May Rapine and Famine, Glut thee with living and dead! XXXVII. "May death and damnation, Flit up from hell with pure intent! Slash them at Manchester, Glasgow, Leeds and Chester; Drench all with blood from Avon to Trent. XXXVIII. "Let thy body-guard yeomen Hew down babes and women, And laugh with bold triumph till Heaven be rent. When Moloch in Jewry Munched children with fury, It was thou, Devil, dining with pure intent." 1 PART THE SEVENTH. DOUBLE DAMNATION. I. THE Devil now knew his proper cue.- It is curious to observe how often extremes meet. Cobbett and Peter use the same language for a different purpose: Peter is indeed a sort of metrical Cobbett. Cobbett is, however, more mischievous than Peter, because he pollutes a holy and now unconquerable cause with the principles of legitimate murder; whilst the other only makes a bad one ridiculous and odious. If either Peter or Cobbett should see this note, each will feel more indignation at being compared to the other than at any censure implied in the moral perversion laid to their charge. To his friend Lord MacMurderchouse's, 66 II. Pray find some cure or sinecure; Have fluttered tamer to the lure Than he." His lordship stands and racks his III. Stupid brains, while one might count IV. "It happens fortunately, dear Sir, That he'll be worthy of his hire." V. These words exchanged, the news sent off 1 Oliver, like Castles (see note at page 161), was a Government spy. He had been very prominent, two years before Peter Bell was published, in the Brandreth, Turner, and Ludlam case, which induced Shelley to write his Address to the People on the Death of the Princess Charlotte. See vol. i, page xlii. -ED. VI. The Devil's corpse was leaded down; VII. When Peter heard of his promotion, VIII. He hired a house, bought plate, and made A genteel drive up to his door, With sifted gravel neatly laid, As if defying all who said Peter was ever poor. IX. But a disease soon struck into X. And yet a strange and horrid curse XI. Peter was dull-he was at first Dull-O, so dull-so very dull! Whether he talked, wrote, or rehearsed- XII. No one could read his books-no mortal, XIII. His sister, wife, and children yawned, All human patience far beyond; Their hopes of Heaven each would have pawned, Any where else to be. XIV. But in his verse, and in his prose, XV. A printer's boy, folding those pages, As opiates, were the same applied. XVI. Even the Reviewers who were hired To dream of what they should be doing. XVII. And worse and worse, the drowsy curse Creeping like cold through all things near; XVIII. His servant-maids and dogs grew dull; All grew dull as Peter's self. XIX. The earth under his feet-the springs, XX. The birds and beasts within the wood, Love's work was left unwrought-no brood XXI. And every neighbouring cottager XXII. Yet all from that charmed district went |