Page:The lives of the poets of Great Britain and Ireland to the time of Dean Swift - Volume 4.djvu/252

242 :‘, ‘Your having no proſpect of obtaining a commiſſion for me, can no way alter, or cool my deſire at this important juncture, to venture my life, in ſome manner or other, for my King and country. I cannot bear to live under the reproach of lying obſcure and idle in a country retirement, when every man, who has the leaſt ſenſe of honour, ſhould be preparing for the field. You may remember, ſir, with what reluctance I ſubmitted to your commands upon Monmouth’s rebellion, when no importunity could prevail with you to permit me to leave the academy; I was too young to be hazarded; but give me leave to ſay, it is glorious, at any age, to die for one’s country; and the ſooner, the nobler ſacrifice; I am now older by three years. My uncle Bath was not ſo old, when he was left among the ſlain at the battle of Newberry, nor you yourſelf, ſir, when you made your eſcape from your Tutors, to join your brother in the defence of Scilly. The ſame cauſe is now come round about again. The King has been miſled, let thoſe who miſled him be anſwerable for it. Nobody can deny but he is ſacred in his own perſon, and it is every honeſt man’s duty to defend it. You are pleaſed to ſay it is yet doubtful, if the Hollanders are raſh enough to make ſuch an attempt. But be that as it will, I beg leave to be preſented to his Majeſty, as one, whoſe utmoſt ambition is to devote his life to his ſervice, and my country’s, after the example of all my anceſtors. The gentry aſſembled at York, to agree upon the choice of repreſentatives for the county, have prepared an Addreſs to aſſure his Majeſty they are ready to ſacrifice their lives and fortunes for him upon this, and