Dryden. Smyth. Duke. King. Sprat. Halifax

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,
And by their pride their prudence did betray. Their numerous gross might charge us one by one
CLXX:

CLXXXIII.
Nor staid the English long; but well supply'd, But with a forewind puthing them above,
Appear as numerous as th' In:sulting 10€ :

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.
CLXXI.

CLXXXIV.
There was the Plymouth squadron row come in, It seem'd as there the Iritish Nept" ne flood,

Which in the Straighits lait winter was abroad; With all his lots of waters at command,
Which twice on Biscay's working bay bad been, Beneath them to submit th' officious food;
And on the midland fea the French had aw'd. Aud wiin his trident Mov'd them off the sand.
CLXXII.

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 :
And Holmes, wliofe name thall live in epic song, Th y start like murderers when ghosts appear,
While music numbers, or while verse has feet. And draw their curtains in the dead of night.
CLXXIII.

CLXXXVI.
Holmes, the Achates of the general's fight; Now van to van the foremost squadrons meet,

Who first bewitch'. our eyes with Guinea gold The midmost battles hastening up behind :
As once old Caso in the Roman righe

Who vieiv far off the storm of falling Neet,
The tempting fruits of Afric did unfold.

And hear the.r thunder rattling in the wind.
CLXXIV.

CLXXXVII.
With him went Sprag, as tourtiful as brave, At length the adverse admirals appear;

Wtoin his high courage to commard had brought: The two bold champions of each country's right:
Harman, who did the twice-fir'd Harry lave, Their eyes describe the litts as they come near,
And in his burning ship undaunted fought. And craw the lines of death before they fight.
CLXXV

CLXXXVIII.
Young Hollis on a Muse hy Mars berot,

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,
So valt the navy now at anchor rides,

And Name of leing match'd by such a soe,
That underneath it the press d waters fail, Rouze conicio's virtue up in every heart,
And with its weight it shoulders off the tides. And see, ning to be stronger makes them so.
CLXXVIII.

CXCI.
Nov anchors weigh'd the seamen Mout so Mrill, Nor long the Belgians could that feet sustain,

That heaven and earth and the wide ocean rings Which did evo generals' fates, and Cæsar's bear :
A beteze from westward waits their fails to fill, Each several tip a victory did gain,
And rests in those high beds his downy wings. As Rupert or as Albemarle were there.
CLXXIX.

CXCII.
The wary Dutch this gathering storm forekw, Their batter'd admiral too soon withdrew,

And durft rot bide it on the Englith coast : l'nthank'd hy ours for his unfinish'd fight;
Behind their treacherous Thallows they withdraw, But he the minds of his Dutch masters knew,
And there lay snares to catch the L'ritish host. Who cail'd that providence which we call'd fight.
CLXXX.

CXCIII.
So the false spider, when her ners are spread Never did men more joyfully obey,
Deep ambush'd in her filent den does lie:

Or soorer understood the sign to fly :
And feels far off the trembling of the thread,

With such alacrity they bore away,
Whose filmy cord should bind the Itruggling Ay. As if to praise them all the Sates stood by.
CLXXXI.

CXCIV.
Then if at lan ne find him faft beset,

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,
And drags the little wretch in triumph home. Because he did not of his Rome despair.

Our fathers bent their baneful industry,
To check a monarchy that flowly grew;
But did not France or Holland's fate forefee,
Whose rifing power to fwift dominion flew.
CC.

In fortune's empire blindly thus we go,
And wander after pathlefs deftiny;
Whofe dark reforts fince prudence cannot know,
In vain it would provide for what shall be
CCI.

Fut whate'er English to the blefs'd fhall go,
And the fourth Harry or first Orange meet;
Find him difowning of a Pourbon foe,

And him detefting a Batavian fleet.

CCHI.

Now on their coafts our conquering navy rides,
Waylays their merchants, and their land befets;
Fach day new wealth without their care provides;
They lie afleep with prizes in their nets.
CCIII.

So close behind fome promontory le

The huge leviathans t' attend their prey;
And give no chace, but fwallow in the fry,
Which through their gaping jaws mistake the way.
CCIV.

Nor was this all; in ports and roads remote,
Destructive fires an.ong whole fleets we fend;
Triumphant flames upon the water float,
And out-bound fhips at home their voyage end.

CCVII.

Some English wool vex'd in a Belgian loom,
And into cloth of fpungy foftness made,
Did into France or colder Denmark doom,
To ruin with worfe ware our staple trade.
CCVIII.

Our greedy feamen rummage every hold,

Smile on the Footy of each wealthier cheft;
And as the priests who with their gods make bold,
Take what they like, and facrifice the rest.
CCIX.

But ah! how infincere are all our joys!
Which, fent from heaven, like lightning make no
ftay:

Their palling tafte the journey's length destroys,
Or grief fent poft o'ertakes them on the way.

CCX.

Swell'd with our late fucceffes on the foe,
Which France and Holland wanted power to cross,

We urge an unfeen fate to lay us low,

And feed their envious eyes with English lofs.

CCXI.

Each element his dread command obeys,
Who makes or ruins with a smile or frown;
Who, as by one he did our nation raife,

So now he with another pulls us down.
CCXII.

Yet, London, emprefs of the northern clime,
By an high fate thou greatly didft expire;
Great as the world's, which, at the death of time,
Muft fall, and rife a nobler frame by fire.

CCXIII.

As when fome dire ufurper heaven provides,
To fcourge his country with a lawless sway;
His birth, perhaps, fome petty village hides,
And fets his cradle out of fortune's way.

CCXIV.

Till, fully ripe, his fwelling tate breaks out,
And hurries lum to mighty mifchiefs on;
His prince, furpriz'd at first, no ill could doubt,
And wants the power to meet it when 'tis known.
CCXV.

Such was the rife of this prodigious fire,
Which in mean buildings first obfcurely bred,
From thence did foon to open streets afpire,
And straight to palaces and temples spread,
CCXVI.

The diligence of trade and roifeful gain,

And luxury more late, afleep were laid:
All was the night's; and in her filent reign
No found the reft of nature did invade.

CCXVII.

In this deep quiet, from what fource unkrown,
Thofe feeds of fire their fatal birth difclofe;
And firft few fcattering fparks about were blown,
Big with the flames that to our ruin rofe.

CCXVIII.

Then in fome close pent room it crept along,
And fmouldering as it went, in filence fed;
Till th' infant monster with devouring strong,
Walk'd boldly upright with exalted head.

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,
He leaps up at it with enrag'd defire:
O'erlooks the neighbours with a wide survey,
And nods at every houfe his threatening fire.
CCXXIII.

The ghofts of traitors from the bridge defcend,
With bold fanatic fpectres to rejoice:
About the fire into a dance they bend,
And fing their fabbath notes with feeble voice.

CCXXIV.

Our guardian angel faw them where they fate
Above the palace of our flumbering king:
He figh'd, abandoning his charge to fate,
And drooping, oft look'd back upon the wing.
CCXXV.

At length the crackling noife and dreadful blaze
Call'd up fome waking lover to the fight;
And long it was ere he the reft could raife,
Whofe heavy eyelids yet were full of night.

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:
The waken'd tides began again to roar,

And wondering fish in shining waters gaze.
CCXXXII.

Old father Thames rais'd up his reverend head,
But fear'd the fate of Simois would return:
Deep in his ooze he fought his fedgy bed,

And thrunk his waters back into his urn

CCXXXIII.

The fire, mean-time, walks in a broader grofs;
To either hand his wings he opens wide:
He wades the ftreets, and ftraight he reaches cross,
And plays his longing flames on th' other fide.
CCXXXIV.

At first they warm, then fcorch, and then they take
Now with long necks from fide to fide they feed:
At length grown ftrong their mother-fire forfake,
And a new colony of flames fucceed.

CCXXXV.

To every robler portion of the town

The curling billows roll their reftlefs tide!
In parties now they ftraggle up and down,
As armies unoppos'd for prey divide.
CCXXXVI.

One mighty fquadron, with a fide-wind fped,
Through narrow lanes his cumber'd fire does hafte,
By powerful charms of gold and filver led,
The Lombard bankers and the Change to waste.

CCXXXVII.

go,

Another backward to the Tower would
And flowly eats his way against the wind:
But the main body of the marching foe
Against th' imperial palace is defign'd.

CCXXXVIII.

Now day appears, and with the day the king,
Whofe early care had robb'd him of his reft:
Far off the cracks of falling houfes ring,

And fhrieks of fubjects pierce his tender breaft

CCXXXIX.

Near as he draws, thick harbingers of fioke
With gloomy pillars cover all the place;
Whofe little intervals of night are broke
By fparks, that drive against his facred face.

CCXL.

More than his guards his forrows made him known,
And pious tears which down his cheeks did fhower:
The wretched in his grief orgot their own;
So much the pity of a king has power.

CCXLI.

He wept the flames of what he lov'd fo well,
And what fo well had merited his love;
For never prince in grace did more excel,
Or royal city more in duty ftrove.
CCXLII.

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:
The helpful and the good about him run,
And form an army worthy fuch a king.
CCXLIV.

He fees the dire contagion fpread fo fast,
That where it feizes all relief is vain :
And therefore muft unwillingly lay wafte

That country, which would elfe the foe maintain.
CCXLV.

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,
But ftraight like Turks forc'd on to win or die,
They first lay tender bridges of their fume,

And o'er the breach in unctuous vapours fly.
CCXLVII.

Part ftay for paffage, till a gust of wind

Ships o'er their forces in a fhining sheet:
Part creeping under ground their journey blind,
And climbing from below their fellows meet.
CCXLVIII.

Thus to fome defert plain, or old wood-fide,
Dire night-hags come from far to dance their round;
And o'er broad rivers on their fiends they ride,

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
Some wealthy veifel fplit or stranded nigh;
And from the rocks leap down for fhipwreck'd gold,
And feek the tempefts which the others fly:

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 when the weary king gave place to night,
His beams he to his royal brother lent,

And fo fhone ftill in his reflective light.
CCLIV.

Night came, but without darkness or repose,
A difmal picture of the general dcom;
Where fouls diftracted when the trumpet blows,
And half unready with their bodies come.

CCLV.

Those who have homes, when home they do repair,
To a laft lodging call their wandering friends:
Their fhort uneafy fleeps are broke with care,
To look how near their own deftruction tends.
CCLVI.

Those who have rone, fit round where once it was,
And with full eyes each wonted room require:
Haunting the yet warm afhes of the place,
As murder'd men walk where they did expire
CCLVII.

Some ftir up coals and watch the vestal fire,
Others in vain from fight of ruin run;
And while through burning labyrinths they retire,
With loathing eyes repeat what they would shups
CCLVIII.

The moft in fields like herded beafts lie down,
To dews obnoxious on the graffy floor;
And while their babes in fleep their forrows drown,
Sad parents watch the remnants of their flore.
CCLIX.

While by the motion of the flames they guefs
What streets are burning now, and what are near,
An infant waking to the paps would prefs,
And meets, instead of milk, a falling tear.
CCLX.

No thought can eafe them but their fovereign's care,
Whofe praife th' afflicted as their comfort fing:
Ev'n thofe, whom want might drive to just despair,
Think life a bleffing under such a king.

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!
Who me unfriended brought'ft by wondrous ways,
The kingdom of my fathers to poffefs :
CCLXIII.

Be thou my judge, with what unweary'd care
I fince have labour'd for my people's good;
To bind the bruifes of a civil war,

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,
Too foon forgetful of thy gracious hand;
On me alone thy juft difpleasure lay,
But take thy judgments from this mourning land.
CCLXVI.

We all have finn'd, and thou haft laid us low,
As humble earth from whence at first we came
Like flying fhades before the clouds we show,
And shrink like parchment in confuming flame.

CCLXVII.

O let it be enough what thou haft done;
When fpotted deaths ran arm'd through every street,
With poifon'd darts which not the good could thun,
The speedy could out-fly, or valiant meet.
CCLXVIII.

The living few, and frequent funerals then,
Proclaim'd thy wrath on this forfaken place :
And now thofe few who are return'd again,
Thy fearching judgments to their dwellings trace.
CCLXIX.

O país not, Lord, an abfolute decree,
Or bind thy fentence unconditional:
But in thy fentence our remorse forefee,

And in that forefight this thy doom recal.
CCLXX.

Thy threatenings, Lord, as thine thou may'ft revoke:
But if immutable and fix'd they stand,
Continue ftill thyself to give the ftroke,

And let not foreign foes opprefs thy land.
CCLXXI.

Th' Eternal heard, and from the heavenly quire
Chofe out the cherub with the flaming fword;
And bade him fwiftly drive th' approaching fire
From where our naval magazines were stor❜d.
CCLXXII.

The bleffed minifter his wings display'd,

And like a shooting star he cleit the night:
He charg'd the flames, and thofe that difobey'd
He lashed to duty with his fword of light.
CCLXXIII.

The fugitive flames chaftis'd went forth to prey
On pious structures, by our fathers rear'd';
By which to heaven they did affect the way,
Ere faith in churchmen without works was heard.
CCLXXIV.

The wanting orphans faw with watery eyes,
Their founders.charity in duft laid low;
And fent to God their ever-anfwer'd cries,
For he protects the poor, who made them fo.
CCLXXV.

Nor could thy fabric, Paul's, defend thee long,
Though thou wert facred to thy Maker's praife:
Though made immortal by a poet's fong;

And poets fongs the Theban walls could raise.
CCLXXVI.

The daring flames peep'd in, and faw from far
The awful beauties of the facred quire:
But, fince it was prophan'd by c.vil war,
Heaven thought it fit to have it purg'd by fire.
CCLXXVII.

Now down the narrow streets it swiftly came,
And widely opening did on both fides prey:
This benefit we fadly owe the flame,

If only ruin must enlarge our way.
CCLXXVIII.

And now four days the fun had seen our woes :
Four nights the moon beheld th' inceffant fire:
It feem'd as if the stars more fickly rose,
And farther from the feverish north retire.

CCLXXIX.

In th' empyrean heaven, the blefs'd abode,
The thrones and the dominions proftrate lie,
Not daring to behold their angry God;
And an hush'd filence damps the tuneful sky.
CCLXXX.

At length th' Almighty caft a pitying eye,
And mercy foftly touch'd his melting breast:
He faw the town's one half in rubbish lie,
And eager flames drive on to form the reft.
CCLXXXI.

An hallow crystal pyramid he takes,
In firmamental waters dipt at ove;
Of it a broad extinguisher he makes,

And hoods the flames that to their quarry drove.
CCLXXXII.

The vanquifh'd fires withdraw from every place,
Or full with feeding fink into a fleep:
Each houfhoid genius fhews again his face,
And from the hearths the little lares creep.

CCLXXXIII.

Our king this more than natural change beholds;
With fober joy his heart and eyes abound:

To the All-good his lifted hands he folds,
And thanks him low on his redeemed ground.
CCLXXXIV.

As when sharp frosts had long constrain'd the earth'
A kindly thaw unlocks it with cold rain;
And firft the tender blade pceps up to birth,
And straight the green fields laugh with promis'd
grain :

CCLXXXV.

By fuch degrees the fpreading gladness grew
In every heart which fear had froze before:
The standing streets with fo much joy they view,
That with lefs grief the perifh'd they deplore.
CCLXXXVI.

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,
And in their minds fo deep did print the fenfe;
That if the ruins fadly they regard,

'Tis but with tear the fight might drive him
thence.

CCLXXXVIII
But fo may he live long, that town to fway,
Which by his aufpice they will nobler inake,
As he will hatch their afhes by his stay,
And not their humble ruins now for fake.

CCLXXXIX.

They have not loft their loyalty by fire;

Nor is their courage or their wealth fo low,
That from his wars they poorly would retire,
Or beg the pity of a vanquish'd foe.

CCXC.
Not with more conftancy the Jews, of old
By Cyrus from rewarded exile fent,
Their royal city did in duft behold,

Or with more vigour to rebuild it went.

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