“Good Sir, I crave pity, bad is my condition: You’ve sworn to relieve me, as I understand; To tell you the whole, pray read this Petition; My name you know is Old England: Tho’ you’ve receiv’d many, and not answer’d any, I hope Old England’s will not be forgot, For if you deny me, the land will despise ye-- ’Twas King Charles the First by the axe went to pot. My right arm is wounded, and Middlesex county I always esteem’d the bloom of my plumb. And murd’rers have got a pardon and bounty, From this precious arm they have torn a thumb; For Wilkes is took from me, such wrongs have they done me, They’ve alter’d records unto their disgrace; ’Tis thus that they’ve done, and a bastard son, While my darling’s in prison, now sits in his place. My head is wounded, if such a thing can be, My troubles are such that I can take no rest; Two sons are ta’en from me, Great Camden and Granby, And to the world they have left me distrest: For Granby’s a soldier, none better or bolder, And Camden’s a lawyer in justice well known, In law had such power, took Wilkes from the Tower, These, these are the children I ne’er will disown. So read my Petition, good Sir; ’tis not tattle, But matter of consequence, you’ll understand; And answer me not, Sir, about horned cattle, Pray what’s a few beasts, to the peace of the land? The land has been injur’d, our rights they’ve infringed, And loud for redress it behoves us to call, For should we let trespass, like an indolent ass, With Middlesex then all our rights they must fall. Our land it is ruled by rogues, roughs, and bullies, In the nation’s confusion they go hand in hand, Sharps, gamblers, profuse and extravagant cullies, A very odd set for to govern the land: Here’s Bute, we hear, dying, his mistress for him crying, Her son he has learnt the same fiddle to play; For he touches the string, in disgrace to the king, But his mother has taught him--why what?--shall we say?” In the March of the year following, after awaiting a response for nearly twelve months, the Livery of the city resolved to draw up a further and more stringent remonstrance; and a meeting was held under the Right Hon. William Beckford, elected lord mayor for the second time, in the interval. In his address “to the Supreme Court of the whole City,” the real dangers which menaced the State were by Beckford traced to their true source, “the comprehensive violation of the _right of election_”-- “to preserve which right, the Crown had been justly taken from James the Second, and been placed by the people of England on the head of William the Third, and conferred on His Majesty’s family. That the corruption of the people’s representatives was the cause and foundation of all our grievances. That we have now only the name of a parliament, without the substance.”