Yet then his clemency did pleafe
With lower forms t' augment his train,
And made thee, wretched creature, Man,
Probationer of happiness.
On the vast ocean of his wonders here,
We momentary bubbles ride,
Till, crush'd by the tempeftuous tide,
Sunk in the parent flood we difappear:
We, who fo gawdy on the waters fhone,
Proud, like the fhowery bow, with beauties not our own,
But, at the fignal given, this earth and fea
Shall fet their fleeping vaffals free;
And the belov'd of God,
The Faithful, and the Juft,
Like Aaron's chofen rod,
Though dry, fhall bloffom in the dust :
Then, gladly bounding from their dark restraints,
The fkeletons fhall brighten into faints,
And, from mortality refin'd, fhall rife
To meet their Saviour coming in the fkies:
Inftructed then by intuition, we
Shall the vain efforts of our wisdom fee;
Shall then impartially confefs
Our demonftration was but guefs;
That Knowledge, which from human reafon flows,
Unlefs Religion guide its courfe,
And Faith her fteady mounds oppofe,
Is Ignorance at beft, and often worde.
PART OF THE
FOURTEENTH CHAPTER OF ISAIAH PARA PHRASE D.
Now has th' Almighty Father, feated high
In ambient glories from th' eternal throne
Vouchfaf'd compaffion; and th' afflictive power
Has broke, whofe iron fceptre long had bruis'd
The groaning nations. Now returning Peace,
Dove-ey'd, and rob'd in white, the blissful land
Deigns to re-vifit; whilft beneath her steps
The foil, with civil flaughter oft' manur'd,
Pours forth abundant olives. Their high tops
The cedars wave, exulting o'er thy fall,
Whofe fteel from the tall monarch of the grove
Sever'd the regal honours, and up tore
The scions blooming in the parent shade.
When vehicled in flame, thou flow didft pafs
Prone through the gates of night, the dreary realms
With loud acclaim receiv'd thee. Tyrants old
(Gigantic forms, with human blood befiear'd)
Rofe from their thrones; for thrones they still poffefs,
Their penance and their guilt: Art thou, they cry,
O cmulous of our crimes, here doom'd to reign
Affociate of our woe? Nor com'ft thou girt
With livery'd flaves, or bands of warrior-knights,
Which era before thee ftood, a flattering crowd;
Obfervant of thy brow; nor hireling quires
Attempering to the harp their warbled airs,
Thy panegyric chaunt; but, hufh'd in death,
Like us thou ly't unwept; a corfe obfcene
With duft, and preving worms, bare and defpoil'd
Of ill-got pomp.
We hail thee our compeer!
How art thou with diminish'd glory fall'n
From thy proud zenith, swift as meteors glide
Aflope a fummer-eve! Of all the stars
Titled the first and fairest, thou didst hope
To share divinity, or haply more,
Elated as fupreme when o'er the North
Thy bloody banners ftream'd, to rightful kings
Portending ruinous downfal; wondrous low,
Opprobrious and detefted art thou thrown,
Difrob'd of all thy fplendors: round thee ftand
The fwarming populace, and with fix'd regard
Eyeing thee pale and breathlefs, fpend their rage
In taunting speech, and jovial ask their friends,
Is this The Mighty, whofe imperious yoke
We bore reluctant, who to defert wilds
And haunts of favages transform'd the marts,
And capital cities raz`d, pronouncing thrall
Or exile on the peerage? How becalm'd
The tyrant lies, whofe noftrils us'd to breathe
Tempefts of wrath, and shook establish'd thrones!
In folemn ftate the bones of pious kings,
Gather'd to their great fires, are fafe repos'd
Beneath the weeping vault: but thou, a branch
Blafted and curs'd by heaven, to dogs and fowls
Art doom'd a banquet; mingling some remains
With criminals unabfolv'd; on all thy race
Tranfmitting guilt and vengeance. From thy domes
Thy children skulk erroneous and forlorn,
Fearing perdition, and for mercy fue
With eyes uplift, and tearful. From thy feed
The fceptre heaven resumes, by thee ufurp'd
By guile and force, and fway'd with lawless rage.
HE Gaul, intent on univerfal fway,
Sees his own subjects with constraint obey
And they who most his rifing beams ador'd,
Weep in their chains, and wifh another lord.
But, if the Mufe not uninfpir'd presage,
Juftice fhall triumph o'er oppreffive rage:
His shall be reclaim'd to rightful laws,
power
And all, like Savoy, fhal! defert his cause.
So when to distant vales an eagle fteers,
His fiercenefs not difarm'd by length of years;
From his ftretch'd wing he fees the feathers fly,
Which bore him to his empire of the sky.
Unlike, great Queen, thy fteps to deathless fame;
O beft, O greatest of thy royal name!
Thy Britons, fam'd for arts, in battle brave,
Have nothing now to cenfure, or to crave:
Ev'n Vice and factious Zeal are held in awe,
Thy court a temple, and thy life a law.
When edg'd with terrors, by thy vengeful hand
The fword is drawn to gore a guilty land;
Thy mercy cures the wound thy justice gave,
For 'tis thy lov'd prerogative to save :
And Victory, to grace thy triumph, brings
Palms in her hand, with healing in her wings.
But as mild heaven on Eden's op'ning gems
Beftow'd the balmieft dews, and brightest beams :
So, whilst remoteft climes thy influence share,
Britain's the darling object of thy care :
By thy wife councils, and refiftlefs might,
Abroad we conquer, and at home unite:
Before thou bid'ft the diftant battles cease,
Thy piety cements domeftic peace;
Impatient of delay to fix the state,
Thy dove brings olive ere the waves abate.
Hail, happy fifter-lands! for ever prove
Rivals alone in loyalty and love;
Kindled from heaven, be your aufpicious flame
As lafting, and as bright, as Anna's fame!
And thou, fair northern nymphs, partake our toil,
With us divide the danger, and the spoil:
When thy brave fons, the friends of Mars avow'd,
In fteel around our Albion ftandards crowd;
What wonders in the war fhall now be fhown
By her, who fingle fhook the Gallic throne!
The day draws nigh, in which the warrior-queen
Shall wave her union-croffes o'er the Seine:
Rouz'd with heroic warmth unfelt before,
Her lions with redoubled fury roar;
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