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 |  |
1
In wretched Times, when Men were given
To mock the Church and spurn at Heaven,
And Pious Saints, like Sinners, sold
Their tender Consciences for Gold,
Nay, even when our Guides could take
Or break an Oath for Int'rest sake,
As if no other God but Mammon,
Was worship'd both by Priest and Layman,
And that alike they'd no regard
To future Torment or Reward,
Excepting some, the very best,
Who liv'd despis'd by all the rest,
And bore their Suff'rings in the face
Of Envy, with a Comly Grace,
Dreading no Party Threats nor Pow'rs,
But copy'd old Philosophers,
And in contempt of Knaves and Fools,
Kept wisely up to Vertue's Rules.
To mock the Church and spurn at Heaven,
And Pious Saints, like Sinners, sold
Their tender Consciences for Gold,
Nay, even when our Guides could take
Or break an Oath for Int'rest sake,
As if no other God but Mammon,
Was worship'd both by Priest and Layman,
And that alike they'd no regard
To future Torment or Reward,
Excepting some, the very best,
Who liv'd despis'd by all the rest,
2
Of Envy, with a Comly Grace,
Dreading no Party Threats nor Pow'rs,
But copy'd old Philosophers,
And in contempt of Knaves and Fools,
Kept wisely up to Vertue's Rules.
'Twas then when Prodigies were grown
As common as the Sun and Moon,
That e'ery Week, the Earth or Skies,
With some new Wonder, fed our Eyes,
And sporting Nature, to amuse us,
Did startling Novelties produce us;
Mocking our Archimedean Sons
Of Art with strange Phænomenons,
As puz'ling to our Math'maticians,
As new Distempers to Physicians,
Who, with their Terms of Art, oft hide
Their Ign'rance to support their Pride,
Like Pedants, who to gloss their Errors,
Talk Latin to unletter'd Hearers.
As common as the Sun and Moon,
That e'ery Week, the Earth or Skies,
With some new Wonder, fed our Eyes,
And sporting Nature, to amuse us,
Did startling Novelties produce us;
Mocking our Archimedean Sons
Of Art with strange Phænomenons,
As puz'ling to our Math'maticians,
As new Distempers to Physicians,
Who, with their Terms of Art, oft hide
Their Ign'rance to support their Pride,
Like Pedants, who to gloss their Errors,
Talk Latin to unletter'd Hearers.
3
Tho' many wond'rous Things appear'd,
And such as justly might be fear'd,
To be Forerunners of some strange
Destructive Plague, or fatal Change,
Like those sad Omens that foretold
The downfal of the Jews of old;
Yet all our Almanack-Professors,
And Astrologick Fortune-guessers,
Tho' at each Sign they stood aghast,
Despis'd the threat'ning Signs when past,
And deem'd each Wonder but the Sport
Of Nature, that presag'd no Hurt.
So Sailors, when a Storm encreases,
Look Pale and Fearful till it ceases;
Then gath'ring Courage by degrees,
They Swear and Bully Winds and Seas,
And slight the Danger that before
So shock'd the Cowards 'till 'twas o'er.
And such as justly might be fear'd,
To be Forerunners of some strange
Destructive Plague, or fatal Change,
Like those sad Omens that foretold
The downfal of the Jews of old;
Yet all our Almanack-Professors,
And Astrologick Fortune-guessers,
Tho' at each Sign they stood aghast,
Despis'd the threat'ning Signs when past,
And deem'd each Wonder but the Sport
Of Nature, that presag'd no Hurt.
So Sailors, when a Storm encreases,
Look Pale and Fearful till it ceases;
Then gath'ring Courage by degrees,
They Swear and Bully Winds and Seas,
And slight the Danger that before
So shock'd the Cowards 'till 'twas o'er.
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