.192. Their batter'd admiral too foon withdrew, Unthank'd by ours for his unfinish'd fight, But he the minds of his Dutch mafters knew, Who call'd that providence which we call'd flight. 193. Never did men more joyfully obey, Or fooner understood the fign to fly : With fuch alacrity they bore away, As if to praise them, all the states stood by. .194. O famous leader of the Belgian fleet, Thy monument inscrib'd fuch praise shall wear, As Varro timely flying once did meet, Because he did not of his Rome despair, 195. Behold that navy, which a while before, Provok'd the tardy English close to fight: Whoe'er would English monuments furvey, Or if too bufily they will enquire Into a victory, which we difdain ; 198. Repenting England this revengeful day G .199. Our fathers bent their baneful industry, .200. In fortune's empire blindly thus we go, Whose dark reforts fince prudence cannot know, 201. But whate'er English to the blefs'd shall go, 202. Now on their coafts our conquering navy rides, Waylays their merchants, and their land befets; Each day new wealth without their care provides; They lie afleep with prizes in their nets. 203. So close behind fome promontory lie The huge leviathans to attend their prey; And give no chace, but swallow in the frie, Which through their gaping jaws mistake the way. 204. Nor was this all: in ports and roads remote, And out bound fhips at home their voyage end. 205. Thofe various fquadrons variously defign'd, 206. Some 206. Some bound for Guiney golden fand to find, 207. Some English wooll vex'd in a Belgian loom, 208. Our greedy feamen rummage every hold, Smile on the booty of each wealthier cheft; 209. But ah! how infincere are all our joys! Which fent from heaven, like lightning make no ftay: Their palling tafte the journey's length deftroys, Or grief fent poft o'ertakes them on the way. 210. Swell'd with our late fucceffes on the foe, Which France and Holland wanted power to crofs, We urge an unfeen fate to lay us low, And feed their envious eyes with English lofs. 211. Each element his dread command obeys, 212. Yet London, emprefs of the northern clime, 213. As when fome dire ufurper heaven provides, 214. Till fully ripe his fwelling fate breaks out, Such was the rife of this prodigious fire, Which in mean buildings first obfcurely bred, The diligence of trades and noifeful gain, 217. In this deep quiet from what fource unknown, 218. Then in fome clofe-pent room it crept along, 219. Now like fome rich or mighty murderer, Too great for prifon, which he breaks with gold; Who fresher for new mischiefs does appear, And dares the world to tax him with the old : 220. So 220. So fcapes th' infulting fire his narrow jail, 221. The winds like crafty courtezans with-held His flames from burning, but to blow them more: And every fresh attempt he is repell'd With faint denials weaker than before. 222. And now no longer letted of his prey, 223. The ghofts of traitors from the bridge descend, About the fire into a dance they bend, And fing their fabbath notes with feeble voice. Our guardian angel faw them where they fate 225. At length the crackling noife and dreadful blaze 226. The next to danger, hot purfu'd by fate, Half-cloth'd, half-naked, haftily retire: And frighted mothers ftrike their breafts too late, G 3 227. Their |