Troy long had found the Grecians bold and fierce, up their troops in verfe;
Long had Achilles quell'd the Trojans' lust,
And laid the labour of the Gods in dust,
Before the tow'ring Muse began her flight,
And drew the Hero raging in the fight,
Engag'd in tented fields, and rolling floods,
Or flaught'ring mortals, or a match for gods.
And here, perhaps, by fate's unerring doom, Some mighty bard lies hid in years to come, That shall in WILLIAM'S God-like acts engage, And with his battles warm a future age,
Hibernian fields shall here thy conquests show,
And Boyn be fung, when it has ceas'd to flow;
Here Gallic labours fhall advance thy fame,
And here Seneffe fhall wear another name.
Our late pofterity, with fecret dread,
Shall view thy battles, and with pleasure read
How, in the bloody field, too near advanc'd,
The guiltless bullet on thy fhoulder glanc'd.
The race of NASSAUS was by heav'n defign'd
To curb the proud oppreffors of mankind,
To bind the tyrants of the earth with laws,
And fight in ev'ry injur'd nation's caufe,
The world's great patriots; they for justice call,
And as they favour, kingdoms rife or fall.
Our British youth, unus'd to rough alarms,
Careless of fame, and negligent of arms,
Had long forgot to meditate the foe,
And heard unwarm'd the martial trumpet blow;
But now, infpir'd by thee, with fresh delight,
Their fwords they brandish, and require the fight,
Renew their ancient conquefts on the main,
And act their father's triumphs o'er again;
Fir'd, when they hear how Agincourt was ftrow'd
With Gallic corps, and Cressi (wam in blood,
With eager warmth they fight, ambitious all
Who first fhall storm the breach, or mount the wall.
In vain the thronging enemy by force
Would clear the ramparts, and repel their courfe;
They break through all,for WILLIAM leads the way,
Where fires rage most, and loudeft engines play.
Namure's late terrors and deftruction show,
What WILLIAM, warm'd with juft revenge, can do:
Where
Where once a thousand turrets rais'd on high
Their gilded fpires, and glitter'd in the sky,
An undistinguish'd heap of duft is found,
And all the pile lies fmoking on the ground.
His toils for no ignoble ends defign'd,
Promote the common welfare of mankind;
No wild ambition moves, but Europe's fears,
The cries of orphans, and the widow's tears:
Oppreft Religion gives the firft alarms,
And injur❜d Justice sets him in his arms;
His conquefts freedom to the world afford,
And nations bless the labours of his fword.
Thus when the forming Mufe wou'd copy forth A perfect pattern of heroic worth,
She fets a man triumphant in the field,
O'er giants cloven down, and monsters kill'd,
Reeking in blood, and fmeer'd with duft and fweat,
Whilft angry Gods confpire to make him great.
Thy navy rides on feas before unpreft,
And strikes a terror through the haughty Eaft;
Algiers and Tunis from their fultry shore
With horror hear the British engines roar,
Fain from the neighb'ring dangers wou'd they run,
And with themselves ftill nearer to the fun.
The Gallic fhips are in their ports confin'd,
Deny'd the common use of fea and wind,
Nor dare again the British ftrength engage;
Still they remember that deftructive rage
Which lately made their trembling host retire,
Stunn'd with the noise, and wrapt in smoke and fire;
The waves with wide unnumber'd wrecks were
ftrow'd,
[flow'd. And planks, and arms, and men, promifcuous
Spain's numerous fleet that perifh'd on our coaft,
Cou'd scarce a longer line of battle boast,
The winds could hardly drive 'em to their fate,
And all the ocean labour'd with the weight.
Where-e'er the waves in restless errors roll,
The fea lies open now to either pole:
Now may we fafely use the Northern gales,
And in the Polar Circle fpread our fails:
Or deep in Southern climes, fecure from wars,
New lands explore, and sail by other stars:
Fetch uncontroll'd each labour of the fun, And make the product of the world our own.
At length, proud Prince, ambitious Lewis, cease To plague mankind, and trouble Europe's peace; Think on the structures which thy pride has ras'd, On towns unpeopled, and on fields laid waste; Think on the heaps of corps, and ftreams of blood, On every guilty plain, and purple flood,
Thy arms have made, and cease an impious war,
Nor waste the lives intrufted to thy care.
Or if no milder thought can calm thy mind,
Behold the great avenger of mankind,
See mighty NASSAU through the battle ride,
And fee thy fubjects gafping by his fide:
Fain wou'd the pious Prince refuse th' alarm,
Fain wou'd he check the fury of his arm;
But when thy cruelties his thoughts engage,
The hero kindles with becoming rage,
Then countries ftol'n, and captives unrestor'd
Give strength to ev'ry blow, and edge his sword.
Behold with what refiftlefs force he falls
On towns befieg'd, and thunders at thy walls!
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