But William's glory gives the river force,
Bids him take place, and dignifies his course;
Through tracts of land the tawny Shannon roars,
Ten thousand villas grace his verdant shores.
Naiads and nereids mix'd prefent the knee,
And bend to Amphitrite's majefty.

So, maids of honour, eager to be feen,
Affecting duty, prefs about a queen;

They frifk, they bound throughout the fea-green hall,

Blyth as terrestrial nymphs to grace a ball.

Upon a throne of pearls the goddess sate, While fea-calves cring'd like minifters of state; God of the winds, great olus was there, But bade each furly tempeft disappear; The milder gales, like courtiers, had access, And fann'd the throne with fycophant addrefs. The fouthern breezes on the ocean play, And Zephyr curl'd the furface of the bay: Around the mermaids wring their dripping locks, And tuneful fyrens wake the neighb'ring rocks. Arion behold upon a dolphin rides,

And with melodious mufic fmooths the tides; Th'enormous whale fhoves his huge bulk along, And, like a floating ifle attends the fong.

Pleas'd with his guests the ruling pow'r surveys, The vaft inhabitants of floods and feas

Then

Then thus bespoke them with an eye ferene: "This is the annual day which gave a queen "To Neptune's realms.-The day in pleasure wafte,

"And crown my board with elegance and taste."

He spoke, and wav'd his trident as a wand, When lo! the fifh of fea, of lake, of pond, Present themselves to grace the royal feast, Or please the various gout † of ev'ry gueft; Their fov'reign's banquet all with pleasure fill, Not, like some flaves, devour'd against their will. The pike forgets his hunger and his prey, And preffes to be dish'd on such a day; The fav'ry lobfter crawls to greet his king, And river trout their leffer off'ring bring. The curdy falmon fwims with eager hafte, And quits her fry to crown the rich repaft; E'en oysters too their pearly shells would show, But what's the will without the pow'r to go? So men of genius, cramp'd by fortune's fhell, Forbid to act, can never merit well; While fubtle knaves officious to be great, Push without genius, and arrive at state.

† Tafe.

J. A.

C 2

The

The fubject of the following fragment, is the recital of a melancholy circumstance, which is faid to have happened at the battle of Shrewfbury, which H. Percy, furnamed Hotspur, loft (together with his life) to king Henry IV. and his fon. The event is uncommon, and ferves to fet forth the horrors of civil wars.

WHERE wide Salopia's fertile plains extend,
And circling Severn bids her waters bend,

When the fourth Henry England's fceptre sway'd,
Young Emma liv'd a fair and virtuous maid :
Sweet was her breath as rofes newly blown,
Such was her form, as Venus felf might own;
So gently fram'd, fo innocently gay,
She charm'd all eyes, and ftole all hearts away.
But one alone, of all the noble train

That fought her hand, her favour could obtain:
Edwin his name, rich, young, and nobly bold;
With paffing art each tender tale he told;
Her fire and brother to his fuit gave ear,
And blushing Emma faw her nuptials near ;

When

When angry Percy, in an evil hour,
Defy'd his king, and rais'd a mighty pow'r ;
And on the Severn's banks refolv'd to dare
Great Henry and his youthful heir to war.
Her father, Morcar (once a valiant knight)
Now, worn with age, abftain'd from fields of :
fight;

Yet for his king he rous'd his fon to arms,
Experienc'd Edwin, train'd to war's alarms :
But Edwin, now engag'd on Percy's fide,
At Morcar's hands in vain demands his bride;
Till, by furprize, beneath the night's dim fhade,
He to the camp convey'd the lovely maid.
For him her father, brother, glad fhe leaves,
And, ere the fight, his proffer'd vows receives.

The battle join'd, amid' that scene of blood,
A blooming warriour by his fide she stood;
Now fits his armour with officious cares,
Now for his fafety wearies heav'n with pray'rs.
Amaz'd her foes furvey the warlike bride,
And turn their half defcending fwords afide.

But now the prince, whose fate in after days,
Defign'd his country's name in arms to raise,
Glowing with rage, preferring fame to life,
Singl❜d forth Edwin in the fatal ftrife;

Nor Emma here the field inglorious fled,
Thrice twang'd her bow, and thrice her fhafts

T

The fped:

C 3

But

But vain her aid, her lover's valour vain,

By furious Monmouth ftretch'd upon the plain;
And here one fate two faithful hearts had join'd,
In death united, as in life combin'd;
But gallant Percy, threat'ning from afar,
Gloomy and dreadful, rufh'd amid the war,
Referv'd her from the victor's threat'ning dart,
And aim'd a deadly jav'lin at his heart :

The fpear no paffage thro' his buckler found, But o'er his fhoulder fix'd a ghaitly wound; With heavy eyes, that fhot forth gloomy fires, He drops his lance, and from the fight retires.

Now low in earth had England's hope been laid, But Edred haften'd timely to his aid; With eager fpeed before the prince he prefs'd, Oppos'd the steel, and felt it in his breaft; Unhappy Emma faw her brother flain, And her lov'd Edwin on the hoftile plain. The pitying Percy fought to footh her care, And bore her fainting from the ranks of war; Forc'd from her grafp her lover's fatal fword, Which elfe had given her paffage to her lord. "When we return (faid he) with glory crown'd, "To heal thy woes shall some relief be found; "Unbounded joy fhall bid complaining cease, "And fpeak thy woe-fraught bofom into peace." In vain, alas; the prince returns no more, Stretch'd on the fedgy Severn's naked fhore,

Condemn'd