To the Right Honourable CHARLES, Earl of Orrery, thefe POEMS are most humbly dedicated by his Lordship's moft obliged, and most obedient Servant, E. FENTON.
"Augur, & fulgente decorus arcu
"Phoebus acceptufque novem Camoenis,
"Qui falutari levat arte feffos
"Corporis artus ;
"Alterum in Luftrum meliufque femper
"Proroget ævum.”
BEGIN, celeftial fource of light,
To gild the new-revolving fphere;
And from the pregnant womb of night,
Urge on to birth the infant year.
Rich with aufpicious luftre rife,
Thou faireft regent of the skies,
Confpicuous with thy filver bow!
To thee, a god, 'twas given by Jove
To rule the radiant orbs above,
To Gloriana this below.
With joy renew thy deftin'd race,
And let the mighty months begin :
Let no ill omen cloud thy face,
Through all thy circle fmile ferene.
While the ftern ministers of fate
Watchful o'er pale Lutetia wait,
To grieve the Gaul's perfidious head;
The hours, thy offspring heavenly fair,
Their whiteft wings fhould ever wear,
And gentle joys on Albion shed.
When Ilia bore the future fates of Rome,
And the long honours of her race began,
Thus, to prepare the graceful age to come,
They from thy ftores in happy order ran.
Heroes elected to the lift of fame,
Fix'd the fure columns of her rifing state :
Till the loud triumphs of the Julian name
Render'd the glories of her reign compleat,
Each year advanc'd a rival to the reft,
In comely fpoils of war, and great atchievements drest.
Say, Phœbus, for thy fearching eye
Saw Rome the darling child of fate,
When nothing equal here could vie
In strength with her imperious state;
Say if high virtues there did reign
Exalted in a nobler ftrain,
Than in fair Albion thou haft feen :
Or can her demi-gods compare
Their trophies for fuccefsful war,
To those that rife for Albion's Queen!
When Albion firft majestic fhew'd
High o'er the circling feas her head,
Her the great Father smiling view'd,
And thus to bright Victoria faid :
Mindful of Phlegra's happy plain,
On which, fair nymph, you fix'd my reign,
This ifle to you fhall facred be;
Her hand fhall hold the rightful scale,
And crowns be vanquish'd, or prevail,
As Gloriana fhall decree.
Victoria triumph in thy great increase !
With joy the Julian stem the Tyber claims,
Young Ammon's might the Granic waves confefs;
The Heber had a Mars, a Churchill Thames :
Roll, Sovereign of the streams! thy rapid tide,
And bid thy brother floods revere the Queen,
Whose voice the hero's happy hand employ'd
To fave the Danube, and subdue the Seine ;
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