have appeared ftill bet- 
 ter in my heroic verfe ; but Sir William foreftalled it ; on which account I have entirely 
 broke with him. 
 
 Verfe 37. [That folemn vein of irony.] " A fine vein of folemn irony runs through 
 this piece." See Manthh Revieiv, under the article of the Heroic Epilll.c to Sir William 
 Chfambers.
 
 t 9 ] 
 
 Would make him foon ngiiiiftliis grcatnefb <tn, 
 
 Defcrt [lis iofa, mount his palanquin, 40 
 
 And pod iviaere'er tlie Goddefs led the way. 
 
 Perchance to proud Spithead's imperial bay^ 
 
 There fiiould he lee, as other folks have feen. 
 
 That ihips have anchors, and that feas arc green. 
 
 Should o^vn the tackling trim, the llreamers fine, 45 
 
 With Sandwich prattle, and with Bradfliaw dine, 
 
 And then fliil back, amid the cannon's roar, 
 As fcife, as fage, as when he left the fliore, 
 
 SMch is thy pow'r, O Goddefs of the fong. 
 Come then and guide my carelefs pen along ; - 50 
 
 C .Yet 
 
 NOTE. 
 
 Verfe 43. [There fhoulJ he fee.] A certain naval evciu happened juft about t\v<» 
 calendar months after the publication of tlie Heroic EpiftJB, 'Twas impofTible, confuler- 
 inff the neceffary preparations, it could have been fooner. Facts are ftuhborn thing".
 
 [ lO ] 
 
 Yet keep it in the bounds of fenfe and veiTe, 
 
 ^or, like Mac-Homer, make me gabble Erfc. 
 
 No, let the flow of thefe fpontaneous iliyraes 
 
 So truly touch the temper of the times, 
 
 That he who runs may read ; while well he knows ^^ 
 
 I write in metre, what he thinks in prole ; 
 
 So flml! my fong, undifcipliu'd by art, 
 
 Find a fure patron in each Englifh heart. 
 
 If this it's filtc, let all the frippery things 60 
 
 Be-plac'd, be-penfion'd, and be-flnrr'd by Kings, 
 
 Frown on the page, and with faftidious eye,. 
 
 Like old young Fannius, call it blafphemy. 
 
 Let 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 Verfe 52. [Nor like Mac-Homer.] See, if she reader thinks it worth while, a late 
 tranflation of the Iliad. 
 
 Verfe 62. [Like old young Fannius.] The noble perfonage here alluded to, being 
 
 alked to read the Heroic Epiftle, faid, " No, it was as bad as blafphemy." 
 
 Vcr.
 
 [ r' ] 
 
 Let tliefc prefer a levee's luirmkTb talk, 
 
 Be afk'd how often, and how far they walk. 
 
 Proud of a fiugle word, nor hope for more, 6^; 
 
 Tho' Jenkinfoii is hleft with maiiv a fcore : 
 
 For other ears my honefl: number found. 
 
 With other praifc thofe numbers fhall be crown'd,. 
 
 Praife that (hall fpread,. no pow'r can .ma.ke. it.deis, 
 
 While Britain boafts the bulwark of her prcf^. yo 
 
 Yes, fons of freedom ! yes, to whom I pay, 
 
 Wiirm frojxi the lieart, this tributary lay ; 
 
 That 
 
 Verfe 62. [Fannius.J Before I fcnt the M. S. to the prefs, I difcovered, that an ac- 
 cidental blot had made r.ll but the fiift fyll.ible of this name illegible. I was doubtful, 
 therefore, whether to print it Fanni'js or Fannia. After much deliberation, I thought it 
 beft to ufe the mafculinc texniination. li I ha,vedoivc wtong, I a!li pardon, not cnly o£ 
 th? Authoi-, but the Lady. The Editor.
 
 [ '2 ] 
 
 That lay fliall live, tho' Court and Grub-ftreet figh, 
 
 Your young Marcellus was not born to die. 
 
 The Mufe fhall nurfe him up to man's eftate, 75 
 
 And break the black afperlty of fate 
 
 Admit him then your candidate for fame, ^ 
 
 Pleas'd if in your review he read his name, 
 
 Tho' not with Mafon and with Goldfmith put, 
 
 Yet cheek by jowl with Garrick, Colman, Foote ; 8p 
 
 But if with higher Bards that name you range, 
 
 His modefty muft think your judgment ftrange ■ 
 
 So 
 
 NOTE. 
 
 Verfe 76. [And break the black afperity of fate.] 
 
 , *' 5/ qua fata afpera rumpas, 
 
 Tu Marcellus eris." ViRcic.
 
 [ ^3 ] 
 So when o'er Crane-Court's philofopliic Gods, 
 The Jove-like majefly of Prhigle nods, 
 
 If e'er he chance to wake on Newton's chau", S5 
 
 He " wonders how the devil he canne there." 
 Whate'er his fame or fate, on this depend ; 
 He is, and means to be his country's friend. 
 'Tis but to try his firength that now he fports 
 
 With Chinefe gardens, and with Chinefe covrrts : p« 
 
 But if that country claim a graver ftrain. 
 If real danger threat fair Freedom's reign, 
 If hireling P**rs, in proftilfution bold, 
 Sell her as cheaply as themfelves they fold ; 
 
 Or they, who honour'd by the People's choice, 9^ 
 
 Againft that People lift their rebel voice, 
 z\nd, bafely crouching for their paltry pay, 
 
 Vote the befl birthright of her fons away, 
 
 D Vcxm'it 
 
 :5U6952
 
 [ ^4 ] 
 Permit a nation's in-born wealth to fly 
 
 In mean, unkingly prodigality ; loo 
 
 Nor, e'er they give, afk how the fums were fpent, 
 
 So quickly fquander'd, tho' fo lately lent 
 
 If this they dare ; the thunder of his fong, 
 
 Rolling in deep-ton'd energy along, 
 
 Shall firike, with Truth's dread bolt, each mifcreaat's name, 105 
 
 Who, dead to duty, fenlelefs e'en to (ham6 
 
 Betray'd his country. Yes, ye faithlefs crew. 
 
 His Mufe's vengeance fhall your crimes purfue. 
 
 Stretch you on fatire's rack, and bid you lie 
 
 Fit garbage for the hell-hound, Infamy. T 10 
 
 FINIS.
 
 'Juft Publijljcd. 
 
 AN HEROIC EPISTLE to Sir V/illiam Chambers, Knight, CotiiptroHcr General 
 of Ills Miijeltv's Works, and Author of a late Diflcrtatioii on Oucnta! G:irciciiing. 
 tirnched with Explanatory Notes, chiefly extracled from that elaborate Performance. — 
 Ncn omnes Arbujla juvc.nt, humUijque M^ricts. \'lRGIL. 
 
 BY THE AUTHOR OF THIS Hr,ROIC POSTSCRIPT. 
 Printed in Quarto, the Eleventh Edition. Price One Shilling. 
 
 AN EPISTLE from OB-REA, Queen of Otaheitc, to /ofcph Banks, Ffq. Tranf- 
 lated by T. Q^' Z. Efi^; Pr<:f fior of the Otaheitc Language in Dublin, and of ail the L;ui- 
 guages of the undifcovereu iflands in the South Sea. With Hiftorical and Explanatory 
 Notts. Printed in Quarto. Fourth Edition. Price is. 
 
 OBSERVATIONS on the Difcourfes delivered at the Royal Academy. Addrefied to 
 the Preildent. Price is. 
 
 OBSERVATIONS on the Power of Climate over the Policy, Strength, and Manners 
 of Nations. Price 3s. fewed. 
 
 TPIE SIXTH PART of the New Foundling Hofpital for Wit; being a Col- 
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