Youth, life, and love, and beauty o'er the world.
But hafte we from these melancholy fhores,
Nor to deaf winds and waves our fruitless plaint
Pour weak; the country claims our active aid;
That let us roam; and where we find a spark
Of public virtue, blow it into flame.

Lo! now my fons, the fons of freedom! meet
In aweful fenate; thither let us fly;

Burn in the patriot's thought, flow from his tongue
In fearless truth; myself, transform'd, prefide,
And fhed the fpirit of Britannia round.

This faid; her fleeting form, and airy train,
Sunk in the gale; and nought but ragged rocks
Rush'd on the broken eye; and nought was heard
But the rough cadence of the dashing wave.

285

290

295

ANCIENT

I T

The following Poem is thrown into the form of a Poeti-
cal Vifion. Its fcene the ruins of ancient Rome. The
Goddess of Liberty, who is supposed to speak through
the whole, appears, characterized as British Liberty;
to ver. 44. Gives a view of ancient Italy, and par-
ticularly of republican Rome, in all her magnificence
and glory; to ver. 112. This contrafted by modern
Italy; its vallies, mountains, culture, cities, people:
the difference, appearing ftrongeft in the capital city
Rome; to ver. 234. The ruins of the great works
of Liberty more magnificent than the borrowed pomp
of Oppreffion; and from them revived Sculpture,
Painting, and Architecture; to ver. 256. The old
Romans apoftrophized, with regard to the feveral
melancholy changes in Italy: Horace, Tully, and
Virgil, with regard to their Tibur, Tufculum, and
Naples; to ver. 287. That once finest and most or-
namented part of Italy, all along the coast of Baix,
how changed; to ver. 321. This desolation of Italy
applied to Britain; to ver. 344. Addrefs to the
Goddess of Liberty, that she would deduce from the
firft ages, her chief establishments, the defcription of
which constitute the subject of the following parts of
this Poem. She affents, and commands what she says
to be fung in Britain; whofe happiness, arifing from
freedom, and a limited monarchy, she marks; to ver.
391. An immediate Vision attends, and paints her
words. Invocation.

TO HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS

FREDERICK, PRINCE OF WALES.

SIR,

WH

HEN I reflect upon that ready condefcenfion, that preventing generofity, with which Your Royal Highness received the following poem under your protection; I can alone ascribe it to the recommendation, and influence of the fubject. In you the cause and concerns of Liberty have fo zealous a patron, as entitles whatever may have the leaft tendency to promote them, to the diftinction of your favour. And who can entertain this delightful reflection, without feeling a pleasure far fuperior to that of the fondeft author; and of which all true lovers of their country muft participate? To behold the nobleft difpofitions of the prince, and of the patriot, united: an overflowing benevolence, generofity, and candour of heart, joined to an enlightened zeal for liberty, an intimate perfuafion that on it depends the happiness and glory both of kings and people to fee thefe fhining out in public virtues, as they have hitherto finiled in all the focial lights and private accomplishments of life, is a profpect that cannot but infpire a general fentiment of fatisfaction and gladness, more easy to be felt than expreffed.

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