Before, old Neptune fimooths the liquid way;
Obfequious Tritons on the furface play;
And fportful dolphins, with a nimble glance,
To the bright fun their glittering scales 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 univerfal peace.
Proceed, my Mufe! The following pomp declare; Say who, and what, the bright attendants were ! 6.0
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;
A yellow wreath of twisted wheat she wore.
Next father Bacchus with his tigers grac'd
The fhow, and, fqueezing clusters as he pafs'd,
Quaff'd flowing goblets of rich-flavour'd wine.
In order, laft fucceed the tuneful Nine;
Apollo too was there; behind him hung
His ufelefs quiver, and his bow unftrung;
He touch'd his golden lyre, and thus he fung.
"Lead on, great WILLIAM! in thy happy reign
"Peace and the Mufes are reftor'd again.
"War, that fierce lion, long difdaining law,
66 Rang'd uncontrol'd, and kept the world in awe,
"While trembling kingdoms crouch'd beneath his
"At laft the reeling monster, drunk with gore,
"Falls at thy feet fubdued, and quells his roar;
"Tamely to thee he bends his flaggy 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 shall her great deliverer own.
"Rome's mighty grandeur was not more confeft,
"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
"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. S
"He comes, thy hero comes! O beauteous ifle ! "Revive thy genius with a chearful smile! "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 fpear with ivy "wreath'd!
"Let fpeaking paint in various tablets show
Paft fcenes of battle to the croud below! "Round this triumphant pile, in ruftic dance, "The fhouting swains fhall hand in hand advance; 105
"The wealthy farmer from his toils shall cease;
"The ploughman from the yoke his smoking steers
"release,
"And join to folemnize the festival 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."
-The Mufes take the sound, From voice to voice th' harmonious notes rebound,
And echoing lyres tranfinit the volant fugue a
Mean while the steady bark, with profperous gales, Fills the large fheets 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 tranfport reigns
In every breast, and rapture fires their veins.
A general fhout fucceeds, as when on high
Exploded thunder rends the vaulted sky.
A short convulfion shakes the solid shore,
And rocks th' adjacent deep, unmov'd before;
Loud acclamations through the valleys ring,
While to Augufta's wall the croud attend their king.
And now behold * a finish'd temple rise,
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 stems are seen
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 strive,
And the carv'd figures almost 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 express,
For Peace reftor'd, and heaven's indulgence blefs 150
Aufpicious ftructure! born in happy days,
Whofe firft employment is the nobleft, 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.
THE COURT OF NEPTUNE. ON KING WILLIAM'S RETURN FROM HOLLAND, 1699.
ADDRESSED TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
CHARLES MONTAGUE, ESQ.
BEGIN, celeftial Muse! a tuneful strain
Of Albion's prince conducted o'er the main ; Of courts conceal'd in waves, and Neptune's watery
Sing, from beneath, how the green deity
Rose to the fovereign of the British sea;
To power confefs'd, the triple mace refign'd,
O'er-rul'd the floods, and charg'd the rebel wind;
Secur'd his paffage homeward, and restor'd,
Safe to the loveliest ifle, the best-lov'd lord.
The generous name of MONTAGUE has long
Been fam'd in verfe, and grac'd the poet's fong;
In verfe, himself can happy wonders do,
The best of patrons, and of poets too.
Amid the skillful choir that court his ear,
If he vouchfafe thefe ruder lays to hear,
His bright example, while to him I fing,
Shall raife my feeble flight, and mount me on the wing.
On Albion's Eastern coaft, an ancient town
O'erlooks the fea, to mariners well known;
Where the fwift + Stourus ends his fnaky train,
And pays his watery tribute to the main :
†The River Stoure, that runs between Suffolk and Effex.
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