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 |  |
In short, all sorts of Foreign Goods,
Hemp, Cotton, Linen, Drugs and Woods,
Tea, Coffee, Spices, Turky-Leather,
Convey'd from distant Countries hither,
All shar'd one Fate and burnt together,
Till Hellborn Powder, which began
This flagrant Mischief unto Man,
Subdu'd the Tyrant, God be prais'd,
And stop'd the Fire itself had rais'd.
So Claret, tho' it makes us bright,
And oft inflames us all the Night,
A Hair of the same Dog next Morning,
Is best to quench our fev'rish burning.
Hemp, Cotton, Linen, Drugs and Woods,
Tea, Coffee, Spices, Turky-Leather,
Convey'd from distant Countries hither,
All shar'd one Fate and burnt together,
Till Hellborn Powder, which began
This flagrant Mischief unto Man,
Subdu'd the Tyrant, God be prais'd,
And stop'd the Fire itself had rais'd.
So Claret, tho' it makes us bright,
And oft inflames us all the Night,
A Hair of the same Dog next Morning,
Is best to quench our fev'rish burning.
24
Now, had the Tories play'd the Fool,
And dizen'd up a Pastboard Nol,
Or been preparing Squibs and Crackers,
To vex our Mug-house Undertakers,
And had their insolent Offence
Produc'd so sad a Consequence,
The dreadful Flames had then been thought
A Judgment, or, at least, a Plot;
Then Cloak and Band would soon have taught,
How wicked Works are brought to nought,
And prov'd by Decalogue, verbatim,
That God will punish those that hate him.
But when their own Designs miscarry,
And from their good Intentions vary,
They wisely make the cross Events,
The Lord's Probation of his Saints,
And cite each holy Text that proves
How God chastiseth whom he loves.
And dizen'd up a Pastboard Nol,
Or been preparing Squibs and Crackers,
To vex our Mug-house Undertakers,
And had their insolent Offence
Produc'd so sad a Consequence,
The dreadful Flames had then been thought
A Judgment, or, at least, a Plot;
Then Cloak and Band would soon have taught,
How wicked Works are brought to nought,
And prov'd by Decalogue, verbatim,
That God will punish those that hate him.
But when their own Designs miscarry,
And from their good Intentions vary,
They wisely make the cross Events,
The Lord's Probation of his Saints,
And cite each holy Text that proves
How God chastiseth whom he loves.
25
Next to this Fire, whose raging Flames
Insulted and defy'd the Thames,
And, spight of Engines and of Water,
Committed such a dreadful slaughter,
The distant Heav'ns began to show
New Wonders to the World below,
And seem'd to threat the whole Creation
With Deluge or with Conflagration.
Insulted and defy'd the Thames,
And, spight of Engines and of Water,
Committed such a dreadful slaughter,
The distant Heav'ns began to show
New Wonders to the World below,
And seem'd to threat the whole Creation
With Deluge or with Conflagration.
The Moon who us'd to rule the Night,
And bless us with her silver Light,
Not only prov'd Unceremonious,
And turn'd her dark backside upon us,
But like a Mask obscur'd the Face
O'th' Sun in his diurnal Race,
That even Men and Brutes were frighted,
To find themselves, by Day, benighted.
The Wicked gaz'd in woful plight,
And shiver'd at the dismal Sight,
Reflecting on their past Offences,
And all their sinful Negligences;
Whilst Atheists, who before believ'd
No God, at once were undeceiv'd,
And lifting up their Eyes to Heaven,
Devoutly pray'd to be forgiven:
The Godly even shook with Fear,
And thought the Day of Judgment near;
Nor could their old pretended Pleas
Of Grace secure their Consciences,
But in their Faces we could see
Guilt, Terror, and Despondency;
As if convinc'd they were no more
Elected than the Scarlet Whore,
But that their Sins were full as great
As theirs they stile the Reprobate.
So forward Fools who vainly boast
Of Strength and Resolution most,
When Danger's near, grow pale and sad,
For want of what they thought they had.
And bless us with her silver Light,
Not only prov'd Unceremonious,
And turn'd her dark backside upon us,
But like a Mask obscur'd the Face
O'th' Sun in his diurnal Race,
That even Men and Brutes were frighted,
To find themselves, by Day, benighted.
The Wicked gaz'd in woful plight,
And shiver'd at the dismal Sight,
Reflecting on their past Offences,
And all their sinful Negligences;
26
No God, at once were undeceiv'd,
And lifting up their Eyes to Heaven,
Devoutly pray'd to be forgiven:
The Godly even shook with Fear,
And thought the Day of Judgment near;
Nor could their old pretended Pleas
Of Grace secure their Consciences,
But in their Faces we could see
Guilt, Terror, and Despondency;
As if convinc'd they were no more
Elected than the Scarlet Whore,
But that their Sins were full as great
As theirs they stile the Reprobate.
So forward Fools who vainly boast
Of Strength and Resolution most,
When Danger's near, grow pale and sad,
For want of what they thought they had.
The Cattle in their Pastures Low'd,
And did in Herds together crowd,
As if surpris'd to see the Light
So early vanish into Night.
And did in Herds together crowd,
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So early vanish into Night.
The Poultry from their Walks adjourn'd,
And to their several Roosts return'd,
Whilst their proud Mates that stalk'd before,
Clap'd Wings and falsly crow'd the Hour.
Like drunken Watchmen, when they sally,
At Midnight, from some Darkhouse Ally.
And to their several Roosts return'd,
Whilst their proud Mates that stalk'd before,
Clap'd Wings and falsly crow'd the Hour.
Like drunken Watchmen, when they sally,
At Midnight, from some Darkhouse Ally.
The Birds from Seeded Lands withdrew,
And into Woods and Hedges flew,
As if the Darkness made 'em fear
Some sad destructive Storm was near,
Whilst purblind Bats and Mooney'd Owls,
Forsook their hollow Trees and Holes,
And round Church Steeples took their flight,
Hooting and Squeaking as if Night.
And into Woods and Hedges flew,
As if the Darkness made 'em fear
Some sad destructive Storm was near,
Whilst purblind Bats and Mooney'd Owls,
Forsook their hollow Trees and Holes,
And round Church Steeples took their flight,
Hooting and Squeaking as if Night.
The frighted Swains and delving Clowns,
Fled from the Fields to neigb'ring Towns,
And left their Flocks, their Plows and Teams,
With aching Hearts and trembling Limbs,
Dreading the Omen might portend
The wicked World's immediate End,
Before their Souls could be prepar'd
To meet the awful Judge they fear'd:
Nor could their shallow Brains conceive,
That Nature such a shock could give,
But, self-convicted, shiv'ring stood,
And pray'd to God, the only Good,
That He'd vouchsafe to shew 'em Mercy,
Who only knew him but by hear-say,
Till absent Phœbus started forth,
And once more bless'd the teeming Earth,
That rowling Fire which daily gives
New Life to e'ery Thing that lives;
Then sinful Wretches, who had felt
Such Stings and Terrors from their Guilt,
As soon as the Surprise was o'er,
Grew vile and daring as before.
So Criminals in Prison thrown,
Seem conscious of the Ills they've done;
But when enlarg'd they prove but worse,
And still Rogue on without remorse.
Fled from the Fields to neigb'ring Towns,
And left their Flocks, their Plows and Teams,
With aching Hearts and trembling Limbs,
28
The wicked World's immediate End,
Before their Souls could be prepar'd
To meet the awful Judge they fear'd:
Nor could their shallow Brains conceive,
That Nature such a shock could give,
But, self-convicted, shiv'ring stood,
And pray'd to God, the only Good,
That He'd vouchsafe to shew 'em Mercy,
Who only knew him but by hear-say,
Till absent Phœbus started forth,
And once more bless'd the teeming Earth,
That rowling Fire which daily gives
New Life to e'ery Thing that lives;
Then sinful Wretches, who had felt
Such Stings and Terrors from their Guilt,
As soon as the Surprise was o'er,
Grew vile and daring as before.
So Criminals in Prison thrown,
Seem conscious of the Ills they've done;
29
And still Rogue on without remorse.
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