Me the great father down to thee has fent:
He bids me wait at thy distinguish'd tent,
To execute what Anna's wifh would have:
Her fubject thou, I only am her slave.
Dare then; thou much belov'd by fmiling fate:
For Anna's fake, and in her name, be great:
Go forth, and be to diftant nations known,
My future fav'rite, and my darling fon.
At Schellenberg I'll manifest sustain
Thy glorious caufe; and fpread my wings again,
Confpicuous o'er thy helm, in Blenheim's plain.
The goddess faid, nor would admit reply;
But cut the liquid air, and gain'd the sky.
His high commiffion is thro' Britain known:
And thronging armies to his ftandard run,
He marches thoughtful; and he speedy fails:
(Bless him, ye feas! and profper him ye gales!)
Belgia receives him welcome to her shores,
And William's death with leffen'd grief deplores.
His prefence only must retrieve that loss:
Maribro to her must be what William was.
So when great Atlas, from these low abodes
Recall'd, was gather'd to his kindred-gods;
Alcides refpited by prudent fate,
Suftain'd the ball, nor droop'd beneath the weight.
Secret and swift behold the chief advance;
Sees half the empire join'd, and friend to France:
The British general dooms the fight; his sword
Dreadful he draws: the captains wait the word.
Anne and St. George the charging heroe cries:
Shrill echo from the neighb'ring wood replies
Anne and St. George-At that auspicious fign
The standards move; the adverse armies join,
Of eight great hours, time measures out the sands;
And Europe's fate in doubtful balance stands:
The ninth, Victoria comes :-o'er Marlbro's head
Confefs'd fhe fits; the hoftile troops recede:→→→→
Triumphs the Goddess, from her promise freed.
The eagle, by the British lion's might
Unchain'd and free, directs her upward flight:
Nor did she e'er with stronger pinions foar
From Tyber's banks, than now from Danube's fhoar.
Fir'd with the thoughts which these ideas raise,
And great ambition of my country's praise;
The English muse should like the Mantuan rise,
Scornful of earth and clouds, should reach the skies,
With wonder (tho' with envy still) purfu'd by human
But we must change the ftyle-just now I said,
I ne'er was master of the tuneful trade.
Or the small genius which my youth could boast,
In profe and business lies extin&t and lost.
Bless'd, if I may fome younger muse excite;
Point out the game, and animate the flight;
That from Marfeilles to Calais France may know,
As we have conqu'rors, we have poets too;
And either lawrel does in Britain grow!
That, tho' amongst ourselves, with too much heat,
We sometimes wrangle, when we fhould debate;
(A confequential ill which freedom draws;
A bad effect, but from a noble cause)
We can with univerfal zeal advance,
To curb the faithless arrogance of France.
Nor ever fhall Britannia's fons refuse
To answer to thy mafter or thy mufe;
Nor want juft fubject for victorious strains;
While Marlbro's arm eternal lawrel gains;
And where old Spencer sung, a new Elisareigns.
For the PLAN of a FOUNTAIN, on which is the effigies of the QUEEN on a triumphal arch, the figure of the DUKE of MARLBOROUGH beneath, and the chief rivers of the world round the whole work.
YE active streams, where.e'er your waters flow,
Let diftant climes and furtheft nations know, What ye from Thames and Danube have been taught, How Anne commanded, and how Marlbro fought.
Quacunque aeterno properatis, flumina, lapfu,
Divifis late terris, populisque remotis
Dicite, nam vobis Tamisis narravit et Ister,
Anna quid imperiis potuit, quid Marlburus armis.
S the Chameleon, who is known
To have no colours of his own;
But borrows from his neighbours hue
His white or black, his green or blue;
And struts as much in ready light,
Which credit gives him upon fight;
As if the rain-bow were in tail
Settl'd on him, and his heirs male;
So the young 'Squire, when first he comes
From country school to Will's or Tom's:
And equally, in truth is fit
To be a statesman or a wit;
Without one notion of his own,
He fanters wildly up and down,
'Till fome acquaintance, good or bad,
Takes notice of a staring lad;
Admits him in among the gang:
They jeft, reply, difpute, harangue:
He acts and talks, as they befriend him,
Smear'd with the colours, which they lend him.
Thus merely, as his fortune chances,
His merit or his vice advances.
If haply he the sect pursues,
That read and comment upon news;
He takes up their mysterious face:
He drinks his coffee without lace:
This week his mimic-tongue runs o'er
What they have said the week before.
His wisdom fets all Europe right;
And teaches Marlbro when to fight.
Or if it be his fate to meet
With folks who have more wealth than wit;
He loves cheap Port, and double bub;
And fettles in the Hum-Drum club:
He learns how ftocks will fall or rife;
Holds poverty the greatest vice;
Thinks wit the bane of conversation;
And fays that learning spoils a nation.
But if, at first, he minds his hits,
And drinks Champaine among the wits;
Five deep he toasts the tow’ring lasses;
Repeats you verses wrote on glasses;
Is in the chair; prescribes the law;
And lies with those he never faw.
SLY Merry Andrew, the laft Southwark fair
(At Barthol'mew he did not much appear;
So peevish was the edict of the may'r)
At Southwark therefore as his tricks he show'd,
To please our masters, and his friends the croud;
A huge neats-tongue he in his right hand held:
His left was with a good black-pudding fill'd.
With a grave look, in this odd equipage,
The clownish mimic traverses the stage:
Why how now, Andrew! cries his brother droll,
To day's conceit, methinks, is fomething dull:
Come on, Sir, to our worthy friends explain,
What does your emblematic worship mean?
Quoth Andrew; Honest English let us speak:
Your emble— (what d’ye call’t) is heathen Greek.
To tongue or pudding thou hast no pretence:
Learning thy talent is, but mine is sense.
That bufie fool I was, which thou art now;
Defirous to correct, not knowing how;
With very good defign, but little wit,
Blaming or praifing things, as I thought fit.
I for this conduct had what I deserv'd;
And dealing honeftly, was almofst starv'd.
But thanks to my indulgent stars, I eat;
Since I have found the fecret to be great.
O deareft Andrew, fays the humble droll,
Henceforth may I obey, and thou controll;
Provided thou impart thy useful skill.
Bow then, fays Andrew; and, for once, I will
Be of your patron's mind, whate'er he says;
Sleep very much; think little; and talk less:
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