Page images
PDF
EPUB

Mature in wisdom, his extenfive mind
Takes in the blended interefts of mankind,
The world's great patriot. Calm thy anxious breast,
Secure in him, O Europe, take thy reft;

Henceforth thy kingdoms shall remain confin'd
By rocks or ftreams, the mounds which heav'n de-
fign'd;

The Alps their new-made monarch shall restrain,
Nor fhall thy hills, Pirene, rife in vain.

But fee! to Britain's ifle the squadrons ftand,
And leave the finking towers, and leffening land.
The royal bark bounds o'er the floating plain,
Breaks thro' the billows, and divides the main.
O'er the vaft deep, great monarch, dart thine eyes,
A watery prospect bounded by the skies:

Ten thousand veffels, from ten thousand shores,
Bring gums and gold, and either India's stores:
Behold the tributes haftening to thy throne,
And fee the wide horizon all thy own:

Still is it thine; tho' now the chearful crew
Hail Albion's cliffs, juft whitening to the view:
Before the wind with fwelling fails they ride,
Till Thames receives them in his opening tide.
The monarch hears the thundering peals around,
From trembling woods and echoing hills rebound,
Nor miffes yet, amid the deafening train,
The roarings of the hoarse resounding main.

As

As in the flood he fails, from either fide
He views his kingdom in its rural pride;
A various scene the wide fpread landscape yields,
O'er rich enclosures, and luxuriant fields:
A lowing herd each fertile pafture fills,
And diftant flocks ftray o'er a thousand hills.
Fair Greenwich, hid in woods, with new delight,
Shade above shade, now rises to the fight:
His woods ordain'd to visit every fhore,

And guard the island which they grac'd before.
The fun now rolling down the western way,
A blaze of fires renews the fading day;
Unnumber'd barks the regal barge infold,
Brightening the twilight with its beamy gold;
Lefs thick the finny fhoals, a countless fry,
Before the whale or kingly dolphin fly.
In one vast shout he seeks the crouded strand,
And in a peal of thunder gains the land.
Welcome, great ftranger, to our longing eyes,
Oh! king defir'd, adopted Albion cries.
For thee the east breath'd out a profperous breeze,
Bright were the funs, and gently fwell'd the feas.
Thy presence did each doubtful heart compose,
And factions wonder'd that they once were foes.
That joyful day they loft each hoftile name,
The fame their aspect, and their voice the fame.
So two fair twins, whofe features were defign'd
At one foft moment in the mother's mind,

Show

Show each the other with reflected grace,
And the fame beauties bloom in either face;
The puzzled ftrangers which is which enquire;
Delusion grateful to the smiling fire.

*

From that fair hill, where hoary fages boaft

To name the stars, and count the heavenly hoft, By the next dawn doth great Augusta rise,

Proud town! the nobleft fcene beneath the fkies.
O'er Thames her thoufand fpires their luftre fhed,
And a vaft navy hides his ample bed,

A floating foreft. From the diftant strand
A line of golden carrs ftrikes o'er the land:
Britannia's peers in pomp and rich array,
Before their king, triumphant, lead the way.
Far as the eye can reach, the gaudy train,
A bright proceffion, fhines along the plain.
So, haply, through the heaven's wide pathless ways
A comet draws a long extended blaze;

From east to west burns through th' ethereal frame,
And half heaven's convex glitters with the flame.
Now to the regal towers fecurely brought,
He plans Britannia's glories in his thought;
Refumes the delegated power he gave,

Rewards the faithful, and restores the brave.
Whom shall the mufe from out the shining throng
Select, to heighten and adorn her fong?

* Mr. Flamstead's house.

Thee,

Thee, Hallifax. To thy capacious mind,
O man approv'd, is Britain's wealth confign'd!
Her coin, while Naffau fought, debas'd and rude,
By thee in beauty and in truth renew'd,
An arduous work! again thy charge we fee,
And thy own care once more returns to thee.
O! form'd in every scene to awe and please,
Mix wit with pomp, and dignity with ease:
Tho' call'd to shine aloft, thou wilt not scorn
To smile on arts thyfelf did once adorn :
For this thy name fucceeding time shall praise,
And envy less thy garter, than thy bays.
The mufe, if fir'd with thy enlivening beams,
Perhaps fhall aim at more exalted themes,
Record our monarch in a nobler ftrain,
And fing the opening wonders of his reign;
Bright Carolina's heavenly beauties trace,
Her valiant confort, and his blooming race.
A train of kings their fruitful love fupplies,
A glorious scene to Albion's ravish'd eyes;
Who fees by Brunswick's hand her scepter fway'd,
And through his line from age to age convey'd.

AN

A NO O DE,

OCCASIONED BY HIS EXCELLENCY THE EARL OF STANHOPE'S VOYAGE TO FRANCE.

BY THE SAME.

F

AIR daughter once of Windfor's woods!
In fafety o'er the rowling floods
Britannia's boast and darling care,
Big with the fate of Europe, bear.
May winds propitious on his way
The minifter of peace convey;
Nor rebel wave, nor rifing storm
Great George's liquid realms deform.

Our vows are heard. Thy crowded fails
Already fwell with western gales;
Already Albion's coaft retires,
And Calais multiplies her fpires:

At length has royal Orleans prest,
With open arms, the well-known guest ;
Before in facred friendship join'd,

And now in counfels for mankind :

Whilft his clear schemes our patriot shows,

And plans the threaten'd world's repose,

They

« PreviousContinue »