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Here Malcolm paused; when pond'ring long
Grief thus gave utt'rance to my tongue.
"Where shrink in fear our friends dismay'd,
And where the Tories' promised aid?
Can none, amid these fierce alarms,
Assist the power of royal arms?"
"In vain, he cried, our King depends
On promised aid of Tory friends.*
When our own efforts want success,
Friends ever fail, as fears increase.
As leaves, in blooming verdure wove,
In warmth of summer clothe the grove,
But when autumnal frosts arise,

Leave bare their trunks to wintry skies :
So, while your power can aid their ends,
You ne'er can need ten thousand friends ;
But once in want, by foes dismay'd,
May advertise them, stol'n or stray'd.
Thus ere Great-Britain's force grew slack,
She gain'd that aid she did not lack ;
But now in dread, imploring pity,
All hear unmoved her dol'rous ditty;
Allegiance wand'ring turns astray,
And Faith grows dim for lack of pay.

In vain she tries, by new inventions,
Fear, falsehood, flatt'ry, threats and pensions;

Or sends Commiss'ners with credentials

Of promises and penitentials.

As, for his fare o'er Styx of old,

The Trojan stole the bough of gold,

And least grim Cerb'rus should make head,
Stuff'd both his fobs with ginger-bread :*
Behold, at Britain's utmost shifts,
Comes Johnstonet loaded with like gifts,
To venture through the whiggish tribe,
To cuddle, wheedle, coax and bribe ;

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In the year 1778, after the capture of Burgoyne, our good Government passed an act, repealing all the acts of which the Americans complained, provided they would rescind their declaration of Independence, and continue to be our colonies. The ministry then sent over three Commissioners, Mr. Johnstone, Mr. Eden, and a certain Lord. These Commissioners began their operations and finished them, by attempting to bribe individuals among the members of the States, and of the army. This bait appears to have caught nobody but Arnold. The petticoated politician, here mentioned, was a woman of Philadelphia, through whose agency they offered a bribe to Joseph Read, Governor of Pennsylvania. London Edit.

And call, to aid his desp'rate mission,
His petticoated politician,

While Venus, join'd to act the farce,
Strolls forth embassadress for Mars.

In vain he strives, for while he lingers,
These mastiffs bite his off'ring fingers;
Nor buys for George and realms infernal
One spaniel, but the mongrel, Arnold.
""Twere vain to paint, in vision'd show,
The mighty nothings done by Howe ;
What towns he takes in mortal fray,
As stations whence to run away;
What triumphs gain'd in conflict warm,
No aid to us, to them no harm;
For still th' event alike is fatal,
Whate'er success attend the battle,
Whether he vict'ry gain or lose it,
Who ne'er had skill enough to use it.
And better 'twere, at their expense,

T' have drubb'd him into common sense,
And waked, by bastings on his rear,
Th' activity, though but of fear.

By slow advance his arms prevail,
Like emblematic march of snail,

That, be Millennium nigh or far,
"Twould long before him end the war.
From York to Philadelphian ground,
He sweeps the pompous flourish round,
Wheel'd circ'lar by eccentric stars,
Like racing boys at prison-bars,
Who take th' opposing crew in whole,
By running round the adverse goal;
Works wide the traverse of his course,
Like ship t' evade the tempest's force:
Like mill-horse circling in his race,
Advances not a single pace,

And leaves no trophies of reduction,
Save that of cankerworms, destruction.
Thus having long both countries curst,
He quits them as he found them first,
Steers home disgraced, of little worth,
To join Burgoyne and rail at North.

"Now raise thine eyes and view with pleaThe triumphs of his famed successor."

"I look'd, and now by magic lore
Faint rose to view the Jersey shore :
But dimly seen in gloom array'd,
For night had pour'd her sable shade,

[sure,

And every star, with glimm'rings pale,
Was muffled deep in ev'ning veil.
Scarce visible, in dusky night
Advancing red-coats rose in sight;
The length'ning train in gleaming rows
Stole silent from their slumb'ring foes:
No trembling soldier dared to speak,
And not a wheel presumed to creak.
My looks my new surprize confess'd,
Till by great Malcolm thus address'd.
"Spend not thy wits in vain researches ;
"Tis one of Clinton's moonlight marches.
From Philadelphia now retreating
To save his baffled troops a beating,
With hasty strides he flies in vain,
His rear attack'd on Monmouth plain.
With various chance the dread affray
Holds in suspense till close of day,
When his tired bands, o'ermatch'd in fight,
Are rescued by descending night.
He forms his camp, with great parade,
While evening spreads the world in shade,
Then still, like some endanger'd spark,
Steals off on tiptoe in the dark;

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