British Wonders Or, A Poetical Description of the Several Prodigies and Most Remarkable Accidents That have happen'd in Britain since the Death of Queen Anne [by Edward Ward] |
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 | British Wonders |  |
Some harden'd Sinners seem'd to gaze,
With Pleasure on the scatter'd Rays,
As if the Wonder was no more
Portentous than a rainy Show'r.
With Pleasure on the scatter'd Rays,
As if the Wonder was no more
Portentous than a rainy Show'r.
Others more conscious of the base
Atheistick Guilt of Human Race,
With Terror struck, beheld the Light,
And trembl'd at the gastly Sight,
Believing it portended some
Destructive Plague to Christendom,
Or bloody Contest, that might lay,
The World in one Aceldema.
Atheistick Guilt of Human Race,
With Terror struck, beheld the Light,
And trembl'd at the gastly Sight,
Believing it portended some
Destructive Plague to Christendom,
Or bloody Contest, that might lay,
The World in one Aceldema.
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Astrologers, those skilful Noddies,
That watch and read the Heav'nly Bodies,
To make their knowing Selves more certain,
In telling Female Fools their Fortune,
Climb'd up aloft, and stood for Hours,
On Steeples, Battlements, and Tow'rs,
That they might there behold, the better,
These puzz'ling wondrous Works of Nature,
All lugging out, to view the Light,
Their various Instruments of Sight;
By which they did discern, no doubt,
What others saw as well without.
Thus many Hours they gaz'd in vain,
And spy'd and peep'd, and spy'd again:
Returning, when they'd done, not quite
So Wise as if they'd slept all Night,
Contending who should give the best
Account of what had spoil'd their Rest.
Some wisely said, the Northern Bears,
Were fall'n together by the Ears,
And in their Rage, their angry Eyes
Struck Fire, and sparkl'd thro' the Skies.
That watch and read the Heav'nly Bodies,
To make their knowing Selves more certain,
In telling Female Fools their Fortune,
Climb'd up aloft, and stood for Hours,
On Steeples, Battlements, and Tow'rs,
That they might there behold, the better,
These puzz'ling wondrous Works of Nature,
All lugging out, to view the Light,
Their various Instruments of Sight;
By which they did discern, no doubt,
What others saw as well without.
Thus many Hours they gaz'd in vain,
And spy'd and peep'd, and spy'd again:
Returning, when they'd done, not quite
So Wise as if they'd slept all Night,
Contending who should give the best
Account of what had spoil'd their Rest.
Some wisely said, the Northern Bears,
Were fall'n together by the Ears,
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Struck Fire, and sparkl'd thro' the Skies.
Others, who saw the Cause more plain,
Affirm'd, that Charles had left his Wain,
B'ing dry, to beg a Draught of Liquor,
From old Aquarius's Pitcher;
And that the resty Jades, his Horses,
Had, in his Absence, turn'd their Arses,
And kicking with their Shoes of Steel,
Throw'd Light'ning from each clashing Heel.
Affirm'd, that Charles had left his Wain,
B'ing dry, to beg a Draught of Liquor,
From old Aquarius's Pitcher;
And that the resty Jades, his Horses,
Had, in his Absence, turn'd their Arses,
And kicking with their Shoes of Steel,
Throw'd Light'ning from each clashing Heel.
Some, who believ'd themselves no less
Expert than others, at a guess,
Conjectur'd, these amusing Streams
Of Light, were but the Rays or Beams
Of some portentous Blazing-Star,
That skulk'd below our Hemisphere,
Whose flaming Beard would soon arise,
Toth' Terror of our English Eyes.
Instead of which, the Light declin'd,
And we no Blazing-Star could find;
Which shews, that those wise Albumazers,
Who on the Heav'ns have long been Gazers,
In spight of Mathematick Rules,
May err, as well as other Fools.
Expert than others, at a guess,
Conjectur'd, these amusing Streams
Of Light, were but the Rays or Beams
Of some portentous Blazing-Star,
That skulk'd below our Hemisphere,
Whose flaming Beard would soon arise,
Toth' Terror of our English Eyes.
Instead of which, the Light declin'd,
And we no Blazing-Star could find;
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Who on the Heav'ns have long been Gazers,
In spight of Mathematick Rules,
May err, as well as other Fools.
The Scots, among us, seem'd delighted,
To see their Southern Friends so frighted
At Nature's Sportings, that arise
So frequent in the Northern Skies,
And when they brandish in the Air,
Are stil'd, The Pritty Dancers, there;
No more regarded when they shine,
Than Light'ning underneath the Line.
So Strombulo, or Ætna's Flames,
Fright not the neighb'ring Clowns or Dames;
But such a Mount among us here,
Would raise our Wonder and our Fear.
To see their Southern Friends so frighted
At Nature's Sportings, that arise
So frequent in the Northern Skies,
And when they brandish in the Air,
Are stil'd, The Pritty Dancers, there;
No more regarded when they shine,
Than Light'ning underneath the Line.
So Strombulo, or Ætna's Flames,
Fright not the neighb'ring Clowns or Dames;
But such a Mount among us here,
Would raise our Wonder and our Fear.
Others, in Nature's Works more learn'd,
The Cause with greater Skill discern'd,
And borr'wing Terms from Doctor Wallis,
Call'd it, Aurora Borealis.
But that can only happen here,
When Days are long and Nights are clear,
Near th' Æstal Solstice, when the Sun
Just shines beneath the Horizon;
And tho' his Face be out of sight,
His neighb'ring Rays diffuse a Light,
And faintly gild the Northern Skies,
As to his rising Point he flies.
But that Phænomenon which scar'd
Our sinful Land, in March appear'd,
When Sol, 'twixt Setting and Returning,
Could give us here no Northern Morning.
But Men of Art, who proudly aim
At universal Praise and Fame,
Must, true or false, their Judgment show,
In Matters they profess to know,
Or Fools would think the Learn'd but muddy
Proficients in the Arts they study.
Thus most Mens excellency lies
In puzzling those they find less Wise.
By that alone the Gown and Band,
Gain, of the Crowd, the upper hand,
In Things that neither understand.
The Cause with greater Skill discern'd,
And borr'wing Terms from Doctor Wallis,
Call'd it, Aurora Borealis.
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When Days are long and Nights are clear,
Near th' Æstal Solstice, when the Sun
Just shines beneath the Horizon;
And tho' his Face be out of sight,
His neighb'ring Rays diffuse a Light,
And faintly gild the Northern Skies,
As to his rising Point he flies.
But that Phænomenon which scar'd
Our sinful Land, in March appear'd,
When Sol, 'twixt Setting and Returning,
Could give us here no Northern Morning.
But Men of Art, who proudly aim
At universal Praise and Fame,
Must, true or false, their Judgment show,
In Matters they profess to know,
Or Fools would think the Learn'd but muddy
Proficients in the Arts they study.
Thus most Mens excellency lies
In puzzling those they find less Wise.
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Gain, of the Crowd, the upper hand,
In Things that neither understand.
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