A PETITION TO THE Right Hon. Mr. —, In FAVOUR of Mr. MACLEAN. By a LADY.

LONDON: Printed for G. SMITH, near Temple Bar, Fleet-street. 1750.

A PETITION TO THE Right Hon. Mr.—, In FAVOUR of Mr. MACLEAN.

IF ever Statesman melted at Distress,
Nor chose to make it More instead of Less;
If they retain a Sense of human Things,
And deign to look on Mortals down from Kings,
List! list! oh — whom Three Realms obey,
To the sad Purport of my weeping Lay.
Ah! how I dread, least crowding on some Hour,
That twists, confus'd, th' intricate Web of Pow'r,
Hiding those slender Threads that lead us, still
Letting the Puppets think they act at Will:
Or if, unhappily, on one I press
More serious, how to keep One's Self in Place:
Nay, I might fear, though this should meet your Eyes,
When only Monarchs linger for Replies;
[Page 4] (Yet they, perhaps, would wait when Ladies write,
For Foreigners, they say, are all polite,
And, strange Effect of breathing diff'rent Air!
Reward the Brave, and reverence the Fair)
You should to R—ts send my unread Griefs,
(Deputies are more difficult than Chiefs)
Perhaps he'd see, with Joy, my Maclean's Fall,
Such Little People envy one so Tall.
No, may this find thee when thy Soul's unbent,
And laughs to think, how easy's Government;
When frugal E— lends her still Retreat,
Or verdant G—h her pacific Seat,
Or thy pleas'd Eye athwart the G— P—k rolls,
Peeping thro' L [...] C—'s Pigeon-Holes:
Gently dissolv'd, in Unconcern the same
As when to Derby the Banditti came;
Yet still I run one Risque, what can be worse?
You'll think it Begging, 'cause it is in Verse.
Too sure we beg, for Life we beg, 'tis true;
If we had robb'd enough, we need not sue;
We own our Guilt, with Tears Contrition-sent,
Oh! let it hurt us not, that we repent!
What can we else! happy, who Law defies,
In compleat Armour of past Services;
H [...]m Teas and Brandies, run at L [...]w's, shall sheild,
And stain'd Ferrara on C [...]n Field.
True, he robb'd W—e and gave unmeant Fire,
The Patriot-Pistol took him for his Sire,
Say he design'd it, had the Ball took place,
And slain one Victim of devoted Race,
[Page 5] 'Tis not so long since this had met Applause
From Virtue, and the Friends to Virtue's Cause.
Tho' Doctrine's fall before the Scythe of Time,
Shall his believing what they taught, be Crime?
We dug no Favours in his Father's Mine,
His lib'ral Hand, to us, was clos'd as thine.
Un-plac'd, un-pension'd, as in Bribes unshar'd,
What Gratitude to rob the Son debarr'd?
But had he given us Riches, Rank, and Name,
And we'd attack'd his Life, and robb'd his Fame,
You'd punish in one Culprit! with what Face?
What's the sole Merit of some Men in Place?
We spoil'd the Scot, and would not hide the Deed:
Th' Attempt was great! 'twas glorious to succeed!
'Twas Conquest, and not Robbery! A Crime
No needless Law says punish, in our Time;
But make us thankful, that no Soul was harm'd.
Oh! never more let gentle L—s go arm'd.
Our great Mishap is private Theft too long,
The Publick's not so sensible of Wrong.
Capricious Mistress! on the first she pours
Her Vengeance, and Rewards on t'other show'rs;
Brav'ry on Hounslow with a Gibbet pays,
While look'd-on Sea-fights to new Honours raise.
Would Tyrant Custom but so far recede,
That for Maclean we might in Person plead,
A hundred Hoops thy Levee-Room should crowd;
Nay, shudder not, indeed we'd not be loud.
We've other Eloquence, than stuns the Bar
With dreadful Din of counterfeited War.
Could you but see the Face our Sorrow wears,
In silent Energy of Female Tears,
The Prevalence of Beauty you should own,
Nor L [...]y C— knit one jealous Frown.
Let selfish Man jostle for Power and Place,
Barter his Vote, turn Patriot, lie, caress;
Sincerer Woman has a nobler End,
Unknown to Levees,—'tis to serve a Friend!
Oh! happy France, where Women interfere,
And claim in Government their legal Share;
Controul the Minister, advise, debate,
Ride on the Council, and direct the State.
There Beauty often pacifies the Law,
And tears a Fav'rite from its Iron Jaw;
There the stern Judge remits the forfeit Life,
T' a handsome Cousin, or a lovely Wife.
But English, Men of Business, know us ill,
Think Pudding th' utmost Efforts of our Skill;
Us, but Companions for the trifling Vein,
And form'd to Satisfy, not Entertain.
Yet, what we may — to Thee I write,
And almost dry my Tears, and blame my Fright.
Reflecting, in Politeness you, as well
As in your Politics, the French excell;
And Heav'n-born Mercy can't from him be far,
Who seal'd with Peace the Lyon-mouth of War.
That Hand, by which this prostrate Island rose
From her sunk Fame tremendous to her Foes,
Will not be slow to raise the suppliant Fair,
Saving Maclean proves the whole Sex thy Care;
So may to Power G—le have no Pretence,
But, weak Supporters! Knowlege, Parts, and Sense;
So, could thy Judgment in our Steerage err,
Might E—t's Eagle-Eye wink o'er the Blur.

INDEX.

A.
  • AIR, the Effect of Breathing, different from English, l. 17. 18.
  • Armour, what is a compleat Suit of it, 38.
B.
  • BEAUTY, an Effect it has in France, 83, and subseq.
  • —Need not cause Jealousy in a certain Lady, 78.
  • Bravery, local, how rewarded by the Publick, 6.
  • Brave, the, rewarded abroad, as they say, 18.
  • Brandies, what Use of them, may save a Man's Life, 39.
C.
  • CHEIFS, easier than Deputies, 20.
  • Custom, Tyranny of it, 69.
  • Conquest, different from Robbery, 59.
  • —no Law now in Force against it, 60.
  • Culprit, one, not to be punished, if many are rewarded for the same Action, 55.
  • Council, French, what the Ladies there do to it, 86.
  • Cousin, the Use to be made of a handsome one in France, 90.
  • Culloden, Advantages gained in that Field, 40.
D.
  • DEPUTIES, difficult, 20.
  • Distress, doubted if that of others raises Compassion in States­men, and whether they don't chuse rather to encrease, than alleviate it, 1 and 2
E.
  • ENGLISH, Men of Business, don't make a right Use of Women, 91.
  • End, that of Woman better than that of Man, 81.
  • Eloquence, of Ladies, different from that of the Bar, 73.
  • E—t, conditional Wish, he might be blind, if a certain Thing could happen, 108.
F.
  • FRANCE, who excelled by, in Politeness, 97.
  • Fav'rites, of handsome Ladies, their Advantages in France, 88.
  • Fright, that of the Author, why almost condemned by her, 96, and subseq.
  • France, wherein happy, 83 and subseq.
  • Foreigners, all said to be polite, 16
  • Fights, Sea, looked on, a Step to Preferment, 68.
  • Ferrara, a Sword so called, a fine Defence, 40.
G.
  • G—LE, conditional Wish against him, 105.
  • Government, Ladies have their Share in it, in France, 84.
  • —Statesmen supposed to set an Hour apart for considering it, 8.
  • —the Ease of it, ridiculous, 24.
  • Gibbet, the Reward of One Sort of Brav'ry▪ 65.
H.
  • [Page 8] HOUR, different Ways of employing one, by Statesmen, 8,
  • —which make it bad to ask Favours of them in, 12, 14,
  • —proper one to apply in, 23, and subseq.
  • Hoops, debarred by Custom, from appearing at Levees, 71.
  • Hounslow, Brav'ry there, how rewarded, 67.
I.
  • ISLAND, this, by whom raised from her former deplorable Situ­ation to her present glorious on, 101.
K.
  • KINGS, opposed to Mortals, 4.
  • Knowledge, a bad Help to Favour, 106.
L.
  • LADIES, what they do to the Council in France, 86.
  • —why not to be dreaded at a Levee, 72.
  • —wonderful Efficacy of their Tears, 76.
  • —their Eloquence, not the same with that of the Bar, 73.
  • —their Disinterestedness, greater than that of Men, 79, and sub.
  • —what they have, that never yet made its Appearance at a Levee, 81.
  • —have their Share of Government in France, 84.
  • —what Civilities, the Judges, French, pay them, 89.
  • —the wrong Judgment English, Men of Business, are apt to make of them, 91.
  • —deeply interested in the Preservation of Maclean, 104.
  • L—ds, gentle ones, should not go arm'd, 62.
  • Lay, an Epithet from a Willow apply'd to it, 6.
  • L—s, Maclean's Misfortune in not having smuggled there, 49.
  • Levees, what Men do at them, 79. and subseq.
M.
  • MACLEAN, Mr. what siz'd People would be the least sorry for his Death, 22.
  • —why forced to beg for his Life, 34.
  • —repents in Tears, and why, 35, and sub.
  • —the Author apprehensive his Repentance should do him Harm, 36.
  • —His Pistol goes off itself, 41.—By what Principles it was ani­mated, 43.
  • —in a worse Condition than Smugglers and Rebels, 37, to 40.
  • —justifiable, though he had been so, and had yet fired wilfully at his Son, 43, and subseq.
  • —saving him of great Consequence to the Ladies, 104.
  • —the Author wishes she and others might plead for him in Person, 69.
  • Mistress, the Publick a capricious one, 65.
  • Merit, of some Men in Place, what, 49 to 56.
  • Minister, French, controulable by Ladies, 85.
  • Man, more selfish than Woman, 79.
  • Monarchs, supposed not always readily answered, 19.
  • —their great Civility to Ladies, supposed, 15.
  • Mortals, opposed to Kings. 4.
P.
  • [Page 9] PERSON addressed, when the Author dreads her Petition should be presented to him. 8, 12, 14.
  • —when she fancies a proper Time. 23, subseq.
  • —prevented of a Visit from the Ladies, by Custom. 69.
  • —the righteous Effect Beauty would have upon him, supposed, 77.
  • —Excells the French in Politeness, as much as in Politicks. 97.
  • —what he did to the War. 100.
  • —the Obligation this Island has to him. 101.
  • —obeyed by three Realms. 5.
  • —happy Wishes for him, though conditional. 105.
  • People, little, envy those that are tall. 22.
  • Polite, all Foreigners said to be so. 16.
  • Power, the Web of it. 8.
  • What the Threads of that Web do. 9, 10.
  • Poppets, what they think they do when they are led. 10.
  • Place, the Design of preserving one's self in one, supposed to overweigh the Scheme of Government, as well as Decency to Kings. 12.
  • Publick (the) not vindictive. 64.
  • People (tall) envied by little. 22.
  • Pudding, what Englishmen of Business think of it. 92.
  • Parts, (Knowledge and Sense) bad Supporters. 106.
  • Peace, owing to the Person addressed. 100.
R.
  • R—S, Petitions supposed to be sent and read to him. 19.
  • Robbery, its Difference from Conquest. 59.
  • Realms, three, obey the Person addressed. 5.
S.
  • SERVICES, past, not always entirely forgot. 38, 39, 40.
  • Sorrows, that of Ladies of great Efficacy. 75.
  • Sea-fights, look'd-on, what they do. 68.
  • Scot, spoiled, not robbed. 56.
  • Sense, of human Affairs, doubted if retained by Statesmen. 3.
  • Sense, Knowlege, and Parts, the Disadvantages of having them. 106.
  • Statesmen, doubted if they remember there is such a Condition in the World as private Men. 3, 4.
  • State, French, directed by the Ladies. 86.
T.
  • TEAS, how used most salutary. 39.
  • Theft, private, dangerous. 63.
  • Tears, why those of the Author almost dried. 96.
V.
  • VENGEANCE, who liable to that of the Publick. 65.
W.
  • WRONG, to the Publick, easily forgiven by it. 64.
  • War, where counterfeited. 74.
  • —what Sort of a Mouth it has, and who shut it. 100.

Declaration de l'Acteure.

JE, ayant n'aquieres propense, ne donner au Publique l'ouvrage qu'en­suit, qu'avec le Commentaire du moult Reverend & Vertueux Monsieur, Monsieur Guerreburton, accomparè aux plus preux, qu'oncques ne furent, en toute Litterature proufictable: Mais icelluy n'etant tout pret, & je craignant, que pendant que je cherche a gorgiaser mes travaux a'un coustè, ne m'arrivat quelque mal-en-suivir, d'un autre si l'Heros du Poeme fut accoustrè d'un licol, & occis avant leur Publication, ai changè du propous, en tant on l'Edition presente; aimant mieux la donnèr tout halle brenè en mon lourdwys: Octroyant & Baillant, neant moins au facond, Monsieur, dejà nommè, permission pleniere sur tout l'Ovrage si tot, qu'il aura fini son doit commentaire, d'ajouster, on de tollir de mes rythmes tant qu'il trouvera a propous, memement d' y changer les Noms propres par tout, & les Louanges en Viliaines.

Je l'Acteure.
FINIS.

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