 | A Collection Of Poems |  |
ODE On the Fifth of November.
Great God of Verse, propitious Phœbus, hear,
To thee th'adventrous Muse directs her Pray'r,
To thee she calls, unchanging Source of Light.
For thou, through Time's eternal Flight,
The same unalter'd Pow'r hast been,
Each mighty Period thou hast seen,
Or shining with distinguish'd Virtues Bright,
Or with Rebellion fraught, and Treasons dark as Night.
To thee th'adventrous Muse directs her Pray'r,
To thee she calls, unchanging Source of Light.
For thou, through Time's eternal Flight,
The same unalter'd Pow'r hast been,
Each mighty Period thou hast seen,
Or shining with distinguish'd Virtues Bright,
Or with Rebellion fraught, and Treasons dark as Night.
229
Thy constant Light, with Lustre Shone
When the World Great Julius won;
When in Pharsalia's Field he stood,
His Armour wet, with Roman Blood.
Thy equal Beams alike can tell
At Pompey's Statue, how the Conqu'ror fell.
Thou, through great Eliza's Reign,
Saw'st the fair Years, with Peace and Plenty Crown'd:
Thou saw'st too when o'er James's Head in vain,
Impending Dangers Frown'd.
When the World Great Julius won;
When in Pharsalia's Field he stood,
His Armour wet, with Roman Blood.
Thy equal Beams alike can tell
At Pompey's Statue, how the Conqu'ror fell.
Thou, through great Eliza's Reign,
Saw'st the fair Years, with Peace and Plenty Crown'd:
Thou saw'st too when o'er James's Head in vain,
Impending Dangers Frown'd.
Ne'er did thy all piercing Pow'r
See Treason with such horror Lour;
Tho' thou fierce Catiline hast known,
Rebellion's consecrated Son.
Tho' thou hast seen Ravillac's hardy deed
Whose holy Treach'ry bad a Monarch Bleed.
Nor did'st thou e'er such Blessings know,
From such eluded Mischiefs grow,
Such Triumphs from such baffled Ruin flow.
See Treason with such horror Lour;
Tho' thou fierce Catiline hast known,
Rebellion's consecrated Son.
Tho' thou hast seen Ravillac's hardy deed
Whose holy Treach'ry bad a Monarch Bleed.
230
From such eluded Mischiefs grow,
Such Triumphs from such baffled Ruin flow.
For tho' the next Ascendants of the Throne
With a paler Lustre Shone:
Tho' the first Charles's Reign was Blotted
With Patriots Blood, in Civil Wars;
Tho' Luxury unbounded Spotted
His Elder Offspring's riper Years.
And tho' his wretched younger Son,
Deeming too mean Britannia's Crown,
Wou'd Laws reverse, establish'd firm as Fate,
And fell by aiming at forbidden Height.
With a paler Lustre Shone:
Tho' the first Charles's Reign was Blotted
With Patriots Blood, in Civil Wars;
Tho' Luxury unbounded Spotted
His Elder Offspring's riper Years.
And tho' his wretched younger Son,
Deeming too mean Britannia's Crown,
Wou'd Laws reverse, establish'd firm as Fate,
And fell by aiming at forbidden Height.
Tho' such various Evils flow'd
From James's rescu'd Blood.
Tho' well nigh fall'n Religion groan'd,
And Albion her sinking Freedom Moan'd;
Yet never be the Day unsung,
Ne'er blotted from the Books of Fame;
From which the Great Maria Sprung,
The mighty William's matchless Dame.
From James's rescu'd Blood.
Tho' well nigh fall'n Religion groan'd,
And Albion her sinking Freedom Moan'd;
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Ne'er blotted from the Books of Fame;
From which the Great Maria Sprung,
The mighty William's matchless Dame.
Phæbus, with thy brightest Ray,
Usher in the smiling Day.
Thou saw'st, with what an op'ning dawn of Joy,
The Eve of this fair Morn we did employ:
For on that happy Day was born
The last great Heroe of the Nassau Race,
Who cou'd his Fathers, tho' full glorious, Scorn,
And all their brightest Deeds efface.
But from this great Day's Success
Fair Maria did us Bless,
With Plenty, Liberty, and Peace.
Who, join'd in Hymen's sacred Band.
The Princely Nassau cou'd Command
To free a Nation Chain'd, tho' by a Father's Hand.
Usher in the smiling Day.
Thou saw'st, with what an op'ning dawn of Joy,
The Eve of this fair Morn we did employ:
For on that happy Day was born
The last great Heroe of the Nassau Race,
Who cou'd his Fathers, tho' full glorious, Scorn,
And all their brightest Deeds efface.
But from this great Day's Success
Fair Maria did us Bless,
With Plenty, Liberty, and Peace.
Who, join'd in Hymen's sacred Band.
The Princely Nassau cou'd Command
To free a Nation Chain'd, tho' by a Father's Hand.
232
Let other Glories too be Sung
From this great Deliv'rance sprung,
Hence fair Eliza, Sov'reign Maid,
Bohemia's Royal Nuptials Grac'd,
From whose illustrious fruitful Bed,
Yet unborn Monarchs shall be trac'd;
For hence the great Elector rose,
Whose Guardian Labours free Britania shows,
Sprung from whose illustrious Loins
With accessary Light a second Brunswick Shines.
From this great Deliv'rance sprung,
Hence fair Eliza, Sov'reign Maid,
Bohemia's Royal Nuptials Grac'd,
From whose illustrious fruitful Bed,
Yet unborn Monarchs shall be trac'd;
For hence the great Elector rose,
Whose Guardian Labours free Britania shows,
Sprung from whose illustrious Loins
With accessary Light a second Brunswick Shines.
| A Collection Of Poems | |