636 TON€fE STREET AND DITNDAS STREET. 



Tlie tMstle, of course, is Melville, and the figure, Whitbread, "who, as 

 we have had already intimated to us, was a brewer, a wealthy London 

 brewer. Underneath are the following lines, to understand which 

 we must be informed that Sansterre, the commandant of the National 

 Guard who had presided at the recent execution of Louis XYI. in 

 Paris, happened also to be a brewer. " Sansterre," we are told — 



" Sansterre forsook his malt and grains, 

 To mash and batter nobles' brains, 



By levelling rancour led : 

 Our Brewer quits brown stout and washy, 

 His malt, bis masb-tub, and bis quasbea, 



To masb a Thistle's bead." 



In Lockhart's Life of Scott is given a song, written by Sir Walter 

 on the occasion of Lord Melville's acquittal. It was sung with great 

 applause at a public dinner in Edinburgh, by Mr. James B'allan- 

 tyne. Scott regarded the impeachment of his friend as a mere act 

 of vindictiveness on the part of the Whigs. Of the eight stanzas of 

 which this production consists, I quote one, wherein Pitt and Melville 

 are named together, and an allusion occurs to the recent death of 

 Pitt, who, it must be added, did not long survive the trouble which 

 had befallen his faithful supporter, Melville. In fact, he died before 

 the trial in Westminster Hall came on. The name Despard, which 

 occurs near the close of the stanza, is that of an ex-Lieutenant-Colonel 

 Despard, who endeavoured to create sedition among the soldiers and 

 others in England in 1803. And the Arthur O'Ccitinor mentioned 

 just before, was a coadjutor of Lord Edward Fitz-Gerald, Napper 

 Tandy, Addis Emmet, and other conspirators in Ireland, known as. 

 the United Irishmen, whose aim was to make Ireland a Republic- 

 like Fi'ance in 1793. The word "reform," it should be observed, is., 

 used in an invidious sense. Thus the stanza reads : 



" What were the Whigs doing, when, boldly pursuing, 

 Pitt banished Rebellion, gave Treason a string ? 

 Why tbey swore on their honour, for Arthur O'Connor, 

 And fought hard for Despard against country and king. 

 WeU then we knew, boys, 

 Pitt and Melville were true boys, 

 And the tempest was raised by the sons of Reform. 

 Ah, woe ! 



Weep to bis memory ; 

 Low lies the pilot that weathered the storm." 



