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And boaft returning Leaves, and blooming Woods?
That each fucceffive Night from opening Heav'n
The Food of Angels fhould to Man be giv'n;

Is this more strange, than that with common Bread
Our fainting Bodies every Day are fed;

Than that each Grain and Seed confum'd in Earth,
Raifes it's Store, and multiplies it's Birth;

And from the handful, which the Tiller fows,
The labour'd Fields rejoice, and future Harvest flows?

Then from whate'er We can to Senfe produce
Common and plain, or wond'rous and abstruse,
From Nature's conftant or Eccentric Laws,
The thoughtful Soul this gen'ral Inf'rence draws,
That an Effect muft prefuppofe a Cause,
And while She does her upward Flight fuftain,
Touching each Link of the continu'd Chain,
At length she is oblig'd and forc'd to fee
A First, a Source, a Life, a Deity;

What has for ever been, and muft for ever be.

This great Existence thus by Reason found, Bleft by all Pow'r, with all Perfection crown'd: How can we bind or limit His Decree,

By

Limitibus noftri audemus comprendere fenfûs?
Ergone congeftis volvuntur cuncta fub undis
Ultra explorati confinia diffita mundi?

An DEUS, è tenebris noftrum qui fuftulit orbem,
Hos fluctus aliam juffit fecernere terram;

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Venturis olim fcindenda laboribus arva,
Et nondum natis condendas gentibus urbes?
Ante revolventis quàm curfus lubricus ævi
Exactis ftadiis ter mille peregerit orbes;
Fortè ruent noftri imperium doctrinaque Mundi,
Occiduafque artes fascesque ferentur ad oras.

Quà feror ingenti perculfus imagine? quæ Lux
Tanta ferit fenfus? quò facro rapta furore

Quò te, anima, attollis? quid magnum albefcere cerno
Æquora per longè fubjecta? En! Infula, fedes
Imperii; gens dives opum, intractabilis armis;
Juftitia, & blando Clementia mollior ore
Hic fedes pofuere fuas; hæc maxima amatæ
Plenius OMNIPOTENS indulfit munera terræ.
Ad Zephyros etiam ulteriùs magnam Infula famam
Occidua effundit; claffes victricibus armis
Inftructas, nondum exploratas mittit ad oras,
Et terras, quas nos fluctus cœlumque putamus.

By what our Ear has heard, or Eye may fee?
Say then: Is all in Heaps of Water loft, .
Beyond the Islands, and the Mid-land Coaft?
Or has that God, who gave our World it's Birth,
Sever'd those Waters by some other Earth,
Countries by future Plow-fhares to be torn,
And Cities rais'd by Nations yet unborn?
E'er the progreffive Course of restless Age
Performs Three thousand times it's Annual Stage;
May not our Pow'r and Learning be fuppreft;
And Arts and Empire learn to travel Weft?

Where, by the Strength of this Idea charm'd,
Lighten'd with Glory, and with Rapture warm'd,
Afcends my Soul? what fees She White and Great
Amidft fubjected Seas? An ISLE, the Seat
Of Pow'r and Plenty; Her Imperial Throne,
For Juftice and for Mercy fought and known;
Virtues Sublime, great Attributes of Heav'n,
From thence to this distinguish'd Nation giv'n;
Yet farther Weft the Western ISLE extends
Her happy Fame: her Armed Fleets She fends
To Climates folded yet from human Eye;
And Lands, which We imagine Wave and Sky...

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Inter utrofque polos audit resonantia fa&a,
Imperiumque regit, nullum quod terminat æquor;
Intrepidas ducit naves, & carbafa pandit
Intra alios fecura Indos Orbemque fecundum.

ALBION ante omnes (illo fe nomine quondam
Jactabit) belloque diù famaque vigebit;
Magna diù, fatis dilecta Monarchia franget
Invidiæ dentes, & iniquas temporis iras:
Extenfos felix venerandaque ftabit in annos,
Incertafque vices rerum immutata videbit.
Cedent cuncta tamen communi fubruta fato;
Ipfa augufta, ingens, morti, licet ultima, cedet.

Jamque oculos humili nimiunt in tellure morantes Cærulei Cœli magna in convexa levemus : En! quale aulei fluitantis more patefcit, Nunc matutino pictum variumque rubore; Luce fuper media flavo velamine fulgens, Nigro indutum horrore per alta filentia noctis. Unde umbra & lumen certo difcrimine furgunt Alternis? unde hos varios trahit Ethra colores? Quid dux illa animi Ratio plus reddere poffit, Quam Solem rutilo diffundere lumina Cœlo,

Et

From Pole to Pole She hears her Acts refound,
And rules an Empire by no Ocean bound;
Knows her Ships anchor'd, and her Sails unfurl'd
In other INDIES, and a fecond World.

Long shall BRITANNIA (That must be her Name) Be firft in Conqueft, and prefide in Fame: Long shall her favor'd Monarchy engage The Teeth of Envy, and the Force of Age: Rever'd and Happy She shall long remain, Of human Things least changeable, least vain. Yet All must with the gen'ral Doom comply; And this Great Glorious Pow'r, tho' laft, muft dye.

Now let us leave this Earth, and lift our Eye
To the large Convex of yon Azure Sky:
Behold it like an ample Curtain fpread,

Now streak'd and glowing with the Morning Red;
Anon at Noon in flaming Yellow bright,

And chufing Sable for the peaceful Night

Ask Reason now, whence Light and Shade were giv’n,

And whence this great Variety of Heav'n:

Reafon our Guide, what can She more reply,

Than that the Sun illuminates the Sky;

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