The Works of the Late Aaron Hill ... In Four Volumes. Consisting of Letters on Various Subjects, And of Original Poems, Moral and Facetious. With An Essay on the Art of Acting |
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The Shipwreck.
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 | The Works of the Late Aaron Hill |  |
The Shipwreck.
'Twas on the day, whose unauspicious fate,
With dismal news, alarm'd Britannia's state;
And, in our admiral's shipwreck, let us see,
That courage cannot stem mortality!
The sea's grim sov'reign, in a calmer place,
Unbent the wrinkly terrors of his face:
Where, stretch'd at ease, the wanton monarch lay,
And, hem'd with Nerëids, laugh'd the hours away;
Soft knots of unform'd coral swell'd his bed,
And oozy samphire crown'd his bushy head.
A watchful guard the best-arm'd fishes keep,
And wind-rock'd billows lull'd their lord to sleep.
With dismal news, alarm'd Britannia's state;
And, in our admiral's shipwreck, let us see,
That courage cannot stem mortality!
The sea's grim sov'reign, in a calmer place,
Unbent the wrinkly terrors of his face:
Where, stretch'd at ease, the wanton monarch lay,
And, hem'd with Nerëids, laugh'd the hours away;
Soft knots of unform'd coral swell'd his bed,
And oozy samphire crown'd his bushy head.
A watchful guard the best-arm'd fishes keep,
And wind-rock'd billows lull'd their lord to sleep.
337
While thus he lay, thick-gathering shouts were heard,
From ev'ry part, the scaly nation steer'd;
With sudden force, the swelling sea ran high,
And moving mountains swept the darken'd sky.
Disturb'd, the monarch rais'd his wond'ring head,
And started, doubtful, from his briny bed:
Angry, his aweful trident, thrice, he shook,
And swift possession of his chariot took:
Fix'd, in the stately seat, he drives, he raves!
The frighted steeds divide the foamy waves;
And plunging, fiercely, thro' retorted tides,
Dash the drops, both ways, from their panting sides.
From ev'ry part, the scaly nation steer'd;
With sudden force, the swelling sea ran high,
And moving mountains swept the darken'd sky.
Disturb'd, the monarch rais'd his wond'ring head,
And started, doubtful, from his briny bed:
Angry, his aweful trident, thrice, he shook,
And swift possession of his chariot took:
Fix'd, in the stately seat, he drives, he raves!
The frighted steeds divide the foamy waves;
And plunging, fiercely, thro' retorted tides,
Dash the drops, both ways, from their panting sides.
Soon, he arriv'd, where shoals, on shoals, amaz'd,
In gath'ring swarm, as on some wonder, gaz'd:
Triumphant tumult spoke unusual joys,
And growing numbers swell'd the savage noise.
The God advanc'd; and, as he nearer drew,
The shooting fishes fled his aweful view!
He came: and curious, what the cause cou'd be,
That had, at once, alarm'd th' assembled sea!
He saw—and, starting back, declin'd his head,
The well-known Clou'sly, Britain's admiral, dead!
Stretch'd on the sands, the wave-swoln warrior lay,
To death's wide jaws, an unexpected prey!
Swift, he descends, o'erjoy'd, at what he found,
And rais'd the body, from th' unwilling ground:
Invok'd the soul, to re-inform his breast,
The late-ejected spirit, greatly blest,
Return'd, and joyful, its old seat possest,
The waking hero felt a strange surprize,
And, starting, open'd wide his sea-wash'd eyes:
Look'd round, with curious horror, all amaz'd,
While, thus, the God bespoke him, as he gaz'd.
In gath'ring swarm, as on some wonder, gaz'd:
Triumphant tumult spoke unusual joys,
And growing numbers swell'd the savage noise.
The God advanc'd; and, as he nearer drew,
The shooting fishes fled his aweful view!
He came: and curious, what the cause cou'd be,
That had, at once, alarm'd th' assembled sea!
338
The well-known Clou'sly, Britain's admiral, dead!
Stretch'd on the sands, the wave-swoln warrior lay,
To death's wide jaws, an unexpected prey!
Swift, he descends, o'erjoy'd, at what he found,
And rais'd the body, from th' unwilling ground:
Invok'd the soul, to re-inform his breast,
The late-ejected spirit, greatly blest,
Return'd, and joyful, its old seat possest,
The waking hero felt a strange surprize,
And, starting, open'd wide his sea-wash'd eyes:
Look'd round, with curious horror, all amaz'd,
While, thus, the God bespoke him, as he gaz'd.
Illustrious
rival of my wat'ry throne!
Welcome, to regions, more than half your own!
Long have my seas been practis'd to your sway,
Scarce wou'd my doubtful slaves my laws obey,
Unknowing, 'till, surpris'd, they saw you die,
Who was most God of oceans, you, or I!
Live, now, confess'd, from this propitious hour,
Imperial partner of divided pow'r.
Welcome, to regions, more than half your own!
Long have my seas been practis'd to your sway,
Scarce wou'd my doubtful slaves my laws obey,
Unknowing, 'till, surpris'd, they saw you die,
Who was most God of oceans, you, or I!
Live, now, confess'd, from this propitious hour,
Imperial partner of divided pow'r.
339
Grateful, the chief bow'd low, un-mov'd, with pride,
And, to the gen'rous offer, thus, reply'd:
You tempt me with a pow'r, I would not lose,
Had I my queen's consent, that pow'r to use.
She bid me rule the seas, to my last breath,
But gave me no commission after death.
And, to the gen'rous offer, thus, reply'd:
You tempt me with a pow'r, I would not lose,
Had I my queen's consent, that pow'r to use.
She bid me rule the seas, to my last breath,
But gave me no commission after death.
| The Works of the Late Aaron Hill | |