“PEG TRIM TRAM IN THE SUDS; OR, NO FRENCH STROLLERS.
“I sing you a song of a right noble Lord,
Whose name must, for ever, stand Fool on Record;
Who, losing a Seat, by accepting a Place,
Subscrib’d to French Strollers, so fell in disgrace.
“This right noble Lord, when elected before,
To preserve us, in our ev’ry Privilege swore;
How well he maintain’d them will quickly appear,
Deduc’d from right Reason, unaided by Sneer.
“Got snug in the House, he exerted his zeal,
Not for his Constituents, or the Common-Weal;
But to serve his own ends, and aid Gentleman Harry,[43]
Lest his Glorious Views, for our Good, should miscarry.
“Have you heard a pert Parrot cry ‘Quaker-a-quer;
A cup of Good Sack; Pretty Poll; Saucy Cur’?
You’ve then heard this Lord to great Harry reply,
And echo, Yes, No,—No, Yes;” anything cry.
“Have you seen a young Puppy leap over a stick,
Fetch, carry, yelp, fawn, and learn every fond Trick?
Then you’ve seen this sleek Lordling on Harry attend,
And, aw’d by his nod, most obsequiously bend.
“To reward such bright parts and so ductile a mind
The Dispenser of PLACES was strongly inclin’d;
When deeply reflecting what he could afford,
He fix’d him (slap dash!) at the Admiralty Board.
“This little Lord, conscious that he had no right
To a Post which requir’d, not to Fiddle, but Fight;
Resolved that for once he’d assume martial airs,
And in the Haymarket protect the French Players.
“He flew, he appear’d, and he heard a strange roar;
The like had ne’er tickl’d his soft ears before;
Then to set an example to future Protectors,
He drew forth his Tilter—and at his Electors.
“Shock’d at this rough treatment, in print they demand,
Why, ’gainst his best Friends, he thus lifted his hand;
His answer was full of mean Equivocation,
Which made them the jest and contempt of the Nation.”
BRITANNIA DISTURBED BY FRENCH VAGRANTS. LORD TRENTHAM FOR WESTMINSTER. 1749.
[Page 121.
The caricaturists endorsed this view. In “Britannia Disturbed, or an Invasion by French Vagrants, addressed to the worthy Electors of the City of Westminster,” 1749, Lord Trentham is trying to force these importations on Britannia, who is nursing “Lunn” (Rich), and “Fribble;” these she declares “are my only Theatrical children, I will cherish no Foreign vagrants.” “Peg” Trentham, with drawn sword, is asserting that he will perforce cram these “entertaining dear creatures” down the throat of the nation; the strollers are like marionettes, and wear wooden shoes, as a hint of French neediness. Earl Gower is anxious for his rash scion’s future prospects: “My long-headed son will smart for this scheme.” “Push on, my Lord,” is the encouragement of “a subscriber.” “Bludgeon-men, at two shillings a day,” engaged for the election, are making a demonstration of force, and shouting for their employer’s glorification.
This Westminster election is said to have been one of the most expensive contests that the Government had as yet experienced. The following epigram describes a supposed conversation between Lord Trentham and his father:—
“Quoth L—d G—r [Lord Gower] to his son, ‘Boy, thy frolic and place
Full deep will be paid for by us and his g——e [grace]:
Ten thousand twice over advanced!’—‘Veritable,
Mon pere,’ cry’d the youth; ‘but the D—e [Duke] you know’s able:
Nor blame my French frolics; since all men are certain,
You’re doing behind, what I did ‘fore the curtain.’”
At the conclusion of the polling there appeared a majority for Lord Trentham, but his opponents demanded a scrutiny; and this scrutiny proved so laborious and difficult, or the parties interested in opposing the Court threw so many obstacles in the way, that it led to a quarrel with the House of Commons, which lasted some months, and gave a double celebrity to the Westminster Election of 1749.
The most was made of Lord Trentham’s Gallic proclivities, which were held up to ridicule in ingenious satires. The following handbill is an example of the squibs circulated by his opponents during the election:—
“AUX ELECTEURS TRÈS DIGNES DE WESTMINSTER.
“Messieurs—
“Vos suffrages et Interêts sont desirés pour le Très Hon. mi Lord Trentham,
“Un Veritable Anglois.
“N.B.—L’on prie ses Amis de ses rendre à l’Hôtel François dans le Marché au Foin.
“To my Lord Trentham.
“The King of France (my most glorious Monarch) being touched with a lively sense of the obligations he owes your Lordship, for the powerful protection you have given to his subjects in England, honours you with his thanks, and commands me to assure you, that your Lordship shall be the Chief Manager of his Playhouse in England, as soon as your Lordship and your Friends have brought those insolent rascals, the English, under his dominion, being satisfied the measures your Lordship and Friends now pursue cannot fail of your desired success.
“I have the honour to be
“Your Lordship’s most obliged humble Servant,“MIREPOIX.
[French ambassador to the Court of
St. James’s, 1749-1751.]“N.B.—Translated from the Original French.”
Great favour was shown to docile voters, while the refractory were subject to crying injustices. The following handbill, circulated at the time, exposes the meannesses to which a Duke of Bedford could descend in the interests of his candidate:—