All this he faw, and all he faw approv'd;
When lo! but thence a narrow space remov'd,
And hungry Time has all the scene defac'd,

The kings deftroy'd, and laid the kingdoms waste :
Together all in common ruins lie,

And but anon and ev'n the ruins die.

Th' Almighty, inly touch'd, compaffion found,
To fee great actions in oblivion drown'd;
And forward fearch'd the roll, to find if Fate
Had no referve to fpare the good and great.
Bright in his view the Trojan heroes fhine,
And Ilian ftructures rais'd by hands divine;
But Ilium foon in native duft is laid,
And all her boasted pile a ruin made :
Nor great Æneas can her fall withstand,
But flies, to fave his gods, to foreign land.
The Roman race fucceed the Dardan state,
And firft, and fecond Cæfar, godlike great.
Still on to after-days his eyes defcend,
And rifing heroes ftill the fearch attend.
Proceeding thus, he many empires pafs'd;
When fair Britannia fix'd his fight at laft.

Above the waves fhe lifts her filver head, And looks a Venus born from Ocean's bed. For rolling years, her happy fortunes fmile, And fates propitious blefs the beauteous ifle To worlds remote fhe wide extends her reign, And wields the trident of the ftormy main. Thus on the base of empire firm the stands, While bright Eliza rules the willing lands.

But foon a lowering fky comes on apace,
And fate revers'd fhews an ill-omen'd face.
The void of heaven a gloomy horror fills;
And cloudy veils involve her shining hills;
Of greatnefs pafs'd no footfteps fhe retains,
Sunk in a feries of inglorious reigns.

She feels the change, and deep regrets the shame
Of honours loft, and her diminish'd name:
Confcious, the feeks from day to fhrowd her head,
And glad would shrink beneath her oozy bed.
Thus far, the facred leaves Britannia's woes
In fhady draughts and dusky lines disclose.
Th' enfuing fcene revolves a martial age,
And ardent colours gild the glowing page.
Behold! of radiant light an orb arise,
Which, kindling day, reftores the darken'd fkies:
And fee! on seas the beamy ball defcends,
And now its courfe to fair Britannia bends:
Along the foamy main the billows bear
The floating fire, and waft the fhining sphere.
Hail, happy omen! Hail, auspicious fight!
Thou glorious guide to yet a greater light.
For fee a prince, whom dazzling arms array,
Pursuing closely, plows the watery way,
Tracing the glory through the flaming fea.

Britannia, rife; awake, O fairest ifle,
From iron fleep; again thy fortunes fmile.
Once more look up, the mighty man behold,
Whofe reign renews the former age of gold.

}

The

The Fates at length the blissful web have fpun,
And bid it round in endless circles run.
Again fhall distant lands confess thy sway,
Again the watery world thy rule obey;
Again thy martial fons fhall thirst for fame,
And win in foreign fields a deathless name;
For William's genius every foul inspires,
And warms the frozen youth with warlike fires.
Already, fee, the hoftile troops retreat,
And feem forewarn'd of their impending fate.
Already routed foes his fury feel,

And fly the force of his unerring steel.

The haughty Gaul, who well, till now, might boaft
A matchlefs fword and unrefifted hoft,
At his foreseen approach the field forfakes;
His cities tremble, and his empire shakes.
His towering enfigns long had aw'd the plain,
And fleets audaciously ufurp'd the main ;
A gathering storm he feem'd, which from afar
Teem'd with a deluge of destructive war,
Till William's ftronger genius foar'd above,
And down the fkies the daring tempeft drove.
So from the radiant fun retires the night,

And western clouds fhot through with orient light.
So when th' affuming god, whom storms obey,

To all the warring winds at once gives way,

The frantic brethren ravage all around,

And rocks, and woods, and fhores, their rage refound;
Incumbent o'er the main, at length they sweep
The liquid plains, and raife the peaceful deep.

But when fuperior Neptune leaves his bed,

His trident shakes, and fhews his awful head;
The madding winds are hufh'd, the tempefts cease,
And every rolling surge refides in peace.

And now the facred leaf a landskip wears,
Where, heaven ferene, and air unmov'd appears.
The rofe and lily paint the verdant plains,
And palm and olive shade the fylvan scenes.
The peaceful Thames beneath his banks abides,
And foft, and ftill, the filver furface glides.
The Zephyrs fan the fields, the whispering breeze
With fragrant breath remurmurs through the trees.
The warbling birds, applauding new-born light,
In wanton measures wing their airy flight.
Above the floods the finny race repair,
And bound aloft, and bask in upper air;
They gild their fcaly backs in Phoebus' beams,
And fcorn to fkim the level of the ftreams.
Whole Nature wears a gay and joyous face,
And blooms and ripens with the fruits of peace.
No more the labouring hind regrets his toil,
But chearfully manures the grateful foil;
Secure the glebe a plenteous crop will yield,
And golden Ceres grace the waving field.
Th' adventurous man, who durft the deep explore,
Oppose the winds, and tempt the shelfy fhore,
Beneath his roof now taftes unbroken reft,
Enough with native wealth and plenty bleft.

No more the forward youth pursues alarms, Nor leaves the facred arts for ftubborn arms.

No more the mothers from their hopes are torn,
Nor weeping maids the promis'd lover mourn.
No more the widows' fhrieks, and orphans' cries,
Torment the patient air, and pierce the skies;
But peaceful joys the profperous times afford,
And banish'd virtue is again reftor'd.

And he whofe arms alone fuftain'd the toil,
And propp'd the nodding frame of Britain's ifle
By whofe illuftrious deeds, her leaders fir'd,
Have honours loft retriev'd, and new acquir'd,
With equal fway will virtue's laws maintain,
And good, as great, in awful peace shall reign;
For his example ftill the rule fhall give,
And those it taught to conquer, teach to live.
Proceeding on, the Father still unfolds
Succeeding leaves, and brighter ftill beholds;
The lateft feen the faireft feems to shine,
Yet fudden does to one more fair refign.
Th' Eternal paus'd-

Nor would Britannia's fate beyond explore;
Enough he faw besides the coming store.
Enough the hero had already done,

And round the wide extent of glory run :
Nor further now the shining path pursues,
But like the fun the fame bright race renews.

And fhall remorfelefs Fates on him have power!

Or Time unequally fuch worth devour!

Then, wherefore fhall the brave for fame contest?
Why is this man distinguish'd from the reft?

Whofe