The reference to the noble Duke's kitchen, is a most exquisite compliment to his Grace's well-known and determined aversion to the specious, popular, and prevailing vices of _eating_ and _drinking_; and the four lines which follow, contain a no less admirable allusion to the memorable witticism of his Grace (memorable for the subject of it, as well as for the circumstance of its being the only known instance of his Grace's attempting to degrade himself into the vulgarity of joke).
When a minister was found in this country daring and wicked enough to propose the suspension of a turnpike bill for one whole day, simply for the reason, that he considered some little ceremony due to the natal anniversary of the _highest_, and beyond all comparison, the _best_ individual in the country; what was the noble Duke's reply to this frivolous pretence for the protraction of the national business? "What care I," said this great personage, with a noble warmth of patriotic insolence, never yet attained by any of the present timid-minded sons of faction, "What care I for the King's birthday!--What is such nonsense to me!" &c. &c. &c. It is true, indeed, times have been a little changed since--but what of that! there is a solid truth in the observation of Horace, which its tritism does not, nor cannot destroy, and which the noble Duke, if he could read the original, might with great truth, apply to himself and his sovereign:
Tempora mutantur, et nos mutamur in illis.
A great critic affirms, that the highest excellence of writing, and particularly of poetical writing, consists in this one power--to _surprise_. Surely this sensation was never more successfully excited, than by the line in the above passage, when considered as addressed to the Duke of Richmond--
Still, still, for thee, the _grateful poor_ shall pray!
Our author, however, whose correct judgment suggested to him, that even the sublimity of surprise was not to be obtained at the expence of truth and probability, hastens to reconcile all contradictions, by informing the reader, that the _treasury_ is to supply the sources of the charity, on account of which the noble Duke is to be prayed for.
The poet, with his usual philanthropy, proceeds to give a piece of good advice to a person, with whom he does not appear at first sight to have any natural connexion. He contrives, however, even to make his seeming digression contribute to his purpose. He addresses _Colonel Debbeige_ in the following goodnatured, sublime and parental apostrophe--