What Statesman for a trifle strives

What Statesman for a triffle strives,
For saving a few thousand lives?
Or if the merciless account
To full three millions shoud amount,
They all are lightly cast away,
So Sh[elburne] may secure his pay.
But shoud not the First minister
Make it his chief concern and care
To save the nation from disgrace?
“No truly: but to save his place
“And gratify the Factions tribe,
“And sell three kingdoms for a bribe.[”]
The truth let honest Oswald tell
Which knavish Sh[helburne] woud conceal,
Sh[elburne] who as in desperate case
To rebels, and arch-rebels prays,[1]
And for an ignominious peace
Intreats our natural enemies,
Tells them “We can hold out no more:
“For peace we on our knees implore
“We on no previous term insist,
“Nor stipulate for Loyalist
“Fill the Chart blanche with what you please
“Take all, but only give us peace
“Who wait with meekness to receive
“Whate’er ye condescend to give.[”]

Tis thus he courts his French Allies
Tis thus he earns, and gains his price!
The bargain and the peace is made,
His Country sold, his King betray’d,
And all the Patriot’s debts are paid.

[1] Wesley added a footnote: “The Congress and [Benjamin] Franklyn.”

Hymnal/Album: Originally titled: “Written on THE Peace 1783. Part III.” This hymn was included in a manuscript titled “MS Patriotism.” This manuscript is held by the Methodist Archive and Research Centre of the John Rylands Library at The University of Manchester (accession number 1977/559, Charles Wesley Notebooks Box 2). Accessed through the website of The Center for Studies in the Wesleyan Tradition, Duke Divinity School. Published in S.T. Kimbrough Jr. and Oliver A. Beckerlegge, eds., The Unpublished Poetry of Charles Wesley, vol. 1 (Nashville: Kingswood Books, 1988), pages 98-102.
Publishing: Public Domain