"At last the reeling monster, drunk with gore,
"Falls at thy feet fubdued, 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 shall pay : “Not Belgia, and the rescued isle alone, "But Europe shall her great deliverer own. "Rome's mighty grandeur was not more confeft, "When great Antonius travell'd through the Eaft, "And crowds of monarchs did each morning wait "With early homage at his palace gate.
"Hafte then, bright prince! thy Britain's tranfport
"Hafte to her arms, and make her bliss complete! "Whate'er glad news has reach'd her listening ear, "While her long-abfent lord provokes her fear, "Her joys are in fufpence, her pleasures unfincere. 95 "He comes, thy hero comes! O beauteous isle! "Revive thy genius with a cheerful smile! "Let thy rejoicing fons fresh palms prepare,
"To grace the trophies of the finish'd war;
“On high be hung the martial sword infheath'd, 100 "The fhield with ribbons drefs'd, and fpear with ivy "wreath'd!
"Let fpeaking paint in various tablets show
"Past scenes of battle to the crowd below!
"Round this triumphant pile, in ruftic dance,
"The shouting fwains shall hand in hand advance; 105
"The wealthy farmer from his toils fhall 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 shining train! "And fruitful plenty is restor'd again.”Apollo ceas'd.The Muses take the sound, From voice to voice th' harmonious notes rebound, And echoing lyres tranfmit the volant fugue
Meanwhile the fteady 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 ftand,
And press to see their welcome fovereign land: 120
At his approach, unruly transport reigns
In every breast, and rapture fires their veins.
A general fhout fucceeds, as when on high
Exploded thunder rends the vaulted sky.
A fhort convulfion shakes the solid fhore,
And rocks th' adjacent deep, unmov'd before;
Loud acclamations through the valleys ring,
While to Augufta's wall the crowd 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 fpectator's entering steps receives,
Where curious works in twifted ftems are feen
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 senses with delight,
Sweet to the ear, and fplendid to the fight.
Marble the floor, enrich'd with native stains
Of various dye, and streak'd with azure veins.
Ev'n emulous art with nature seems to strive,
And the carv'd figures almost 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 crowds their pious thanks express,
For Peace reftor'd, and Heaven's indulgence bless. 150
Aufpicious ftructure! born in happy days,
Whose 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.
BEGIN, celeftial Mufe! a tuneful strain
Of Albion's prince conducted o'er the main ; Of courts conceal'd in waves, and Neptune's watery
Sing, from beneath, how the green deity
Rofe to the fovereign of the British sea;
To power confefs'd, the triple mace refign'd,
O'er-rul'd the floods, and charg'd the rebel wind;
Secur'd his paffage homeward, and restor❜d,
Safe to the lovelieft ifle, the best-lov'd lord.
The generous name of MONTAGUE has long
Been fam'd in verse, and grac'd the poet's song;
In verse, himself can happy wonders do,
The beft of patrons, and of poets too.
Amid the fkilful choir that court his ear,
If he vouchfafe these ruder lays to hear,
His bright example, while to him I fing,
Shall raife my feeble flight, and mount me on the wing.
On Albion's Eastern coast, an
O'erlooks the sea, to mariners well known ;
Where the fwift + Stourus ends his fnaky train,
And pays his watery tribute to the main
Stourus, whofe ftream, prolific as it glides,
Two fertile counties in its course divides,
And rolls to feaward with a lover's pace :
There beauteous Orwell meets his fond embrace ;
They mix their amorous ftreams, the briny tide
Receives them join'd; their crooked shores provide
A fpacious bay within, for anchor'd fhips to ride.
Here, on the margin of the rolling flood,
Divinely fair, like fea-born Venus, ftood
Britannia's genius, in a robe array'd
Of broider'd arms, and heraldry display'd:
A crown of cities charg'd her graceful brows;
In waving curls her hair luxuriant flows;
Celestial glories in her eyes are feen ;
Her ftature tall, majeftic is her mien.
With fuch a prefence, through th' adoring fkies
Shines the great parent of the deities;
Trains of attendant-gods around her chariot wait;
The mother-goddefs, with fuperior grace,
Such towery honours on her temples rise,
When, drawn by lions, the proceeds in state;
Surveys, and numbers o'er her bright immortal race.
+ The River Stoure, that runs between Suffolk and Effex.
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