[1] George Nugent Grenville, Marquis of Buckingham.

[2] The immaculate continence of the BRITISH SCIPIO, so strongly insisted on by his friends, as const.i.tuting one of the most shining ingredients of his own uncommon character, is only alluded to here as a received fact, and not by any means as a reproach.

[3] _Wedded_. This Gentleman's own term for a Coalition.

EPIGRAMS,

_By_ SIR CECIL WRAY.

First published in the Gentleman's Magazine, under the signatures of DAMON, PHILOMELA, NOLENS VOLENS, and CRITANDER.

_To_ CELIA (_now Lady_ WRAY), _on Powdering her Hair._

EXTEMPORE.

Thy locks, I trow, fair maid, Don't never want this aid: Wherefore thy powder spare, And only _comb_ thy hair.

_To Sir_ JOSEPH MAWBEY, _proposing a Party to go a-fishing for White Bait._

Worthy SIR JOE, we all are wishing, You'd come with us a-White-Bait-fishing.

_On seeing a Ladybird fly off_ CELIA'_s Neck, after having perched on it for many minutes._

I thought (G.o.d bless my soul!) Yon ladybird her mole-- I thought--but devil take the thing, It proved my error--took to wing--

_A Thought on_ NEW MILK.

Oh! how charming is New Milk!

Sweet as sugar--soft as silk!

_Familiar Verses, addressed to two Young Gentlemen at the_ Hounslow Academy.

Take notice, roguelings, I prohibit Your walking underneath yon gibbet: Have you not heard, my little ones, Of _Raw Head and b.l.o.o.d.y Bones?_ How do you know, but that there fellow, May step down quick, and you up swallow?

EXTEMPORE.

_To_ DELIA, _on seeing_ TWO CATS _playing together._

See, DELY, DELY, charming fair, How p.u.s.s.eys play upon that chair; Then, DELY, change thy name to WRAY, And thou and I will likewise play.

_On a_ BLADE-BONE.

Says I, one day, unto my wife, I never saw in all my life Such a blade-bone. Why so, my dear?

Says she. The matter's very clear, Says I; for on it there's no meat, For any body for to eat.

Indeed, my dear, says she, 'tis true, } But wonder not, for, you know, you } Can't eat your cake and have it too. }

_An_ IDEA _on a_ PECK _of_ COALS.

I buy my coals by pecks, that we May have them fresh and fresh, d'ye see.

_To my very learned and facetious friend_, S. ESTWICK, ESQ.

M.P. _and_ LL.D. _on his saying to me_, "What the D---l noise was that?"

Good Dr. ESTWICK, you do seek To know what makes my shoe-soles creak?

They make a noise when they are dry; And so do you, and so do I.

C. W.

LORD GRAHAM'S DIARY,

DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF THE NEW PARLIAMENT.

_May_ 20. Went down to the House--sworn in--odd faces--asked PEARSON who the new people were--he seemed cross at my asking him, and did not know--I took occasion to inspect the water-closets.

N.B. To tell ROSE, that I found three c.o.c.ks out of repair--didn't know what to do--left my name at the DUKE OF QUEENSBERRY's--dined at WHITE's--the pease tough--Lord APSLEY thought they ought to be boiled in steam--VILLIERS very _warm_ in favour of _hot water_--PITT for the new mode--and much talk of _taking the sense_ of the _club_--but happily I prevented matters going to extremity.

_May_ 21. Bought a tooth-pick-case, and attended at the Treasury-Board--nothing at the House but swearing--rode to WILBERFORCE's at WIMBLEDON--PITT, THURLOW, and DUNDAS, _water-sucky_--we all wondered why perch have such large mouths, and WILBERFORCE said they were like MULGRAVE's--red champagne rather ropy--away at eight--THURLOW's horse started at a windmill--he off.

N.B. To bring in an Act to encourage water-mills--THURLOW home in a _dilly_--we after his horse--children crying, _Fox for ever!_--DUNDAS stretching to whip them--he off too.

_May_ 22. Sick all day--lay a bed--VILLIERS _bored_ me.

23. Hyde-park--PITT--HAMILTON, &c. Most of us agreed it was right to bow to Lord DELAVAL--PITT won't to any one, except the _new Peers_--dined at PITT's--PITT's soup never salt enough--Why must PRETTYMAN dine with us?--PITT says to-day he will _not_ support Sir CECIL WRAY--THURLOW wanted to give the _old toast_--PITT grave--probably this is the reason for letting PRETTYMAN stay.

24. House--Westminster Election--we settled to always make a noise when BURKE gets up--we ballotted among ourselves for a _sleeping Committee_ in the Gallery----STEELE always to call us when PITT speaks--Lord DELAVAL our _dear_ friend!--_Private_ message from ST.

JAMES's to PITT--He at last agrees to support SIR CECIL.

_May_ 25. BANKES won't vote with us against GRENVILLE's Bill--English obstinacy--the Duke of RICHMOND teazes us--nonsense about consistency--what right has _he_ to talk of _it?_--but must not say so.--DUNDAS thinks worse of the Westminster business than--but too hearty to indulge absurd scruples.

26. Court--King in high spirits, and attentive rather to the Duke of GRAFTON--QUEEN more so to Lord CAMDEN--puzzles us all!--So it is possible the Duke of RICHMOND will consent to leave the _Cabinet_?--Dinner at DUNDAS's--too many things aukwardly served--Joke about ROSE's thick legs, like ROBINSON's, in flannel.

EXTRACTS

FROM THE SECOND VOLUME OF LORD MULGRAVE'S ESSAYS ON ELOQUENCE, LATELY PUBLISHED.

"We now come to speak of _Tropes_. Trope comes from the Greek word _Trepo_, to turn. I believe that tropes can only exist in a vocal language, for I do not recollect to have met with any among the savages near the Pole, who converse only by signs; or if they used any, I did not understand them. Aristotle is of opinion that horses have not the use of tropes.--Dean Swift seems to be of a contrary opinion; but be this as it may, tropes are of very great importance in Parliament, and I cannot enough recommend them to my young readers.

"_Tropes_ are of two kinds: 1st, such as tend to ill.u.s.trate our meaning; and 2dly, such as tend to render it obscure. The first are of great use in the _sermo pedestris_; the second in the sublime. They give the _os magna sonans_; or, as the same poet says in another place, the _ore rotundo_; an expression, which shows, by the bye, that it is as necessary to round your mouth, as to round your periods.--But of this more hereafter, when I come to treat of _mouthing_, or, as the Latins call it, _elocutio_.