State Tracts Containing Many Necessary Observations and Reflections on the State of our Affairs at Home and Abroad; With some Secret Memoirs. By the Author of the Examiner [i.e. William Oldisworth] |
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THE Gothick HERO.
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365
THE Gothick HERO.
A POEM, Sacred to the Memory of Charles XII, King of Sweden, Restorer of the Protestant Religion in Silesia, &c.
I sing not of Bellona's Praise or War,
But a new constellated Northern Star;
Who from old Gothick Blood derives his own,
As Great and Ancient as of Saturn's Son.
For tho' from Jove Poetick Heroes drew
Their God-like Lineage, and their Virtues too:
We boast Great Charles, a Race much more Divine,
From Goths, and Vandals, and Gustavus Line.
But a new constellated Northern Star;
Who from old Gothick Blood derives his own,
As Great and Ancient as of Saturn's Son.
For tho' from Jove Poetick Heroes drew
Their God-like Lineage, and their Virtues too:
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From Goths, and Vandals, and Gustavus Line.
Rise then, my Muse, in lofty numbers sing,
As bold as Charles, as daring as the King!
Let Nations wonder at thy soaring Flights,
As they're astonish'd when the Hero fights;
When num'rous Armies from his Presence run,
As Mists are scatter'd at the rising Sun.
Look o'er Silesia's fruitful Lands, and see
The glorious Work of happy Liberty!
Behold Religion rearing up its Head,
That lately disappear'd as if she'ad fled,
Or was entomb'd among the silent Dead!
Look now upon those Venerable Piles,
Where ev'ry Pillar with its Freedom smiles,
So lately loaded with Mock-Gods of Stone,
By Men, who own themselves there is but One.
The stupid Marble blushes at the Priest,
And is asham'd of the Religious Jest;
Rejoices now to find itself set free,
And triumphs in its native Liberty.
As bold as Charles, as daring as the King!
Let Nations wonder at thy soaring Flights,
As they're astonish'd when the Hero fights;
When num'rous Armies from his Presence run,
As Mists are scatter'd at the rising Sun.
Look o'er Silesia's fruitful Lands, and see
The glorious Work of happy Liberty!
Behold Religion rearing up its Head,
That lately disappear'd as if she'ad fled,
Or was entomb'd among the silent Dead!
Look now upon those Venerable Piles,
Where ev'ry Pillar with its Freedom smiles,
So lately loaded with Mock-Gods of Stone,
By Men, who own themselves there is but One.
The stupid Marble blushes at the Priest,
And is asham'd of the Religious Jest;
Rejoices now to find itself set free,
And triumphs in its native Liberty.
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Survey, my Muse, the joyful Hearts of those
Who love Devotion, but false Gods oppose:
See how their kind Deliverer they bless,
How they their Thankfulness to Heav'n express,
And heap on Charles's verdant Head, Success!
Their Io Pœans reach the very Skies,
And Conquest swifter than their Wishes flies.
Alcides Son th'Hespexian Gardens freed,
And worthy 'twas of Hercules, the noble Deed.
So good Æneas did his Strength imploy
To save his Father 'midst the Flames of Troy,
And gain'd, by this, a Name for Piety.
Aged Anchises bless'd his pious Son,
From whence a Race of Heroes after sprung:
The Cæsars fill'd the World with Fame and Blood,
But none, like Charles, with Universal Good.
For Fame 'twas Jason fetch'd the Golden Fleece,
And wise Ulysses first engag'd with Greece,
Left his lov'd Ithaca, to seek Renown,
And prove his Conduct before Ilea's Town.
Laertes saw his brave aspiring Son
With Eyes of Pride, as what himself had done;
Bless'd the bold Soldier, when in open Field
He did contend for Great Achilles Shield;
When 'fore the Princes he with Ajax strove,
And gain'd his Armour, and the People's Love.
These were great Feats of Arms in elder Days,
E're Alexander, Scipio, Cæsar was;
But what were those to Wonders done of late
By Charles the Wise, the Virtuous, and the Great!
What were th'Olympick Games but Boyish Plays
To gain the People's Voice, (an empty Praise!)
To wear the Laurel, Ivy, or the Bays?
What were all these, but Pageantry and Shows,
Trifles, to what our Gothick Hero does;
Who Nations frees, and Liberty restores,
And whom Religion in Distress adores.
Who love Devotion, but false Gods oppose:
See how their kind Deliverer they bless,
How they their Thankfulness to Heav'n express,
And heap on Charles's verdant Head, Success!
Their Io Pœans reach the very Skies,
And Conquest swifter than their Wishes flies.
Alcides Son th'Hespexian Gardens freed,
And worthy 'twas of Hercules, the noble Deed.
So good Æneas did his Strength imploy
To save his Father 'midst the Flames of Troy,
And gain'd, by this, a Name for Piety.
Aged Anchises bless'd his pious Son,
From whence a Race of Heroes after sprung:
The Cæsars fill'd the World with Fame and Blood,
But none, like Charles, with Universal Good.
For Fame 'twas Jason fetch'd the Golden Fleece,
And wise Ulysses first engag'd with Greece,
Left his lov'd Ithaca, to seek Renown,
And prove his Conduct before Ilea's Town.
Laertes saw his brave aspiring Son
With Eyes of Pride, as what himself had done;
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He did contend for Great Achilles Shield;
When 'fore the Princes he with Ajax strove,
And gain'd his Armour, and the People's Love.
These were great Feats of Arms in elder Days,
E're Alexander, Scipio, Cæsar was;
But what were those to Wonders done of late
By Charles the Wise, the Virtuous, and the Great!
What were th'Olympick Games but Boyish Plays
To gain the People's Voice, (an empty Praise!)
To wear the Laurel, Ivy, or the Bays?
What were all these, but Pageantry and Shows,
Trifles, to what our Gothick Hero does;
Who Nations frees, and Liberty restores,
And whom Religion in Distress adores.
Here our Victorious Goth devoutly fights,
To rescue Nations, and restore their Rights.
Constant in Courage, he sustains the War,
Nor doubts th'Event from such a pious Care:
Crowns are his Aim, for God-like 'tis to give
Where Merit claims, and not the Prize receive
This is true Glory, such as ancient Rome
Show'd to the People that she overcome:
She did not do't t'usurp her Neighbour's Crown,
But gave her Laws much better than her own.
So pious Charles with equal Glory fir'd,
Nought but to equal Justice has aspir'd.
To rescue Nations, and restore their Rights.
Constant in Courage, he sustains the War,
Nor doubts th'Event from such a pious Care:
Crowns are his Aim, for God-like 'tis to give
Where Merit claims, and not the Prize receive
369
Show'd to the People that she overcome:
She did not do't t'usurp her Neighbour's Crown,
But gave her Laws much better than her own.
So pious Charles with equal Glory fir'd,
Nought but to equal Justice has aspir'd.
These are the Schemes, and these the glorious Ends,
For which our Hero generously contends;
Witness Silesia, where his Banners shine
With Christian Triumphs; Goodness all divine,
So when among the fiercer Savage Kind,
One Lyon 'bove the rest to Love inclin'd;
Compassion dwelling in his noble Breast,
Distinguishes himself among the rest,
He claims a Reverence from ev'ry Beast.
The brutal Herd stand wond'ring, and appear
At once surpriz'd with awful Love and Fear:
His Goodness tender'd to his captive Prey,
Forces ev'n rav'nous Tygers to obey;
And all the rest, by such Indulgence won,
The gen'rous Lyon for their Monarch own.
Thus Charles is justly by Mankind rever'd,
Lov'd by the Good, and by the Vicious fear'd.
Tyrants that reign by arbitrary Sway,
To Justice he compels, and to obey.
Subjects that yield their Princes due respect,
He does from all their Violence protect;
Not to enslave them more, but set them free,
And bless the World with Godlike Liberty.
He quells the Pride of Kings that are unjust,
And rule their Subjects with the Reins of Lust,
Who force their Consciences for sov'reign Pow'r.
And prostitute the God they do adore.
For this it was Augustus lost his Crown,
By serving Gods to him before unknown.
So Icarus fell; not that he soar'd too high,
But his Presumption on the Deity.
Heav'n thus, to punish daring Mortals, shows
It always will aspiring Men oppose,
Whom neither Honour, or yet Oaths can bind,
But whose Religion veers with ev'ry Wind.
These are the adverse Marks of knowing Fate,
That ministers alike to ev'ry State,
Nor spares the Mean, or flatters more the Great.
All bear the Stroke, as they are all decreed,
The Poor to beg or starve, the King to bleed.
And those who execute these mighty Ends,
Are such as Heav'n by wise Appointment sends.
For which our Hero generously contends;
Witness Silesia, where his Banners shine
With Christian Triumphs; Goodness all divine,
So when among the fiercer Savage Kind,
One Lyon 'bove the rest to Love inclin'd;
Compassion dwelling in his noble Breast,
Distinguishes himself among the rest,
He claims a Reverence from ev'ry Beast.
The brutal Herd stand wond'ring, and appear
At once surpriz'd with awful Love and Fear:
His Goodness tender'd to his captive Prey,
Forces ev'n rav'nous Tygers to obey;
370
The gen'rous Lyon for their Monarch own.
Thus Charles is justly by Mankind rever'd,
Lov'd by the Good, and by the Vicious fear'd.
Tyrants that reign by arbitrary Sway,
To Justice he compels, and to obey.
Subjects that yield their Princes due respect,
He does from all their Violence protect;
Not to enslave them more, but set them free,
And bless the World with Godlike Liberty.
He quells the Pride of Kings that are unjust,
And rule their Subjects with the Reins of Lust,
Who force their Consciences for sov'reign Pow'r.
And prostitute the God they do adore.
For this it was Augustus lost his Crown,
By serving Gods to him before unknown.
So Icarus fell; not that he soar'd too high,
But his Presumption on the Deity.
Heav'n thus, to punish daring Mortals, shows
It always will aspiring Men oppose,
Whom neither Honour, or yet Oaths can bind,
But whose Religion veers with ev'ry Wind.
371
That ministers alike to ev'ry State,
Nor spares the Mean, or flatters more the Great.
All bear the Stroke, as they are all decreed,
The Poor to beg or starve, the King to bleed.
And those who execute these mighty Ends,
Are such as Heav'n by wise Appointment sends.
Charles, thus we may from all his Actions fee,
Is sent for Glory, Peace, and Liberty:
These are the Ends for which he seems design'd,
And are the greatest, and the best of Humankind.
Pride and Ambition are both deadly Things,
That ruin Statesmen, and that flatter Kings;
While with th'Excess of either over-run,
Others th'undo, or are themselves undone;
'Till with the subtle Poyson overcome,
They rarely 'scape at last some fatal Doom.
Is sent for Glory, Peace, and Liberty:
These are the Ends for which he seems design'd,
And are the greatest, and the best of Humankind.
Pride and Ambition are both deadly Things,
That ruin Statesmen, and that flatter Kings;
While with th'Excess of either over-run,
Others th'undo, or are themselves undone;
'Till with the subtle Poyson overcome,
They rarely 'scape at last some fatal Doom.
But whosoe'er has trod the middle Way;
Made Folly and insulting Vice obey;
Is only fit for universal Sway.
Realms may to him their awful Sceptres yield,
And Armies own his Influ'nce in the Field.
Who then that mighty Hero is, we find
By what's impress'd on Charles's gen'rous Mind,
And what his greater Virtues daily shew,
What Charles has done, what Wonders he can do.
Made Folly and insulting Vice obey;
Is only fit for universal Sway.
372
And Armies own his Influ'nce in the Field.
Who then that mighty Hero is, we find
By what's impress'd on Charles's gen'rous Mind,
And what his greater Virtues daily shew,
What Charles has done, what Wonders he can do.
He'as quel'd the Hydra of despotick Pow'r,
Legions of petty Gods that Rome adore,
Whose Pride and Avarice have overcome
The freeborn Liberties of Christendom.
Princes she has enslav'd, and Monarchs rule,
Only to be the Holy Father's Tool;
Whilst to his Laws their Subjects must submit,
And they can only rule as he thinks fit.
Legions of petty Gods that Rome adore,
Whose Pride and Avarice have overcome
The freeborn Liberties of Christendom.
Princes she has enslav'd, and Monarchs rule,
Only to be the Holy Father's Tool;
Whilst to his Laws their Subjects must submit,
And they can only rule as he thinks fit.
The noble Goth with this divinely fir'd,
And with a holy Zeal and Rage inspir'd,
Marches his bold Brigades at once, to free
The Poles from base usurping Tyranny,
And brave Silesians from false Popery;
From all the heavy Burthens that they bore,
And saucy Insults of the Scarlet Whore.
Saint Loyola impos'd his own tyrannick Laws,
By which he govern'd ev'ry private Cause,
And made Silesian Freemen worst of Slaves,
That were compel'd to dig their very Graves;
'Till unexpected Charles dispel'd their Fear,
And a new Sun with Wonder did appear.
Like Light'ning quick, that melts the solid Gold,
Their Joys break out, or e'er the Story's told.
As was the Pleasure, so was the Surprize;
They saw, but durst not credit their own Eyes.
Cimmerian Darkness had perplex'd their Sight;
They only hop'd this Blessing was the Light:
The glorious Morn that they at last should see
Replete with happy Peace and Liberty
In the bright Realms of vast Eternity.
Like Men, who in the midst of Dreaming wake,
And can't be satisfy'd of the Mistake;
But still believe that what they saw was true;
Their Eyes were open, and their Senses too.
And with a holy Zeal and Rage inspir'd,
Marches his bold Brigades at once, to free
The Poles from base usurping Tyranny,
And brave Silesians from false Popery;
From all the heavy Burthens that they bore,
And saucy Insults of the Scarlet Whore.
373
By which he govern'd ev'ry private Cause,
And made Silesian Freemen worst of Slaves,
That were compel'd to dig their very Graves;
'Till unexpected Charles dispel'd their Fear,
And a new Sun with Wonder did appear.
Like Light'ning quick, that melts the solid Gold,
Their Joys break out, or e'er the Story's told.
As was the Pleasure, so was the Surprize;
They saw, but durst not credit their own Eyes.
Cimmerian Darkness had perplex'd their Sight;
They only hop'd this Blessing was the Light:
The glorious Morn that they at last should see
Replete with happy Peace and Liberty
In the bright Realms of vast Eternity.
Like Men, who in the midst of Dreaming wake,
And can't be satisfy'd of the Mistake;
But still believe that what they saw was true;
Their Eyes were open, and their Senses too.
So these, tho' waking, thought all this a Dream,
That Nothing was, as it appear'd to them;
'Till they at last, with Satisfaction, found
The Story true, the Place no Fairy Ground,
But all was real and substantial Bliss;
Nothing appear'd, but Liberty and Peace:
Tho' num'rous Legions overspread the Land,
They came for Safety, and not to command:
Their Godlike Leader, of Divinest Race,
Bless'd with Religion, and with ev'ry Grace,
Has taught all Nations what from his they see,
The Consequence of Martial Piety.
When Soldiers are instructed in their Youth,
To tread the Paths of Virtue and of Truth;
Know no Ambition, but what's truly brave,
No Bed of Honour, but the Hero's Grave;
No Cowardice, but Conduct, when to fly
Before a brave and stronger Enemy.
This Practice 'tis the gen'rous Swedes pursue;
They fight for Glory, and Religion too:
Vertue's the noble End they have in View
That Nothing was, as it appear'd to them;
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The Story true, the Place no Fairy Ground,
But all was real and substantial Bliss;
Nothing appear'd, but Liberty and Peace:
Tho' num'rous Legions overspread the Land,
They came for Safety, and not to command:
Their Godlike Leader, of Divinest Race,
Bless'd with Religion, and with ev'ry Grace,
Has taught all Nations what from his they see,
The Consequence of Martial Piety.
When Soldiers are instructed in their Youth,
To tread the Paths of Virtue and of Truth;
Know no Ambition, but what's truly brave,
No Bed of Honour, but the Hero's Grave;
No Cowardice, but Conduct, when to fly
Before a brave and stronger Enemy.
This Practice 'tis the gen'rous Swedes pursue;
They fight for Glory, and Religion too:
Vertue's the noble End they have in View
Examples easiest spread, sent from the Throne,
And here they have the brightest of their own;
A Hero matchless in the Field of War
For Martial Conduct, Discipline, and Care:
No Dangers interrupts his great Designs;
No secret Plots his Projects countermines:
Justice and Glory fire his Godlike Soul,
And Mercy does o'er ev'ry Act controul.
Religion thus inspires the Christian Chief,
And thus he fights, because 'tis his Belief.
Greater Conceptions fill his noble Mind,
That are all good, compassionate, and kind.
Worthy himself, and worthy all his Fame,
His mighty Actions, and his glorious Name.
And here they have the brightest of their own;
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For Martial Conduct, Discipline, and Care:
No Dangers interrupts his great Designs;
No secret Plots his Projects countermines:
Justice and Glory fire his Godlike Soul,
And Mercy does o'er ev'ry Act controul.
Religion thus inspires the Christian Chief,
And thus he fights, because 'tis his Belief.
Greater Conceptions fill his noble Mind,
That are all good, compassionate, and kind.
Worthy himself, and worthy all his Fame,
His mighty Actions, and his glorious Name.
Now, Muse, expand thy airy Wings, and soar
Above the Clouds, where Charles's Fame is bore;
Where all the Gods look down, and smile to see
A Man that's equal to a Deity;
To see a Hero so transcendant Great,
That Immortality does emulate.
Like some amazing Comet 'tis he shows,
We know not whence it comes, or where it goes.
Silent as Night, and secret as the Grave,
His Councils are; but yet his Actions brave:
Tho' in the Dark he forms his mighty Deeds,
The Execution with the Light succeeds.
Free are Mankind his Actions to behold,
But they're compleated always e'er they're told.
Wisdom it self steers at the Helm of State;
She 'tis that makes him Just, to make him Great:
With so much Glory, and such high Success,
Blind Chance can ne'er her faithless Vot'ries bless:
A nobler Cause we must for this assign,
That on the Brave attends, and is Divine;
For Heroes are not accidental Things,
But born of noblest Race, the best of Kings:
Their Blood untainted, more sublime they are,
The Gods good Gifts, and their peculiar Care:
On such their Glory, Fame, and Victories shine,
And all the Wonders of their Power Divine.
Above the Clouds, where Charles's Fame is bore;
Where all the Gods look down, and smile to see
A Man that's equal to a Deity;
To see a Hero so transcendant Great,
That Immortality does emulate.
Like some amazing Comet 'tis he shows,
We know not whence it comes, or where it goes.
376
His Councils are; but yet his Actions brave:
Tho' in the Dark he forms his mighty Deeds,
The Execution with the Light succeeds.
Free are Mankind his Actions to behold,
But they're compleated always e'er they're told.
Wisdom it self steers at the Helm of State;
She 'tis that makes him Just, to make him Great:
With so much Glory, and such high Success,
Blind Chance can ne'er her faithless Vot'ries bless:
A nobler Cause we must for this assign,
That on the Brave attends, and is Divine;
For Heroes are not accidental Things,
But born of noblest Race, the best of Kings:
Their Blood untainted, more sublime they are,
The Gods good Gifts, and their peculiar Care:
On such their Glory, Fame, and Victories shine,
And all the Wonders of their Power Divine.
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