Page:The Annual Register 1758.djvu/390

 2^6 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1758.

putc this bis humble application to any mean interelled motive, of which he has always had the utmoit abhorrence.

No, Sir! he confcffes his weak- nefs — Honour alone is his objeft, honour is his paffion— that honourt which is facred to him as a peer, and tender lo him as a gentleman; that honour, in fticrt, to which he has facrificed all other confidera- tions. It is upon this fingle prin- ciple, that your petiiioner folicits an honour, which at prefent in fo extrao.dinary a manner adorns the Britifh peerage, and which, in the mofl: iJiining periods of ancient Greece, dillinguiftied the greatelt men, who were fed in the Pryta- neum at the expence of the public. Upon this honour, far dearer to your petitioner than his life, he begs leave in the moft folemn man- ner, to afTure your majelty, that in cafe you (hall be plea(ed to grant this his molt modeft requelt, he will honourably fuppoft and pro- mote, to the utsnoft of his abilities, the very worft meafures, that the very worft minillers can <uggeft ; but at the fame time fhould he un- fortunately, and, in a fingular man- ner, be branded by a refufal, he thinks himfelf obliged in honour to declare, that he will, with the utmoft acrimony, oppofe the very belt mea- fures which your majelly yourfelf ihall ever propole or promote.

To the R—t R d the D-^n

and C r of W* * **, the

humble petition of P S T £-

Rirr,

Sheiueth, /~1 HATyourpetitionershumbly

_| appr- herid yourreverences are no other than truftees for us your

petitioners, in the fame manner as your predeceflbrs were truAees for the times fucceeding them.

That your petitioners obferve with great concern the late immo- derate increale of funeral monu- ments within your abbey and the precindtj thereof, to the great en- couragement of family vanity, hif- torical fallhood, jobbing articles, and ignorant ftatuaries; as well as to the difgrace of national tafte, and the dellrutlion of various kinds of marble, which ought to have remained in the bowels of the earth for the ufe of your petitioners, who hope to employ the art of fculp- ture with more credit to their country.

That your petitioners obferve, with concern, the valt profufion of money which the prefent war re- quires, and apprehend that when it fliall be their turn to ferve their country, nothing will remain for their rewards but honorary monu- ments ; and it is with the greateft regret they fee the pavement and walls of your abbey already poffeft by names of Generals, never known but by their preferments ; Poets never mentioned, but for their dul- nefs; Patriots never heard of, but by their polts ; and Orators never known to pronounce a fignificanc word but the monofyllables. Aye and No. Your petitioners, there- fore, apprehenfive that the revenue of fame may be as much anticipat- ed within your abbey, as that of money is, in an adjoining chapel; and that therefore they may be re- duced to the melancholy condition of neither being rewarded while living, nor remembered when dead ; molt humbly beg leave to reprtfent to your reverences this their un- comfortable profpeft.

Your