328' Notes of the Month on [MARCH; 



at sixty-eight, after an illness of only one day, Dec. 14, 1799. We again 

 commend this clever little volume. 



The GEORGES have always been lucky. The first George left the 

 most pitiful sovereignty in Germany, to sit down in the finest sovereignty 

 in the world ; the second broke up a rebellion, half-a-dozen factions, and 

 kept two mistresses in order at a time; the third had half-a-dozen 

 escapes from maniacs, bent on reforming him with poison or the pistol ; 

 and the fourth has actually survived the vengeance of Lord Byron. 

 Why his Lordship should have " raged so furiously" against the royal 

 person, is beyond our comprehension ; but he certainly " levied war" 

 against our Sovereign Lord the King, if epigrams could sink, burn, 

 and destroy. He sends the blow home in a note given in the memoir : 



" I have nothing of the sort you mention but the lines (the Weepers), if you 

 like to have them in the Bag. I wish to give them all possible circulation. 

 The Fault reflection is downright actionable, and to print it would be peril to 

 the publisher; but I think the Tears have a natural right to be bagged, and 

 the editor (whoever he may be) might supply a facetious note or not, as he 

 pleased." 



But fiercer than all this was meditated, as we shall see. The Vault, the 

 epigram on the exhumation of Charles I., beginning with 

 " Charles to his people, Henry to his wife," 

 was, by his own admission, tolerably strong : 



<c I cannot conceive how the Fault has got about but so it is. It is too 

 farouche ; but, truth to say, my satires are not very playful. I have the plan 

 of an epistle in my head, at him and to him ; and, if they are not a little 

 quieter, I shall embody it. I should say little or nothing of myself. As to 

 mirth and ridicule, that is out of the way ; but I have a tolerable fund of stern- 

 ness and contempt, and, with Juvenal before me, I shall perhaps read him a 



lecture he has not lately heard in the C . From particular circumstances, 



which came to my knowledge almost by accident, I could ' tell him what he 

 is I know him well.' " 



We have no doubt that he would have made a fine Court Review of it. 

 Possibly the following verses were some of his sketches the primes 

 linos of the epistle that was to reverse the order of things. They are 

 capital for force, though we fear that they had not quite weight of 

 metal enough to overturn thrones : 



" The Devil return'd to hell by two, 



And he stayed at home till five ; 

 When he dined on some homicides done in ragout, 



And a rebel or so in an Irish stew, 

 And sausages made of a self-slain Jew, 

 And bethought of himself what next to do> 



e And,' quoth he, ' I'll take a drive. 

 I walk'd in the morning, I'll ride to-night; 

 In darkness my children take most delight, 



And I'll see how my favourites thrive. 



" ( And what shall I ride in?' quoth Lucifer, then 



f If I follow'd my taste, indeed, 

 I should mount in a waggon of wounded men, 



And smile to see them bleed. 

 But these will be furnished again and again, 



And at present my purpose is speed ; 



