Wesley Corpus

Page 13 With blasphemies they rend the sky, And both their king and God defy. But chiefly those they hate and fear Who bear the noblest character; The hoary guardian of our laws, Most adverse to rebellion's cause, Most faithful to his king and true, Most zealous for his country too, On him with keenest rage they fly, As justice would with Mansfield12 die. The feeble guards stand by and see The basest tools of anarchy, Our age and nation's foul disgrace, Who set his mansion in a blaze: Pictures, and monuments of art, The utmost genius could exert, Compilers of th' historic page, The bard, and lawgiver, and sage, Writings for gen'ral use, design'd To teach, and to improve mankind, With manuscripts of price unknown, Upon the flaming heap are thrown, More than a Vatican contains Is lost, and not a wreck remains. So when ferocious Omar comes, And learning to destruction dooms; Ptolemy's stores erect the pyre, His volumes all in smoke expire, The Alexandrian library. 12William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield (1705-93), currently Lord Chief Justice. His house was destroyed in the riots, including his immense library. Murray had been a fellow student of Charles at Westminster School and Christ Church, Oxford. Page 14 And the barbaric flames devour The work of ages in an hour. What hinders now the fell banditti From plund'ring the devoted city? Boldly they cast the mask away, And stand confest in open day; Hourly with fresh recruits increas'd; The cry of Popery now is ceas'd: They threaten gen'ral desolation, A fire to purify the nation; A fire impartial to consume The friends and enemies of Rome, "Throughly to purge is our intent, Is to blow up the Parliament, The rich to level with the poor, Unbounded freedom to restore, To pull the courts and churches down, And all the palaces in town, Demolish every public place, Set all your records in a blaze, And warm you with the glorious sight Expect a specimen to night!" O what a night was that! The crowd As congregated waters loud, Tremendous as the sea in storm, Their promise terribly perform! Fierce flames on every side aspire, And vault the firmament with fire! The clash of arms, the thund'ring sound, The pierc'd, who fall and bite the ground,