The Contents. THE Ode consists of a Prelude; five Strains; a Moral; a Close; and a Chorus. PRELUDE. The Proposition. An address to the Vessel that brought over the King. Who should sing on this occasion, Pindarick boast. Strain I. How the King attended. A prospect of happiness. Industry. A surprising instance of it in Old Rome. The mischief of sloth. What happiness is. Sloth its greatest enemy. Trade natural to Britain. Trade invoked. Described. What thegreatest human excellence. The praise of wealth. Its use, abuse, end. The variety of Nature. The final moral cause of it. The benefit of man's necessities. Britain's naval stores. She makes all nature serviceable to her end. Of Reason. Its excellence. How we should form our estimate of things. Reason's difficult task. Why the first glory her's. Her effects in Old Britain. Strain II. Arts from commerce. Why Britain should pursue it. What wealth includes. An historical digression, which kind is most frequent in Pindar. The wealth and wonderful glory of Tyre. The approach of her ruin. The cause of it. Her crimes through all ranks and orders. Her miserable fail. The neighbouring king's just reflection on it. An awful image of the Divine power and vengeance. From what Tyre fell, and how deep her calamity. Strain III. An inference from this history. Advice to Britain. More proper in her than other nations. How far the stroke of tyranny reaches. What supports our endeavours. The unconsidered benefits of liberty. Britain's obligation to pursue trade. Why above half the globe is sea. Britain's grandeur from her situation. The winds, the seas, the constellations described. Sir Isaac Newton's praise. Britain compared with other states. The leviathan described. Britain's site Who rivals her. Of and ancient title to the seas. THE MORAL. The most happy should be the most virtuous. Ofeter- THE CLOSE. This subject now first sung. How sung. Preferable to CHORUS, THE MERCHANT. AN ODE On the British trade and navigation. TO HIS GRACE THE DUKE OF CHANDOS. FAST by the surge my limbs are spread, The winds are loud, the waves tumult'ous roll; The god descends, and transports warm my soul. The waves are hush'd, the winds are spent ; 48 111. Tho' Fate and Time have damp'd my strains, Tho' slow their streams in this cold climate run, Recalls the warmth of blooming years; IV. Away, my Soul! salute the Pine, And loaded from both Indies would be poor. V. My Soul! to thee she spreads her sails; O send her down the tide of time, Snatch'd from oblivion, and secure from storm. VI. Or teach this flag like that to soar, Which gods of old and heroes bore; I am her pilot, and her port the skies! The vessel in which the King came over. 35 Vit. Dare you to sing, ye twinkling Train! Who shackle prose, and boast of absent gods; VIII. Ye lawful sons of Genius, rise! Of genuine title to the skies; Ye founts of Learning! and ye mints of Fame! Of glowing thought with Attic art, And drink pure song from Cam's or Isis' stream. IX. I glow, I burn! the numbers pure, Spontaneous stream from my unlabour'd breast; As when full-ripen'd teems the vine, Distil nectareous from the grape unpress'd, STRAIN I. I. "OUR monarch comes! nor comes alone!" 40 50 |