Bold to conceive, nor timorous to conceal,
What Britons dare to think, he dares to tell.
"Tis his alike the ear and eye to charm,
To win with action, and with sense to warm;
Untaught in flow'ry diction to dispense
The lulling founds of fweet impertinence;
In frowns or fmiles he gains an equal prize,
Nor meanly fears to fall, nor creeps to rise ;
Bids happier days to ALBION be refior'd,
Bids ancient Juftice rear her radiant sword;
From me, as from country wins applause,
And makes an OXFORD's a BRITANNIA's caufe.
While arms like these my steadfast sages wield,
While mine is Truth's impenetrable shield;
Say, fhall the PUNY CHAMPION fondly dare
To wage, with force like this, fcholastic war?
Still vainly fcribble on with pert pretence,
With all the rage of pedant impotence?
Say, fhall I foster this domestic pest,
This parricide that wounds a mother's breaft?
Thus in the ftately fhip, that long has bore
Britain's victorious crofs from shore to fhore,
By chance, beneath her clofe fequefter'd cells,
Some low-born worm, a lurking mischief dwells;
Eats his blind way, and faps with fecret toil
The deep foundations of the watry pile.
In vain the forreft lent it's ftateliest pride,
Rear'd her tall maft, and fram'd her knotty side,

In vain the thunder's martial rage fhe ftood,
With each fierce conflict of the ftormy flood;
More fure the reptile's little arts devour,
Than waves, or wars, or Eurus' wintry pow'r.
Ye venerable bow'rs, ye feats fublime,
Clad in the moffy veft of fleeting time;
Ye ftately piles of old munificence,
At once the pride of Learning and defence,
Where ancient Piety, a matron hoar,
Still feems to keep the hospitable door :
Ye cloisters pale, that length'ning to the fight,
Still step by step to musings mild invite ;

Ye high-arch'd walks where oft the bard has caught
The glowing fentiment, the lofty thought;

Ye temples dim, where pious duty pays
Her holy hymns of ever-echoing praise ;
Lo! your lov'd ISIS, from the bord'ring vale,
With all a mother's fondness bids you hail!
Hail, OXFORD, hail! of all that's good and great,
Of all that's fair, the guardian and the feat ;
Nurfe of each brave purfuit, each generous aim,
By Truth exalted to the throne of fame!
Like Greece in Science and in liberty,
As Athens learn'd, as Lacedæmon free!
Ev'n now, confefs'd to my adoring eyes,
In awful ranks thy facred fons arise;
With ev'ry various flow'r their temples wreath'd,
That in thy gardens green its fragrance breath'd.

Tuning to knightly tale his British reeds,
Thy crowding bards immortal CHAUCER leads:
His hoary head o'erlooks the gazing choir,
And beams on all around celestial fire:
With graceful step fee ADDISON advance,
The sweetest child of Attic Elegance :
To all, but his belov'd embrace deny'd,
See LOCKE leads reason, his majestic bride:
See facred HAMMOND, as he treads the field,
With godlike arm uprears his heav'nly shield.

All who, beneath the shades of gentle peace,
Beft plan'd the labours of domestic ease;
Who taught with truth, or with perfuafion mov'd;
Who footh'd with numbers, or with fenfe improv'd;
Who told the pow'rs of reafon, or refin'd,
All, all that strengthen'd or adorn'd the mind;
Each priest of health who mix'd the balmy bowl,
To rear frail man, and stay the fleeting foul;
All crowd around, and echoing to the sky,
Hail, OXFORD, hail! with filial transport cry.

And fee yon folemn band! with virtuous aim, "Twas theirs in thought the glorious deed to frame : With pious plans each mufing feature glows, And well-weigh'd counfels mark their meaning brows: Lo! these the leaders of thy patriot line," HAMDEN, and HOOKER, HYDE, and SIDNEY fhine. These from thy fource the fires of freedom caught: How well thy fons by their example taught!

While in each breaft th' hereditary flame
Still blazes, unextinguish'd and the same!
Nor all the toils of thoughtful peace engage,
'Tis thine to form the hero as the fage.
I fee the fable-fuited prince advance

With lillies crown'd, the spoils of bleeding France,
EDWARD - the Mufes in yon hallow'd shade

Bound on his tender thigh the martial blade:
Bade him the steel for British freedom draw,
And OXFORD taught the deeds that CRESSY faw.
And fee, great father of the laureat band,
The BRITISH KING before me seems to stand.
He by my plenty-crowned scenes beguil'd,
And genial influence of my seasons mild,
Hither of yore (forlorn, forgotten maid)
The Mufe in pratling infancy convey'd ;
From Gothic rage the helpless virgin bore,
And fix'd her cradle on my friendly shore:
Soon grew the maid beneath his foft'ring hand,
Soon pour'd her bleffings o'er th' enlighten'd land.
Tho' rude the † dome, and humble the retreat,
Where first his pious care ordain'd her feat,
Lo! now on high she dwells in Attic bow'rs,
And proudly lifts to heav'n her hundred tow'rs.

* Alfred. Regis Romani. V. Virg. Æn. 6. + Ad Capitolia ducit Aurea nunc, olim fylveftribus horrida dumis.

VIRG. EN.

He firft fair Learning's and Britannia's caufe
Adorn'd with manners, and advanc'd with laws;
He bade relent the Briton's favage heart,

And form'd his foul to focial scenes of art,
Wifest and best of kings! -----with ravish'd gaze
Elate the long proceffion he furveys:
Joyful he fmiles to find, that not in vain
He plan'd the rudiments of Learning's reign:
Himself he marks in each ingenuous breast,
With all the founder in the race exprest:
With rapture views, fair Freedom ftill furvive
In yon bright domes (ill-fated fugitive)
(Such feen, as when the Goddess pour'd the beam
Unfullied on his ancient diadem)

Well pleas'd that in his own Pierian seat

She plumes her wings, and refts her weary feet; That here at last she takes her fav'rite stand, "Here deigns to linger, ere fhe leave the land."