Germania too, with cluster'd vines o'erspread;
And lovely Albion from her watery bed,
Beauteous above the reft, rears her aufpicious head.
Beneath her chalky cliffs, fea-nymphs refort,
And awful Neptune keeps his reedy court;
His darling Thames, rich prefents in his hand
Of bounteous Ceres, traverfès the land;
And feems a mighty snake, whose shining pride
Does through the meads in finuous volumes glide.
Ah, charming ifle! fairest of all the main !
Too long thou doft my willing eye detain.
For fee a hero on the adverse strand!
And, lo! a blooming virgin in his hand!
All hail, celeftial pair! -a goddess she,
Of heavenly birth confeft, a more than mortal, He! 35
Victorious laurels on his brows he wears;
Th' attending fair a branching Olive bears ;
Slender her shape, in filver bands confin'd;
Her fnowy garments loosely flow behind,
Rich with embroider'd stars,and ruffle in the wind. 40
But once fuch differing beauty met before,
When warrior Mars did Love's bright queen adore ;
Ev'n Love's bright queen might seen less winning fair,
And Mars fubmit to his heroic air.
Not Jove himself, imperial Jove can show
A nobier Mien, or more undaunted brow,
When his strong arm, through heav'n's ætherial plains, Compels the kindled bolt, and awful rule maintains.
And now embark'd they seek the British Isles. Pleas'd with the charge, propitious Ocean fmiles.
Before, old Neptune finooths the liquid way;
Obfequious Tritons on the furface play;
And fportful dolphins, with a nimble glance,
To the bright fun their glittering fcales advance.
In oozy beds profound, the billows sleep,
No clamorous winds awake the filent deep;
Rebuk'd, they whisper in a gentle breeze,
And all around is universal peace.
Proceed, my Mufe! The following pomp declare; Say who, and what, the bright attendants were ! 60 First Ceres, in her chariot feated high,
By harness'd dragons drawn along the sky;
A Cornucopia fill'd her weaker hand,
Charg'd with the various offspring of the land,
Fruit, flowers, and corn; her right a fickle bore; 65
A yellow wreath of twisted wheat she wore.
Next father Bacchus with his tigers grac'd
The fhow, and, fqueezing clusters as he pass'd,
Quaff'd flowing goblets of rich-flavour'd wine.
In order, last fucceed the tuneful Nine;
Apollo too was there; behind him hung
His useless quiver, and his bow unftrung;
He touch'd his golden lyre, and thus he sung.
"Lead on, great WILLIAM! in thy happy reign
"Peace and the Mufes are restor❜d again.
"War, that fierce lion, long disdaining law,
"Rang'd uncontrol'd, and kept the world in awe,
"While trembling kingdoms crouch'd beneath his
"At laft the reeling monfter, drunk with gore,
"Falls at thy feet fubdued, and quells his roar;
"Tamely to thee he bends his fhaggy mane,
"And on his neck admits the long-rejected chain.
"At thy protecting court, for this bleft day,
"Attending nations their glad thanks shall pay :
"Not Belgia, and the rescued ifle alone,
"But Europe fhall her great deliverer own.
"Rome's mighty grandeur was not more confest,
"When great Antonius travel'd through the East,
"And crouds of monarchs did each morning wait
"With early homage at his palace gate.
"Haste then, bright prince! thy Britain's transport
66 meet;
"Hafte to her arms, and make her blifs complete!
"Whate'er glad news has reach'd her listening ear
"While her long-abfent lord provokes her fear,
"Her joys are in fufpence, her pleafures unfincere.
"He comes, thy hero comes! O beauteous ifle!
"Revive thy genius with a chearful fimile!
"Let thy rejoicing fons fresh palms prepare,
"To grace the trophies of the finish'd war;
"On high he hung the martial fword infheath'd, 100 "The shield with ribbons dress'd, and spear with ivy "wreath'd!
"Let speaking paint in various tablets show "Paft fcenes of battle to the croud below!
"Round this triumphant pile, in rustic dance,
"The shouting swains shall hand in hand advance; 105
"The wealthy farmer from his toils fhall cease;
"The ploughman from the yoke his smoking steers
"release,
"And join to folemnize the feftival of peace.
"No more for want of hands th' unlabour'd field, "Choak'd with rank weeds, a fickly crop fhall yield: 110 "Calm peace returns; behold her fhining train ! "And fruitful plenty is reftor'd again.”— Apollo ceas'd.The Mufes take the found, From voice to voice th' harmonious notes rebound, And echoing lyres tranfmit the volant fugue around!
Mean while the fteady bark, with profperous gales, Fills the large fleets of her expanded fails, And gains th' intended port; thick on the strand, Like fwarming bees, th' affembled Britons stand, And prefs to fee their welcome fovereign land: 120 At his approach, unruly transport reigns
every breast, and rapture fires their veins, A general fhout fucceeds, as when on high Exploded thunder rends the vaulted sky. A fhort convulfion fhakes the folid fhore, And rocks th' adjacent deep, unmov'd before; Loud acclamations through the valleys ring, While to Augufta's wall the croud attend their king. finish'd temple rise,
And now behold * a
On lofty pillars climbing to the fkies!
*The choir of St. Paul's was firft opened on the
day of thanksgiving for the peace.
Of bulk ftupendous, its proud pile it rears,
The gradual product of fucceffive years.
An inner gate, that folds with iron leaves,
The charm'd fpectator's entering steps receives,
Where curious works in twisted ftems are feen 135
Of branching foliage, vacuous between.
O'er this a vocal organ, mounted high
On marble columns, ftrikes the wondering eye;
And feeds at once two fenfes with delight,
Sweet to the ear, and fplendid to the fight.
Marble the floor, enrich'd with native stains
Of various dye, and streak'd with azure veins.
Ev'n emulous art with nature feems to ftrive,
And the carv'd figures almoft breathe and live;
The painted altar, glorious to behold,
Shines with delightful blue, and dazzling gold.
Here first th' illuftrious three, of heavenly race,
Religion, Liberty, and Peace, embrace;
Here joyful crouds their pious thanks exprefs,
For Peace reftor'd, and heaven's indulgence blefs 150
Aufpicious ftructure! born in happy days,
Whofe first employment is the noblest, praise !
So, when by juft degrees th' eternal Thought
His fix days labour to perfection brought,
With laws of motion firft endued the whole,
And bade the heavens in deftin'd circles roll,
The polish'd spheres commenc'd their harmony;
All nature in a chorus did agree,
And the world's birth-day was a jubilee.
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