There first for thee my passion grew,
Sweet, sweet Matilda Pottingen!
Thou wast the daughter of my tu-
tor, law-professor at the U-

Sun, moon, and thou, vain world, adieu,
That kings and priests are plotting in;
Here doomed to starve on water gru-
el, never shall I see the U-

THE FRIEND OF HUMANITY AND THE
KNIFE-GRINDER.

niversity of Gottingen,
niversity of Gottingen.

GEORGE CANNING.

FRIEND OF HUMANITY.

NEEDY knife-grinder! whither are you going?
Rough is the road; your wheel is out of order.
Bleak blows the blast ;- your hat has got a hole
in 't;

So have your breeches '

Weary knife-grinder! little think the proud ones,
Who in their coaches roll along the turnpike-
road, what hard work 't is crying all day Knives
and
Scissors to grind O!'

Tell me, knife-grinder, how came you to grind

knives?

Did some rich man tyrannically use you?
Was it the squire ? or parson of the parish?
Or the attorney?

Was it the squire for killing of his game? or
Covetous parson for his tithes distraining?
Or roguish lawyer made you lose your little

All in a lawsuit ?

(Have you not read the Rights of Man, by Tom
Paine ?)

Drops of compassion tremble on my eyelids,
Ready to fall as soon as you have told your
Pitiful story.

KNIFE-GRINDER.

Story! God bless you! I have none to tell, sir;
Only, last night, a-drinking at the Chequers,
This old hat and breeches, as you see, were
poor
Torn in a scuffle.

Constables came up for to take me into
Custody; they took me before the justice;
Justice Oldmixon put me in the parish-
stocks for a vagrant.

FRIEND OF HUMANITY.

niversity of Gottingen, I give thee sixpence! I will see thee damned
niversity of Gottingen.
first,

Wretch

whom no sense of wrongs can rouse to vengeance, Sordid, unfeeling, reprobate, degraded, Spiritless outcast!

I should be glad to drink your honor's health in
A pot of beer, if you will give me sixpence;
But for my part, I never love to meddle
With politics, sir.

Kicks the knife-grinder, overturns his wheel, and exit in a transport of republican enthusiasm and universal philanthropy.]

GEORGE CANNING.