George Selwyn and His Contemporaries: With Memoirs and Notes, Volume 4

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R. Bentley, 1844
"George Augustus Selwyn (11 August 1719?25 January 1791, age 71) was a Member of Parliament (MP) in the Parliament of Great Britain. Selwyn spent 44 years in the House of Commons without being recorded as making a speech. He put his electoral interest, as the person who controlled both seats in Ludgershall and one in Gloucester, at the disposal of the King's ministers (whoever they might be), because he was financially dependent on obtaining (a total of three) sinecure offices and a pension, which offset his expenses of bribing the electorate, and his gambling debts."--Wikipedia.

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Page 25 - But peace to his spirit, wherever it flies, To act as an angel and mix with the skies : Those poets, who owe their best fame to his skill, Shall still be his flatterers, go where he will ; Old Shakspeare receive him with praise and with love, And Beaumonts and Bens be his Kellys above.
Page 24 - As an actor confest without rival to shine ; As a wit, if not first, in the very first line : Yet, with talents like these, and an excellent heart, The man had his failings — a dupe to his art. Like an ill-judging beauty, his colours he spread, And beplastered with rouge his own natural red. On the stage he was natural, simple, affecting ; 'Twas only that when he was off he was acting.
Page 167 - Farewell, a long farewell, to all my greatness ! This is the state of man ; to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hope, to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honours thick upon him : The third day comes a frost, a killing frost ; And,— when he thinks, good easy man, full surely His greatness is a ripening, — nips his root, And then he falls, as I do.
Page 332 - Oppressed with numbers in th' unequal field, His men discouraged and himself expelled, Let him for succour sue from place to place, Torn from his subjects and his sons' embrace, First let him see his friends in battle slain, And their untimely fate lament in vain ; And when at length the cruel war shall cease, On hard conditions may he buy his peace. Nor let him then enjoy supreme command, But fall untimely by some hostile hand, And...
Page 376 - Like sad Prometheus fastened to the Rock, In vain he looks for Pity to the Clock ; In vain the Powers of strengthening Porter tries, And nods to Bellamy for fresh Supplies.
Page 25 - Twas only that when he was off he was acting. With no reason on earth to go out of his way, He turn'd and he varied full ten times a day : Though secure of our hearts, yet confoundedly sick If they were not his own by finessing and trick : He cast off his friends as a huntsman his pack, For he knew, when he pleased, he could whistle them back. Of praise a mere glutton, he swallow'd what came, And the puff of a dunce he mistook it for fame ; Till his relish, grown callous almost to disease, Who pepperM...
Page 25 - Though secure of our hearts, yet confoundedly sick If they were not his own by finessing and trick: He cast off his friends as a huntsman his pack, For he knew, when he pleased, he could whistle them back. Of praise a mere glutton, he swallow'd what came, And the puff of a dunce he mistook it for fame; Till his relish, grown callous almost to disease, Who pepper'd the highest was surest to please. But let us be candid, and speak out our mind, If dunces applauded, he paid them in kind.
Page 166 - ... afterwards, so it went to my heart to consider that there was not one in all that brilliant circle, that was not afraid to go home and think...
Page 331 - Si tangere portus infandum caput ac terris adnare necesse est, et sic fata lovis poscunt, hie terminus haeret : at bello audacis populi vexatus et armis, 615 finibus extorris, complexu avulsus luli, auxilium imploret, videatque indigna suorum funera ; nee, cum se sub leges pacis iniquae tradiderit, regno aut optata luce fruatur, sed cadat ante diem, mediaque inhumatus arena.
Page 141 - I ever looked on Lord Keppel as one of the greatest and best men of his age ; and I loved and cultivated him accordingly. He was much in my heart, and I believe I was in his to the very last beat. It was after his trial at Portsmouth that he gave me this picture. With what zeal and anxious affection I attended him through that his agony of glory ; what part my son...

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