Aftonifh'd Trebia * overflow'd it's banks
In vain, and deep-dy'd Trafimenus roll'd
It's crimson waters; Canne's fignal day
The fame alone of great Amilcar's fon
Enlarg'd, while ftill undifciplin'd, difmay'd,
Her head commercial Carthage bow'd at last
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' auspicious hour
Now fmiles; our wary magiftrates have arm'd
Our hands; thou, goddefs, animate our breafts.
To caft inglorious indolence afide,

༣ ག°

That once again, in bright battalions rang'd,
Our thousands and ten thousands may be feen
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 fhield,

The warrior's corfelet flaming on her breast,

Looks down with fcorn on spacious realms, which groan
In fervitude around her; and, her sword

With dauntless skill 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 moft part compofed of Swedish peasants, who had never feen 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 arise,

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 spear
Of London's firm militia, and refign'd
The well-difputed 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 ftartle 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 flect.
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

The London train'd bands, and auxiliary regiments, (of whofe inexperience of danger, or any kind of fervice, beyond the eafy practice of their postures in the Artillery Ground, had till then too cheap an estimation) behaved themfelves to wonder; and were, in truth, the prefervation of that army that day: for they stood as a bulwark and rampire to defend the reft; and when their wings of horse 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 form of fmall fhot, he could make no impreflion on their stand of pikes, but was forced to wheel about.-Clarendon, book 7. P. 347

Of

Of injur'd Albion; to her foes prefent
Those daring bofoms, which alike difdain
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 flept 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 fuggest
Of defolation and th' invading sword
Though with his massy 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 crefcent 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,
2 L

Her

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 the 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 fhores,
, when infolence and wrongs,
To arms awaken our vindictive power,

Our

angry fleets,

Shall bear the hideous waste of ruthlefs war;

But Liberty, Security, and Fame,

Shall dwell for ever on our chofen plains.

THE VANITY OF HUMAN WISHES.

BY DR. JOHNSON.

ET Obfervation, with extenfive view,

LE

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

Then fay how Hope and Fear, Defire and Hate,
O'erfpread 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 chases airy good.

How rarely reafon guides the stubborn choice,
Rules the bold hand, or prompts the fuppliant voice;
How nations fink, by darling schemes 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 fweetnefs elocution flows;
Impeachment ftops the speaker's pow'rful breath,
And reftlefs 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 sword the hireling ruffian draws,
For gold the hireling judge diftorts the laws;
Wealth heap'd on wealth, nor truth nor fafety buys,
The dangers gather as the treasures rife.

Let hift'ry tell where rival kings command,
And dubious title fhakes the madded land:
When ftatues glean the refufe of the fword,
How much more fafe 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-crush th' upbraiding joy,
Increase his riches, and his peace deftroy;