“ At each distinguish'd birth-night ball, to see “ The homage, due to Empire, paid to me! “ When every eye was fix'd on me alone, “ And dreaded mine more than the Monarch's frown; “ When rival statesmen for my favour strove, « Less jealous in their power than in their love. " 'Chang'd is the scene ; and all my glories die, “ Like flowers transplanted to a colder sky : “ Loft is the dear delight of giving pain, “ The tyrant joy of hearing llaves complain. “ In stupid indolence my life is spent, “ Supinely calm, and dully innocent: “ Unbleft I wear my useless time away ; “ Sleep (wretched maid!) all night, and dream all

• day; " Go at set hours to dinner and to prayer “ (For dullness ever must be regular.) “ Now with mamma at tedious whit I play; • Now without scandal drink insipid tea ; “ Or in the garden breathe the country air, « Secure from meeting any tempter there ; “ From books to work, from work to books, I rove, “ And am (alas !) at leisure to improve ! “ Is this the life a Beauty ought to lead ? « Were

eyes so radiant only made to read? “ These fingers, at whose touch ev’n age would glow, " Are these of use for nothing but to few? « Sure erring Nature never could defign “ To form a housewife in a mould like mine!

O Venus,

a

“ O Venus, 'queen and guardian of the fair,
* Attend propitious to thy votary's prayer:
“ Let me revisit the dear town again :
" Let me be seen !--could I that wish obtain,
* All other wishes my own power would gain.”

}

Β L Ε Ν Η Ε Ι Μ.

Written at the UNIVERSITY of OXFORD,

In the Year 1727.

PA

ARENT of arts, whose fkilful hand first taught

The towering pile to rise, and form'd the plan
With fair proportion; architect divine,
Minerva; thee to my adventurous lyre
Affiftant I invoke, that means to fing
Blenheim, proud monument of British fame,
Thy glorious work! for thou the lofty towers
Didt to his virtue raise, whom oft thy fhield
In peril guarded, and thy wisdom steerd
Through all the storms of war.–Thee too I call,
Thalia, fylvan Muse, who lov'st to rove
Along the shady paths and verdant bowers
Of Woodstock’s happy grove : there tuning sweet
Thy rural pipe, while all the Dryad train
Attentive listen ; let thy warbling song
Paint with melodious praise the pleasing scene,
And equal these to Pindus' honor'd fhades.

When Europe freed, confess’d the faving power
Of Malborough's hand; Britain, who sent him forth

Chief

Ç 2

Chief of Confederate hosts, to fight the cause
Of Liberty and Justice, grateful rais'd
This palace, sacred to her leader's fame :
A trophy of success; with spoils adornd

Of conquerd towns, and glorying in the name
Of that auspicious field, where Churchill's fword
Vanquish'd the might of Gallia, and chastis?d
Rebel Bavar.-Majestic in its strength,
Stands the proud dome, and speaks its great design,

Hail, happy chief, whose valour could deserye
Reward fo glorious ! grateful nation, hail,
Who paid ft his service with so rich a meed!
Which most shall I admire, which worthiest praise,
The hero or the people ? Honour doubts,
And weighs their virtues in an equal scale.
Not thus Germania. pays th’uncancel'd debt
Of Gratitude to us.--Blush, Cæfar, blush,
When thou behold it these towers; ingrate, to thee
A monument of Thame! Canst thou forget
Whence they are nam’d, and what an English arm
Did for thy throne that day? But we disdain
Or to upbraid or imitate thy guilt.
Still thy obdurate heart against the sense
of obligation infinite ; and know,
Britain, like Heaven, protects a thankless world
For her own glory, nor expects reward.

Pleas'd with the noble theme, her talk the Muse
· Pursues untir'd, and through the palace roves
With ever-new delight. The tapestry rich
With gold, and gay with all the beauteous paint

Of

Of various-colour'd filks, dispos’d:with skill,
Attracts her curious eye. Here Ifter rolls
His purple wave; and there the Granick flood
With passing squadrons foams :-here hardy Gaul.
Flies from the sword of Britain, there to Greece
Effeminate Persia yields. In arms oppos'd,
Marlborough and Alexander vie for fame
With glorious competition ; equal both
In valour and in fortune · but their praise
Be different, for with different views they fought;
This to subdue, and that to free. mankind.

Now, through the stately portals issuing forth,
The Mufe to softer glories turns, and seeks
The woodland Made, delighted. Not the vale
Of Tempe fam’d in song; or Ida's grove,
Such beauty boasts.. Amid the mazy gloom :
Of this romantic wilderness once stood
The bower of Rosamonda, hapless fair,
Sacred to Grief and Love ; the crystal fount
In which she us'd to bathe her beauteous limbs
Still warbling flows, pleas'd to reflect the face
Of Spencer, lovely maid, when tir'd the fits
Beside its flowery brink, and views those charms
Which only Rosamond could once excell. .
But see where, flowing with a nobler Atream,
A limpid lake of purest waters rolls,
Beneath the wide-stretch'd arch, stupendous work,
Through which the Danube might collected pour
His fpacious urn! Silent a while and smooth
The current glides, till with an headlong force.

Broke

C 3

Broke and disorder’d, down the steep it falls
In loud cafcades; the silver-sparkling foam
Glitters relucent in the dancing ray.

In these retreats repos’d the mighty soul
Of Churchill, from the toils of war and state,
Splendidly private, and the tranquil joy
Of contemplation felt, while Blenheim's dome
Triumphal ever in his mind renew'd
The inemory of his fame, and footh'd his thoughts
With pleasing record of liis glorious deeds.
So, by.the rage of Faction home recallid,
Lucullus, while he wag'd successful war
Against the pride of Asia, and the power
Of Mithridates, whose aspiring mind
No lofies could subdue, enrich'd with fpoils:
Of conquer'd nations, back return'd to Rome,
And in magnificent retirement past
The evening of his life. - But not alone,
In the calm shades of honourable ease,
Great Marlborough peaceful dwelt : indulgent Heaven
Gave a companion to his fofter hours,
With whom conversing, he forgot all change
Of fortune, or of state, and in her mind
Pound greatness equal to his own, and lov'd
Himself in hen-Thus each by each admir'd,
In mutual honour; mutual fondness joind:
Like two fair stars, with intermingled light,
In friendly union they together shone,
Aiding each other's brightness, till the cloud
Of night eternal quenchid the beams of one.

Thee,