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Humbly infcribed to the

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I.

WHEN great Auguftus govern'd ancient Rome, And fent his conqu' ing bands to foreign wars, Abroad when dreaded, and belov'd at home; He faw his fame increasing with his years; Horace, great bard (fo fate ordain'd) arose; And bold, as were his countrymen in fight, Snatch'd their fair actions from degrading profe, And fet their battles in eternal light:

High as their trumpets tune his lyre he ftrung;
And with his prince's arms he moraliz'd his fong.
II.

When bright Eliza rul'd Britannia's state,
Widely diftributing her high commands;
And boldly wife, and fortunately great,
Freed the glad nations from tyrannic bands;
An equal genius was in Spenfer found:
To the high theme he match'd his noble lays :
He travell'd England o'er on fairy ground,
In myllic notes to fing his monarch's praise:
Reciting wond'rous truths in pleafing dreams,
He deck'd Eliza's head with Gloriana's beams.

III.

But, greatest Anna! while thy arms purfue
Paths of renown, and climb afcents of fame,
Which nor Augustus, nor Eliza knew ;

What poet fhall be found to fing thy name?
What numbers fhall record, what tongue fhall fay
Thy wars on land, thy triumphs on the main?
O faireft model of imperial fway!

What equal pen fhall write thy wond'rous reign?
Who fhall attempts and feats of arms rehearse,
Not yet by story told, nor parallel'd by verse?

IV.

Me all too mean for fuch a tafk I weet: Yet if the fov'reign lady deigns to fmile, I'll follow Horace with impetuous heat, And cloath the verfe in Spenfer's native ftyle. By thefe examples, rightly taught to fing, And fmit with pleasure of my country's praife, Stretching the plumes of an uncommon wing, High as Olympus I my flight will raife: And latest times fhall in my numbers read Anna's immortal fame, and Marlbro's hardy deed.

V.

As the ftrong eagle in the filent wood,.
Mindlefs of warlike rage, and hoftile care,
Plays round the rocky cliff, or crystal flood;
'Till by Jove's high behefts call'd out to war,
And charg'd with thunder of his angry king,.
His bofom with the vengeful meffage glows:
Upward the noble bird directs his wing;
And tow'ring round his mafter's earth-born foes,
Swift he collects his fatal ftock of ire;

Lifts his fierce talon high, and darts the forked fire.

VI.

Sedáte and calm thus victor Marlbro' fate, Shaded with laurels, in his native land; 'Till Anna calls him from his foft retreat, And gives her fecond thunder to his hand. Then leaving fweet repofe, and gentle cafe, With ardent speed he feeks the diftant foe :: Marching o'er hills and vales, o'er rocks and feas, He meditates, and ftrikes the wond'rous blow. Our thought flies flower than our general's fame : Grafps he the bolt ? (we afk) when he has hurl'd the flame.

VII.

When fierce Bavar on Judoign's fpacious plain Did from afar the British chief behold; Betwixt defpair, and rage, and hope, and pain, Something within his warring bofom roll❜d: He views that fav'rite of indulgent fame, Whom whilom he had met on Ifter's fhore: Too well, alas! the man he knows the fame, Whofe prowess there repell'd the Boyan pow'r : And fent them trembling thro' the frighted lands, Swift as the whirlwind drives Arabia's fcatter'd fand. VIII.

His former loffes he forgets to grieve;

Abfolves his fate, if with a kinder ray

It now would fhine, and only give him leave
To balance the account of Blenheim's day.
So the fell lion in the lonely glade,

His fide still smarting with the hunter's fpear,
Though deeply wounded, no way yet difmay'd,
Roars terrible, and meditates new war;

In fullen fury traverses the plain

To find the vent'rous foe, and battle him again.
IX.

Mifguided prince no longer urge thy fate,
Nor tempt the hero to unequal war;
Fam'd in misfortune, and in ruin great,
Confefs the force of Marlbro's ftronger itar.
Those lawrel groves (the merits of thy youth)
Which thou from Mahomet didst greatly gains,
While bold affertor of refiftlefs truth,

Thy fword did godlike liberty maintain,

Muft from thy brow their falling honours shed; And their transplanted wreaths muft.deck a worthier head.

X.

Yet ceafe the ways of Providence to blame, And human faults with human grief confefs: 'Tis thou art chang'd; while heav'n is ftill the fame From thy ill councils date thy ill fuccefs. Impartial justice holds her equal scales: 'Till ftronger virtue does the weight incline; If over thee thy glorious foe prevails;

He now defends the cause, that once was thine.
Righteous the war, the champion fhall fubdue;
For Jove's great handmaid Power, muft Jove's des
crees pursue.

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Hark! the dire trumpets found their fhrill alarms Auverquerque, branch'd from the renown'd Naffaus Hoary in war, and bent beneath his arms,

His glorious fword with dauntless courage draws.

When anxious Britain mourn'd her parting lord,
And all of William that was mortal dy'd;
The faithful hero had receiv'd this fword
From his expiring mafter's much-lov'd fide.
Oft from its fatal ire has Louis flown,

[run.

Where-e'er great William led, or Maefe and Sambre XII,

But brandish'd high, in an ill-omen'd hour
To thee, proud Gaul, behold thy justest fear,
The mafter fword, difpofer of thy pow'r :
'Tis that which Caefar gave the British peer..
He took the gift: nor ever will I sheath
This fteel (fo Anna's high behefts ordain)
The general faid, unless by glorious death
Abfolv'd, till conqueft has confirm'd your reign.'
Returns like these our mistress bids us make,
When from a foreign prince a gift her Britons take.
XIII.

And now fierce Gallia rufhes on her foes,
Her force augmented by the Boyan bands:
So Volga's ftream, increas'd by mountain fnows,
Rolls with new fury down through Ruffia's lands.
Like two great rocks against the raging tide
(If virtue's force with nature's we compare)
Unmoy'd the two united chiefs abide,

Suftain the impulfe, and receive the war.

Round their firm fides in vain the tempeft beats;

And still the foaming wave with leffen'd power re

treats.

XIV.

The rage difpers'd, the glorious pair advance,. With mingl'd anger, and collected might,.

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