On The British King'S Speech[234]

Recommending Peace with the American States

Grown sick of war, and war's alarms, Good George has changed his note at last-- Conquest and death have lost their charms; He, and his nation stand aghast, To think what fearful lengths they've gone, And what a brink they stand upon.

Old Bute and North, twin sons of hell, If you advised him to retreat Before our vanquished thousands fell, Prostrate, submissive at his feet: Awake once more his latent flame, And bid us yield you all you claim.

The Macedonian wept and sighed Because no other world was found Where he might glut his rage and pride, And by its ruin be renowned; The world that Sawney wished to view George fairly had--and lost it too!

Let jarring powers make war or peace, Monster!--no peace can greet your breast: Our murdered friends can never cease To hover round and break your rest! The Furies will your bosom tear, Remorse, distraction, and despair And hell, with all its fiends, be there!

Cursed be the ship that e'er sets sail Hence, freighted for your odious shore; May tempests o'er her strength prevail, Destruction round her roar! May Nature all her aids deny, The sun refuse his light, The needle from its object fly, No star appear by night: 'Till the base pilot, conscious of his crime, Directs the prow to some more Christian clime.

Genius! that first our race designed, To other kings impart The finer feelings of the mind, The virtues of the heart; Whene'er the honours of a throne Fall to the bloody and the base, Like Britain's tyrant, pull them down, Like his, be their disgrace!

Hibernia, seize each native right! Neptune, exclude him from the main; Like her that sunk with all her freight, The Royal George, take all his fleet, And never let them rise again: Confine him to his gloomy isle, Let Scotland rule her half, Spare him to curse his fate awhile, And Whitehead,[A] thou to write his epitaph.

[A] William Whitehead, Poet Laureat to his Majesty--author of the execrable birth-day Odes.--Freneau's note, Ed. 1786.

First published in the Freeman's Journal, March 12, 1783. "King George of England was mastered by a consuming grief for the loss of America, and knew no ease of mind by day or by night. When on the fifth of December [1782], in his speech at the opening of Parliament, he came to read that he had offered to declare the colonies of America free and independent States, his manner was constrained and his voice full."--Bancroft.

"And feed with hope his heart's desire."--Ed. 1786.

"Grateful."--Ed. 1786.

The Royal George, 108 guns, while being refitted at Spithead, August 29, 1782, was heeled over too far by her crew, causing her suddenly to sink. Admiral Kempenfelt and nearly 800 men perished in this disaster.