From that attempt the confcious Mufe retires,
Nor to inimitable worth afpires:

But fecretly applauds, and filently admires,
Hence the reflects upon the genial ray
That first enliven'd this aufpicious day :
On that bright ftar, to whofe indulgent power
We owe the bleffings of the prefent hour.
Concurring omens of propitious fate

Bore, with one facred birth, an equal date;
Whence we derive whatever we poffefs,
By foreign conqueft, or domeftic peace.

Then, Britain, then thy dawn of blifs begun :
Then broke the morn that lighted-up this fun!
Then was it doom'd whose councils fhould fucceed;
And by whofe arm the chriftian world be freed;
Then the fierce foe was pre-ordain'd to yield,
And then the battle won at Blenheim's glorious field.

THE

Infcribed to the Right Hon. the Lord GODOLPHIN, Lord High-Treasurer of England.

"Qualis populeâ morens Philomela fub umbrâ "Amiffos queritur fœtus --

"Integrat, & moeftis latè loca queftibus implet."

VIRG. Geor. 4.

WAS at the time, when new-returning light With welcome rays begins to chear the fight; When grateful birds prepare their thanks to pay, And warble hymns to hail the dawning day; When woolly flocks their bleating cries renew, And from their fleecy fides first shake the filver dew. 'Twas then that Amaryllis, heavenly fair, Wounded with grief, and wild with her despair,

Forfook

Forfook her myrtle bower and rofy bed,

To tell the winds her woes, and mourn Amyntas dead.
Who had a heart fo hard, that heard her cries
And did not weep? who fuch relentless eyes?
Tigers and wolves their wonted rage forego,
And dumb diftrefs and new compaffion show;
As taught by her to taste of human woe.
Nature herself attentive filence kept,

And motion feem'd fufpended while fhe wept ;
The rifing fun reftrain'd his fiery course,
And rapid rivers liften'd at their fource
Ev'n Echo fear'd to catch the flying found,
Left repetition fhould her accents drown;
The very morning-wind with-held his breeze,
Nor fann'd with fragrant wings the noiseless trees;
As if the gentle Zephyr had been dead,

}

And in the grave with lov'd Amyntas laid. No noife, no whifpering figh, no murmuring groan, Prefum'd to mingle with a mother's moan; Her cries alone her anguish could exprefs, All other mourning would have made it lefs. "Hear me," fhe cried, "ye nymphs and fylvan gods, "Inhabitants of thefe once-lov'd abodes;

"Hear my diftrefs, and lend a pitying ear,

"Hear my complaint--you would not hear my prayer; "The lofs which you prevented not, deplore, "And mourn with me Amyntas now no more. "Have I not caufe, ye cruel powers, to mourn? "Lives there like me another wretch forlorn ;

"Tell

"Tell me, thou fun that round the world dost shine, "Haft thou beheld another lofs like mine?

"Ye winds, who on your wings fad accents bear, "And catch the founds of forrow and despair, "Tell me if e'er your tender pinions bore "Such weight of woe, fuch deadly fighs, before? "Tell me, thou earth, on whofe wide-spreading base "The wretched load is laid of human race, "Doft thou not feel thyfelf with me opprest? "Lie all the dead fo heavy on thy breast? "When hoary winter on thy fhrinking head "His icy, cold, depreffing hand has laid, "Haft thou not felt lefs chillness in thy veins ? "Do I not pierce thee with more freezing pains? "But why to thee do I relate my woe, "Thou cruel earth, my most remorfelefs foe, "Within whose darksome womb the grave is made, "Where all my joys are with Amyntas laid? "What is 't to me, though on thy naked head "Eternal winter should his horror shed,

"Though all thy nerves are numb'd with endless froft, "And all thy hopes of future spring were loft ? "To me what comfort can the spring afford? "Can my Amyntas be with fpring restor❜d? "Can all the rains that fall from weeping skies, "Unlock the tomb where my Amyntas lies? "No, never! never !---Say then, rigid earth, What is to me thy everlasting dearth?

“ Though never flower again its head should rear, "Though never tree again should blossom bear,

"Though

"Though never grafs fhould cloath the naked ground, "Nor ever healing plant or wholfome herb be found. "None, none were found when I bewail'd their want; "Nor wholfome herb was found, nor healing plant, "To ease Amyntas of his cruel pains,

"In vain I fearch'd the valleys, hills and plains; "But wither'd leaves alone appear'd to view, "Or poisonous weeds diftilling deadly dew. "And if fome naked ftalk, not quite decay'd, "To yield a fresh and friendly bud essay'd, "Soon as I reach'd to crop the tender shoot, "A fhrieking mandrake kill'd it at the root. Witness to this, ye fawns of every wood, "Who at the prodigy aftonish'd stood. "Well I remember what fad figns ye made, "What fhowers of unavailing tears ye fhed; "How each ran fearful to his moffy cave, "When the laft gafp the dear Amyntas gave. "For then the air was fill'd with dreadful cries, “And fudden night o'erspread the darken'd skies; "Phantoms, and fiends, and wandering fires appear'd, “And screams of ill-prefaging birds were heard. "The foreft fhook, and flinty rocks were cleft, “And frighted streams their wonted channels left ; "With frantic grief o'erflowing fruitful ground, "Where many a herd and harmlefs fwain was drown'd; "While I forlorn and defolate was left,

"Of every help, of every hope bereft ; "To every element expos'd I lay,

"And to my griefs a more defenceless prey.

"For