To cafe my Limbs opprefs'd and faint with heat,
Greedy of reft, impatient for retreat.
There will I lie, and wait thy airy flight,
Rife at thy Call, and spread again my fight.
But 'tis in vain I beg a space for ease,
Not fo the Mufe, whom I invoke, decrees.
Grown paffive I to her Impreffions bend,
Walk a few steps, and then my Eyes defcend
Upon a Vito, whofe unlook'd-for fight
Strikes me with fuch amazement of delight,
That I no longer my Complaints purfue,
But find new Vigour from the healing View.
So for a while an absent Friend we mourn,
And beg of Heav'n to haften his return.
But fhould fome lovely Dame invade our Eyes,
Whose Aspect fills us with a fweet Surprize,
No more we feel the Torments of our Grier,
But from each charming View we gain relief.

Here my transported Eye, thro even Rows
Of Trees, which Mountains fhelter and inclofe,
Meets with fo diftant and fo fair a fight,
So much variety of true Delight,

That I'm concern'd, left doubting which to chufé
My.dazled Eyes amidst the heap fhould lofe
Part of the beauteous ftore. Aflift me then
Here, my companion Muse, and teach my Pen
To fet in order what my fight commands,
And praise each worthy Object as it stands.
First then my careful Eye reviewing down,
Salutes the Chappel of the Neighb'ring Town;
Here the bright Dames that dwell about the place,
(And Greenwich boasts of fome,whose beavenly Grace
Commands remembrance) daily come to pay
Thanks for thofe Bledlings which their Charms dif-
Humble in all their Beauty may concern, (play;
But proud to those who for that Beauty burn:

г

Not imitating Heaven, that was fo kind
To grace their Bodies, and inrich their Mind.
Elfe would Aurelia match the purest Flame,
That ever touch'd a Heart, or found a Name.
Aurelia, in whom sparkles every Grace,
Juno in Mein, and Venus in her Face.

Aurelia, whom the Groves and Walks reherse,
The Ornament and Grandeur of my Verfe.
But O! the fame both Groves and Walks repeat,
That Thyrfis lies ftill dying at her Feet.

Next the fair River offers to my view
A rifing Grove of Ships, that gently flow
In with the Tide, whofe fhaded Waters seem
To be no part of the incircling Stream:
Which might be ta'en for Land, as here it fhows,
But for the Motion which the Ships disclose.
Tall Sons of Oak, that on the Waves aspire
To lift themselves above their lofty Sire
That grew at Land, and by the help of Sails,
Waiting for Seasons, and for profp'rous Gales,
Spread the wide Ocean o'er, and for our use
Bring home the Riches that all Climes produce :
Whilft the whole World with fear & wonder meets
Our Flags, and pays low homage to our Fleets;
Which still with all their Pride my Eyes can trace,
Winding the River to falute that Place
Which claims their just Obedience, and gives
To them that Succour it from them receives.
Here London fwelling, doth it felf present
So stately, and with fuch a huge extent,
That my fix'd Eye, with admiration fill'd,
Dwells on a View, that fuch a Scene doth yield
Of lofty Monuments, that rise fso high,
As if they would again the Heavens defy,
And make the Earth contiguous with the Sky.
Among the reft, contending for the Height,
Two the most eminent engage my Sight:

Both

Both with such state, and fuch a tow'ring rife,
As if they scorn'd the reach of humane Eyes;
But fwell'd with emulation would aspire
To be confum'd in Elemental Fire.
As Rival Statesmen, fcorning to abide
An Equal, often fink beneath their Pride.
In a more humble, yet a fweet Afcent,
The City's Fortress doth it felf present
Full in my Eye, and with an easier Face
(In all its compass Strength unites with Grace)
Diverts the horror of the former fight,
Rais'd by the Rival Spire's amazing height.
From hence our numerous Armies are fupply'd
With all their Stores, here William can provide
For greater Forces, nor would yet the Place
Appear exhaufted, but difclofe a face
Of vast surrounding War, to fhew our store
By him made endless, as our Ille fecure.
Here are the Regal Enfigns kept with care,
In folemn state, amidst the Pomp of War.
An Emblem of our Monarch's lofty Name,
Who has fo much surpass'd all Kings in Fame,
In Fields of Battel, and at home in Peace,
Born to Triumph, and make Disorder cease.
Nor does this famous Tower alone difclofe
Peculiar Wonders of our own, but shows
Variety of Creatures hither brought
By curious Men from Countries far remote,
As Presents fit for Kings, who here maintain
The Captive Beafts, fuch as the Lybian Plain,
And Defarts of wild Africk once obey'd

As Lords of all their Waft, and barb'rous Shade.
Till Men by Stratagem their Power controul'd,
And dar'd to feize them in their strongest Hold.
Now my unfteddy Eye removing flys
O'er all the lofty Buildings, and espies

Beyond their wide Extent a fpacious Hill,
Whose gentle rife, and fruitful fides reveal
A beauteous Profpect, and whofe tow'ring height
Looks o'er the stately Town, and bounds my fight.
Its lofty Top feems level with the Sky,
Affording Wonder, as it gives me Joy :
Whilft o'er its wide, extended face is feen
Perpetual Bloom, and ever-fpringing Green.

* In allusion to Sir John Denham.

*O could I rife like thee, and make thy Height

The graceful Measure of my Mufe's
flight!

Bounded tho wide, tho mild, yet full of state,
High without Force, without afpiring Great.
Here, Hamfted, I should dwell upon thy Praise,
Search all thy Beauties, and delight to gaze
Upon thy Face, could but my lab'ring Eyes
Preferve their Vigour, and avoid Surprize.
But fuch thy Distance is, and fuch thy Grace,
That dazled with thy Luftre, and the Space
That lies between, my ftrain'd o'er-burden'd fight
Is forc'd to lose thy Beauty, and thy Height.
But fo furrounded is the lovely Hill,

Whereon I stand, with Perspectives that fill
My Eyes with Admiration and Delight,
That wherefoe'er I turn, I please my fight
With fome new Profpect, fuch Variety,
Such mixture of Extremes in all I fee,
Of Joy and Wonder, that my ravish'd Eyes
Defcry throughout a perfect Paradife.

But that which most delights me, is that pair
Of Groves, where all that's pleasant, sweet, or fair
In Art or Nature, doth oblige my fight,
And where a Maze of Walks might well invite
The God of Love to keep his amorous Court,
His wanton Revels, and his Midnight Sport.

The

The Muses too with all their Train might here
Indulge their Thoughts apart, nor interfere
With other Paftime, but apply their Trade,
Tune all their Harps, and court Apollo's Aid.
Then in a critical well-chofen Hour,

The God infpiring, ufe his offer'd Power.
O happy Groves, that thus may conscious prove
Of Heavenly Numbers, and Celestial Love!
Here, various Dames we fee, divinely bright,
Walk in these Shades, when Time and Air invite.
Doom'd to difquiet we their steps pursue,
And unprepar'd feel Wounds at every view.
But O! Aurelia fhoots the keenest Dart, (Heart.
Which not my Senfe alone, but pierces thro my
As in the Groves of lofty Cynthus, when

Diana walks with all her fhining Train

To feek fome cool Retreat, each lovely Maid
Reflects a thoufand Graces thro the Shade.
The Goddess by her Stature, Shape, and Air,
Majestically tall, proportion'd, fair,
Surpaffes all the reft: fuch here we fee
Aurelia, when he leads her Company
Within the Groves of this delightful Hill;
So doth she shine, fuch Excellence reveal.

O lovely Greenwich, how dost thou furprize
Our Souls with Wonder, and with Joy our Eyes!
Thy num'rous different Beauties to reherfe
Requires the strength of more exalted Verfe.
Fain would I trace them, but my stock of Art
Is unproportion'd to the willing part.
Yet fure 'twere stupid to forget to name
The Ranger of thy Park, fo high in Fame.
DORSET the Patron, and the Rule of Wit,
The Nation's Honour, and the Court's Delight:
The Soul of Goodnefs, and the Spring of Senfe,
The Poet's Theme, Reward, and Great Defence.