CLXIX. CLXXXII. Designing, subtle, diligent, and cloe, The Belgians hop'd that, with disorder'd hafte, They knew to manage war with wise delay: Our deep-cut keels upon the sands might run: Yet all those arts their van.cy did cross, Or if with caution leisurely were part, CLXXXIII. Ard swelling tide that heav'd them from below, The combat row by courage must be try'd, O'er the blind Hats our warlike squadrons move, And the success the braver nation Mow. And with spread fails to welcome battle go. CLXXXIV. Which in the Straighits lait winter was abroad; With all his lots of waters at command, CLXXXV. Old expert Allen, loyal all along, To the pale foes they suddenly draw rear, Fam'd for his action on the Smyrna fleet : And summon them to unexpected fight : CLXXXVI. Who first bewitch'. our eyes with Guinea gold The midmost battles hastening up behind : Who vieiv far off the storm of falling Neet, And hear the.r thunder rattling in the wind. CLXXXVII. Wtoin his high courage to commard had brought: The two bold champions of each country's right: CLXXXVIII. The distance judg'dor Mhot of every size, Eorn, Ca far like, to write and act great deeds : The lirftocs touchi, the ponderous ball expires : Impatient to revenge his fatal Mot, The vigorous seaman every port- liole plies His right hand doubly to his lett succeeds. And adds his heart to every gun he fires ! CLXXVI. CLXXXIX. Thousands were there in darker same that dwell, Fierce was the fight on the proud Belgians side, Whose deeds some robler poem thall arorn: For horour, which they sel om fought be sore : And though to me unknown, they sure lought well, But now they by their own vain toasts were tyd, Whom Rupert led, and who were Britis born. And forc'd at least in Mew to prize it more. CLXXVII. CxC. Of every size an hundred fighting fail, But Marp remembrance on the Englis part, And Name of leing match'd by such a soe, CXCI. That heaven and earth and the wide ocean rings Which did evo generals' fates, and Cæsar's bear : CXCII. And durft rot bide it on the Englith coast : l'nthank'd hy ours for his unfinish'd fight; CXCIII. Or soorer understood the sign to fly : With such alacrity they bore away, CXCIV. O famous leader of the Belgian feet, She issues forth and runs along her loom : Thy monument inscrib'd such praise Thall wear, She joys to touch the captive in her net, As Varro timely flying once d.d meet, Our fathers bent their baneful industry, In fortune's empire blindly thus we go, Fut whate'er English to the blefs'd fhall go, And him detefting a Batavian fleet. CCHI. Now on their coafts our conquering navy rides, So close behind fome promontory le The huge leviathans t' attend their prey; Nor was this all; in ports and roads remote, CCVII. Some English wool vex'd in a Belgian loom, Our greedy feamen rummage every hold, Smile on the Footy of each wealthier cheft; But ah! how infincere are all our joys! Their palling tafte the journey's length destroys, CCX. Swell'd with our late fucceffes on the foe, We urge an unfeen fate to lay us low, And feed their envious eyes with English lofs. CCXI. Each element his dread command obeys, So now he with another pulls us down. Yet, London, emprefs of the northern clime, CCXIII. As when fome dire ufurper heaven provides, CCXIV. Till, fully ripe, his fwelling tate breaks out, Such was the rife of this prodigious fire, The diligence of trade and roifeful gain, And luxury more late, afleep were laid: CCXVII. In this deep quiet, from what fource unkrown, CCXVIII. Then in fome close pent room it crept along, CCXIX. Now like fome rich or mighty murderer, Too great for prifon which he breaks with gold; Who fresher for new mifchiefs does appear, And dares the world to tax him with the old: CCXX. So fcapes th' infulting fire his narrow jail, And makes fmall outlets into open air : There the fierce winds his tender force affail, And beat him downward to his first repair. CCXXI. 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. CCXXII. And row no longer letted of his prey, The ghofts of traitors from the bridge defcend, CCXXIV. Our guardian angel faw them where they fate At length the crackling noife and dreadful blaze CCXXVI. The next to danger, hot pursued by fate, Half-cloath'd, half-naked, haftily retire: And frighted mothers ftrike their breafts too late, For helpless infants left amidft the fire. CCXXVII. Their cries foon waken all the dwellers near; Now murmuring noises rife in every street: The more remote run ftumbling with their fear, And in the dark men juftle as they meet. CCXXVIII. So weary bees in little cells repofe; But if night-robbers lift the well-ftor'd hive, An humming through their waxen city grows, And out upon each other's wings they drive. CCXXXI. A key of fire ran all along the shore, And lighten'd all the river with a blaze: And wondering fish in shining waters gaze. Old father Thames rais'd up his reverend head, And thrunk his waters back into his urn CCXXXIII. The fire, mean-time, walks in a broader grofs; At first they warm, then fcorch, and then they take CCXXXV. To every robler portion of the town The curling billows roll their reftlefs tide! One mighty fquadron, with a fide-wind fped, CCXXXVII. go, Another backward to the Tower would CCXXXVIII. Now day appears, and with the day the king, And fhrieks of fubjects pierce his tender breaft CCXXXIX. Near as he draws, thick harbingers of fioke CCXL. More than his guards his forrows made him known, CCXLI. He wept the flames of what he lov'd fo well, Nor with an idle care did he behold Subjects may grieve, but monarchs may redress; He chears the fearful, and commends the bold, And makes despairers hope for good fuccefs. CCXLIII. Himfelf directs what first is to be done, And orders all the fuccours which they bring: He fees the dire contagion fpread fo fast, That country, which would elfe the foe maintain. The powder blows up all before the fire: Th' amazed flames ftand gather'd on a heap; And from the precipice's brink retire, Afraid to venture on fo large a leap. CCXLVI. Thus fighting fires a while themfelves confume, And o'er the breach in unctuous vapours fly. Part ftay for paffage, till a gust of wind Ships o'er their forces in a fhining sheet: Thus to fome defert plain, or old wood-fide, Or fweep in clouds above the blafted ground. CCXLIX. No help avails: for, hydra-like, the fire Lifts up his hundred heads to aim his way: And scarce the wealthy can one half retire, Before he rushes in to fhare the prey. CCL. The rich grow fuppliant, and the poor grow proud: Thofe offer mighty gain, and these ask more: So void of pity is th' ignoble crowd, When others ruin may increase their store. CCLI. As thofe who live by fhores with joy behold CCLII. So thefe but wait the owners last despair, And what's permitted to the flames invade; Ev'n from their jaws they hungry morfels tear, And on their backs the fpoils of Vuican lade. CCLIII. The days were all in this loft labour spent; And fo fhone ftill in his reflective light. Night came, but without darkness or repose, CCLV. Those who have homes, when home they do repair, Those who have rone, fit round where once it was, Some ftir up coals and watch the vestal fire, The moft in fields like herded beafts lie down, While by the motion of the flames they guefs No thought can eafe them but their fovereign's care, CCLXI. Mean-time he fadly fuffers in their grief, Out-weeps an hermit, and out-prays a faint : All the long night he studies their relief, How they may be fuppli'd, and he may want. CCLXII. O God, faid he, thou patron of my days, Guide of my youth in exile and diftrefs! Be thou my judge, with what unweary'd care And stop the issues of their wafting blood. CCLXIV. Thou who haft taught me to forgive the ill, And recompenfe as friends the good mified; If mercy be a precept of thy will, Return that mercy on thy fervant's head. CCLXV. Or if my heedlefs youth has step'd astray, We all have finn'd, and thou haft laid us low, CCLXVII. O let it be enough what thou haft done; The living few, and frequent funerals then, O país not, Lord, an abfolute decree, And in that forefight this thy doom recal. Thy threatenings, Lord, as thine thou may'ft revoke: And let not foreign foes opprefs thy land. Th' Eternal heard, and from the heavenly quire The bleffed minifter his wings display'd, And like a shooting star he cleit the night: The fugitive flames chaftis'd went forth to prey The wanting orphans faw with watery eyes, Nor could thy fabric, Paul's, defend thee long, And poets fongs the Theban walls could raise. The daring flames peep'd in, and faw from far Now down the narrow streets it swiftly came, If only ruin must enlarge our way. And now four days the fun had seen our woes : CCLXXIX. In th' empyrean heaven, the blefs'd abode, At length th' Almighty caft a pitying eye, An hallow crystal pyramid he takes, And hoods the flames that to their quarry drove. The vanquifh'd fires withdraw from every place, CCLXXXIII. Our king this more than natural change beholds; To the All-good his lifted hands he folds, As when sharp frosts had long constrain'd the earth' CCLXXXV. By fuch degrees the fpreading gladness grew The father of the people open'd wide His ftores, and all the poor with plenty fed: Thus God's ano.nted God's own place fupply'd, And fiil'd the empty with his daily bread. CCLXXXVII. This royal Founty brought its own reward, 'Tis but with tear the fight might drive him CCLXXXVIII CCLXXXIX. They have not loft their loyalty by fire; Nor is their courage or their wealth fo low, CCXC. Or with more vigour to rebuild it went. |