NUMBER XXIX. N the laft BATCHELOR were omitted for want of room, the following elegant fpeeches. IN Lord Babletongue.] The freedom of debate is, in my humble fentiments, too much confined in all the fenates of Europe. The profeffors of law, thofe gentlemen with the large enveloping wigs -(I wish I could teach them to be a little more degagé)-they muft pardon my expreffion; they, fir, have invented a parcel of barbarous and ruftic forms, to keep the direction of the debate, entierment, in their own hands; and certain Lords of a Bench, which I have in my eye, are always ready to fupport them; fo tl a gentlemen of any liberal conceit, who attempts to emerge, is, inceffamment, called to order, his fpirits difcompofed, his ideas derangé. The being confined to one fpot in the Houfe, I take to be an empechement to elocution. There is a fympathetic correfpondence, fir, of the faculties of man, when he enters into action: I fay Mr. Prefident, we all know what Demofthenes faid of itBeing asked what he thought the firft qualification of an orator, he replied action; by which, I conceive, he meant to fay mouvement. Now, fir, if action be the conflituent principle of eloquence, graceful action must conftitute the effence of it, and affurement, fir, must give it the true bon tonDancing, fir, is modulated, graceful action ;-there fore, fore, it logically follows, par confequent, as a poftulatum, that he who dances beft, must speak beft[a loud laugh]. I do not comprehend why gentlemen are pleased to be fo merry :-They are much mistaken when they efteem the obfervation of Monfieur Marceil, on the Earl of Oxford, as a bagatelle. Yet, fir, Moliere, a celebrated French philofopher, corroborates it, by proving that all the faux pas of a man's life, were owing to his not having learned to dance. No minifter, fir, who has not a good step, can maintain his ground long. You know how foon the Queen difmiffed Lord Oxford. Not one of our late minifters had un air impofant. You perceive how ill they maintain themselves. I never faw any man of fo clownish a deportment, or un air auffi moins faconné, as our present viceroy. I hope, fir, you will excufe this digreffion, which, yet, I do not think a digreffion, but rather the introduction, or peroration to my,oration.Sir, I have studied to serve my country, I intend visiting all the fortifications of the kingdom;-a true state of them I shall present to an illuftrious body, next feffion of parliament. To qualify myself properly for this important duty, I am now learning fortification under an Irish Vauban, the greateft engineer of his age. Monfieur Le F-t,-but, fir, I do this (as I do every thing else) in a mode toute nouvelle Monfieur Le F. directs, fuperintends,-my Frifieur executes. Let me explain myself-my hair, fir, is dreffed in the form of baftions, ravelins, fcarps, and counter-fcarps, half moons and full moons, (not to mention le cartouche defbabille of the morning.) Thus, Thus, fir, fcience and dress, like the fifter arts, are happily blended, and mutually affift each other. Give me leave to mention a bon mot of mine on this occafion, which, in my humble conception, is fuperior to any of Chesterfield's, or Lord Sancho's :Monfieur Le F. gave orders to erect a crown work on the occiput-Pardonnez moi, fays I, Monfieur Le F. I am a patriot-an opponent to arbitrary government-an enemy to all CROWN WORKS. He! hehe!--He then directed an horn work to be erected on the finciput. Pardonnez moi, fays I again, Monfieur, I am not married, it is referved for the Countess of Babeltongue, to construct a HORN WORK on my head.-He!-he !-he !--Since I perceive gentlemens gracious accueil of my endeavours, the approbation of my manner, and exhiliration of my jeux d'efprit, I will gratify them with a recital of a late fcintillation of my fancy, in an illuftrious-but obfcure, in a dignified, but futile affembly.The premier of this frivolous fociety, that frigorific head of cafuiftry, his face enfoncée in a deep wood of hair, the other day commanded an order to be read against me, for speaking disrespectful of the King's Chief Governor : I was neither difheartened nor embaraffed; with that acumen and readiness fo peculiar to myself, I afferted that Lord Townshend was his Majefty's fervant and Vice-Roy, but he certainly was not the King's CHIEF GOVERNOR. He!—he !—he !-A torpor immediately benumbed the faculties of the fociety, whilft, with a look of ineffable contempt, I feated myself in my place. -Pardon my confufion, fir, I am always embarraffed when I praise myself:-this mauvaise honte I never could conquer. Yet, fir, I think I must exclaim against the ingratitude of government-I cannot contain, contain, fir, (weeps)-pardon thefe tears, they are for the loss my country fuftains, in not giving me an opportunity to fhine in arms. I only wanted to charge at the head of a regiment of cavalry. By Heavens I was denied: ab quel facheux contretems. Yet, the conftitution, in church and state, was preferved by this arm-Let them conquer the next Oak-Boys themselves, Babeltongue will no longer fight their battles. If I was dumb, this ribband would fpeak for me. When I was inftalled, my praise was founded from the throne-all Europe acknowledged my merits.-The ladies admired me and an æthereal Heaven-taught young nobleman, who was an eye-witnefs of my heroic valour, and conquered under my aufpices ;-he, fir, celebrated my victory in thefe fublime and Pindaric ftrains. RECITATIVE. Yon valiant chief-behold from far, "And glitt'ring fword-knot sparkling in the "air. AIR. "'Mongst heroes and fages recorded, Cte faireft and foremost shall shine; "A ribband's the meed that's awarded, J "Whilft "Whilft ladies in just admiration, "Of wisdom and valour agree; "So long ev'ry age, ev'ry nation, "Shall hallow an oak bough to thee." Why fhould I mention the trophies torn from the tenacious grasp of rebels-the blue ftocking of the first female fiend who headed the insurrection, known to the vulgar by the familiar appellation of Moll Coggin but fur mon honneur: I can affirm the was a magician of the firft magnitude. With this blue ftocking, I prefented two garlands of oak, torn from the heads of two rebellious enchanters, whom villatic rufticity tiled, Cow-herds, or Cow-boys. For thefe military atchievements, my Sovereign rewarded me with thefe blushing honours I now wear, (pointing to his ribband) with the placid conscioufnefs of merit, and the foft dignity of humility. Gentlemen, the prefent Viceroy and his venal court, obferve with contempt-with ridicule,-the ease of my motion-the grace of my step--the unlaboured flow of eloquence :-the minute ftep-le cheval ow become a dreffe-and the meditated bow, are prey to the fneers of buffoonery. Sir, I am a patriot, a friend to liberty-I will defend the privileges of the peerage from all encroachments. If antient peers tamely refign those privileges handed down to them by their illustrious ancestors, a coronet will become a mere bauble. In spite of a subtle lawyer, one of those novi homines whom I despise, (men generally of ferqualinian extraction) I will preferve their privileges inviolate-facred as the diamond broche which glitters on my bofom, or the brilliant buckle which sparkles on my elaftic inftep. If peers are indifcriminately to become fubject to the laws, and obliged to pay their debts, what should then diftinguish |