The Contrast, or, Alfred and
William.
(Continued from No. 55.)
And must my muse resound the praise1
Of legislators now-a-days ?2
A servile crew, in gold their trust is,3
The poor have “ Law ”— the rich have justice ;4
The latter’s blind, as painters tell us,5
’Twixt rich and poor, her scales ar’n’t fellows,6
Where “ filthy lucre ” doth prevail,7
It often sinks the lighter scale ;8
And Equity is outweighed by9
The gold’s specific gravity !10
Once, Egypt’s plagues at God’s command,11
Spread desolation through that land ;12
But Boroughmongers are an evil,13
Inflicted on US by the devil.14
The plagues of Egypt were but ten,15
En passant, nor returned again ;16
But Englishmen must toil and sweat,17
To pay the Boroughmongers’ debt ;18
Nor will they ever clear the score,19
Ere time itself shall be no more ;20
Unless they take a sponge or clout,21
And rub the rascals’ reckoning out.22
Of England’s plagues, I’ll here recount23
A few from out the vast amount :—24
We’ve Hanoverian rats and mice,25
More lasting plagues than Egypt’s lice ;26
Besides, a most tremendous host27
Of locusts, from the Norman coast ;28
A beggarly, destructive breed,29
Sprung from the Bastard’s spurious seed.30
We’ve locusts of a sable hue,31
Worse plagues than Egypt ever knew ;32
Sable is not exactly right—33
They’re like a magpie, black and white :34
Not a “ green herb” escapes their maw—35
These locusts John in vision saw !36
Thanks to the Boroughmongers’ debt—37
’Tis this will rout the vermin yet ;38
Spite of the efforts they employ,39
Corruption must itself destroy.40
’Twill not be long ere “ Mother Church ”41
Will tumble from her lofty perch,42
Like her mamma, “ the Scarlet Whore43
Of Babylon,” to rise no more !44
Ah, Mother Church ! thy last purgation,45
Was Catholic Emancipation ;46
Canst thou digest that bitter pill,47
Cramm’d down thy throat against thy will !48
Tho’ bitter, ’tis a famous box49
Of pills, to purge the Orthodox !50
Poor Mother Church ! another scourge51
Awaits her, namely, “ Russell’s Purge,”52
Which, taken by the doctor’s rule,53
She’ll puke and heave a gentle stool !54
This will not give substantial ease,55
Her’s is a radical disease,56
’Tis rooted in her Constitution,57
And mast produce her dissolution.58
Though “ Russell’s Purge” may do some good,59
’Twill never purify the blood :60
To renovate the Constitution,61
And England save from Revolution,62
There’s nothing can avert the storm,63
But real Radical Reform.64
Error in note to former part, published in No. 55. For “ Sillo’s Play” read “ Lillo’s Play.”