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Of midnight ruffians feize his peaceful Lord:
They drag him to the bar, accufe, condemn ;
He bleeds, he dies! Darkness involves the rest.
Afcend the air, brave spirit, and 'midst the shout
Of grateful myriads wing thy course to fame.

EXTRACT FROM MR. PITT'S SPEECH IN THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT, MAY 13, 1777.

T

MY LORDS,

HIS is a flying moment; perhaps but fix weeks left to arreft the dangers that furround us. It is difficult for government, after all that has paffed, to shake hands with defiers of the king, defiers of the Parliament, defiers of the people. I am a defier of nobody; but if an end is not put to this war, there is an end to this kingdom. I do not truft my judgment in my prefent ftate of health; this is the judgment of my better days; the refult of forty years attention to America. They are rebels! but what are they rebels for? Surely not for defending their unquestionable rights! What have these rebels done heretofore? I remember when they raised four regiments on their own bottom, and took Louisburg from the veteran troops of France:

But their exceffes have been great! I do not mean their panegyric; but muft obferve, in extenuation, the erroneous and infatuated counfels, which have prevailed. The door to mercy and justice has been shut against them. But they may ftill be taken uponthe grounds of their former fubmiffion. I ftate to you the importance of America; it is a double market; a market of confumption, and a market of fupply. This double market for millions with naval ftores, you are giving to your hereditary rival.

America has carried you through four wars, and will now carry you to your death, if you do not take things in time. In the fportfman's phrase, when you have

found yourselves at fault, you must try back. You have ranfacked every corner of lower Saxony; but for ty thousand German boors never can conquer ten times the number of British freemen. They may ravage; they cannot conquer. But you would conquer, you fay! Why, what would you conquer? the map of America? I am ready to meet any general officer on the fubject.

What will you do out of the protection of your fleet? In the winter, if together, they are ftarved; and if difperfed, they are taken off in detail. I am experienced in Spring hopes and vernal promifes. I know what minifters throw out; but at last will come your equinoctial difappointment. They tell youwhat? That your army will be as ftrong as it was laft year, when it was not ftrong enough. You have gained nothing in America but ftations. You have been three years teaching them the art of war. They are apt scholars; and I will venture to tell your lordships, that the American gentry will make officers enough, fit to command the troops of all the European powers. What you have fent there are too many to make peace, too few to make war.

If you conquer them, what then? You cannot make them refpect you; you cannot make them wear your cloth. You will plant an invincible hatred in their breafts against you. Coming from the stock they do, they can never respect you. If minifters are founded in faying there is no fort of treaty with France, there is still a moment left; the point of honor is ftill fafe. France must be as felf-deftroying as England, to make a treaty while you are giving her America, at the expenfe of twelve millions a year. The intercourse has produced every thing to France; and England, poor old England must pay for all.

I have at different times made different propofitions, adapted to the circumftances in which they were offered. The plan contained in the former bill is now impracticable; the prefent motion will tell you where

`you are, and what you have now to depend upon. It may produce a refpectable divifion in America, and unanimity at home. It will give America an option : The has yet made no option. You have faid, Lay down your arms, and she has given you the Spartan answer, "Come and take them."

I will get out of my bed, on Monday, to move for an immediate redrefs of all their grievancès, and for continuing to them the right of difpofing of their own property. This will be the herald of peace; this will open the way for treaty; this will fhow that Parliament is fincerely difpofed. Yet ftill much must be left to treaty. Should you conquer this people, you conquer under the cannon of France; under a masked battery then ready to open. The moment a treaty with France appears, you must declare war, though you had only five fhips of the line in England: but France will defer a treaty as long as poffible.

You are now at the mercy of every little German chancery; and the pretenfions of France will increase daily, fo as to become an avowed party in either peace or war. We have tried for unconditional fubmiffion; let us try what can be gained by unconditional redrefs, Lefs dignity will be loft in the repeal, than in fubmitting to the demands of German chanceries. We are the aggreffors. We have invaded them. We have invaded them as much as the Spanish armada invaded England. Mercy cannot do harm; it will feat the king where, he ought to be, throned on the hearts of his people; and millions at home and abroad, now employed in obloquy or revolt, would then pray for him.

A

ON THE DAY OF JUDGMENT.

T midnight, when mankind are wrap'd in peace, And worldly fancy feeds on golden dreams; To give more dread to man's most dreadful hour; At midnight, 'tis prefum'd this pomp will burst From tenfold darkness; fudden as the fpark From fmitten fteel; from nitrous grain the blaze. Man, ftarting from his couch, fhall fleep no more! The day is broke which never more fhall clofe! Above, around, beneath, amazement all! Terror and glory join'd in their extremes ! Our God in grandeur, and our world on fire! All nature struggling in the pangs of death! Doft thou not hear her? Doft thou not deplore Her ftrong convulfions and her final groan ? Where are we now? Ah me! the ground is gone, On which we stood, LORENZO! while thou may'st, Provide more firm fupport, or fink förever! Where? how? from whence? vain hope! It is too late! Where, where, for fhelter, fhall the guilty fly, When confternation turns the good man pale?

Great day! for which all other days were made; For which earth rofe from chaos, man from earth; And an eternity, the date of gods,

Defcended on poor earth-created man!
Great day of dread, decifion, and despair!
At thought of thee, each fublunary wish
Lets go its eager grafp, and drops the world;
And catchess at each reed of hope in heaven.
At thought of thee! And art thou absent then,
LORENZO! no; 'tis here; it is begun;
Already is begun the grand affize,

In thee, in all. Deputed confcience scales
The dread tribunal, and forestals our doom:
Foreftals; and, by foreftalling, proves it fure.
Why on himself should man void judgment pass?

T

Is idle nature laughing at her fons?

Who confcience fent, her fentence will fupport,
And God above affert that God in man.

Thrice happy they, who enter now the court
Heav'n opens in their bofoms: but, how rare!
Ah me! that magnanimity, how rare!
What hero, like the man who stands himself;
Who dares to meet his naked heart alone;
Who hears, intrepid, the full charge it brings,
Refolv'd to filence future murmurs there?
The coward flies; and flying is undone.

Art thou a coward? No.) The coward flies;
Thinks, but thinks flightly; afks, but fears to know ;
Afks "What is truth ?" with Pilate; and retires;
Diffolves the court, and mingles with the throng;
Afylum fad! from reafon, hope, and heav'n!
Shali all, but man, look out with ardent eye,
For that great day, which was ordain'd før man?
O day of confummation! Mark fupreme
(If men are wife) of human thought! nor leaft,
Or in the fight of angels, or their King!
Angels, whofe radiant circles, height o'er height,
Order o'er order rifing, blaze o'er blaze,
As in a theatre, furround this scene,
Intent on man, and anxious for his fate;
Angels look out for thee; for thee, their Lord,
To vindicate his glory; and for thee,
Creation universal calls aloud,

To difinvolve the moral world, and give
To Nature's renovation brighter charms.

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