Grav'd on his urn appear'd the moon, that guides
His fwelling waters, and alternate tides;
The figur'd ftreams in waves of filver roll'd,
And on her banks Augufta rose in gold.
Around his throne the fea-born brothers ftood, 335
Who fwell with tributary urns his flood!
Firft the fam'd authors of his ancient name,
The winding Ifis and the fruitful Tame:
The Kennet fwift, for filver eels renown'd;
The Loddon flow, with verdant alders crown'd;
Cole, whofe dark ftreams his flow'ry iflands lave;
And chalky Wey, that rolls a milky wave:
The blue, tranfparent Vandalis appears;
The gulphy Lee his fedgy treffes rears;
And fullen Mole, that hides his diving flood; 345
And filent Darent, ftain'd with Danish blood.
High in the midft, upon his urn reclin'd,
(His fea-green mantle waving with the wind)
The God appear'd: he turn'd his azure eyes
Where Windfor-domes and pompous turrets rife;
Then bow'd and fpoke; the winds forget to roar,
And the hush'd waves glide foftly to the shore.
349
354
Hail, facred Peace! hail long-expected days, That Thames's glory to the stars shall raise! Tho' Tyber's ftreams immortal Rome behold, Tho' foaming Hermus fwells with tides of gold, From heav'n itself tho' fev'n-fold Nilus flows, And harvests on a hundred realms bestows;
360
Thefe now no more fhall be the Mufe's themes,
Loft in my fame, as in the fea their streams.
Let Volga's banks with iron fquadrons fhine,
And groves of lances glitter on the Rhine,
Let barb'rous Ganges arm a fervile train ;
Be mine the bleffings of a peaceful reign.
No more my fons fhall die with British blood
Red Iber's fands, or Ifter's foaming flood:
Safe on my fhore each unmolefted fwain
Shall tend the flocks, or reap the bearded grain;
The fhady empire fhall retain no trace
Of war or blood, but in the sylvan chace; 370
The trumpet fleep, while chearful horns are blown,
And arms employ'd on birds and beafts alone.
Behold! th' afcending Villa's on my fide,
Project long fhadows o'er the crystal tide.
Behold! Augufta's glitt'ring fpires increase,
And Temples rife, the beauteous works of Peace.
I fee, I fee, where two fair cities bend
Their ample bow, a new Whitehall ascend!
375
VARIATIONS.
VER. 361. Originally thus in the MS.
Let Venice boaft her Tow'rs amidst the Main,
Where the rough Adrian fwells and roars in vain;
Here not a Town, but fpacious Realm shall have
A fure foundation on the rolling wave.
NOTES.
375. And Temples rife,] The fifty new Churches.
There mighty Nations fhall enquire their doom, The World's great Oracle in times to come; €80 There Kings shall fue, and fuppliant States be feen Once more to bend before a BRITISH QUEEN.
Thy trees, fair Windfor! now fhall leave their woods,
And half thy forefts rufh into thy floods,
Bear Britain's thunder, and her Crofs difplay, 385
To the bright regions of the rifing day;
Tempt icy feas, where fcarce the waters roll,
Where clearer flames glow round the frozen Pole;
Or under fouthern fkies exalt their fails,
Led by new ftars, and borne by fpicy gales!
For me the balm fhall bleed, and amber flow,
The coral redden, and the ruby glow,
The pearly fhell its lucid globe infold,
And Phoebus warm the rip'ning ore to gold.
The time shall come, when free as feas or wind
Unbounded Thames fhall flow for all mankind,
394
VARIATIONS.
VER. 383, etc. were originally thus:
Now shall our fleets the bloody Cross display
To the rich regions of the rifing day,
Or thofe green ifles, where headlong Titan fteeps
His hiffing axle in th' Atlantic deeps:
Tempt icy feas, etc.
NOTES.
VER. 396. Unbounded Thames, etc.] A wish that London may be made a FREE PORT.
399
Whole nations enter with each swelling tide,
And feas but join the regions they divide;
Earth's diftant ends our glory fhall behold,
And the new world launch forth to feek the old.
Then fhips of uncouth form fhall stem the tide,
And feather'd people croud my wealthy fide,
And naked youths and painted chiefs admire
Our fpeech, our colour, and our strange attire!
Oh ftretch thy reign, fair Peace! from shore to shore,
'Till Conqueft ceafe, and Slav'ry be no more; 406
'Till the freed Indians in their native groves
Reap their own fruits, and woo their fable loves,
Peru once more a race of Kings behold,
And other Mexico's be roof'd with gold.
Exil'd by thee from earth to deepest hell,
In brazen bonds, fhall barb'rous Discord dwell;
Gigantic Pride, pale Terror, gloomy Care,
And mad Ambition fhall attend her there :
There purple Vengeance bath'd in gore retires, 415
Her weapons blunted, and extinct her fires:
There hateful Envy her own fnakes shall feel,
And Perfecution mourn her broken wheel:
There Faction roar, Rebellion bite her chain,
And gafping Furies thirst for blood in vain.
420 Here cease thy flight, nor with unhallow'd lays Touch the fair fame of Albion's golden days:
IMITATIONS.
VER. 421, Quo, Musa, tendis ? define pervicax
The thoughts of Gods let GRANVILLE's verfe recite,
And bring the scenes of op'ning fate to light;
My humble Muse, in unambitious ftrains,
Paints the green forefts and the flow'ry plains,
Where Peace defcending bids her olives fpring,
And scatters bleffings from her dove-like wing,
Ev'n I more sweetly pafs my careless days,
Pleas'd in the filent fhade with empty praife;
Enough for me, that to the lift'ning fwains
Firft in these fields I fung the fylvan strains.
IMITATIONS.
Referre fermones Deorum et
Magna modis tenuare parvis.
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