THE DEDICATION.

TO

M R.

MY

VOLTAIRE.

I.

Y Mufe, a bird of paffage, flies
From frozen climes to milder skies;
From chilling blasts fhe feeks thy chearing beam,
A beam of favour, bere deny'd;
Conscious of faults, her blufhing pride
Hopes an asylum in fo great a name.

II.

* To dive full deep in antient days,
The warrior's ardent deeds to raise,
And monarchs aggrandize ;-the glory, Thine;
Thine is the drama, how renown'd!
Thine, Epic's loftier trump to found ;-
But let Arion's fea-ftrung harp be Mine:

III.

But where 's his dolphin? Know'ft thou, where? May that be found in Thee, Voltaire! Save thou from harm my plunge into the wave: How will thy name illustrious raise

My finking fong Mere mortal lays,

So patroniz'd, are rescued from the grave.

IV. "Tell

* Annals of the Emperor Charles XII. Lewis XIV.

IV.

Tell me, fay'ft thou, who courts my fmile? "What stranger stray'd from yonder ifle !”— No stranger, Sir! though born in foreign climes ; On Dorfet downs, when Milton's page,

With Sin and Death, provok'd thy rage,

Thy rage provok'd, who footh'd with gentle rhymes ?

y.

Who kindly couch'd thy cenfure's eye,
And gave thee clearly to defcry

Sound judgment giving law to fancy strong?
Who half inclin'd thee to confefs,

Nor could thy modesty do lefs,

That Milton's blindness lay not in his fong?

VI.

But fuch debates long fince are flown;
For ever fet the funs that fhone

"On airy paftimes, ere our brows were grey :
How shortly shall we Both forget,

To thee my patron I my debt,

And thou to thine for Pruffia's golden key.

VII.

The prefent, in oblivion cast,
Full-foon fhall fleep, as fleeps the past;
Full foon the wide diftinction die between
The frowns and favours of the great ;
High-flush'd fuccefs, and pale defeat;
The Gallic gaiety, and British spleen.

VIII. Ye

VIII.

Ye wing'd, ye rapid moments! stay: Oh friend! as deaf as rapid, they; Life's little drama done, the curtain falls! Doft thou not hear it? I can hear,

Though nothing ftrikes the liftening ear Time groans his laft! Eternal loudly calls!

IX.

Nor calls in vain; the call inspires
Far other counfels and defires,

Than once prevail'd; we stand on higher ground;
What scenes we fee!-Exalted aim!

With ardours new, our fpirits flame;
Ambition bleft! with more than laurels crown'd.

VOL. III.

A SEA

'N lofty founds let thofe delight

I who brave the foe, but fear the fight;

And, bold in word, of arms decline the ftroke:
'Tis mean to boaft; but great to lend
To foes the counfel of a friend,

And warn them of the vengeance they provoke.

II.

From whence arife these loud alarms?

Why gleams the south with brandish'd arms? War, bath'd in blood, from curft ambition fprings : Ambition mean, ignoble pride!

Perhaps their ardours may fubfide,
When weigh'd the wonders Britain's failor fings.

III.

Hear, and revere.- -At Britain's nod, From each enchanted grove and wood Haftes the huge oak, or fhadeless forest leaves; The mountain pines affume new forms,

Spread canvas-wings, and fly through storms, And ride o'er rocks, and dance on foaming waves.

IV. She

IV.

She nods again: the labouring earth
Discloses a tremendous birth;

In fmoaking rivers runs her molten ore;
Thence monfters of enormous fize,
And hideous afpect, threatening rife,
Flame from the deck, from trembling baftions roar.
V.

These minifters of fate fulfil,

On empires wide, an island's will,

When thrones unjuft wake vengeance: know, ye powers!
In fudden night, and ponderous balls,
And floods of flame, the tempeft falls,
When brav'd Britannia's awful fenate lowers.

VI.

In her grand council fhe furveys,
In patriot picture, what may raise,
Of infolent attempts, a warm difdain;
From hope's triumphant fummit thrown,
Like darted lightning, swiftly down
The wealth of Ind, and confidence of Spain.
VII.

Britannia fheaths her courage keen,
And fpares her nitrous magazine;
Her cannon flumber, till the proud aspire,

And leave all law below them; then they blaze!

They thunder from refounding feas,

Touch'd by their injur'd master's foul of fire.

Q2

*Houfe of Lords.

VIII. Then