William Curtis (if it please Heaven to spare his life) is sure to be a gainer by it, as he will be able to puzzle his barber with angles, bastions, chamade, defiles, epaulements, fosses, gabions, half-moons, intrenchments, kettledrums, lunettes, mines, and so on through the whole alphabet, more than ever the barber has astounded him with politics. Nay, it is whispered that this laudable emulation and revenge was his principal motive in going; but we attribute his ebullition of courage to the more honorable motive of wishing to join his effort to knead his country's enemies into dough, burn up the whole batch of them, and crack them like so many worm-eaten biscuits. May he return "speedily and soon," to take part with his friend STRAP in the following DUET! Barb. What's a campaign like? 5. Wm. What's it like? Oh, dear! Why there's no such a sight in London; 'Tis but child's play you see at Bartlemee Fair, Where only in jest they knock men down: Avant-fosse-matross, Enfilade-ambuscade, Battery-sortie, Bombardiers-fusileers, Fausse braye-cover'd way, Culverin-fascine, Centre, flank-rear-rank, Sheils, shot-red hot, Half-moon-speedy, soon, Sighing, Crying, Dying, Such a rushing and a crushing! My oven's mouth was ne'er so hot Barb. Don't talk so fast, you're out of breath- S. Wm. I'll leave politics for great guns Barb. Plague on his tongue, how glib it runs S. Wm. Then, when victors, the citadel we enter so nice, Sir Barb. I'll stop his tongue, I'll warrant→→→→ S. Wm. Zounds! what a slicer! Barb. Your pardon, Sir; your jaws you stir Such wond'rous things to tell us S. Wm. I know why 'tis, you've slic'd my phys: By G-d! the fellow's jealous; You've had all the talk, but now I'll have my share Barb. And I'll come prepar'd with cotton in each ear. - Now, by my life Old folks are babes again; and must be us'd With checks, not flatt'ries; when they're seen abus'd." SHAKESPEAR. THE right of subjects to petition the throne for redress, is as well established as the right to the throne itself. In January 1680, Charles II. having prorogued the parliament from year to year, for not complying with his and his brother's despotic designs to enslave the nation, a spirit of liberty began to exert itself, and petitions were framing throughout the kingdom, to be presented to the king at the meeting of parliament, on the 26th January, according to the last prorogation. His majesty's humbug-advisers hit upon the wise expedient of issuing out two proclamations, strictly charging and commanding all and every of his loving subjects, of what rank or degree soever, that they presume not to agitate or promote any such subscriptions, nor in any ways join in any petition, upon pain of the utmost rigour of the law that may be inflicted for the same.-At the same time his majesty, who, together with his infernal advisers, had been for some years before a pensioner of France, issued out another proclamation, insulting the people by a declaration of his resolution to prorogue the parliament from the 26th of January to the 11th November.-Notwithstanding these proclamations, the business of petitioning was nobly and zealously carried on; many were prepared, and some presented not long after. On the 13th January, Sir Gilbert Gerard, accompanied by several eminent citizens, presented a petition from thousands of his majesty's subjects in London, Westminster, and parts adjacent, humbly praying that the parliament, which was prorogued to the 26th January, might then sit to redress all grievances, not otherwise to be redressed. To |