Now from the fort, behold, the yielding flag is spread, And William's banner on the breach display'd.
Hark, the triumphant fhouts from every voice!
The skies with acclamations ring!
Hark, how around, the hills rejoice,
And rocks reflected Ios fing!
Hautboys and fifes and trumpets join'd
Heroic harmony prepare,
And charm to filence every wind,
And glad the late-tormented air.
Far is the found of martial music spread,
Echoing through all the Gallic hoft,
Whose numerous troops the dreadful storm furvey'd:
But they, with wonder or with awe dismay'd,
Unmov'd beheld the fortrefs loft.
William, their numerous troops with terror fill'd,
Such wondrous charms can godlike valour show!
Not the wing'd Perfeus, with petrific shield
Of Gorgon's head, to more amazement charm'd his foe,
Nor, when on foaring horse he flew, to aid
And fave from monfter's rage the beauteous maid;
Or more heroic was the deed ;
Or fhe to furer chains decreed,
Than was Namur, till now by William freed.
Defcend, my Mufe, from thy too-daring height,
Defcend to earth, and eafe thy wide-ftretch'd wing; VOL. XXXIV.
weary art thou grown of this unwonted flight, And doft with pain of triumphs fing. More fit for thee, resume thy rural reeds;
For war let more harmonious harps be ftrung: Sing thou of love, and leave great William's deeds To him who fung the Boyne; or him to whom he fung
"Dignum laude virum Mufa vetat mori."-HOR.
DESCEND, celeftial Mufe! thy fon infpire
Of thee to fing; infufe thy holy fire.
Belov'd of gods and men, thyfelf disclose;
Say, from what fource thy heavenly power arofe,
Which, from unnumber'd years delivering down
The deeds of heroes deathless in renown,
Extends their life and fame to ages yet unknown.
Time and the Muse set forth with equal pace;
At once the rivals ftarted to the race:
And both at once the deftin'd courfe fhall end,
Or both to all eternity contend.
One to preferve what t' other cannot fave,
And refcue virtue rifing from the grave,
To thee, O Montague, these ftrains are fung,
For thee my voice is tun'd, and fpeaking lyre is ftrung;
For every grace of every Mufe is thine;
In thee their various fires united fhine,
Darling of Phoebus and the tuneful Nine!
To thee alone I dare my fong commend,
Whose nature can forgive, and
power defend,
And fhew by turns the patron and the friend.
Begin, my Mufe, from Jove derive thy fong,
Thy fong of right does firft to Jove belong;
For thou thyfelf art of celeftial feed,
Nor dare a fire inferior boast the breed.
When firft the frame of this vaft ball was made,
And Jove with joy the finish'd work furvey'd ;
Viciffitude of things, of men and states,
Their rife and fall, were deftin'd by the Fates.
Then Time had firft a name; by firm decree
Appointed lord of all futurity,
Within whofe ample bofom Fates repofe
Caufes of things, and fecret feeds inclofe,
Which, ripening there, fhall one day gain a birth,
And force a paffage through the teeming earth.
To him they give to rule the fpacious light,
And bound the yet unparted day and night;
To wing the hours that whirl the rolling fphere,
To shift the feafons, and conduct the year,
Duration of dominion and of power
To him prefcribe, and fix each fated hour.
This mighty rule to Time the Fates ordain,
But yet to hard conditions bind his reign;
For every beauteous birth he brings to light,
(How good foe'er and grateful in his fight,)
He must again to native earth restore,
And all his race with iron teeth devour.
Nor good nor great fhall 'scape his hungry maw,
But bleeding, Nature prove the rigid law.
Not yet the loosen'd earth aloft was flung,
Or pois'd amid the fkies in balance hung;
Nor yet did golden fires the fun adorn,
Or borrow'd luftre filver Cynthia's horn ;.
Nor yet had Time commiffion to begin,
Or Fate the many twifted web to spin;,
When all the heavenly host assembled came
To view the world yet resting on its frame;
Eager they prefs, to see the fire difmifs
And roll the globe along the vast abyss.
When deep revolving thoughts the God retain,
Which for a space suspend the promis'd scene;
Once more his eyes on Time intentive look,
Again infpect Fate's univerfal book:
Abroad the wondrous volume he difplays,
And prefent views the deeds of future days.
A beauteous scene adorns the foremost page,
Where Nature's bloom prefents the golden age.
The golden leaf to filver foon refigns,
And fair the sheet, but yet more faintly, fhines.
Of bafer brafs, the next denotes the times;
An impious page, deform'd with deadly crimes.
The fourth yet wears a worse and browner face,
And adds to gloomy days an iron race.
He turns the book, and every age reviews,
Then all the kingly line his eye pursues:
The firft of men, and lords of earth defign'd,
Who under him should govern human-kind.
Of future heroes, there, the lives he reads,
In fearch of glory spent, and godlike deeds;
Who empires found, and goodly cities build,
And favage men compel to leave the field.
All this he faw, and all he faw approv'd;
When lo! but thence a narrow space remov'd,
And hungry Time has all the scene defac'd,
The kings deftroy'd, and laid the kingdoms waste a
Together all in common ruins lie,
And but anon, and ev'n the ruins die.
Th' Almighty, inly touch'd, compassion found,
To fee great actions in oblivion drown'd;
And forward fearch'd the roll, to find if Fate
Had no referve to fpare the good and great.
Bright in his view the Trojan heroes shine,
And Ilian ftructures rais'd by hands divine;
But Ilium foon in native dust is laid,
And all her boasted pile a ruin made:
great Æneas can her fall withstand,
But fies, to fave his gods, to foreign land.
The Roman race fucceed the Dardan state,
And first, and second Cæfar, godlike great.
Still on to after-days his eyes defcend,
And rifing heroes still the search attend.
Proceeding thus, he many empires pafs'd;
When fair Britannia fix'd his fight at last.
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