Which, heard with awe, are with delight obey'd.
A thousand fiery deaths around him fly;
And burning balls hiss harmless by :

For ev'ry fire his facred head must spare,
Nor dares the lightning touch the laurels there.
VIII.

Now many a wounded Briton feels the rage
Of miffive fires that fefter in each limb,
Which dire revenge alone has power t' affuage;
Revenge makes danger dreadlefs feem.:

And now, with desperate force, and fresh attack,
Through obvious deaths, resistlefs way they make;
Raifing high piles of earth, and heap on heap they lay,
And then afcend; refembling thus (as far
As race of men inferior may)

The fam'd gigantic war.

When thofe tall fons of earth did heaven afpire;
(A brave, but impious fire!)'

Uprooting hills, with moft ftupendous hale,
To form the high and dreadful scale.

The gods, with horror and amaze, look'd down,
Beholding rocks from their firm basis rent?

Mountain on mountain thrown,

With threatening hurl, that shook th' ætherial firmament! Th' attempt. did fear in heaven create ;

Even Jove defponding fate,

Till Mars, with all his force collected, stood.
And pour'd whole war on the rebellious brood;

Who, tumbling headlong from th' empyreal skies,
O'erwhelm'd thofe hills, by which they thought to rife.

Mars on the gods did then his aid bestow,

And now in godlike William ftorms with equal force be

low. :

IX.

Still they proceed, with firm unfhaken pace,
And hardy breafts oppos'd to Danger's face,
With daring feet, on fpringing mines they tread
Of fecret fulphur, in dire ambush laid.

Still they proceed; though all beneath, the labouring earth
Trembles to give the dread irruptions birth.
Through this, through more, through all they go,
Mounting at last amidst the vanquish'd foe.
See, how they climb, and scale the steepy walls!
See, how the Britons rife fee the retiring Gauls!
Now from the fort, behold the yielding flag is spread,
And William's banner on the breach difplay'd,

X.

Hark, the triumphant fhouts from every voice!
The fkies with acclamations ring!

Hark, how around, the hills rejoice,
And rocks reflected Ios fing!
Hautboys and fifes and trumpets join'd,

Heroic harmony prepare,

And charm to filence every wind,

And glad the late-tormented air.
Far is the found of martial mufic fpread,
Echoing through all the Gallic hoft,

Whose numerous troops the dreadful storm furvey'd :
But they, with wonder or with awe difmay'd,

Unmov'd beheld the fortrefs loft.

William,

William, their numerous troops with terror fill'd,
Such wondrous charms can godlike valour show!
Not the wing'd Perfeus, with petrific shield

Of Gorgon's head, to more amazement charm'd his foe.
Nor, when on foaring horse he flew, to aid

And fave from monfter's rage the beauteous maid; Or more heroic was the deed;

Or fhe to furer chains decreed,

Than was Namur, till now by William freed.
XI.

Defcend, my Mufe, from thy too-daring height,"
Defcend to earth, and eafe thy wide-ftretch'd wing;
For weary art thou grown of this unwonted flight,
And doft with pain of triumphs fing.

More fit for thee, refume thy rural reeds;

For war let more harmonious harps be ftrung: Sing thou of love, and leave great William's deeds To him who fung the Boyne; or him to whom he fung.

[20]

THE BIRTH OF THE MUS E.

To the Right Honourable

CHARLES LORD HALIFAX.

"Dignum laude virum Mufa vetat mori."

DESCEND, celeftial Mufe! thy fon infpire

Of thee to fing; infufe thy holy fire.
Belov'd of gods and men, thyfelf difclofe;
Say, from what fource thy heavenly power arofe,
Which, from unnumber'd years delivering down
The deeds of heroes deathlefs in renown,

Extends their life and fame to ages yet unknown.
Time and the Mufe fet forth with equal pace;
At once the rival ftarted to the race:

And both at once the deftin'd courfe fhall end,
Or both to all eternity contend.

One to preserve what t' other cannot fave,
And refcue virtue rifing from the grave.

HOR.

}

To thee, O Montague, these strains are fung,
For thee my voice is tun'd, and fpeaking lyre is ftrung;
For every grace of every Mufe is thine
In thee their various fires united shine,
Darling of Phoebus and the tuneful Nine!
To thee alone I dare my fong commend,
Whofe nature can forgive, and power defend,
And fhew by turns the patron and the friend.

}

Begin, my Mufe, from Jove derive thy fong,
Thy fong of right does first to Jove belong :
For thou thyself art of celestial feed,

Nor dare a fire inferior boast the breed.

When firft the frame of this vaft ball was made,
And Jove with joy the finish'd work furvey'd;
Viciffitude of things, of men and states,

Their rife and fall were deftin'd by the Fates.
Then Time had first a name; by firm decree
Appointed lord of all futurity,

Within whofe ample bofom fates repofe
Causes of things, and fecret feeds inclose,
Which, ripening there, fhall one day gain a birth,
And force a paffage through the teeming earth.
To him they give to rule the spacious light,
And bound the yet unparted day and night;
To wing the hours that whirl the rolling sphere,
To shift the feasons, and conduct the year,
Duration of dominion and of power
To him prescribe, and fix each fated hour.
This mighty rule to Time the Fates ordain,
But yet to hard conditions bind his reign;
For every beauteous birth he brings to light,
(How good foc'er and grateful in his fight,)
He must again to native earth restore,

And all his race with iron teeth devour.

Nor good nor great fhall 'scape his hungry maw,
But bleeding Nature prove the rigid law.

Not yet the loosen'd earth aloft was flung,
Or pois'd amid the skies in balance hung;