Not quitting thy fupreme command,

Thou held'ft the rudder with a steady hand,

Till fafely on the shore the bark did land:
The bark that all our blessings brought,

Charg'd with thyfelf and James, a doubly royal fraught.

XIV.

Oh frail eftate of human things,

And flippery hopes below!

Now to our coft your emptiness we know :

For 'tis a leffon dearly bought,

Affurance here is never to be fought.

The beft, and beft-belov'd of kings,

And beft deferving to be fo,

When scarce he had efcap'd the fatal blow
Of faction and conspiracy,

Death did his promis'd hopes deftroy :

He toil'd, he gain'd, but liv'd not to enjoy.
What mifts of Providence are these
Through which we cannot fee!

So faints, by fupernatural power fet free,
Are left at last in martyrdom to die;

Such is the end of oft-repeated miracles.
Forgive me, heaven, that impious thought,
'Twas grief for Charles, to madness wrought,

That queftion'd thy fupreme decree!

Thou didst his gracious reign prolong,
Ev'n in thy faints and angels wrong,
His fellow-citzens of immortality:
For twelve long years of exile borne,

Twice twelve we number'd fince his bleft return:

So

So ftrictly wert thou just to pay,

Ev'n to the driblet of a day.

Yet ftill we murmur and complain,

The quails and manna should no longer rain ;
Thofe miracles 'twas needless to renew;

The chofen flock has now the promis'd land in view.
XV.

A warlike prince afcends the regal state,
A prince long exercis'd by fate :

Long may he keep, though he obtains it late!
Heroes in heaven's peculiar mold are caft,

They and their poets are not form'd in haste ;
Man was the first in God's design, and man was made
the laft.

Falfe heroes, made by flattery fo,

Heaven can strike out, like sparkles, at a blow;

But ere a prince is to perfection brought,

He cofts Omnipotence a fecond thought.
With toil and sweat,

With hardening cold, and forming heat,
The Cyclops did their ftrokes repeat,
Before th' impenetrable shield was wrought.
It looks as if the Maker would not own
The noble work for his,

Before 'twas try'd and found a mafter-piece.

XVI.

View then a monarch ripen'd for a throne.

Alcides thus his race began,

O'er infancy he swiftly ran;

The future God at first was more than man:

Dangers and toils, and Juno's hate

Ev'n o'er his cradle lay in wait;

And there he grappled first with fate:

In his young hands the hiffing fnakes he preft,
So early was the Deity confest ;

Thus by degrees he rofe to Jove's imperial feat;
Thus difficulties prove a foul legitimately great.
Like his, our hero's infancy was try'd;
Betimes the Furies did their fnakes provide;
And to his infant arms oppofe

His father's rebels, and his brother's foes;
The more oppreft, the higher ftill he rofe:
Thofe were the preludes of his fate,
That form'd his manhood, to fubdue
The hydra of the many-headed hiffing crew.

XVII.

As, after Numa's peaceful reign,
The martial Ancus did the fcepter wield,
Furbish'd the rusty sword again,
Refum'd the long-forgotten fhield,
And led the Latins to the dufty field;
So James the drowsy genius wakes
Of Britain long entranc'd in charms,
Reftiff and flumbering on its arms :

'Tis rous'd, and with a new-ftrung nerve, the fpear already fhakes.

No neighing of the warrior steeds,

No drum, or louder trumpet, needs

T'infpire the coward, warm the cold,

His voice, his fole appearance makes them bold.

Gaul

Gaul and Batavia dread th' impending blow;

Too well the vigour of that arm they know;

They lick the duft, and crouch beneath their fatal foe,
Long may they fear this awful prince,

And not provoke his lingering fword;
Peace is their only fure defence,

Their best security his word :

In all the changes of his doubtful state,
His truth, like heaven's, was kept inviolate,
For him to promife is to make it fate.

His valour can triumph o'er land and main;
With broken oaths his fame he will not stain;

With conqueft bafely bought, and with inglorious gain.

XVIII.

For once, O heaven, unfold thy adamantine book; And let his wondering fenate fee,

If not thy firm immutable decree,

At least the second page of strong contingency;
Such as confifts with wills originally free:
Let them with glad amazement look
On what their happiness may be :
Let them not ftill be obftinately blind,
Still to divert the good thou hast design'd,
Or with malignant penury,

To ftarve the royal virtues of his mind.

Faith is a chriftian's and a fubject's teft,

Oh give them to believe, and they are furely bleft.

They do; and with a distant view I fee

Th' amended vows of English loyalty.

An

And all beyond that object, there appears
The long retinue of a profperous reign,
A feries of fuccefsful years,

In orderly array, a martial, manly train.
Behold ev'n the remoter fhores,

A conquering navy proudly spread;
The British cannon formidably roars,
While, starting from his oozy bed,

Th' afferted ocean rears his reverend head;
To view and recognize his ancient lord again :
And, with a willing hand, reftores

The fafces of the main.

VENI

CREATOR SPIRITUS,

PARAPHRASED.

CREATOR fpirit, by whose aid

The world's foundations firft were laid,

Come vifit every pious mind;

Come pour thy joys on human kind;

From fin and forrow fet us free,

And make thy temples worthy thee.
O fource of uncreated light,
The Father's promised Paraclete!
Thrice holy fount, thrice holy fire,
Our hearts with heavenly love infpire;
Come, and thy facred unction bring
To fanctify us, while we fing.
Plenteous of grace, defcend from high,
Rich in thy fevenfold energy!

Thou