THE SETTING SUN; OR, DEVIL AMONGST THE PLACEMEN. TO WHICH IS ADDED, A NEW MUSICAL DRAMA; BEING A PARODY ON THE BEGGAR'S OPERA, AS LATELY ACTED, WITH UNIVERSAL ECLAT, AT THE WITH HINTS FOR A MASQUERADE JUBILEE, ON A GRAND SCALE, BY CERVANTES HOGG, Esq. IN THREE VOLUMES. "Like thieves, surpris'd whilst they divide the prize, D'AVENANT. VOL. III. London: Printed by J. D. Dewick, 46, Barbican, FOR T. HUGHES, 35, LUDGATE-STREET; CHAPPEL, PALI ROYAL EXCHANGE. THE SETTING SUN. "Riches are oft by guilt and baseness earn'd, ARMSTRONG. To be concerned for a family," observes the facetious Tom Browne, " for children, and things after us, is only proper to a man; a horse never breaks his repose for thinking whether his son will be preferred to the cart or coach." Now, whether, in point of philosophy, Tom means to give the palm to the man, or the horse, is rather dubious, as he draws no conclusion, but leaves his reader to judge for hiraself. If we may draw an in ference, however, from the providence of the Grenvilles, Percevals, Wellesleys, and even the Castlereaghs, (who disdain the improvidence of their Houyhnm brethren, although they panegyrize their fitness for campaigns) the preference is by far on the side of the human animal. The enjoyment of the good things of this world for their own lives is so insufficient a recompence for their astonishing abilities, and the sèrcices derived from them to this happy country, that they must secure the reversions of from £20,000 to £50,000 a year. to each of their respective families for two or three generations to come. Sweet, amiable, paternal, fraternal, and kindred love! But we would ask those provident gentry, whether they do not think that mankind in general are possessed of the same amiable feelings, and whether it can be pleasing to them, or in any degree reconcileable with propriety, that their posterity should be empoverished to pamper the pride of a few overgrown robbers; unless, indeed, these gentry will engage (of which, however, there are not the smallest hopes of their performance) to leave the country in so flourishing a state, that, during the enjoyment of their reversions, it shall need no man of business, who will as naturally look for some remuneration as themselves, and, as we believe the whole country will agree with us, cannot deserve it less. The amiable young fry, to whom these reversions are secured, may be ideots; but, were they to be blessed with genius, they would not lock upon the rewards bestowed on the wonderful deeds of their ancestors, as a payment for their own exertions. Some new burthens must therefore be laid upon the public, unless a pestilence should carry off some of their incubi, or (which Heaven avert!) some new revolution should play the wet sponge, and wipe off all again. Public offices were never intended to be granted in reversion; they are deposits of public property in the hands of the crown, to be bestowed on meritorious individuals for services rendered to the state. Now, can one of these reversion mongers |