Poets of John Company. Theodore Oliver Douglas Dunn

deep destruction hurrd. Such views my senses dim, My eyes in darkness swim: What eye can bear thy blaze, what utt'rance tell Thy deeds with silver trump or may-wreathed shell? Omniscient Spirit, whose all-ruling pow'r Bids from each sense bright emanations beam; Glows in the rainbow, sparkles in the stream. Smiles in the bud, and glistens in the flow'r That crowns each vernal bow'r; Sighs in the gale, and warbles in the throat Of ev'ry bird, that hails the bloomy spring, Or tells his love in many a liquid note Whilst envious artists touch the rival string, Till rocks and forests ring; Breathes in rich fragrance from the sandal grove, Or where the precious musk-deer playful rove; In dulcet juice from clust'ring fruit distills, And burns salubrious in the tasteful clove: Soft banks and verd'rous hills Thy present influence fills; In air, in floods, in caverns, woods and plains; Thy will inspirits all, thy sov'reign MAYA reigns. Blue crystal vault, and elemental fires, That in th' ethereal fluid blaze and breathe; Thou, tossing main, whose snaky branches wreathe This pensile orb with intertwisted gyres; Mountains, whose radiant spires Presumptuous rear their summits to the skies, And blend their em'rald hue with sapphire light; Smooth meads and lawns, that glow with varying dyes Of dew-bespangled leaves and blossoms bright. Hence vanish from my sight: Delusive Pictures! unsubstantial shows! My soul absorb'd One only Being knows,

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      Of all perceptions One abundant source,

      Whence ev'ry object ev'ry moment flows

      Suns hence derive their force,

      Hence planets learn their course;

      But suns and fading worlds I view no more:

       God only I perceive; God only I adore.

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ANONYMOUS.

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      1789.

"The Letters of Simpkin the Second, upon the Trial of Warren Hastings."

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      You have ask'd me, dear Simon, a number of times,

       To send you some more of my ludicrous rhimes;

       Want of matter has hitherto check'd my endeavour.

       But a subject occurs which may last me for ever,

       You must know, Mr. Burke, who was quondam a teacher,

       An usher, I think, is become an IMPEACHER;

       In the House he had rail'd against Hastings so long.

       That the Commons believ'd he had done something wrong;

       So they articles voted, not less than a score,

       Tho' Edmund says, he cou'd have fram'd many more.

       As my hero asserted, and Hastings denied,

       A day was appointed for him to be tried:

       But now for a time I must make a digression,

       To give an account of the court in procession.

The Procession.

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      The Lord Chancellor's family first came in view,

       And the order observed, was to walk two and two;

       Then the Clerks and the Masters in Chancery came.

       Then the Judges of England in duo's the same.

       With Adair the King's Serjeant, and then the Black Rod;

       Then Heralds, and Barons, and Fathers in God.

       After them were the Viscounts, Earls, Marquisses seen.

       Then the Dukes, the Archbishops, and Cryer came in.

       Next follows the Chancellor, and last of all

       Dukes—Cumberland, Gloster, and York, and Cornwall.

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      All after the Heralds walk singly, alone,

       And each as he passes, bows low to the Throne;

       So much for the Nobles, and now I'll describe

       The procession of Burke and his eloquent tribe.

       First Edmund walks in at the head of the group.

       The powerful chief of a powerful troop;

       What awful solemnity's seen in his gait,

       While the nod of his head, beats the time to his feet.

       Charles Fox is the second, and close to his right.

       Whose waddle declares he will never go straight.

       The ruby fac'd Sheridan follows the third,

       The opposer of Pitt and the Treasury Board;

       His attention, 'tis said, has so long been directed

       To the National Debts, that his own are neglected.

       And on public affairs, where such management's shewn,

       No wonder a man cannot think of his own.

       Then Francis comes sneaking with grief in his heart,

       At not being indulg'd with a Manager's part;

       Tho' he now and then steals to the Manager's box.

       To suggest a shrewd question to Edmund or Fox.

       The Commons, all those who from riding have leisure.

       Without order come in, and go out at their pleasure.

       When the Lords and the Judges had taken their stations,

       The Serjeant at Arms utter'd three proclamations;

       Then the charges and answers were read by the clerk,

       And some were got through by the time it was dark.

       The second day also was wasted in reading.

       But the third produced something of Edmund's proceeding:

       He rose and began—"You will find in the sequel,

       "My Lords, to this task I am very unequal:

       "But, the Commons, who hold me in high estimation,

       "Believe I am qualify'd well for the station."

       The lawyer appear'd in whatever he spoke,

       Than Blackstone more learn'd, more ingenious than Coke.

       Rules of evidence they had the merit of stating,

       But Edmund lays claim to the praise of creating:

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      Yet even this deed by himself was excell'd

       In describing the countries he never beheld;

       To be sure, his descriptions were vastly admir'd,

       The whole was his own, for his tongue was inspir'd

       With knowledge divine he expos'd to our view

       The religion of Hindoos, and Mussalmans too.

       And he said Junghez Khan only seized their dominions,

       But that Hastings wag'd war with the people's opinions.

       Here the orator blustered, at least for an hour,

       About Warren Hastings, and absolute power,

       Who, according to Burke, has been forming a plan

       To map geographical morals for man.

       Who to shew us his great geometrical art,

       Fit climates for virtues has drawn