A short-sighted pedlar, proposing to prop
The State as he'd manage a cheesemonger's shop-
In short, though the party were at the last gasp,
They still would prefer the old Drone to a Wasp.

THE CHOICE OF A LEADER.

No. IV.

March 3, 1815.

Two Knights next arose to put forward their claims,
Sir SAMUEL* the solemn-the travell❜d Sir JAMES;†
Both Patriots bold, who with mighty applause
Stick up for Old England, her freedom and cause;
Her gold in their pockets, her law in their brains,
'Twere well had they some of her blood in their veins.

Sir S. Romilly, Knt. M. P. for Arundel, Solicitor-general under the Talents.

+ Sir James Mackintosh, Knt. late Recorder of Bombay, M. P. for Nairn.

The first plainly bears the old Genevese print,
Lank person, sly feature, and chocolate tint;
While, strong, in the second, we see the "bra' bairn"
Who once tended swine in the County of Nairn.

'Twas pleasant to see with what efforts they tried The powerful workings of Nature to hide; 'Twas pleasanter still to behold how, in spite Of their efforts, old Nature would set herself right.

See ROMILLY leaning his head all awry, His accent subdued, and submissive his eye, His face, person, air, frozen up in restraint; You think, the first glance, that the man is a saint; And one would lament, as a very hard case, That such a clear heart has so gloomy a face. But when he is kindled, and passion has thaw'd His ice, what dark spirits come prowling abroad! Ambition, ill-temper, and turbulent pride,

Self-love, and disdain of all creatures beside;

You see and lament (through the mask of his art,) That such a clear head has so gloomy a heart.

On t'other hand, MACKINTOSH strives to unite The grave and the gay, the profound and polite : And piques himself much that the ladies should say How well Scottish strength softens down in Bombay; Frequents the assembly, the supper, the ball,

The philosophe-beau of unloveable STAEL;

*

Affects to talk French in his hoarse Highland note,
And gargles Italian half way down his throat;
His gait is a shuffle, his smile is a leer,

His converse is quaint, his civility queer;
In short, to all grace and deportment a rebel,-
At best, he is but a half-polish'd Scotch-pebble.

The Judges were doubtful on which first to call Their names, in loud clamours, divided the hall;

• During Mad. de Stael's residence in England she was much attended by Sir J. Mackintosh.—E.

At length, with a bow to the Genevese sage,
The Scottish Adonis relinquished the stage.

Then Calvin's disciple began :-" I profess "No wishes for power; no mortal has less; "No man can be more unassuming and meek; "With pain-real pain-I have risen to speak; "But love of my kind overflows at my heart, " And a deep sense of duty prescribes me my part.

"Oh think to what crisis a country is come, "Where justice is blind, and humanity dumb"Where under a barbarous system of laws

"(The good man's despair, and the blockhead's applause),

"An innocent debtor who happens to fail

"To take up his notes, may be cast into jail!

"And (worse than the savage who prowls in the

woods)

"A tradesman expects to be paid for his goods!

When a code unrelenting pronounces this curse,

"He pays with his person, who won't with his purse!

"Where he, who a trifle shall steal in your house, 66 Although he should make no more noise than a

mouse,

"Is doom'd by the law the same forfeit to pay "As if he had taken it on the highway!

"Where the bravest and best of the nation, who should

"Mistake the best road to the national good,

"For deeds, which a Roman would honour as great, "Must lose, at a blow, both his life and estate: "Because, by some lex talionis, 'tis shown

"Who risks those of others, should forfeit his own. "O logic absurd! O condition most hard!

"That innocent babes of their rights should be

"And that his poor son, (if he so should aspire,)

"Has not the means left of avenging his sire!