At once to gain their River and their Town;
Follow'd by Numbers of admiring Friends
(Who wou'd not follow where he led?)
Into the Shannon boldly he defcends,
As Cæfar once into the Rubicon;
Th' affrighted River from him fled,
Quitted its Poft, and did to Lym'rick haft,
(The Rebels strongest Refuge, and their last)
Nor thought its Stream had now fufficient speed;
While to th' astonish'd Town be fafely pafs'd,
And on the conquer'd Walls his flying Enfigns
Thus daring Minds no difficulty know, (plac'd.
The Courage that in great Attempts they fhow,
Enables them to conquer what it leads them to.
Soon War's loud Tumults in Hibernia cease,
Subjected to her Sovereign's Pow'r :
Pleas'd with the Blessings of his gentle Reign,
The Golden Plenty, and the Downy Peace,
Which, as his happy Conqueft did restore,
His more triumphant Goodness does encrease;
And now she tunes her Silver Lyre again,
To fing her Liberty regain'd,
Which, if unconquer'd, fhe had ne'er obtain'd:
Since the no longer business does afford,
To exercise our Hero's Sword,
He haftens to the Belgick Shore,
That does his strong fuccessful Arm implore,
To free it from th' encroaching Gallick Pow'r,
Which with the Title of Moft Chriftian dress'd,
Does Christendom worse than the Turk infest.
VIII.
But to fupprefs this pow'rful Foe,
And wound him deeper with a nearer Blow,
The British Navy is for France design'd,
France muft again that dreaded Courage know,
That Courage that had often brought her low;
And whom cou'd Albion, but her Talmafh, find
That with more Vigour wou'd her Armies head,
Or one by whom they wou'd be rather led?
Whofe dreaded Name, like Talbot's heretofore,
Wou'd through thofe Fields her Fame more largely
(fpread,
And fright French Children, but their Fathers more,
The English Bravery in France well known,
And own'd peculiarly Ours,
Which laft inglorious Age out-liv'd,
And long lay bury'd with our Ancestors;
In Talmash was reviv'd,
And we th' Original must own Amended and enlarg'd in this Edition.
But, Oh! what Pow'r, envious at Albion's Joy,
Blafts her with a malignant Breath,
And does her gaudy blooming Hopes destroy!
Scarce had he touch'd th' inhofpitable Shore,
Which all around for fear began to roar;
When from th' Encounter of a fiery Storm,
A fwift, tho heavy Meffenger of Death,
Too well its hateful Errand did perform,
And forcing a remoter part
Made way for Fate too foon to reach his Heart,
And boldly tell him he must be no more.
When this th' advancing Soldiers knew,
Cold as he their Courage grew,
France had no way but this to fhock them fo;
Their General's Life is all their care,
Which to preserve they hastily retreat,
The Fate of France and their Revenge defer,
To wait on a Concern more near and great.
X.
Back to his native Soil convey'd,
His drooping Head he on her Bofom laid,
And in her Service wafted, yet untir'd,
As fearless as he liv'd, expir'd,
And for the Breath fhe gave too largely paid.
France by his Death already grown too proud,
Wanted the Honour of his Grave:
This Privilege injurious Fate allow'd,
To be for Albion referv'd,
Whom as his Life he lov'd, whom with his Life he
Nor cou'd fhe next his Life a greater Blessing crave,
Than to preserve him dead,who her alive did fave.
XI.
See Albion, fee thy General brought home,
Not crown'd with Conqueft, as he us❜d to come,
But by inconftant Fate betray'd,
Himself a bleeding Victim made;
Ah then diffolve into a briny Flood,
And let it flow in Confort with his Blood.
But, Oh! The precious Balm is fhed in vain,
No Virtue is in that or Phyfick found
To keep out Death, and beal the gaping Wound:
That Sluice does Life's whole treasure drain.
Not all thy Sighs can him with Breath fupply,
Not all thy Pray'rs his fleeting Soul recal,
But in thy Arms thy Champion muft dye,
Pleafing himself with what thou do'ft lament,
The lofs of Life in thy lov'd Service spent,
And only deems the Sacrifice too fmail.
Since then for Thee the gen'rous Talmah dies,
To his great Memory juft Trophies raife,
For which he Death may prize!
That his pleas'd Soul from.its.exalted Seat
May triumph in his Fate,
So well deferving and fo full of Praise.
While in a peaceful Grave his Body lies
The Guardian Relique of our Ifle,
Berkeley in France performs his Obfequies,
And makes whole flaming Towns become his Fu
INCE every Mountain, where the Mufes come,
Is call'd Parnaffus, and induces fome
Poetick Friend to celebrate its Name:
Here, Greenwich, I attempt to fing thy Fame, Led by the Wonders, which my ravish'd fight Views from thy lovely Park's aspiring Height. O! could I make my Numbers but attain To Denham's sweetness, not his Hill should gain A rise o'er thee, nor yet Proportion hold With thy juft Fame, which I could then unfold With greater Force, tranfported with each Grace So charming, that furrounds the lofty Place. Then shouldft thou be to me as that to him, Parnaffus was, and merit more esteem. For that, exalted by his Mufe alone, Without his Song had still remain'd unknown: But thou by Nature fuch Renown doft claim, Thou want'ft no Poet's Art to give thee Fame. And if thy various Beautys I could trace, As they deserve, with more than common Grace, The Writer's Credit, and the Poem's Fame Would spring from thee, whilst thou art still the Here then my rifing Eye, before my Feet Afcend the Mount, fo fair a Pile doth meet, As in a Poet's Fancy well might prove Apollo's Palace, or the Seat of Jove. And the afpiring Hill, on which 'tis laid, Might be Parnaffus, or Olympus made.
This View, which of a fudden ftrikes my fight,
Fills me with fo furprising a delight,
That I'm o'erjoy'd at what I can defcry
From hence, nor with more limits to my Eye.
And viewing well this Profpect's beauteous Store,
It gives me wonder to be promis'd more.
Thus in fome Painter's outward room we find
Enough to please and to surprise the Mind:
And when the Artist labours to invite
Our Eyes to more variety of Sight,
We part not without Pain from what before
We faw fo pleafing, that we wish'd no more.
No fteep Afcent difcourages our Feet,
But all fo fair, and regular we meet,
That fill'd with Joy by gentle Steps we rife
To that fair Houfe, which firft confin'd our Eyes.
But there arriv'd, and turning to look down,
We wonder that we reach'd the height fo foon.
This Houfe, erected at a* King's
Displays the Goodness of a Royal Hand;
Nor is't, tho fmall, unworthy of that Fame,
But high, and graceful, as its Founder's Name.
Here, Flamfted, mounted to this lofty Seat,
Where all the Arts of thy Profession meet,
Thou shew'ft Mankind how much improv'd by thee
Are all the Wonders of Aftronomy.
Thou, Reverend Man, from thy aufpicious Hill
Canft all the Secrets of the Stars reveal.
Thy Aftrolabes are made with fo much Art,
They can the distance of the Sun impart;
Disclose a Paralax i'th' Heavenly Sphere,
And shew the Place of every wandring Star.
Now shall we fear no more mistakes, we fee
Celestial Motions all fet right by thee.
|