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More noble than the spoils that battles yield,
Or all the empty triumphs of the field.

'Tis lefs to conquer, than to make war cease,
And without fighting, awe the world to peace :
For proudest triumphs from contempt arise;
The vanquifh'd firft the conqueror's arms despise :
Won enfigns are the gaudy marks of fcorn,
They brave the victor firft, and then adorn.
But peaceful monarchs reign like gods while none
Difpute, all love, blefs, reverence their throne.
Tigers and bears, with all the favage hoft,

May boldness, strength, and daring conquest boast;
But the sweet paffions of a generous mind
Are the prerogative of human-kind;
The god-like image, on our clay impreft,

The darling attribute which heaven loves best :
In Charles fo good a man and king, we fee

A double image of the deity.

Oh! had he more resembled it! Oh, why
Was he not ftill more like, and could not die?
Now do our thoughts alone enjoy his name,
And faint ideas of our bleffing frame !

In Thames, the Ocean's darling, England's pride,
The pleafing emblem of his reign does glide:
Thames the fupport and glory of our isle,
Richer than Tagus, or Ægyptian Nile :
Though no rich fand in him, no pearls are found,
Yet fields rejoice, his meadows laugh around;
Lefs wealth his bofom holds, lefs guilty ftores,
For he exhausts himself, t'enrich the ores.

Mild and ferene the peaceful current flows,
No angry foam, no raging furges knows ;
No dreadful wrecks upon his banks appear,
His crystal stream unstain'd by widows tear,
His channel strong and eafy, deep and clear.
No arbitrary inundations sweep

The plowman's hopes, and life into the deep;
His even waters the old limits keep.

But oh! he ebbs, the fmiling waves decay,
For ever, lovely ftream, for ever stay!
To the black fea his filent courfe does bend,
Where the beft ftreams, the longest rivers, end.
His fpotlefs waves there undistinguish'd pass,

None fee, how clear, how bounteous, fweet, he was.
No difference now, though late fo much, is feen,
'Twixt him, fierce Rhine, and the impetuous Seine.
But lo! the joyful tide our hopes restores,

And dancing waves extend the widening fhores.
James is our Charles in all things but in name :
Thus Thames is daily loft, yet ftill the fame.

ODE on the Marriage of the Princess AN NE and Prince GEORGE of DENMARK.

WHILST

I.

HILST black defigns (that direful work of Fate)
Distract the labouring state;

Whilft (like the fea) around loud difcords roar,
Breaking their fury on the frighted fhore;

And

And England does like brave Vienna stand,
Befieg'd by Infidels on either hand;

What means this peaceful train, this pompous fight?
What means this royal beauteous pair?

This troop of youths and virgins heavenly fair,
That does at once aftonish and delight;
Great Charles, and his illuftrious brother here,
No bold affaffinate need fear;

Here is no harmful weapon found,

Nothing but Cupid's darts and Beauty here can wound.

II.

How grateful does this fcene appear
To us, who might too justly fear
We never should have feen again

Aught bright, but armour on the plain!
Ne'er in their chearful garb t' have feen the fair,
While all, with melting eyes and wild dishevel'd hair,
Had mourn'd their brothers, fons, and husbands flain.
Thefe dufky fhadows make this fcene more bright;
The horror adds to the delight.

This glorious pomp our fpirits chears; from hence
We lucky omens take, new happiness commence.

III.

Thus when the gathering clouds a storm prepare,
And their black force affociate in the air;
(Endeavouring to eclipfe the bounteous light,
Who, with kind warmth, and powerful rays,
Them to that envy'd height

From their mean native earth did raise.)

A thoughtful

A thoughtful fadness fits on all,

Expecting where the full-charg'd clouds will fall :
But if the heavenly bow

Deck'd like a gaudy bride appears,
And all her various robes difplays,
Painted by th' conquering fun's triumphant rays,
It mortals drooping spirits chears;
Fresh joy, new light, each visage wears :
Again the seaman trusts the main,

The jocund fwains their coverts leave again;
Again, in pleasant warbling notes,

The chearful poets of the wood extend their tuneful

throats.

IV.

Then, then, my Muse, raise with the lyre thy voice,
And with thy lays make fields and woods rejoice :
For lo! the heavenly pledge appears,

And in bright characters the promise bears:
The factious deluge shall prevail no more;
In vain they foam, in vain they rage,

Buffet in vain the unmov'd fhore,

Her charms, and Charles's power, their fury shall asswage.

See! fee! how decently the bashful bride

Does bear her conquest; with how little pride

She views that prince, the captive of her charms,
Who made the North with fear to quake,
And did that powerful empire shake;

Before whose arms, when great Gustavus led,
The frighted Roman Eagles fled.

V. What

V.

Whatever then was his defire,

His cannons did command in fire:

Now he himself for pity prays,

His love in timorous fighs he breathes,

While all his fpoils, and glorious wreaths

Of laurel, at her feet the vanquifh'd warrior lays.
Great prince! by that fubmiffion you'll gain more
Than e'er your haughty courage won before;
Here on your knees a greater trophy gain,

Than that you brought from Lunfden's famous plain;
Where, when your brother, fired with success,
Too daringly upon the foe did prefs,

And was a captive made, then you alone
Did with your fingle arm support the throne :
Your gen'rous breast, with fury boiling o'er,
Like lightning through their scatter'd troops you flew,
And from th' amazed foe the royal prize in triumph bore.

VI.

You have your ancestors in this one act out-done,
Though their fuccefsful arms did this whole ifle o'er-run.
They, to revenge a ravish'd lady, came,

You, to enjoy one spotlefs as your fame :
Before them, as they march'd, the country fled,
And back behind them threw
Their curfes as they flew ;

On the bleak shore, expecting you, they ftand,
And with glad fhouts conduct to land :

Through gaping crowds you 're forc'd to prefs your way, While virgins figh, the young men shout, and old ones

pray.

And

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