Grac'd and fupported; thus a genial foil
Diffufing vigour though the infant oak,
Affords it ftrength to flourish, till at last
It's lofty head, in verdant honours clad,
It rears amidst the proudest of the
grove.

Yet here th' eternal fates thy last retreat
Deny, a mightier nation they prepare

For thy reception; fufferers alike.

By th' unremitted infolence of pow'r

From reign to reign, nor less than Belgium known
For bold contention oft on crimson fields,

In free-tongu'd fenates oft with nervous laws
To circumfcribe, or conquering to depofe
Their fcepter'd tyrants: Albion, fea-embrac'd,
The joy of freedom, dread of treach'rous kings,
The deftin'd miftrefs of the fubject main,

And arbitress of Europe, now demands
Thy prefence, goddess. It was now the time,
Ere yet perfidious Cromwell dar'd profane
The facred fenate, and with impious feet
Tread on the pow'rs of magiftrates and laws,
While ev'ry arm was chill'd with cold amaze,
Nor one in all that dauntless train was found
To pierce the ruffian's heart; and now thy name
Was heard in thunder through th' affrighted fhores
Of pale Iberia, of fubmiffive Gaul,

And Tagus, trembling to his utmost fource.

O ever faithful, vigilant, and brave,
Thou bold afferter of Britannia's fame,
Unconquerable Blake: propitious Heav'n
At this great æra, and the fage decree *
Of Albion's fenate, perfecting at once,
What by Eliza † was fo well begun,

*The act of navigation.

† Queen Elizabeth was the first of our princes, who gave any confiderable en couragement to trade.

So

So deeply founded, to this favour'd shore
The goddess drew, where grateful the bestow'd
Th' unbounded empire of her father's floods,
And chofe thee, London, for her chief abode,
Pleas'd with the filver Thames, it's gentle fream,
And smiling banks, it's joy-diffufing hills,

Which clad with fplendour, and with beauty grac'd,
O'erlook his lucid bofom; pleas'd with thee,
Thou nurse of arts, and thy induftrious race;
Pleas'd with their candid manners, with their free
Sagacious converse, to enquiry led,

And zeal for knowledge: hence the op'ning mind
Refigns it's errors, and unfeals the eye
Of blind Opinion; Merit hence is heard
Amidft it's blushes, dawning arts arife,

The gloomy clouds, which ignorance or fear
Spread o'er the paths of Virtue, are dispell'd,

Servility retires, and ev'ry heart

With publick cares is warm'd; thy merchants hence,

Illuftrious city, thou doft raise to fame.

How many names of glory mayft thou trace

From earliest annals down to Barnard's* times!

And O! if like that eloquence divine,

Which forth for Commerce, for Britannia's rights,
And her infulted majefty he pour'd,

These humble measures flow'd, then too thy walls
Might undifgrac'd refound thy poet's name,
Who now, all-fearful to thy praise, attunes
His lyre, and pays his grateful fong to thee,
Thy votary, O Commerce! Gracious Pow'r,
Continue ftill to hear my vows, and bless
My honourable industry, which courts
No other smile but thine; for thou alone
Canft wealth bestow with independence crown'd.

*Sir John Barnard.

Nor

Nor yet exclude contemplative repofe,

But to my dwelling grant the folemn calm
Of learned leifure, never to reject

The vifitation of the tuneful Maids,

Who feldom deign to leave their facred haunts,
And grace a mortal manfion; thou divide
With them my labours; pleafure I refign,
And, all devoted to my midnight lamp,

E'en now, when Albion, o'er the foaming breast
Of groaning Tethys fpreads it's threat'ning fleets,
I grafp the founding fhell, prepar'd to fing
That hero's valour, who fhall beft confound
His injur'd country's foes; e'en now I feel
Celestial fires defcending on my breast,

Which prompt thy daring fuppliant to explore,
Why, though deriv'd from Neptune, though rever'à
Among the nations, by the gods endow'd,

Thou never yet from eldest times haft found
One permanent abode; why oft expell'd

Thy favour'd feats, from clime to clime haft borne
Thy wand'ring steps; why London late hath feen
(Thy lov'd, thy laft retreat) defponding Care
O'ercloud thy brow: O liften, while the Mufe,
Th' immortal progeny of Jove, unfolds
The fatal caufe. What time in Nyfa's cave
Th' ethereal train, in honour to thy fire,
Shower'd on thy birth their blended gifts, the pow'r
Of war was abfent; hence, unblefs'd by Mars,
Thy fons relinquifh'd arms, on other arts
Intent, and ftill to mercenary hands

The fword entrufting, vainly deem'd, that wealth
Could purchase lafting fafety, and protect
Unwarlike Freedom; hence the Alps in vain.
Were pafs'd, their long impenetrable fnows
And dreary torrents; fwol'n with Roman dead,

Astonish'd

Aftonifh'd Trebia * overflow'd it's banks
In vain, and deep-dy'd Trafimenus roll'd
It's crimson waters; Canna's fignal day
The fame alone of great Amilcar's fon
Enlarg'd, while still undisciplin'd, dismay'd,
Her head commercial Carthage bow'd at laft
To military Rome; th' unalter'd will
Of Heaven in ev'ry climate hath ordain'd,
And ev'ry age, that empire fhall attend
The sword, and steel shall ever conquer gold,
Then from thy fuff'rings learn; th' aufpicious hour
Now fmiles; our wary magistrates have arm'd
Our hands; thou, goddess, animate our breasts
To caft inglorious indolence afide,

That once again, in bright battalions rang'd,
Our thousands and ten thousands may be seen
Their country's only rampart, and the dread
Of wild Ambition. Mark the Swedish hind;
He, on his native foil should danger lour
Soon from the entrails of the dusky mine
Would rife to arms; and other fields and chiefs,
With Helfingburgh † and Steinboch foon would share
The admiration of the northern world:
Helvetia's hills behold; th' aërial feat
Of long-fupported Liberty, who thence,
Securely refting on her faithful shield,

The warrior's corfelet flaming on her breast,

Looks down with fcorn on fpacious realms, which groan
In fervitude around her; and, her fword

With dauntless fkill high brandishing, defies

Trebia, Trafimenus Lacus, and Cannæ, famous for the victories gained by Annibal over the Romans.

Helfingburgh, a small town in Schonen, celebrated for the victory which Count Steinboch gained over the Danes, with an army for the most part compofed of Swedish peasants, who had never seen an enemy before: it is remarkable, that the defeated troops were as compleat a body of regular forces as any in all Europe.

The

The Auftrian eagle, and imperious Gaul.
And O could thofe ill-fated fhades arife;:
Whofe valiant ranks along th' enfanguin'd duft
Of Newbury lay crouded, they could tell,
How their long-matchlefs cavalry, so oft
O'er hills of flain by ardent Rupert led,
Whofe dreaded ftandard Victory had wav'd,
Till then triumphant, there with noblest blood
From their gor'd fquadrons dy'd the reftive fpear
Of London's firm militia, and refign'd
The well-disputed field; then, goddess, fay,
Shall we be now more timid, when behold

The black'ning ftorm now gathers round our heads,
And England's angry genius founds to arms?
For thee, remember, is the banner spread;
The naval tower, to vindicate thy rights,

Will fweep the curling foam: the thund'ring bomb
Will roar, and startle in the deepest grots

Old Nereus' daughters; with combuftion ftor'd
For thee our dire volcanos of the main,
Impregnated with horror, foon will pour
Their flaming ruin round each hoftile fleet.
Thou then, great goddefs, fummon all thy powers,
Arm all thy fons, thy vaffals, ev'ry heart
Inflame; and you, ye fear-difclaiming race,
Ye mariners of Britain, chofen train
Of Liberty and Commerce, now no more
Secrete your gen'rous valour; hear the call

vot T

101

* The London train'd bands, and auxiliary regiments, (of whofe inexperience of danger, or any kind of fervice, beyond the eafy practice of their poftures in the Artillery Ground, had till then too cheap an estimation) behaved themfelves to wonder; and were, in truth, the preservation of that army that day; for they stood as a bulwark and rampire to defend the reft; and when their wings of horfe were scattered and difperfed, kept their ground fo fteadily, that though Prince Rupert himself led up the choice horse to charge them, and endured the ftorm of fmall fhot, he could make no impreffion on their ftand of pikes, but was forced to wheel about.-Clarendon, book 7. p. 347.