But SELIM'S crimes, he said, went further,
And barely stopp'd on this side murther;
One yet remain'd to close the charge,
To which (with leave) he'd speak at large.
And first 'twas needful to premise,
That tho' so long (for reasons wise)
The press inviolate had stood,
Productive of the publick good;
Yet still, too modest to abuse,
It rail'd at vice, but told not whose.
That great improvements, of late days
Were made, to many an author's praise,
Who, not so scrupulously nice,
Proclaim'd the person with the vice,
Or gave, where vices might he wanted,
The name, and took the rest for granted.
Upon this plan, a Champion rose,
Unrighteous greatness to oppose,
Proving the man
Who trades in pow'r, and still is honest;
And (God be prais'd) he did it roundly,
Flogging a certain junto soundly;
But chief his anger was directed
Where people least of all suspected;
And SELIM, not so strong as tall,
Beneath his grasp appear'd to fall.
But INNOCENCE (as people say)
Stood by, and sav'd him in the fray.
By her assisted, and one TRUTH,
A busy, prating, forward youth,
He rally'd all his strength anew,
And at the foe a letter threw,
His weakest part the weapon found,
And brought him senseless to the ground.
Hence OPPOSITION fled the field,
And IGN'RANCE with her sev'n-fold shield;
And well they might, for (things weigh'd fully)
The pris'ner, with his Whore and Bully,
Must prove for ev'ry foe too hard,
Who never fought with such a guard.