His care extends; and to the British host
Makes ravish'd countries plenteous as their own.
And now, O Churchill at thy wisht approach
The Germans, hopeless of fuccefs, forlorn,
With many an inroad gor'd, their drooping cheer
New-animated rouze; not more rejoice
The miferable race of men, that live
Benighted half the year, benumm'd with frofts.
Perpetual, and rough Boreas' keenest breath,
Under the polar Bear, inclement sky !
When firft the fun with new-born light removes
The long-incumbent gloom; gladly to thee
Heroic laurel'd Eugene yields the prime,
Nor thinks it diminution, to be rankt
In military honour next, although

His deadly hand shook the Turcheftan throne
Accurs'd, and prov'd in far-divided lands
Victorious; on thy powerful sword alone
Germania and the Belgic coaft relies,

Won from th' encroaching fea: that sword great Anna

Fix'd not in vain on thy puiffant fide,

When thee sh'enroll'd her garter'd knights among,

Illuftrating the noble list; her hand

Affures good omens, and Saint George's worth

Enkindles like defire of high exploits.

Immediate fieges, and the tire of war,

Roll in thy eager mind; thy plumy crest

Nods horrible; with more terrific port

Thou walk'ft, and feem'ft already in the fight.

What fpoils, what conquests, then did Albion hope

From

From thy atchievements! yet thou hast surpast
Her boldest vows, exceeded what thy foes
Could fear or fancy; they, in multitude
Superior, fed their thoughts with prospect vain
Of victory and rapine, reckoning what
From ranfom'd captives would accrue.
Jovial his mate bespoke : O friend, observe
How gay with all th' accoutrements of war

Thus one

The Britons come, with gold well fraught, they come
Thus far our prey, and tempt us to fubdue
Their recreant force; how will their bodies stript
Enrich the victors, while the vultures fate
Their maws with full repaft!-Another, warm'd
With high ambition, and conceit of prowess
Inherent, arrogantly thus prefum'd:

What if this fword, full often drench'd in blood
Of base antagonists, with griding edge
Should now cleave fheer the execrable head
Of Churchill, met in arms! or if this hand,
Soon as his army difarray'd 'gins fwerve,
Should stay him flying, with retentive gripe,
Confounded and appal'd! no trivial price
Should fet him free, nor small should be my praise
To lead him fhackled, and expos'd to fcorn
Of gathering crowds, the Britons' boafted chief.

Thus they, in sportive mood, their empty taunts
And menaces expreft; nor could their prince
In arms, vain Tallard, from opprobrious speech
Refrain: Why halt ye thus, ye Britons? Why
Decline the war? Shall a morass forbid

Your

Your eafy march? Advance; we 'll bridge a way
Safe of accefs. Imprudent, thus t' invite

A furious lion to his folds! That boast
He ill abides; captiv'd, in other plight
He foon revifits Britany, that once
Refplendent came, with stretcht retinue girt,
And pompous pageantry; O hapless fate,
If any arm, but Churchill's, had prevail'd!
No need fuch boasts, or exprobrations false
Of cowardice; the military mound

The British files tranfcend, in evil hour

For their proud foes, that fondly brav'd their fates
And now on either fide the trumpets blew,
Signal of on fet, refolution firm

Infpiring, and pernicious love of war.

The adverse fronts in rueful conflict meet,
Collecting all their might; for on th' event
Decifive of this bloody day depends

The fate of kingdoms: with less vehemence
The great competitors for Rome engag'd,
Cæfar, and Pompey, on Pharfalian plains,
Where stern Bellona, with one final stroke,
Adjudg'd the empire of this globe to one.
Here the Bavarian duke his brigades leads,
Gallant in arms, and gaudy to behold,
Bold champion! brandifhing his Noric blade,
Best-temper'd steel, fuccefslefs prov'd in field!
Next Tallard, with his Celtic infantry

Presumptuous comes; here Churchill, not so prompt To vaunt as fight, his hardy cohorts joins

With Eugene's German force. Now from each
The brazen instruments of death discharge
Horrific flames, and turbid ftreaming clouds
Of smoke fulphureous; intermixt with these
Large globous irons fly, of dreadful hifs,
Singeing the air, and from long distance bring
Surprizing flaughter; on each fide they fly
By chains connext, and with destructive sweep
Behead whole troops at once; the hairy scalps
Are whirl'd aloof, while numerous trunks beftrew
Th' enfanguin'd field: with latent mifchief ftor'd
Showers of granadoes rain, by sudden burst
Difploding murderous bowels, fragments of steel,
And ftones, and glass, and nitrous grain adult;
A thousand ways at once the shiver'd orbs
Fly diverse, working torment, and foul rout
With deadly bruife, and gashes furrow'd deep.
Of pain impatient, the high-prancing steeds
Difdain the curb, and, flinging to and fro,
Spurn their difmounted riders; they expire
Indignant, by unhostile wounds destroy'd.

Thus through each army death in various shapes
Prevail'd; here mangled limbs, here brains and gore
Lie clotted ; lifelefs fome with anguish these
Gnashing, and loud laments invoking aid,
Unpity'd, and unheard; the louder din

Of guns, and trumpets' clang, and folemn found
Of drums, o'ercame their groans. In equal fcale
Long hung the fight; few marks of fear were seen,
None of retreat. As when two adverse winds,

3

Sublim'd

Sublim'd from dewy vapours, in mid-sky
Engage with horrid shock, the ruffled brine
Roars ftormy, they together dash the clouds,
Levying their equal force with utmost rage;
Long undecided lafts the airy ftrife:

So they incens'd; till Churchill, viewing where
The violence of Tallard moft prevail'd,

Came to oppose his flaughtering arm; with speed
Precipitant he rode, urging his way

O'er hills of gasping heroes, and fall'n steeds
Rolling in death: destruction, grim with blood,
Attends his furious courfe. Him thus enrag'd,
Defcrying from afar, fome engineer,

Dextrous to guide th' unerring charge, defign'd
By one nice shot to terminate the war.
With aim direct the level'd bullet flew,
But miss'd her scope (for Destiny withstood
Th'approaching wound) and guiltless plough'd her way
Beneath his courfer; round his facred head
The glowing balls play innocent, while he
With dire impetuous sway deals fatal blows
Amongst the scatter'd Gauls. But O! beware,
Great warrior! nor, too prodigal of life,
Expose the British fafety: hath not Jove
Already warn'd thee to withdraw? Referve
Thyfelf for other palms. Ev'n now thy aid
Eugene, with regiments unequal prest,
Awaits; this day of all his honours gain'd
Defpoils him, if thy fuccour opportune
Defends not the fad hour; permit not thou

So