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TO HIS GRACE Dr. THOMAS HERRING, Lord Archbishop of CANTERBURY,
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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53

TO HIS GRACE Dr. THOMAS HERRING, Lord Archbishop of CANTERBURY,

On his Sickness and Recovery.

June 25, 1753.
Serus in cœlum redeas, diuq;
Lætus intersis populo Britanno.
Hor.

While rosy health abounds in every breeze,
Smiles in the flowers, and blossoms in the trees,
Matures the fields, and in the fountain flows,
Breathes thro' all life, and in all nature glows;
Why droops Aurelius by sharp pains opprest,
Whose danger saddens every virtuous breast?
Enough, enough has Heav'n's afflicting hand
With arms and earthquakes terrified the land:
On foreign plains has stream'd the British blood,
And British heroes perish'd in the flood:

54

Frederick, alas! the kingdom's justest pride,
Fair in the bloom of all his virtues, died.
Ah! generous master of the candid mind,
Light of the world, and friend of human kind,
Leave us not cause our sorrows to renew,
Nor fear the falling of the state in you.
I see, I see conspicuous how you stood,
And dauntless crush'd Rebellion in the bud;
With Ciceronian energy divine,
Dashing the plots of fraudful Catiline.
Your righteous zeal the brave Brigantes warm'd,
Silent they heard, approv'd, united, arm'd:
Ye gales, that on the downs of Surry stray,
Sleep on the Mole , or on the Vandal play,
From every flower medicinal that springs,
Waft balmy fragrance with your temperate wings,
The grace, the glory of the church restore,
And save the friend, the father of the poor.

55

And lo! our prayers, with fervency preferr'd,
Rise sweet as incense, and by Heav'n are heard:
The genial season, with refreshing rains,
Bright-beaming mornings, health-exhaling plains,
And pure etherial gales conspire to heal
Our public father for the public weal.
Oh! by kind Providence to Britain given,
Long may you live, and late revisit heaven;
Continue still to bless us with your stay,
Nor wish for heav'n, till we have learnt the way.
So by your pattern shall our years be spent
In sweet tranquillity, and gay content;
So shall we rise immortal from the dust,
And gain the blissful kingdoms of the just.
 

Two rivers in Surry, thus described by Mr. Pope:

The blue, transparent Vandalis appears,
And sullen Mole, that hides his diving flood.

Two rivers in Surry, thus described by Mr. Pope:

The blue, transparent Vandalis appears,
And sullen Mole, that hides his diving flood.