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WTSCRELANIEL In dangers imminent, till the arrives At those blest climes thou favour'st with thy presence. Whether at Lufitania's sultry coaft, Pr lufty Teneriff, Palmo, Ferro, Provence, or at the Celtiberian shores, With gazing pleafure and aftonifhnient,

75 At Paradise (feat of our ancient fire) He thinks himself arriv'd: the purple grapes, In largest clusters pendant, grace the yines Innumerous: in fields grotesque and wild, They with implicit curls the oak entwine, And load with fruit divine his spreading boughs; Sight most delicious! not an islcome thought, Or of lefr native ille, or absent friends, Or dearest wise, or tender fucking babe, His kindly treachirous mem'ry now presents; The jovial God has left no room for cares.

Celestial Liquor! thou that didst inspire Maro and Flaccus, and the Grecian bard, With lofty numbers, and heroick ftrains Unparallelld, with eloquence profound, And arguments convidive, didit enforce Famid Tally, and Demofthenes renown'd: Ennius*, firit fam'd in Latin fong, in vain Drew Hieliconian streamas, ungrateful whet Tojaded Mufe, and oft', with vain attempt, 95

83

90

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Heroick ads, in flagging numbers dull,
With pains efsay’d; but, abject ftill and low,
His unrecruited Muse could never reach
The mighty theme, till, from the purple fount
Of bright Lenæan fire, her barren drought
He quench’d, and with inspiring nect'rous juice
Her drooping spirits cheer'di-maloft fhe tow'rs,
Borne on diff pennons, and of war’s alarms,
And trophies won, in loftieft numbers fings.
'Tis thou thc hero's breaft to martial acts, 105
And resolution hold, and ardour brave,
Excit’ft: thou check'st inglorious lolling ease,
And sluggish minds with gen'rous fires inflam'í.
O Thou! that first my quick’ned soul didft warm,
Still with thy aid affift me, that thy praise, 110
Thy universal (way o'er all the world,
In everlasting numbers, like the theme,
1 may record, and sing thy matchless worth.

Had the Oxonian hard thy praise rehears'd,
His Muse had yet retain’d her wonted height: 115
Such as of late o'er Blenheim's field she foar'd
Aërial; now in Ariconian bogs
She lies inglorious, flound'ring, like her theme,
Languid and faint, and on damp wing, immerg'd
In acid juice, in vain attempts to rise.

With what sublimest joy from noisy town,
At rural seat, Lucretius retir'd:
Flaccus, untainted by perplexing cares,

85

20

120

5

Where the white poplar and the lofty pine
Join neighb’ring boughs, sweet hospitable fhade, 125
Creating, from Phæbean rays secure,
A cool retreat, with few well-chofen friends,
On flowery mead recumbent, spent the hours
In mirth innocuous, and alternate verse!
With roses interwoven, poplar wreaths, 130
Their temples bind, dress of sylvestrian gods!
Choicest nectarian juice crown'd largest bowls,
And overlook'd the brim, alluring fight,
Of fragrant scent, attractive, taste divine !
Whether from Formain grape depress’d, Falern,135
Or Setin, Maffick, Gauran, or Sabine,
Lesbian, or Cæcuban, the cheering bowl
Mov'd briskly round, and spurr'd their heighten'd wit
To sing Mecænas' praise, their patron kind.

But we not as our priftine sires repair
T'umbrageous grot or vale; but when the sun
Faintly from western skies his rays oblique
Darts sloping, and to Thetis' wat’ry lap
Haftens in prone career, with friends select
Swiftly we hie to Devil *, young or old,
Jocund and boon; where at the entrance ftands
A stripling, who with scrapes and humil cringe
Greets us in winning speech, and accent bland:
With lightest bound, and safe unerring step,
He skips before, and nimbly climbs the stairs.

* The Devil-tavern, Temple-bar, frequented by his friends

140

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Melampus thus, panting with lolling tongue,
And waggiog tail, gambols and frisks before
His fequent lord, from penhve walk return'd,
Whether in fady wood or pasture green,
And waits his coming at the well-known gate.-155
Nigh to the fair's afcent, in regal port,
Sits a majestick dame, whose looks denounce
Command and fov’reignty: with haughty air, !
And study'd mien, in semicirc'lar throne
Enclos'd, she deals around her dread commands: 160
Behind her (dazzling fight!) in order rang'd,
Pile above pile, cryitalline vessels thine:
Attendant flaves with eager ftrides advance,
And, after homage paid, bawl out aloud
Words unintelligible, noise confus’d:

165
She knows the jargon founds, and itraight describes,
In characters mysterious, words obfcure;
More legible are Algebraick figns,
Or mystick figures by magicians drawn,
When they invoke th' infernal fpirit's aid. 170

Drive hence the rude and barbarous diffonance
Of favage Thracians and Croatian boors;
The loud Centaurian broils with Lapithæ
Sound harbh, and grating to Lenxan god; i:
Chase brutal feuds of Belgian skippers hence, 175
(Amid cheir cups whose innate temper 's shewn)
In clumsy filt wielding Scymmetrian knife,
Who Hash each other's eyes, and blubber!d face,

Profaning Bacchanalian solemn rites :
Musick's harmonious numbers better fuit 180
His feitivals, from instruments or voice,
Or Gasperini's hand the trembling string
Should touch; or from the dulcet Tuscan dames,
Or warbling Toft's far more melodious tongue,
Sweet symphonies should flow: the Delian god 185
For airy Bacchus is associate meet.

The fair's ascent now gain'd, our guide unbars The door of spacious room, and creaking chairs (To ear offensive) round the table fets. We lie; when thus his florid speech begins : :

190 Name, Sirs! the wine that most invites your taste;

Champaigne, or Burgundy, or Florence pure, " Or Hock antique, or Lisbon new or old, “ Bourdeaux, or neat French white, or Alicant." For Bourdeaux we with voice unanimous

195 Declare (such synıpathy 's in boon compeers.) He quits the room alert, but soon returns; Onc hand capacious glift'ring vessels bears Resplendent, th' other, with a grasp secure, A bottle (mighty charge!) upstaid, full fraught 200 With goodly wine. He, with extended hand Rais'd high, pours forth the sanguine frothy juice, O’erspread with bubbles, diflipated soon : We straight to arms repair, experienc'd chiefs: Now glasses clash with glasses (charming sound!)2cs And glorious Anna's health, the first, the best,