Of injur'd Albion; to her foes prefent
Those daring bofoms, which alike disdain
The death-difploding cannon, and the rage
Of warring tempefts, mingling in their strife
The feas and clouds: though long in filence hush'd
Hath slept the British thunder; though the pride
Of weak Iberia hath forgot the roar ;
Soon fhall her ancient terrors be recall'd,
When your victorious fhouts affright her fhores,
None now ignobly will your warmth restrain,
Nor hazard more indignant Valour's curfe,
Their country's wrath, and Time's eternal fcorn.
Then bid the furies of Bellona wake,
And filver-mantled Peace with welcome steps
Anon fhall vifit your triumphant ifle.
And that perpetual fafety may poffefs
Our joyous fields, thou, Genius, who prefid'ft
O'er this illuftrious city, teach her fons
To wield the noble inftruments of war;
And let the great example foon extend
Through ev'ry province, till Britannia fees
Her docile millions fill the martial plain.
Then, whatfoe'er our terrors now suggest
Of defolation and th' invading sword;
Though with his maffy trident Neptune heav'd
A new-born isthmus from the British deep,
And to it's parent continent rejoin'd
Our chalky fhore; though Mahomet could league
His pow'rful crescent with the hostile Gaul,
And that new Cyrus of the conquer'd East,
Who now in trembling vaffalage unites
The Ganges and Euphrates, could advance
With his auxiliar hoft; our warlike youth,
With equal numbers, and with keener zeal
For children, parents, friends, for England fir'd,
Her fertile glebe, her wealthy towns, her laws,
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Her liberty, her honour, fhould fuftain
The dreadful onfet, and refiftless break
Th' immenfe array; thus e'en the lightest thought
E'er to invade Britannia's calm repofe,
Muft die, the moment that aufpicious Mars
Her fons fhall blefs with difcipline and arms;
That exil'd race, in fuperftition nurs'd,
The fervile pupils of tyrannick Rome,
With diftant gaze defpairing fhall behold
The guarded fplendors of Britannia's crown ;
Still from their abdicated fway eftrang'd,
With all th' attendance on defpotick thrones,
Priefts, ignorance, and bonds; with watchful ftep,
Gigantick Terror, ftriding round our coaft,
Shall shake his Gorgon ægis, and the hearts
Of proudest kings appal: to other shores,
Our angry fleets, when infolence and wrongs,
To arms awaken our vindictive power,
Shall bear the hideous waste of ruthless war;
But Liberty, Security, and Fame,
Shall dwell for ever on our chofen plains.
THE VANITY OF HUMAN WISHES.
ET Obfervation, with extensive view,
Survey mankind, from China: to Peru; Remark each anxious toil, each eager ftrife, And watch the busy scenes of crouded life;
*If the computation, which allots near two millions of fighting men to this kingdom, may be relied on, it is not eafy to conceive, how the united force of the whole world could affemble together, and fubfift in an enemy's country, greater numbers than they would find opposed to them here.
Then fay how Hope and Fear, Defire and Hate,
O'erspread with fnares the clouded maze of Fate,
Where wav'ring man, betray'd by vent'rous Pride,
To tread the dreary paths without a guide;
As treach'rous phantoms in the mist delude,
Shuns fancy'd ills, or chafes airy good.
How rarely reason guides the stubborn choice,
Rules the bold hand, or prompts the fuppliant voice;
How nations fink, by darling fchemes opprefs'd,
When vengeance liftens to the fool's request.
Fate wings with ev'ry wish th' afflictive dart,
Each gift of nature, and each grace of art;
With fatal heat impetuous courage glows,
With fatal fweetness elocution flows;
Impeachment ftops the fpeaker's pow'rful breath,.
And restless fire precipitates on death.
But scarce obferv'd, the knowing and the bold
Fall in the gen❜ral maffacre of gold;
Wide-wafting peft! that rages unconfin'd,
And crouds with crimes the records of mankind:
For gold his fword the hireling ruffian draws,
For gold the hireling judge distorts the laws;
Wealth heap'd on wealth, nor truth nor fafety buys,
The dangers gather as the treafures rife.
Let hift'ry tell where rival kings command,
And dubious title fhakes the madded land:
When ftatues glean the refuse of the sword,
How much more safe the vaffal than the lord;
Low fculks the hind beneath the rage of pow'r,
And leaves the wealthy traitor in the Tow'r;
Untouch'd his cottage, and his flumbers found,
Tho' Confifcation's vultures hover round.
The needy traveller, ferene and gay,
Walks the wild heath, and fings his toil away.
Does envy feize thee-crufh th' upbraiding joy,
Increase his riches, and his peace destroy;
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New fears in dire viciffitude invade,
The rustling brake alarms, and quiv'ring fhade;
Nor light nor darkness bring his pain relief,
One fhews the plunder, and one hides the thief.
Yet ftill one gen'ral cry the skies affails,
And gain and grandeur load the tainted gales;
Few know the toiling statesman's fear or care,
Th' infidious rival, and the gaping heir.
Once more, Democritus, arise on earth,
With chearful wisdom and instructive mirth ;
See motley life in modern trappings drefs'd,
And feed with varied fools th' eternal jest:
Thou, who couldst laugh where Want enchain'd Caprice,
Toil crush'd Conceit, and man was of a piece;
Where Wealth unlov'd, without a mourner dy'd,
And fearce a fycophant was fed by Pride ;
Where ne'er was known the form of mock debate,
Or feen a new-made mayor's unwieldy state;
Where change of fav'rites made no change of laws,
And fenates heard before they judg'd a caufe;
How wouldst thou shake at Britain's modith tribe,
Dart the quick taunt, and edge the piercing gibe?
Attentive Truth and Nature to decry,
And pierce each fcene with philofophick eye.
To thee were falemn toys or empty fhew,
The robes of Pleasure, and the veils of Woe:
All aid the farce, and all thy mirth maintain,
Whose joys are causeless, or whofe griefs are vain.
Such was the fcorn that fill'd the fage's mind,
Renew'd at ev'ry glance on human-kind;
How just that fcorn ere yet thy voice declare,
Search ev'ry state, and canvafs ev'ry pray'r.
Unnumber'd fuppliants croud Preferment's gate,
Athirst for wealth, and burning to be great;
Delufive Fortune hears th' inceffant call,
They mount, they fhine, evaporate, and fall.
On ev'ry stage the foes of Peace attend,
Hate dogs their flight, and Infult mocks their end.
Love ends with Hope; the finking statesman's door
Pours in the morning worshipper no more;
For growing names the weekly fcribbler lies,
To growing wealth the dedicator flies
From ev'ry room defcends the painted face,
That hung the bright palladium of the place,
And fmoak'd in kitchens, or in auctions fold,
To better features yields the frame of gold;
For now no more we trace in ev'ry line
Heroick worth, benevolence divine:
The form diftorted juftifies the fall,
And deteftation rids th' indignant wall.
But will not Britain hear the last appeal,
Sign her foes doom, or guard her fav'rites zeal;
Tho' Freedom's fons no more remonftrance rings,
Degrading nobles and controuling kings;
Our fupple tribes reprefs their patriot throats,
And ask no questions but the price of votes ;
With weekly libels and feptennial ale,
Their wish is full to riot and to rail.
In full-blown dignity fee Wolfey ftand,
Law in his voice, and fortune in his hand :
To him the church, the realm, their pow'rs consign,
Thro' him the rays of regal bounty shine;
Still to new heights his restless wishes tow'r,
Claim leads to claim, and pow'r advances pow'r;
Till conqueft unrefifted ceas'd to please,
And rights fubmitted, left him none to feize.
At length his fov'reign frowns-the train of state
Mark the keen glance, and watch the fign to hate.
Where'er he turns he meets a stranger's eye,
His fuppliants fcorn him, and his followers fly;
At once is loft the pride of awful state,
The golden canopy, the glitt'ring plate,
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