275 Oppreffion, Fraud, Confufion, and Affright, Of fome lone thicket, reveling haggs provide Dire charins, that threat the fleeping neighbourhood, 280 And quaff, with magic mix'd, vast bowls of human blood; But, when the dawn reveals the purple east, Hibernia's fields new triumphs then fupply; The rival kings, in arms, the fate of empire try. See where the Boyne two warring hofts divides, And rolls between the fight his murmuring tides! 290 In vain-hills, forests, streams, muft all give place, When William leads, and victory 's the chace. Thou faw'ft him, Boyne! when thy charg'd waters bore The fwimming courfers to th' oppofing shore, And, round thy banks, thou heard'&t the murdering cannons roar. What more than mortal bravery inspir'd The daring troops, by his example fir'd ! 295 Thou faw'it their wondrous deeds; to Neptune's court Thy flying waves convey'd the fwift report, And, red with flaughter, to their father fhow'd 300 Streams not their own, and a difcolour'd flood. Here, on th' ætherial mould, hurl'd from afar, 305 310 Elfewhere, behold NAMUR's proud turrets rise, Majestic to the fight, advancing to the skies! The Meufe and Sambre here, united flow, Nature's defence against th' invading foe: Induftrious art her ftrength of walls supplies : Before the town the British army lies. 315 The works are mann'd; with fury they contend; These thunder from the plains, those from the walls defend. Red globes of fire from bellowing engines fly, And lead a sweeping blaze, like comets, through the sky. The kindled region glows; with deafening found They burft; their iron entrails, hurl'd around, See, where the genius of the war appears, Nor huns the labour, nor the danger fears! 325 In clouds of fulphurous fmoke he shines more bright, For Glory round him waits, with beams of living light. At length the widen'd gates a conquest own, And to his arms refign the yielding town. Here, 335 Here, from the field return'd, with olive crown'd, Applauding throngs their welcome prince furround: Bright honours in his glorious entry fhine, And peace reftor'd concludes the great design. Long, o'er the figur'd work, with vast surprize, Admiring Neptune roll'd his ravifh'd eyes; Then, rifing from his throne, thus call'd aloud; "Ye lovely daughters of the briny flood! "Hafte, comb your filver locks, and straight prepare "To fill my train, and gaze in upper air. "This day, majestic glories you shall see ; Come, all ye watery powers, who under me "Your little tridents wield,and rule the boisterous fea! "What God, that views the triumphs here difplay'd, "Can to fuch worth refufe his heavenly aid?" He faid no more-but bade two Tritons found Their crooked fhells, to spread the fummons round. Through the wide caves the blast is heard afar; With speed two more provide his azure car, 340 345 A concave hell; two the finn'd courfers join: The three-fork'd fpear, his left directs the reins. Smooth was the glaffy scene, the fun beheld And sweetly fing; fufpended winds forbear 360 Their loud complaints, the foothing lay to hear. 365 "Hail, facred charge; they cry; the beauties we "Of Neptune's court, are come t' attend on thee "Accept our offer'd aid! thy potent sway, "Unbounded by the land, these watery realms obey; "And we, thy fubject-powers, our duteous homage pay. 370 "See Neptune's felf, inferior in command, Now, from the fhore, Britannia first defcries White fails afar; then bulky veffels rise, Th' intrufted charge, then diving disappears. } 380 THE TH HOUGH the great lofs we fuffered in the death of the king has been fo happily fupplied by her majesty's accession to the throne, and her late coronation justly filled the hearts of her fubjects with joy; yet fo glorious a reign as the laft will always be remembered with admiration by all good and wife men ; and your Grace has given fufficient proofs that you are of that number. It can never therefore be thought too late to offer a juft tribute to his late majesty's memory, and to that of his great ancestors, a race fo illuftriously diftinguished in Europe; though this indeed might fooner have been attempted, but for many interruptions, too inconsiderable for your Grace's notice. How I have performed is humbly fubmitted to your Grace's judgment, and to the judgment of all |