(Written in December 1741.)

UNHAPPY England, still in forty-one,

By Scotland art thou doom'd to be undone;
But Scotland now, to strike alone afraid,
Calls in her worthy sister Cornwall's * aid;
And these two common strumpets, hand in hand,
Go forth and preach up virtue through the land;
Start at corruption, at a bribe turn pale,
Shudder at pensions, and at placemen rail.
Peace! peace! ye wretched hypocrites, or rather,
With Job, say to Corruption, thou 'rt our father;
But how can Walpole justify his fate,

He trusted Isla+ till it was too late.

Where were those parts, where was that piercing mind,

That knowledge, and that judgment of mankind.

* The new Parliament in 1740, was chiefly turned against the Court by the Scotch and Cornish boroughs.—W. + Archibald Campbell, Earl of Islay, brother of John

To trust a traitor, whom he knew so well,
Strange truth betray'd, yet not deceiv'd he fell:
He knew his heart was, like his aspect, vile;
Knew him the tool and brother of Argyle.
Yet to his hands his power and hopes gave up,
And tho' he knew 'twas poison, drank the cup;
Trusted to one he never could think true,
And perish'd by a villain whom he knew.

Duke of Argyle, whom he succeeded in the Dukedom and with whom he was, or affected to be, at variance, was trusted by Sir Robert Walpole with the management of the affairs of Scotland; was suspected by the Whigs in 1740, to have betrayed the Scotch Boroughs to his brother. Sir R. Walpole said, he did not accuse him; it is certain that on Sir Robert's fall, the Marquis of Tweedale, the Earl of Stair, and other discontented Whigs came into place, not to the satisfaction of Lord Islay.-W.

GILES EARLE*

(OF MARLBOROUGH-STREET);

AND

GEO. BUBB DODDINGTON, ESQRS.

(Written in Jan. 1740-1.)

A Dialogue.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

E. MY dear Pall-mall,† I hear you're got in

favour,

And please the Duke by your late damn'd behaviour;

* Gyles Earle had been in the army, and was then attached to John Duke of Argyle.—W.

+ Mr. Doddington had a house there.

I live with Walpole, you live at his Grace's, And thus, thank heav'n, we have exchang'd

our places.

PALL-MALL.

D. Yes, Sir, on great Argyle I often wait,
At charming Sudbrook,* or in Bruton-street;
In wit or politics (he's good at either)
We pass our independent hours together.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

E. By G-d that's heavenly: so in town you talk, Or round the groves at charming Sudbrook

walk,

And hear the cuckoo and the linnet sing;
L-d G-d,that's vastly pleasant in the Spring.

PALL-MALL.

D. Dear witty Marlbro'-street for once be wise, Nor happiness, you never knew, despise;

* The Duke's Villa, near Richmond, Surrey.W.

You ne'er enjoy'd the triumph of disgrace, Nor felt the dignity of loss of place.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

E. Not lost my place !* yes, but I did, by G―d,
Tho' your description of it 's mighty odd;
I felt no triumph, found no dignity:

I cry d,+ and so did all my family.

PALL-MALL.

D. What, shed a tear because you lost your place! Sure thou'rt the lowest of the lowest race. Gods! Is there not in politics a time,

When keeping places is the greatest crime?

* In Queen Anne's reign, when the Whigs were discarded.-W.

+ Earle was very covetous, and affected to be so more than he was; and his humour was set off by a whining tone, crabbed face, and very laughing eyes. One day as he was eating oysters, he said, "Lord God! what fine things oysters would be, if one could make one's servants live on the shells "W.