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nistration of Justice; as one to the best fecurities of the rights and liberties of my loving fubjects; and as most conducive to the honour of the Crown. And I come now to recommend this interesting object to the confideration of Parliament; in order that fuch farther provision, as fhall be most expedient, may be made, for fecuring the Judges in the enjoyment of their offices, during their good behaviour, notwithstanding any fuch demife.

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STREA, eldest born of Jove,

Whom all the gods revere and love,
Was fent, while man deferv'd their care,
On earth to dwell, and govern there:
Till finding earth by heaven unaw'd,
Till fick of violence and fraud,
Abandoning the guilty crew,
Back to her native sky fhe flew.
There, station'd in the Virgin-sign,
She long has ceas'd on earth to shine;
Or if, at times, the deigns a fmile,
'Tis chief o'er Britain's favour'd ifle.

For there her eye with wonder fix'd!
That wonder too with pleasure mix'd!
She now beheld, in blooming youth,
The Patron of all worth and truth;
Not where the virtues most resort,
On peaceful plains, but in a court!
Not in a cottage, all-unknown;
She found him feated on a throne!

What

What fables paint, what poets fing,
She found in fact-a Patriot-king!
But as a fight, fo nobly new,
Deferv'd, fhe thought, a nearer view;
To where, by filver-ftreaming Thames,
Afcends the palace of St. James,
Swift through furrounding fhades of night,
The goddefs fhot her beamy flight.
She ftop'd; and the revealing ray
Blaz'd round her favourite, where he lay,
In fweet repose: o'er all his face,
Repofe fhed fofter bloom and grace!
But fearful left her fun-bright glare
Too foon might wake him into care,
(For fplendid toils and weary ftate
Are every monarch's envy'd fate)
The ftream of circling rays to shroud,
She drew an interpofing cloud.

In all the filence of furprize,

She gaz'd him o'er! She faw arife,
For gods can read the human breaft,
Her own idea there impreft!

And that his plan, to blefs mankind,
The plan now brightening in his mind,
May ftory's whiteft page adorn,

May fhine through nations yet unborn,
She calls Urbania to her aid.

At once, the fair ethereal maid,
Daughter of Memory and Jove,
Defcending quits her laurel'd grove:

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Loofe to the gale her azure robe;
Borne, in her left, a starry globe,

Where each fuperior fon of fame
Will find infcrib'd his deathlefs name.;
Her right fuftains th' immortal lyre,
To praife true merit, or infpire.
Behold-Aftrea thus began-
The friend of virtue and of man!
Calm reafon fee, in early youth!
See, in a prince, the foul of truth!
With love of justice, tender fenfe
For fuffering worth and innocence !
Who means to build his happy reign
On this best maxim, wife and plain-
Though plain, how feldom understood?
That, to be great, he must be good.
His breaft is open to your eye;
Approach, Urania, mark, and try.
This bofom needs no thought to hide :
This virtue dares our fearch abide.

The facred fountains to fecure

Of Justice, undisturb'd and pure

From hopes or fears, from fraud or force,

To ruffle or to ftain their course;

That these may flow ferene and free,
The law must independent be;
Her minifters, as in my fight,
And mine alone, difpenfing right;
Of piercing eye, of judgment clear,
As honour, juft, as truth, fincere,

With temper, firm, with spirit, sage,
The Mansfields of each future age.
And this prime blefling is to fpring
From youth in purple! from a king!
Who, true to his imperial truft,
His greatness founds in being juft;
Prepares, like yon afcending fun,
His glorious race with joy to run
And, where his gracious eye appears,
To blefs the world he lights and chears?
Such worth with equal voice to fing,
Urania, ftrike thy boldeft ftring;
And truth, whofe voice alone is praife,
That here infpires, fhall guide the lays.
Begin! awake his gentle ear

With founds that monarchs rarely hear.
He merits, let him know our love,
And you record, what I approve.

She ended and the heaven-born maid,
With foft furprize, his form furvey’d.
She faw what chastity of thought,
Within his stainless bofom wrought;
Then fix'd on earth her fober eye,
And, paufing, offer'd this reply.

Nor pomp of fong, nor paint of art, Such truths fhould to the world impart. My task is but, in fimple verfe, These promis'd wonders to rehearse: And when on thefe our verfe we raife, The plaineft is the nobleft preife.

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Yet more; a virtuous doubt remains :
Would fuch a prince permit my strains?
Deferving, but ftill fhunning fame,
The homage due he might difclaim.
A prince, who rules, to fave, mankind,
His praise would, in their virtue, find;
Would deem their strict regard to laws,
Their faith and worth, his best applause.
Then, Britons, your just tribute bring,
In deeds, to emulate your king;
In virtues, to redeem your age
From venal views and party-rage.
On his example fafely reft;

He calls, he courts you to be bleft;
As friends, as brethren, to unite
In one firm league of just and right.
My part is laft; if Britain yet
A lover boasts of truth and wit,
To him these grateful lays to fend,
The Monarch's and the Mufe's friend;
And whofe fair name, in facred rhymes,
My voice may give to latest times.

She faid; and, after thinking o'er
The men in place near half a fcore,
To ftrike at once all scandal mute,
The goddess found, and fix'd on BUTE.

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