Germania too, with cluster'd vines o'erspread;
And lovely Albion from her watery bed,
Beauteous above the reft, rears her auspicious head.
Beneath her chalky cliffs, fea-nymphs resort,
And awful Neptune keeps his reedy court;
His darling Thames, rich prefents in his hand
Of bounteous Ceres, traverfes the land;
And feems a mighty snake, whose shining pride
Does through the meads in finuous volumes glide.
Ah, charming ifle! faireft of all the main !
Too long thou dost my willing eye detain.
For fee a hero on the adverfe ftrand!
And, lo! a blooming virgin in his hand !
All hail, celestial pair !· -2 goddess the,
Of heavenly birth confeft, a more than mortal, He! 39
Victorious laurels on his brows he wears;
Th' attending fair a branching Olive bears;
Slender her fhape, in filver bands confin'd
Her fnowy garments loosely flow behind,
Rich with embroider'd stars,and ruffle in the wind. 40
But once fuch differing beauty met before,
When warrior Mars did Love's bright queen adore ;
Ev'n Love's bright queen might feem less winning fair,
And Mars fubmit to his heroic air.
Not Jove himself, imperial Jove can show
A nobler Mien, or more undaunted brow,
When his strong arm, through heav'n's ætherial plains, Compels the kindled bolt, and awful rule maintains.
And now embark'd they feek the British Isles. Pleas'd with the charge, propitious Ocean fimiles.
Before, old Neptune fimooths the liquid way;
Obfequious Tritons on the furface play ;
And sportful dolphins, with a nimble glance,
To the bright fun their glittering fcales advance.
In oozy beds profound, the billows sleep,
No clamorous winds awake the filent deep;
Rebuk'd, they whisper in a gentle breeze,
And all around is univerfal peace.
Proceed, my Mufe! The following pomp declare ; Say who, and what, the bright attendants were!
First Ceres, in her chariot seated high,
By harness'd dragons drawn along the sky;
A Cornucopia fill'd her weaker hand,
Charg'd with the various offspring of the land,
Fruit, flowers, and corn; her right a fickle bore; 65
A yellow wreath of twisted wheat she wore.
Next father Bacchus with his tigers grac'd
The fhow, and, squeezing clusters as he pafs'd,
Quaff'd flowing goblets of rich-flavour'd wine,
In order, laft fucceed the tuneful Nine;
Apollo too was there i behind him hung
His ufelefs quiver, and his bow unftrung;
He touch'd his golden lyre, and thus he fung.
"Lead on, great WILLIAM! in thy happy reign
"Peace and the Mufes are reftor'd again.
"War, that fierce lion, long difdaining law, Rang'd uncontrol'd, and kept the world in awe, "While trembling kingdoms crouch'd beneath his
"At last the reefing monster, drunk with gore,
"Falls at thy feet subdued, and quells his roar;
"Tamely to thee he bends his fhaggy mane,
"And on his neck admits the long-rejected chain.
"At thy protecting court, for this blest day,
"Attending nations their glad thanks fhall pay :
"Not Belgia, and the rescued ifle alone,
"But Europe fhall her great deliverer own.
"Rome's mighty grandeur was not more confest,
"When great Antonius travel'd through the East,
"And crouds of monarchs did each morning wait
"With early homage at his palace gate.
"Hafte then, bright prince! thy Britain's tranfport
"Haste to her arms, and make her bliss complete ! "Whate'er glad news has reach'd her listening ear "While her long-absent lord provokes her fear, "Her joys are in fufpence, her pleasures unfincere. 95 "He comes, thy hero comes! O beauteous ifle ! "Revive thy genius with a chearful smile ! "Let thy rejoicing fons fresh palms prepare,
"To grace the trophies of the finish'd war ;
"On high he hung the martial sword infheath'd, 100 "The shield with ribbons dress'd, and fpear with ivy "wreath'd!
"Let fpeaking paint in various tablets show "Paft fcenes of battle to the croud below! "Round this triumphant pile, in ruftic dance, "The fhouting fwains shall hand in hand advance; 105
"The wealthy farmer from his toils shall cease;
"The ploughman from the yoke his smoking steers
"release,
"And join to folemnize the festival of peace.
"No more for want of hands th' unlabour'd field, "Choak'd with rank weeds, a fickly crop fhall yield: 110 "Calm peace returns; behold her fhining train! "And fruitful plenty is restor❜d again.”Apollo ceas'd.The Mufes take the found, From voice to voice th' harmonious notes rebound, And echoing lyres tranfmit the volant fugue around! 115
Mean while the steady bark, with profperous gales, Fills the large fheets of her expanded fails, And gains th' intended port; thick on the strand, Like fwarming bees, th' affembled Britons stand, And prefs to fee their welcome fovereign land: 120 At his approach, unruly tranfport reigns
In every breast, and rapture fires their veins.
A general fhout fucceeds, as when on high
Exploded thunder rends the vaulted sky.
A fort convulfion shakes the folid fhore,
And rocks th' adjacent deep, unmov'd before;
Loud acclamations through the valleys ring,
While to Augufta's wall the croud attend their king.
And now behold a finish'd temple rife,
On lofty pillars climbing to the skies!
The choir of St. Paul's was firft opened on the
day of thanksgiving for the peace.
Of bulk ftupendous, its proud pile it rears,
The gradual product of fucceffive years.
An inner gate, that folds with iron leaves,
The charm'd spectator's entering steps receives,
Where curious works in twifted ftems are seen
Of branching foliage, vacuous between.
O'er this a vocal organ, mounted high
On marble columns, ftrikes the wondering eye;
And feeds at once two fenfes with delight,
Sweet to the ear, and splendid to the fight.
Marble the floor, enrich'd with native ftains
Of various dye, and streak'd with azure veins.
Ev'n emulous art with nature feems to Arive,
And the carv'd figures almoft breathe and live;
The painted altar, glorious to behold,
Shines with delightful blue, and dazzling gold.
Here first th' illuftrious three, of heavenly race,
Religion, Liberty, and Peace, embrace;
Here joyful crouds their pious thanks express,
For Peace reftor'd, and heaven's indulgence blefs 150
Aufpicious ftructure! born in happy days,
Whofe first employment is the noblest, praise !
So, when by juft degrees th' eternal Thought
His fix days labour to perfection brought,
With laws of motion firft endued the whole,
And bade the heavens in deftin'd circles roll,
The polish'd spheres commenc'd their harmony;
All nature in a chorus did agree,
And the world's birth-day was a jubilee.
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