3.B. Roufs Et punira fur vous le détestable hommage De vos adulateurs.

feau.

Moi, je préparerai les vengeances céleftes,
Je livrerai vos jours au démon de l'orgueil,
Qui, par vos propres mains, de vos grandeurs fune

ftes

Creufera le cercueil.

Vous n'écouterez plus la voix de la Sageffe;
Et dans tous vos confeils l'aveugle vanité,
L'efprit d'enchantement, de vertige et d'yvresse
Tiendra lieu de clarté.

Sous les noms spécieux de zèle et de juftice,
Vous vous deguiferez les plus noirs attentats,
Vous couvrirez de fleurs les bords du précipice
Qui f'ouvre fous vos pas.

Mais enfin votre chûte à vos yeux déguisée,
Aura ces mêmes yeux pour triftes fpectateurs;
Et votre abaiflement fervira de rilée

A vos propres flatteurs.

West.

West. *)

Gilbert West, dessen Geburtsjahr ungewiß ist, und der im Jahre 1756, als Schahmeister des Chelsea Hospitals, starb, ist am berühmtesten durch seine freie und glückliche poetische Uebersehung von zwölf pindarischen Oden, deren Werth von Hrn. Gedike in der Vorrede zu seiner schönen Verdeutschung der olympischen Siegshymnen, unter den übrigen Ueberseßungen Pindar's, sehr richtig gewürdigt wird. Man hat aber verschiedne Originalgedichte von ihm, vornehmlich zwei, in Spenser's Manier, über den Mißbrauch des Reisens und über die Erziehung; und ein dramatisches Gedicht über die Stiftung des Ordens vom blauen Hosenbande, welches sich mit folgender, von den Barden gesungenen, Ode schlicfft, die, wie das ganze Ges dicht, viele lyrische Schönheiten, und viel Eleganz des Ausdrucks hat.

INSTITUTION OF THE GARTER.

OD E.

STROPHE I

Celestial Maid!

Bright fpark of that ethereal flame,
Whofe vivid fpirit thro' all Nature spread
Suftains and actuates this boundlefs frame!

O!

*) In dem Handbuche find Abschn. VII. §. 14, unter den englischen Odendichtern dieser Art noch Waller, Dryden und Pope angeführt; des erstern lyrische Ges dichte sind aber fast alle von der leichtern Gattung; und die, für die Musik bestimmten, Oden der beiden leztern verspare ich auf die Beispiele der Kantate.

Beisp. Samml. 4. B.

West.

west.

O! by whatever ftyle to mortals known,
Virtue, Benevolence, or Publick Zeal,
Divine affeffor of the regal throne,
Divine protectrefs of the common weal,
O! in our hearts thy energy infuse!
Be thou our Muse,

Celestial Maid!

And as of old impart thy heav'nly aid
To thofe who, warm'd by thy benignant fire.
To publick merit and their country's good,
Devoted ever their recording lyre,

Wont along Deva's facred flood,
Or beneath Mona's oak retir'd,
To warble forth their patriot lays,
And nourish with immortal praise

The bright heroick flames by thee infpir'd.

ANTISTROPHE I.

I feel, I feel

Thy foul-invigorating heat;

My bounding veins diftend with fervent zeal,
And to Britannia's fame responsive beat.

Hail Albion, native Country! but how chang'd
Thy once grim afpect, how adorn'd and gay
Thy howling forefts! where together rang d
The naked hunter and his favage prey,
Where amid black inhofpitable woods
The fedge-grown floods

All cheerlefs ftray'd,

Nor in their lonely wand'ring course furvey'd
Or tow'r or caftle, heav'n-afcending fane
Or lowly village, refidence of Peace.
And joyous Industrie, or furrow'd plain,
Or lowing herd, or filver fleece,
That whitens now each verdant vale,
While laden with their precious store
Far trading barks to ev'ry fhore
Swift heralds of Britannia's glory fail.

EPQ

EPODE I.

These are thy fhining works: this fmiling face
Of beauteous Nature thus in regal state

Deck'd by each handmaid Art, each polifh'd
Grace,

That on fair Liberty and Order wait,
This pomp, thefe riches, this repose,
To thee imperial Britain owes,

To thee great fuftitute of Heav'n!

To whom the charge of earthly realms was giv'n,
Their focial fyftems by wife Nature's plan

To form and rule by her eternal laws,
To teach the felfifh foul of wayward man,

To leek the publick good and aid the common
caufe.

So didst thou move the mighty heart

Of Alfied, founder of the British state;
So to Matilda's fcepter'd fon,

To him whofe virtue and renown
First made the name of Edward great,
Thy ample spirit fo didft thou impart;
Protecting thus in ev'ry age

From greedy Pow'r and factious Rage
That law of freedom which to Britain's fhore
From Saxon Elva's many-headed flood
The valiant fons of Odin with them bore,
Their national, ador'd, infeparable, good.

STROPHE II.

On yonder plain

Along whofe willow-fringed fide

The filverfooted Naiads, fportive train,
Down the smooth Thames amid the cygnets glide,

I faw when at thy reconciling word

Injustice, Anarchy, inteftine Jar,

Defpotick Infolence, the wafting Sword,

And all the brazen throats of Civil War,

Were hufh'd in peace; from his imperious throne

West.

west.

Hurl'd furious down,

Abafh'd, dismay'd,

Like a chas'd lion to the favage fhade
Of his own forests, fell Oppreffion fled,
With Vengeance brooding in his fullen breast:
Then Juftice fearless rear'd her decent head,
Heal'd ev'ry grief, each wrong redreft,
While round her valiant fquadrons ftood,
And bad her awful tongue demand
From vanquifh'd John's reluctant hand
The deed of Freedom purchas'd with their blood.

ANTISTROPHE II.

O vain furmife!

To deem the grandeur of a crown

Confifts in lawless pow'r, to deem them wife
Who change fecurity and fair renown
For deteftation, fhame, diftruft and fear;
Who shut for ever from the blissful bow'rs
With horrour and remorfe at diftance hear
The mufick that enchants th' immortal pow'rs,
The heav'nly musick of wellpurchas'd praise,
Seraphick lays,

The fweet reward

On heroes, patriots, righteous kings, conferr'd,
For fuch alone the heav'n-taught poets fing:
Tune ye for Edward then the mortal strain,
His name fhall well become your golden ftring;
Begirt with this ethereal train

Seems he not rank'd among the gods?

Then let him reap the glorious meed

Due to each great heroick deed,

And taste the pleasures of the bleft abodes.

EPODE II.

Hail happy Prince! on whom kind Fate bestows
Sublimer joys and glory brighter far
Than Creffy's palm, and ev'ry wreath that grows
In all the blood-ftain'd field of profp'rous war,

Joys