Disgusting crew!--_who_ would not gladly fly
To open, downright, bold-faced tyranny,
To honest guilt, that dares do all but lie,
From the false, juggling craft of men like these,
Their canting crimes and varnisht villanies;--
These Holy Leaguers, who then loudest boast
Of faith and honor, when they've stained them most;
From whose affection men should shrink as loath
As from their hate, for they'll be fleeced by both;
Who, even while plundering, forge Religion's name
To frank their spoil, and without fear or shame
Call down the Holy Trinity[4] to bless
Partition leagues and deeds of devilishness!
But hold--enough--soon would this swell of rage
O'erflow the boundaries of my scanty page;--
So, here I pause--farewell--another day,
Return we to those Lords of prayer and prey,
Whose loathsome cant, whose frauds by right divine,
Deserve a lash--oh! weightier far than mine!
[1] Napoleon's Proclamation on landing from Elba.
[2] At the Peace of Tilsit, where he abandoned his ally, Prussia, to
France, and received a portion of her territory.
[3] The seizure of Finland from his relative of Sweden.
[4] The usual preamble of these flagitious compacts. In the same spirit,
Catherine, after the dreadful massacre of Warsaw, ordered a solemn
"thanksgiving to God in all the churches, for the blessings conferred upon
the Poles"; and commanded that each of them should "swear fidelity and
loyalty to her, and to shed in her defence the last drop of their blood,
as they should answer for it to God, and his terrible judgment, kissing
the holy word and cross of their Saviour!"
LETTER VIII.
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