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THE POLL-TAX.

A NEW SONG.

Tune-"O, Dear, what can the matter bè."

Ho, ho, young and old, men and maids,
Fops, crops, loungers and dashing blades,
Prudes, wives, widows and hackney jades,
Wearers of Powder draw near;

To mimick your betters, what proof of infanity!
Tax'd you now are for your folly and vanity;
Never complain-'tis laid on with humanity;
Only a GUINEA a year!

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Grudge not then this mere bagatelle;

Let not paffion your bofom fwell;
No, no, only confider well

What its advantages are:

A well powder'd noddle, though empty's respectable;
Red and grey hairs it makes quite imperceptible;
Scented pomatum too makes it delectable;
What can with Powder compare?

Young men Powder'd, look neat and clean;
Old maids are to advantage feen;

Wives too, be they fat or lean,

Powder'd look cleanly and fair:

To fet forth its benefits yet in a stronger view;
Bald pates, when Powder'd, old age will no longer shew;
Toothlefs old widows look twenty years younger too,
Seen in their well Powder'd hair.

Once more-bear it with pleasure pray,
This, this, rolls your reproach away;
Though SWINE call'd by a penfion'd Jay,
Swine you'll no longer appear:

For pay but this POLL-TAX-detefted by ninny WHIGS,
SIGNIOR PITTACHIO while his fleeve in he fnigs,

Turns

you that moment from SWINE into GUINEA-PIGS!
Laugh if you cannot forbear.

Come,

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Come, come, no longer hesitate;
Pay, pay, cach for a Powder'd pate;
Then, then, rank'd with the rich and great,
Who to moleft you will dare?

No longer akin to the grunting minority,

John may with master, and mistress with Dorothy,.
Taunt at INFORMERS, and Squeak with authority,
"LICENC'D, Hair Powder to wear".

LINES. Written by a PRIVATE, at Spithead.

SING heavenly mufe, the lovely spouse of Wales,

Rejoice ye fons of earth, in fea you whales,

Her German Highness's a charming pretty wench,
The daughter of great Brunswick who beat the French:
O! praise th' illuftrous pair, it is your duty;
He for his piety, fhe for her beauty,

So beautiful, the Parfon took his flight,
And left the pulpit, bidding God 'good night;
The clerk and congregation fir'd with zeal,
Rufn'd forth to hail this prop of Britain's weal :
Thus fhewing to the auguft family,

The ftrongest marks of love and loyalty,
Which proves this pious race was really giv'n
To rule the nation by the will of heav'n,
Or pricft and people ne'er would have forfook
God's houfe and fervice for a fingle look,
Had not a facred whisper from above
Infpir'd their fouls with awe, and bid them move.
When firft this heaven-born maid, fo humbly trod,
In modeft condefcenfion, Britains fod,

Nought could retain this holy man of God:
Tho' in the midft an heart-affecting fermon,
He flew God's houfe, to view the lovely German;
Fill'd with more reverence for the land's creation,
Than for the awful duties of his ftation.

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NAUTICUS.

No. 20.

THE PHILANTHROPIST.

MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 1795.

LONDON:

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Printed for and fold by DANIEL ISAAC EATON, Printer and Bookfeller to the Supreme Majesty of the People, at the Cock and SWINE, No. 74, Newgate street.

1795.

PRICE ONE PENNY.

For the PHILANTHROPIST.

A CIVIC ESSAY.

O quifquis volet impias

Cædes, aut rabiem tollere civicam,

Si quæret pater urbium

Subfcribi ftatuis; imdomitam audeat

Refrænare licentiam,

Clarus poft genitis: quatenus (heu nefas!)

Virtutem incolumem odimus,

Sublatam exoculis quærimus invidi.

Quid triftes querimoniæ,

Si non fupplicio culpa recinditur ?

Quid leges fine moribus

Vanæ proficiunt?

Britannia! give the civic crown

The niteh of glory, give

To him that fmooths grim war his frown ;.

And bids your people live.

HOR.

Why,

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From loves and friends, as virtue's foe:

For virtues gone why fickle grieve,
'If living virtues hated live:

Or why of wicked men complain,

If fuch unpunifh'd can remain.

What use your laws, your boafted rights,
If them a knave fecurely flights.

LIFE is full of trouble and deceit; for in our very make

there is a malignity of thinking, that turns to cruelty of acting; Ambition ever actuates the mind, and hence, in the general aim to eminence, envy ftimulates more than emulation urges. The man who rifes to honeft glory has thoufands to rejoice in his fall, and tear his laurels. Ariftides, who lives for ever a fhining example of all that is good and great and just, had not been banished Athens but for this invidious nature, that irretates the paffions, and fours the affections of our kind. The clown not able to write down his vote, who unwittingly gave the tyle to Ariftides himself to mark his own profcription, had no other caufe than this. This is the caufe that virtue is exploded, and genius left to perish in the walks of men; and thạt they are applauded and loved when they go away where the wicked cannot trouble, and the weary reft. This is the caufe that patriots are facrificed by the citizens they defend; that abufe moftly attends fortitude, and virtue while they live; and that they must look to pofterity and futurity for their justice and merits. And, befides this malignant temper, the bad influence of power raifes and feduces numbers against the faviours and promoters of fociety. But to benefit mankind was the firft, if not the only, reward of the heroes and worthies of the world; and the foul alive to this glowing fenfation defpifes (and even rejoices in) perfecution. Bleffed are you when men fhall revile, and perfecute you, faid he that breathed out love and charity to

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his murderers with his lateft gafp. To multiply examples is needlefs; it is well known that fome even in this ifland who went to the scaffold or faggot, among crouds of fcorners and abusers, are now lamented and cherished in memory. It is known that much of the liberty we have, was bequeathed to us by fuch; and ftill if any, in this feafon, dare to imitate glorious patterns, he is difgraced, imprisoned, and perhaps lofes his country, or even his life. This must be always in fome degree the cafe; for it is hard to distinguish real colors in a troubled atmosphere, where illufive fhades cheat and confound the vifion; but when the clouds of interest and prejudice break away, purity and integrity are fure to charm in happy light. It is indeed a melancholy idea to him that pants for his country, or human community at large, to know that he must be perfecuted by them he ferves; and I am fain to think that thus a furfeit of unworthy pain, difcourages many from proceeding in the glorious courfe. But, the wife and great ever make their minds to the circumftances of a bad life; and a good confcience gives vigor equal and fuperior to the difadvantages and obftacles of time and chance. It is a remark of the Roman orator, that no wife one would undergo the vexations and evils this our short career is exposed to, were he not elevated in the hopes and joys of immortality. Many oppofite cases must feize every thinking mind from the occurrences of experienee and hiftory: I will put one. Mr. Locke, in his effays on the understanding, and on government, has, I take it, faid more against the divine power of kings and priests, and for the rightful confent and reafon of the people, than any democrat of them all. His buft has a nitch in the gallery, and his treatises are taught by a public profeffor, in the hall of science: but were this friend to fociety referved to our time, I do think, his productions had got to him, perhaps, the dishonor of being burned in effigy like Mr. Pain; and had made him as odious to the ruling powers, as the reverend Mr. Palmer and Mr. Muir and others, who were tranfported from their friends, and their homes, for recommending his theory, that

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