'Till Congreve bids her fmile, Augufta ftands,
And longs to weep when flowing Rowe commands:
Britain's Spectators fhall their ftrength combine,
To mend our morals, and our taste refine,
Fight virtue's caufe, ftand up in wit's defence,
Win us from vice, and laugh us into fenfe.
Nor, Prior, haft thou hufh'd the trump in vain,
Thy lyre shall now revive her mirthful ftrain,
New tales fhall now be told; if right I fee,
The foul of Chaucer is reftor'd in thee.
Garth, in majestic numbers, to the stars.
Shall raise mock-heroes, and fantastic wars;
Like the young spreading laurel, Pope, thy name
Shoots up with ftrength, and rifes into fame;
With Philips " fhall the peaceful vallies ring,
And Britain hear a fecond Spenfer fing;
That much-lov'd youth, whom Utrecht's walls confine,
TO BRISTOL'S praises fhall his STRAFFORD's join :
He too, from whom attentive OXFORD draws
Rules for just thinking, and poetic laws,
To growing bards his learned aid fhall fend,
The strictest critic, and the kindest friend.
" Ambrofe Philips, author of Paftorals, the Diftreft Mother, and two other tragedies, &c.
* William Harrifen, Efq; at that time fecretary to the embaffy at Utrecht. See vol. .
Ev'n mine, a bafhful Mufe, whofe rude effays
Scarce hope for pardon, not aspire to praise,
Cherish'd by you, in time may grow to fame,
And mine furvive with BRISTOL's glorious name.
Fir'd with the views this glitt'ring fcene difplays,
And fmit with paffion for my country's praife,
My artless reed attempts this lofty theme,
Where facred Ifis rolls her ancient stream;
In cloyfter'd domes, the great Philippa's pride,
Where learning blooms, while fame and worth prefide,
Where the fifth Henry arts and arms was taught 2,
And Edward form'd his Creffy, yet unfought;
Where laurel'd bards have ftruck the warbling ftrings,
The feat of fages, and the nurfe of kings.
Here thy commands, O Lancaster, inflame
My eager breaft to raise the British name;
y Queen's College, Oxford, founded by Robert Egglesfield, on the encouragement of Philippa, Queen to Edward the Third.
z Both Henry the Fifth, and Edward the Black Prince, studied at Queen's College, Oxford. See Mr. Tickell's Poem on Queen Caroline's rebuilding their apartments. Jobafon's Prefaces to the Works of the English Poets.
Dr. William Lancaster, Provoft of Queen's College, Oxford. He died in the year 1716. In another poem, Mr. Tickell speaks of him in the following terms:
"Here Lancaster, adorn'd with every grace,
"Stands chief in merit, as the chief in place :
Urge on my foul, with no ignoble pride,
To woo the Mufe whom Addifon enjoy'd ;
See that bold fwan to heav'n fublimely foar,
Purfue at distance, and his fteps adore.
F, dumb too long, the drooping Mufe hath ftaid,
And left her debt to Addison unpaid;
"To his lov'd name our earliest lays belong,
"The theme at once and patron of our fong.
"Long may he o'er his much-lov'd Queen's prefide,
"Our arts encourage, and our counfels guide,
"Till after ages, fill'd with glad furprize,
"Behold his image all majestic rife,
"Where now in pomp a venerable band,
"Princes, and queens, and holy fathers, ftand.
Oxford, a Poem.-Johnson's Prefaces to the Works
a Who had married the Earl of Warwick's mother. Mr. Addifon died 17th June 1719, and after lying in ftate in the Jerufalem Chamber,
Blame not her filence, Warwick, but bemoan,
And judge, oh judge, my bofom by your own.
What mourner ever felt poetic fires!
Slow comes the verfe, that real woe inspires :
Grief unaffected fuits but ill with art,
Or flowing numbers with a bleeding heart.
Can I forget the difmal night, that gave
My foul's best part for-ever to the grave!
How filent did his old companions tread,
By midnight lamps, the manfions of the dead,
Through breathing ftatues, then unheeded things,
Through rows of warriors, and through walks of kings!
What awe did the flow folemn knell inspire ;
The pealing organ, and the pausing choir;
The duties by the lawn-rob'd prelate pay'd;
And the laft words, that duft to duft convey'd!
While fpeechlefs o'er thy clofing grave we bend,
Accept thefe tears, thou dear departed friend,
Oh gone for ever, take this long adieu;
And fleep in peace, next thy lov'd Montagu!
To ftrew fresh laurels, let the task be mine,
A frequent pilgrim at thy facred shrine;
was interred in Weftminster Abbey, the 26th of the fame month. Dr. Johnfon obferves, that there is not a more fublime or more elegant funeral poem than this, to be found in the whole compafs of English literature.
b Charles Montagu, Earl of Hallifax.
Mine with true fighs thy absence to bemoan,
And grave with faithful epitaphs thy ftone.
If e'er from me thy lov'd memorial part,
May shame afflict this alienated heart;
Of thee forgetful if I form a song,
My lyre be broken, and untun'd my tongue,
My grief be doubled, from thy image free,
And mirth a torment, unchaftis'd by thee.
Oft let me range the gloomy ifles alone,
(Sad luxury to vulgar minds unknown)
Along the walls where fpeaking marbles show
What worthies form the hallow'd mould below:
Proud names, who once the reins of empire held;
In arms who triumph'd; or in arts excell'd;
Chiefs, grac'd with scars, and prodigal of blood;
Stern patriots, who for facred freedom stood;
Juft men, by whom impartial laws were given ;
And faints, who taught, and led the way to heaven
Ne'er to these chambers, where the mighty reft,
Since their foundation, came a nobler gueft;
Nor e'er was to the bowers of blifs convey'd
A fairer fpirit, or more welcome shade.
In what new region, to the juft affign'd,
What new employments pleafe th' unbody'd mind?
Thofe venerable walls were never bleft,
Since their foundation, with a nobler gueft.
Higgons's poem on Waller's death. Nichols's
Collection, vol. i. p. 130.
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