Poetry of the Anti-Jacobin: Comprising the Celebrated Political and Satirical Poems, of the Rt. Hons. G. Canning, John Hookham Frere, W. Pitt, the Marquis Wellesley, G. Ellis, W. Gifford, the Earl of Carlisle, and Others.
History
Poetry of the Anti-Jacobin: Comprising the Celebrated Political and Satirical Poems, of the Rt. Hons. G. Canning, John Hookham Frere, W. Pitt, the Marquis Wellesley, G. Ellis, W. Gifford, the Earl of Carlisle, and Others.
English poetry; France -- History -- Revolution, 1789-1799 -- Poetry; Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 1789-1820
Line 36.—[Of M‘MAHON it is said in T. RAIKES’S _Journal_ (November,
1836):—“George IV. never had any private friends: he selected his
confidants from his minions. M‘MAHON was an Irishman of low birth and
obsequious manners: he was a little man, his face red, covered with
pimples; always dressed in the blue and buff uniform, with his hat on
one side, copying the air of his master, to whom he was a prodigious
foil, and ready to execute any commissions, which in those days were
somewhat complicated.” He was private secretary and keeper of the privy
purse to King George IV. when Prince Regent, was sworn of the Privy
Council, and created a Baronet, 7th August, 1817, with remainder, in
default of male issue, to his brother. SIR JOHN died 12th September,
1817, the title devolving on his brother THOMAS, a distinguished
military officer, who was Adjutant-General of Her Majesty’s forces in
India, Lieut.-Gov. of Portsmouth, Commander-in-Chief of the Bombay Army,
&c.
SIR JOHN M‘MAHON left a large personal property, amounting to £90,000.
One of his bequests is thus worded: “To THOMAS MARRABLE, a dear and
esteemed friend, £2000; and with my last prayers for the glory and
happiness of the best-hearted man in the world, the PRINCE REGENT, I
bequeath him the said Thomas Marrable, an invaluable servant”. The
latter was a member of the household of King George IV., and one of his
confidential agents. A full-length portrait of him as one of the
procession is given in Sir G. Nayler’s history of the coronation of that
monarch.
Among Gillray’s _Caricatures_ is an amusing one, engraved but not
designed by him, published in 1804, representing the Heir-Apparent,
mounted on a tall horse, with the much smaller person of M‘Mahon
consequentially riding on a diminutive steed at his side, passing the
gates of Carlton House. The quotation from Burns engraved on it suggests
that the Prince might still prove a worthy occupant of the throne.—ED.]
Footnote 82:
[As if written by ROBERT ADAIR, who had previously indited “HALF _a
Letter to Mr. Fox_”.]
[Footnote:
[83]Non usitatâ nec tenui ferar
Pennâ biformis per liquidum æthera
Vates.
[84]——Non ego, quem vocas
Dilecte, Mæcenas, obibo,
[85]Nec Stygiâ cohibebor undâ.
[86]Jamjam residunt cruribus asperæ
Pelles, et album mutor in alitem
[87]Supernê, nascunturque leves
Per digitos humerosque plumæ.
Visam gementis littora Bosphori,
Syrtesque Gætulas,[89] canorus
Ales,[90] Hyperboreosque campos.
[91]Me Colchus, et qui[92] dissimulat metum
* * *
* * * me peritus
Discet Iber Rhodanique[93] potor.
Absint[94] inani funere neniæ,
[95]Luctusque turpes et querimoniæ.
[96] —— —— —— sepulchri
Mitte supervacuous honores.
®
Footnote 88:
[MR. PITT’S Tax upon Hair-powder proved a failure; many of the public
declining its use. Those who continued it were called “_guinea-pigs_,”
the tax being a guinea per head.—ED.]
Footnote 97:
[For an explanation of this allusion, see Note at p. 74.—ED.]
[Footnote:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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