Active no more to hunt for prey,
Supine within his den he lay,

And there, by falsehood, tricks, and lies,
He try'd all travellers to surprise.

A Norfolk Calf* pass'd by the first,
He lik'd him best, and used him worst;
He made the greatest rout about him,
And swore he cou'd not live without him;
He slobber'd, kiss'd, caress'd, cajol'd him,
Then to a neighb'ring butcher sold him ;
A Bull+ in the same pasture bred,
Of dew-lap large, and high-toss'd head,

* Charles, the second Viscount Townsend, was of a Tory family, but by the representations of his brother-in-law Robert Walpole, his zeal for his party soon abated, and took a contrary direction. He attached himself to Lord Somers, and acted cordially with the Whigs; his services and decisive conduct raised his consequence and character with his party; he was naturally of slow parts, but from practice he became an able man of business; he was rough in his manners, impatient of contradiction, imperious and overbearing, inelegant in language, and perplexed in argument; but he was generous, highly disinterested, of unblemished integrity, and unsullied honour.-Ob. 1738.

+ Robert Walpole, first Earl of Orford, was trained to business under Lord Treasurer Godolphin, was a most able

Came passing next with awful mien;
A nobler beast was never seen:
Him had the Lion long rever'd,

He knew his strength, his horns he fear'd;
He acted long a flattering farce,

He lick'd his hoofs, he kiss'd his a—;
But after all the court he 'd paid him,
Join'd with his enemies, and betray'd him;
Got him within his power, and then
Dragg'd him, and eat him in his den.

There next appear'd an unbroke Horse,*
Impetuous, fiery in his course,

debater; he promoted, with the most unabated zeal, Whig principles; he was adored by his family, beloved by his friends, and esteemed by his party; his facility of transacting business, and his talents for calculation, were admirable; his parsimony of the public money and the peace of the British Empire was his chief characteristics: he was an intelligent, prudent, and able minister.-Ob. 1745.

* Carteret, Earl of Granville, a distinguished statesman, was Secretary of State, afterwards Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, but went into Opposition, and opposed Sir R. Walpole's Ministry with uncommon fervour, and all the ornaments of rhetoric. Warmed with a noble spirit of patriotic indignation, he was,on the change of the ministry, in 1742, again Secretary

Of too much mettle to be idle,
Impatient of a bit or bridle;

Who, seeing the Lion in that state,

Kick'd him, to show his scorn and hate :
The wretched beast, who lay half dead,
Call❜d loudly for his brother's aid;
Who came, and with united force,
They fell upon th' incautious Horse,
And after they had maul'd and beat him,
Drew him into their cave and eat him.
A Spanish Mule* came next in view,
Of slowest pace, and swarthiest hue;
(Who'd been, to serve the Lion's end,
Of old his fav'rite and his friend,

of State, but again removed 1744; he was ardent, enterprizing, and overbearing in his temper; but in social life he was pleasant, good-humoured, frank, and bacchanalian.— Ob. 1763.

* William Stanhope, first Earl of Harrington, served with great reputation in the army, and as a diplomatist in Spain and elsewhere; he succeeded Lord Townsend as Secretary of State; he was of a mild and even temper, of great good sense and integrity; he had much patience and phlegm, and was highly useful in the cabinet in military advice.-Ob. 1756.

And who in battle once was seen,
To stand before him as a screen.)
He harmlessly approach'd the door,
But being now of use no more,
His former service is forgot;
He shares his predecessors lot.
A little Monkey,* full of tricks,
More fam'd for puns than politics,
Came hopping from the Irish shore,
And knocking at the Lion's door,
Begg'd for admittance to his Grace,
And slid himself into a place;

Philip, fourth Earl of Chesterfield, was equal to most of his contemporaries in elegance and perspicuity, and beyond all his competitors in choice of imagery, taste, urbanity, and graceful irony; and in nice touches of raillery and humour; his wit, however poignant, was always under the control of decency and good sense; he was intimate with all the wits of his time; was at once a man of pleasure and of business; but for the relaxation of principles inculcated in his letters, no talents can make amends. Ob. 1773.

Lord Chesterfield called Sir Robert Walpole the Corrupter of Youth. This is pretty well from one leaving a system of education to poison them from their nursery.-W.

And thence design'd, by wit and jests,
To govern all our English beasts;
But Leo hardly let him stay

To speak, before he seiz❜d his prey;
And tho' it was not half his fill,
Swallow'd him, as you would a pill.
Next came a Poney;* plump and round,
Whose neck with halter blue was bound,
And ambled to the Lion's den,

Who bow'd, and begg'd he would walk in;
And said he was the welcomest beast

That ever yet had been his guest;

Offer'd him all his oats, and swore

He now was fix'd, would change no more,
And from that hour to his life's end,
Would never have another friend:

The Pad too easily believ'd him,

And thought he durst not have deceiv'd him;

John Russell, fourth Duke of Bedford, must be ever held in high estimation while there remains any attachment to real goodness and to an honourable, manly, generous, and exalted character; he possessed great firmness and integrity of mind.-Ob. 1771.