Charles, who had try'd the race before,
And knew great merits to explore,
When he his rifing virtue faw,
He put in friendship's noble claim;
To his imperial court the hero brought,
And there by early honours fought
Alliance with his future fame.
O generous fympathy, that binds

In chains unfeen the bravest minds!

80

O love to worthy deeds, in all great fouls the fame! 85

VI.

But Time at laft brought forth th' amazing day,

When Charles, refolv'd to difengage

From empire's toils his weary age,
Gave with each hand a crown away.
Philip, his haughty son, afraid
Of William's virtues, bafely chofe
His father's favourite to depofe;

His tyrant reign requir'd far other aid;

هو

And Alva's fiery duke, his fcourge of vengeance, rofe; With flames of inquisition rose from hell,

Of laughter proud, and infolent in blood.

95

What hand can paint the scenes of tragic woes?
What tongue, fad Belgia! can thy story tell,
When with her lifted axe proud Murder stood,
And thy brave fons, in crouds unnumber'd, fell! 100

The fun, with horror of the fight,

Withdraws his fickly beams, and shrouds

His muffled face in fullen clouds,

And, on the scaffolds, faintly heds a pale malignant

light.

Thus

VII.

Thus Belgia's liberty expiring lay,

And almoft gafp'd her generous life away,
Till Orange hears her moving cries;
He hears, and, marching from afar,
Brings to her aid the sprightly war.
At his approach, reviv'd with fresh supplies
Of gather'd ftrength, fhe on her murderers flies.
But heaven, at first, refolv'd to try
By proofs adverse his conftancy.

Four armies loft, † two gallant brothers flain,
Will he the defperate war maintain ?
Though rolling tempefts darken all the fky,
And thunder breaks around his head,
Will he again the faithless sea explore,
And, oft driven back, ftill quit the shore ?
He will-his foul, averse to dread,
Unwearied, ftill the fpite of fortune braves,
Superior, and ferene, amidst the ftormy waves.
VIII.

Such was the man, fo vaft his mind!

The fteady inftrument of fate,

To fix the bafis of a rifing ftate!

My Mufe with horror views the scene behind,

105

115

120

125

And fain would draw a fhade, and fain

Would hide his deftin'd end, nor tell

How he the dreaded foe of Spain,

More fear'd than thousands on the plain,

130

By the vile hand of a bold ruffian fell.

No

He was then in Germany.

The Counts Lodowick and Henry.

"Sævis tranquillis in undis," the Prince's motto.

No more th' ungrateful profpect let us leave!

And, in his room, behold arise,

Bright as th' immortal twins that grace the skies,

*

A noble pair, his abfence to retrieve!

In thefe the hero's foul furvives,

And William doubly in his offspring lives.

IX.

Maurice, for martial greatness, far

His father's glorious fame exceeds;

Henry alone can match his brother's deeds;

135

140

145

Both were, like Scipio's fons, the thunderbolts of war.
None e er, than Maurice, better knew,
Camps, fieges, battles, to ordain;
None e'er, than Henry, fiercer did purfue
The flying foe, or earlier conquests gain.
For scarce fixteen revolving years he told,
When, eager for the fight, and bold,
Inflam'd by glory's sprightly charms,
His brother brought him to the field;
Taught his young hand the truncheon well to
wield,

And practis'd him betimes to arms.

X.

Let Flandrian Newport tell of wonders wrought
Before her walls, that memorable day,
When the victorious youths in concert fought,
And matchlefs valour did display!

How, ere the battle join'd, they strove
With emulous honour, and with mutual love;

*Maurice and Henry.

150

155

How,

160

How Maurice, touch'd with tender care Of Henry's safety, begg'd him to remove ; Henry refus'd, his blooming youth to spare, But with his much-lov'd Maurice vow'd to prove Th' extremes of war, and equal dangers share. O generous ftrife! and worthy fuch a pair! How dear did Albert this contention pay! Witness the floods of ftreaming gore;

165

Witness the trampled heaps, that choak'd the plain, And ftop'd the victors in their way;

Witness the neighbouring fea, and fandy shore, Drunk with the purple life of twice three thousand flain! XI.

Fortune, that on her wheel capricious ftands, 170 And waves her painted wings, inconftarst, proud, Hood-wink'd, and shaking from her hands Promifcuous gifts among the croud,

Reftlefs of place, and still prepar'd for flight, Was conftant here, and feem'd reftor'd to fight; 175 Won by their merit, and refolv'd to bless The happy brothers with a long fuccefsMaurice, the first refign'd to fate: The youngest had a longer date, And liv'd the space appointed to complete The great republic, rais'd fo high before; Finish'd by him, the ftately fabric bore Its lofty top afpiring to the sky:

180

In vain the winds and rains around it beat;

In vain, below, the waves tempestuous roar,

185

They dash themselves, and break, and backward fly, Difpers'd and murmuring at his feet.

In

Infulting Spain the fruitless ftrife gives o'er,
And claims dominion there no more.
Then Henry, ripe for immortality,

His flight to heaven eternal springs,

190

And, o'er his quiet grave, Peace spreads her downy

wings.

XII.

His fon, a fecord William, fills his place,
And climbs to manhood with so swift a pace,
As if he knew, he had not long to stay :
Such young Marcellus was, the hopeful grace
Of ancient Rome, but quickly fnatch'd away.
Breda beheld th' adventurous boy,

195

His tender limbs in fhining armour drefs'd.
Where, with his father, the hot fiege he prefs'd, 200
His father faw, with pleasing joy,

His own reflected worth, and youthful charms exprefs'd.
But, when his country breath'd from war's alarms,
His martial virtues lay obfcure;

Nor could a warrior, form'd for arms,

Th' inglorious rest endure ;

But ficken'd foon, and fudden dy'd,
And left in tears his pregnant bride,

205

His bride, the daughter of Britannia's king;
Nor faw th' aufpicious pledge of nuptial love, 210
Which from that happy marriage was to spring,

But with his great fore-fathers gain'd a blissful feat above.

XIII.

Here paufe, my Mufe! and wind up higher
The strings of thy Pindaric lyre!

Then