Miscellanies, in Verse and Prose :: :: University of Virginia Library

While, swell'd with Shouts from Belgia's crouded Shore,
Our Hero's parting Sails were spread,
The Coast of Albion to explore,
Where Bays and Blessings wait his honour'd Head,
Triton, emerging from below
The Waves, was heard his Shell to blow;
On Marlbro's Name his sounding Shell he try'd;
The Nereids listen'd, and the Rocks reply'd.

II.

What Titles, equal to her Guardian's Praise,
(The God began) should Europe's Care employ,
By Monuments of grateful Joy,
The Faith of Annals, and the Pomp of Lays,
To endless Ages handing down
The rescu'd World's Applause, the matchless Chief's Renown?

III.

For as of old these Floods, my native Sea,
(Such was the World's Offence, and Jove's Decree)
With Waters from the Depths above, combin'd
To scale the Mountains, and o'erwhelm Mankind:
But when by Fate's appointment from beneath
I rear'd my Head, and gave my Trumpet breath,

From Pole to Pole the saving Signal flew;
The Waves the Signal and their Limits knew,
And listless from their Prey, with murm'ring Ebbs withdrew.
No less the Gaul (his Barriers past)
Brav'd all above, and all below defac'd:
At length, with impotent Disdain
He ebbs, he shrinks within himself again;
For Marlbro's Trumpet sounds the warning Blast.
The sprightly Summons raise the Nations round;
These shake their Fetters off; and those their Sleep:
On Danube's Banks, the pow'rful Call I own'd,
To Danube's Banks I hear'd the Dile resound,
And hail'd his purple Tribute to the Deep.

IV.

Urg'd by Disgrace on Blenheim's Plain,
To tempt her froward Fate again,
Embattled France unsheath'd the Sword
Of Vengeance vow'd, and Strength restor'd:
Her banner'd Sons in long Succession past;
The Region wide and far
Grew less and less, and disappear'd at last
Beneath the spreading War:
As when black Clouds along the Sky
In thick Array and endless Series fly,
And angry Jove prepares to thunder from on high.

V.

His slighted Foes with eager ken descry'd,
They come! the Victims come! Bavaria cry'd;

Peace to the Shades of Blenheim's Slain! to Thee
The World, great Lewis! and Revenge to Me!
Revenge! his Souldiers shout around;
Bavaria! and Revenge! the vaulted Skies rebound.

VI.

Inflam'd by social Zeal, advance
The Houshold Veterans of France:
They long to strike the threaten'd Blow:
They run, they fly, to meet the Foe:
The Foe, by unresisted Might
O'erborn, but just refrain from Flight;
When, like unclouded Jove, serene
And dreadful, Britain's Chief was seen;
And thus Batavia's Sons bespoke,
In Rank and Spirit broke:

VII.

Joy to my Friends! You now pursue
A Conquest dearly bought, and worthy You:
You shrink, but shrink to turn again,
Like your own Banks insulted by the Main.
Hence, specious Doubts, and ill tim'd Care!
'Tis Death to pause, and Victory to dare:
Let Liberty and Fame edge every Sword,
Myself your Leader, and my Queen the Word.

VIII.

He spoke, and conquer'd; all around
They caught the last inspiring Sound:
Prevailing Foes beheld him from afar

Refulgent thro' the gloomy War,
And fled like Fiends before the Morning Star;
Like Fiends who revel thro' the conscious Night
On some wide Plain, by Cynthia's paler Light;
Till, warn'd to leave their now forbidden Play,
They sicken at the Signal of the Day,
And blast the Ground, and wing their swift unwilling Flight.

IX.

But, Honour's Race, like Time's, is still to run:
Heav'n, and its kindred Souls, alike are found
To roll unweary'd in an endless Round
Of glorious Labours ever but begun.
In vain abandon'd Towns, a wealthy Prey,
Receive the Victor's Laws, and tempt his Stay:
Fresh Terrors for his Foes he still prepares,
And deems not Capua his, while Rome is theirs:
He drives his Thunder on their fasten'd Gates,
Asserting Anna's Pow'r, and Cæsar's Claim
Thro' rescu'd Cities, and thro' willing States;
And speeds his steady Course to never-dying Fame.

X.

As when, from Piles of Emperors deceas'd,
The sacred Bird of Jove releas'd,
Swift as his Charge, the Lightning, soars on high,
While Clouds of melting Spices scent the Sky;
So sudden, so sublime, from William's Tomb
Adoring Europe view'd her Marlbro' rise
To fair Renown of durable Perfume,

From guiltless Spoils and saving Victories.
O sure reserve of Europe's kinder Fate!
The Light and Prop of Albion's rising State!
Still present to his native Land,
As Camps or Councils in their turn demand
The deep-designing Head, or executing Hand;
His Pleasure, Virtue; Change of toil, his Ease;
His Glory, War; and his Ambition, Peace.

XI.

And lo! the Goddess crown'd with Olive near;
(Io Victoria! urge thy great Career)
This Hand she stretches to bestow,
Weav'd for the Hero's smoother Brow,
Her humble Wreath; in That behold
A Goblet, rough with Spanish Gold:
To Marlbro's Health and Fame the Bowl goes round,
With Gallia's tributary Vintage crown'd.

XII.

As Vapours, deep within her pent,
Assault the rending Earth for sudden Vent,
And Mountains sunk the frighted World surprise,
And antient Streams, once lost, are seen again to rise;
So start we from our peaceful trance,
With like Convulsions of aspiring France;
And Empire, rescu'd from its Bourbon Course,
Prepares in Austrian Depths to grace its genuine Source.

XIII.

Auspicious Charles, to destin'd Sway proceed:
Rough is the scanty Path; but Anne and Justice lead:
Let Barcelona, sav'd with thee, declare
The God-like Pow'r which propp'd a sinking State;
And reverence thou thy Mother's Guardian Care,
That watch'd the moment of her Son's despair;
Snatch'd her adopted Pledge, and mock'd the jaws of Fate.

XIV.

Think on the day when bleeding Orleans fled;
Which on devoted Savoy's Head,
For hardy Perseverance known,
Bestow'd a Laurel, and replac'd a Crown:
For ancient Po, advanc'd on high
To bathe the Gods, and grace the Sky,
Beheld with blood the Dile and Danube stain'd,
And, envious of their Lot, his own disdain'd;
Till (as the Hero's Patron Queen requir'd)
At length the mighty Eugene came,
By odds undaunted, and by toils untir'd,
And fix'd his wond'ring Stream, the third in martial Fame.

XV.

So may that Stream, unmix'd with Alpine snow,
Or human gore, for peaceful Ages flow,
As Italy, restor'd, with grateful Lays
Shall teach his echoing banks to dwell on Anna's praise:
Alike from Anna's Bounty claim
The Nations, Freedom, and the Warriors, Fame:

To conquering Chiefs she deals her high commands
With watchful Eyes, and giving Hands;
Her Influence each in wise proportion shares;
Her Influence They confess, as Europe theirs.

XVI.

So Planets round the World's great eye, the Sun,
With various speed at various distance run;
Their Centre he, with native lustre bright,
Adjusts the motion, and supplies the light;
They frown malignant, or in trine advance
In friendly measures of their mystic dance;
On Sceptres rais'd aloft, or hurl'd as low,
Their borrow'd rays with Sov'reign influence flow,
Adorn the Heav'ns above, and rule the World below.