Though as when fiends did miracles avow,
He ftands confefs'd ev'n by the boastful Dutch :
He only does his conquest difavow,
And thinks too little what they found too much.
CXXXVIII.
Return'd, he with the fleet refolv'd to stay;
No tender thoughts of home his heart divide;
Domestic joys and cares he puts away;
For realms are housholds which the great must guide.
CXXXIX.
As those who unripe veins in mines explore,
On the rich bed again the warm turf lay,
Till time digests the yet imperfect ore,
And know it will be gold another day:
So looks our monarch on this early fight,
Th' effay and rudiments of great fuccefs :
Which all-maturing time must bring to light,
While he like heaven does each day's labour bless.
CXLI.
Heaven ended not the first or second day,
Yet each was perfect to the work design'd:
God and kings work, when they their work furvey,
A paffive aptness in all subjects find.
In burden'd veffels first with speedy care,
His plenteous ftcres do feafon'd timber send :
Thither the brawny carpenters repair,
And as the furgeons of maim'd ships attend.
With cord and canvafs from rich Hamburgh fent,
His navy's molted wings he imps once more:
Tall Norway fir, their masts in battle spent,
And English oak, fprung leaks and planks, reftore.
CXLIV.
All hands employ'd the royal work grows warm:
Like labouring bees on a long fummer's day,
Some found the trumpet for the reft to fwarm,
And fome on bells of tasted lilies play.
CXLV.
With glewy wax fome new foundations lay
Of virgin-combs which from the roof are hung:
Some arm'd within doors upon duty stay,
Or tend the fick, or educate the young.
CXLVI.
So here fome pick out bullets from the fides,
Some drive old okum through each seam and rift :
Their left hand does the calking iron guide,
The rattling mallet with the right they lift.
CXLVII.
With boiling pitch another near at hand,
From friendly Sweden brought, the feams inftops;
Which, well paid o'er, the falt fea waves withstand,
And shakes them from the rifing beak in drops.
CXLVIII.
Some the gall'd ropes with dawby marline bind,
Or fear-cloth mafts with ftrong tarpawling coats:
To try new fhrouds one mounts into the wind,
And one below their eafe or ftiffness notes.
Our careful monarch ftands in person by,
His new-caft cannons firmness to explore:
The strength of big-corn'd powder loves to try,
And ball and cartridge forts for every bore.
CL.
Each day brings fresh supplies of arms and men,
And ships which all last winter were abroad;
And fuch as fitted fince the fight had been,
Or new from stocks, were fallen into the road.
CLI.
The goodly London in her gallant trim,
The Phoenix, daughter of the vanish'd old,
Like a rich bride does to the ocean fwim,
And on her fhadow rides in floating gold.
CLII.
Her flag aloft spread ruffling to the wind,
And fanguine ftreamers feem the flood to fire:
The weaver, charm'd with what his loom design'd,
Goes on to fea, and knows not to retire.
With roomy decks, her guns of mighty strength,
Whofe low-laid mouths each mounting billow laves;
Deep in her draught, and warlike in her length,
She feems a fea-wafp flying on the waves.
CLIV.
This martial prefent, piously defign'd,
The loyal city give their beft-lov'd king: And with a bounty ample as the wind,
Built, fitted, and maintain'd, to aid him bring.
By viewing nature, nature's handmaid, art
Makes mighty things from fmall beginnings grow: Thus fishes firft to shipping did impart,
Their tail the rudder, and their head the prow.
CLVI.
Some log perhaps upon the waters swam,
An ufclefs drift, which rudely cut within,
And hollow'd firft a floating trough became,
And cross fome rivulet paffage did begin.
CLVII.
In fhipping fuch as this, the Irish kern,
And untaught Indian on the stream did glide :
Ere sharp-keel'd boats to stem the flood did learn,
Or fin-like oars did spread from either fide.
CLVIII.
Add but a fail, and Saturn fo appear'd,
When from loft empire he to exile went,
And with the golden age to Tyber steer'd,
Where coin and commerce first he did invent.
CLIX,
Rude as their fhips was navigation then;
No useful compass or meridian known ;
Coafting, they kept the land within their ken,
And knew no North but when the Pole-ftar fhone.
Of all who fince have us'd the open fea,
Than the bold English none more fame have won : Beyond the year, and out of heaven's high way, They make discoveries where they fee no fun.
But what fo long in vain, and yet unknown,
By poor mankind's benighted wit is fought,
Shall in this age to Britain first be shown,
And hence be to admiring nations taught.
CLXII.
The ebbs of tides and their myfterious flow,
We, as art's elements, fhall understand,
And as by line upon the ocean go,
Whofe paths fhall be familiar as the land.
CLXIII.
Inftructed ships fhall fail to quick commerce,
By which remoteft regions are ally'd;
Which makes one city of the universe;
Where fome may gain, and all may be supply'd.
CLXIV.
Then we upon our globe's last verge fhall go,
And view the ocean leaning on the sky :
From thence our rolling neighbours we shall know,
And on the lunar world fecurely pry.
This I foretell from your auspicious care,
Who great in fearch of God and nature grow;
Who beft your wife Creator's praife declare,
Since beft to praife his works is beft to know.
CLXVI.
O truly royal! who behold the law
And rule of beings in your maker's mind : And thence, like limbecs, rich ideas draw, To fit the level'd ufe of human-kind.
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