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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;
[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,
[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.
[6]
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.

Appendix A 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 Stateſ⯑men, 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.
  • 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 Situ⯑ation 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 ani⯑mated, 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.
  • 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.

Appendix B Declaration de l'Acteure.

[10]

JE, ayant n'aquieres propenſe, ne donner au Publique l'ouvrage qu'en⯑ſuit, 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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Citation Suggestion for this Object
TextGrid Repository (2020). TEI. 4900 A petition to the Right Hon Mr in favour of Mr Maclean By a lady. University of Oxford Text Archive. . https://hdl.handle.net/21.T11991/0000-001A-6209-C