In close embrace with Columbine, Pass, gaily pass, the flying hours; While prostrate at their blood stained Shrine, Low bow the European powers. 23. Touch’d by his sword, the morals fly, The virtues, into vices dwindling, Courage is turn’d to cruelty, And public faith, to private swindling. 24. With Atheist Bishops, Jockey Peers, His hurly burly Court is graced; Contractors, Brewers, Charioteers, Mad Lords, and _Duchesses disgraced_. 25. And now th’ Invasion scene comes on; The patch’d and pyeball’d renegado, Hurls at Britannia’s lofty throne Full many an Insolent bravado. 26. The trembling Clown dissuades in vain And finds too late, there’s no retreating, Whatever Harlequin may gain, The Clown is sure to have a beating. 27. They tempt the main, the canvas raise, A storm destroys his valiant legions; And lo! our closing scene displays A grand view of th’ infernal regions. 28. Thus have we, gentlefolks, to day, With pains proportion’d to th’ occasion, Our piece perform’d: then further say, How like you Harlequin’s Invasion? BOB ROUSEM’S EPISTLE TO BONYPART. This comes hoping you are well, as I am at this present; but I say, Bony, what a damn’d Lubber you must be to think of getting _soundings_ among us English. I tell ye as how your Anchor will never hold; it isn’t made of good Stuff, so luff up, Bony, or you’ll be _fast aground_ before you know where you are. We don’t mind your Palaver and Nonsense; for tho’ ’tis all Wind, it would hardly fill the Stun’ sails of an English Man of War. You’ll never catch a Breeze to bring ye here as long as you live, depend upon it. I’ll give ye a Bit of Advice now; do _try_ and Lie as near the _Truth_ as possible, and don’t give us any more of your _Clinchers_. I say, do you remember how Nelson came _round_ ye at the Nile? I tell ye what, if you don’t take Care what you are about, you’ll soon be afloat in a way you won’t like, in a High Sea, upon a Grating, my Boy, without a bit of soft Tommy to put into your lanthorn jaws. I tell you now, how we shall fill up the Log-Book if you come; I’ll give ye the Journal, my Boy, with an Allowance for _Lee way_ and _Variation_ that you don’t expect. Now then, at Five A.M. Bonypart’s Cock-Boats sent out to amuse our ENGLISH MEN-OF-WAR with _fighting_, (that we like). Six A.M. Bonypart lands, (that is, if he can); then we begin to blow the Grampus; Seven A.M. Bonypart in a Pucker; Eight A.M. Bonypart _running away_; Nine A.M. Bonypart on board; Ten a.m. Bonypart sinking; Eleven a.m. Bonypart in _Davy’s locker_; Meridian, Bonypart in the North Corner of ----, where it burns and freezes at the same time; but you know, any port in a storm, Bony, so there I’ll leave ye. Now you know what you have to expect; so