"Friendship itself ne'er knew a charm like this, “Nor Colin's talk could please like Delia's kiss. "Ye Muses skill'd in ev'ry winning art,

"Teach me more deeply to engage her heart : "Ye Nymphs! to her your freshest roses bring, 55 "And crown her with the pride of all the spring; "On all her days let health and peace attend;

May she ne'er want nor ever lose a friend! "May some new pleasure ev'ry hour employ, "But let her Damon be her highest joy!

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"With thee my Love! for ever will I stay, "All night caress thee and admire all day; "In the same field our mingled flocks we'll feed, "To the same spring our thirsty heifers lead; "Together will we share the harvest toils, "Together press the vine's autumnal spoils. "Delightful state! where Peace and Love combine "To bid our tranquil days unclouded shine! "Here limpid fountains roll thro' flow'ry meads, "Here rising forests lift their verdant heads, "Here let me wear my careless life away, "And in thy arms insensibly decay.

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"When late old age our heads shall silver o'er, "And our slow pulses dance with joy no more, "When Time no longer will thy beauties spare, 75 "And only Damon's eye shall think thee fair, "Then may the gentle hand of welcome Death "At one soft stroke deprive us both of breath! May we beneath one common stone be laid, "And the same cypress both our ashes shade! 80

"Perhaps some friendly Muse in tender verse
"Shall deign our faithful passion to rehearse,
"And future ages with just envy mov'd
"Be told how Damon and his Delia lov'd."

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BLENHEIM.

WRITTEN AT THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD, In the Year 1727.

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PARENT of Arts! whose skilful hand first taught
The tow'ring pile to rise, and form'd the plan
With fair proportion, Architect divine!
Minerva! thee to my advent'rous lyre
Assistant I invoke, that means to sing
Blenheim, proud monument of British fame,
Thy glorious work! for thou the lofty tow'rs
Didst to his virtue raise whom oft' thy shield
In peril guarded, and thy wisdom steer'd
Thro' all the storms of war.-Thee too I call
Thalia! sylvan Muse, who lov'st to rove
Along the shady paths and verdant bow'rs
Of Woodstock's happy grove, there tuning sweet
Thy rural pipe while all the Dryad train
Attentive listen, let thy warbling song
Paint with melodious praise the pleasing scene,
And equal these to Pindus' honour'd shades.

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When Europe freed confess'd the saving pow'r Of Marlb'rough's hand, Britain, who sent him forth

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Chief of confed'rate hosts to fight the cause
Of Liberty and Justice, grateful rais'd
This palace, sacred to her leader's fame ;
A trophy of success with spoils adorn'd
Of conquer'd towns, and glorying in the name
Of that auspicious field where Churchill's sword 25
Vanquish'd the might of Gallia, and chastis'd
Rebel Bavar.-Majestick in its strength
Stands the proud dome, and speaks its great design.
Hail, happy Chief! whose valour could deserve
Reward so glorious! grateful Nation hail!
Who paidst his service with so rich a meed?
Which most shall I admire, which worthiest praise,
The hero or the people? Honour doubts,
And weighs their virtues in an equal scale.
Not thus Germania pays th' uncancell'd debt 35
Of Gratitude to us.-Blush Cæsar! blush,

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When thou beholdst these tow`rs, Ingrate! to thee
A monument of shame! Canst thou forget
Whence they are nam'd, and what an English arm
Did for thy throne that day? but we disdain
Or to upbraid or imitate thy guilt.

Steel thy obdurate heart against the sense
Of obligation infinite, and know

Britain, like Heav'n, protects a thankless world
For her own glory, nor expects reward.

Pleas'd with the noble theme her task the Muse
Pursues untir'd, and thro' the palace roves
With ever-new delight. The tap'stry rich
With gold, and gay with all the beauteous paint

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MISCELLANIES.

Of various colour'd silks, dispos'd with skill
Attracts her curious eye.
Here Ister rolls

His purple wave, and there the Granick flood
With passing squadrons foams; here hardy Gaul
Flies from the sword of Britain, there to Greece
Effeminate Persia yields.-In arms oppos'd 55
Marlb'rough and Alexander vie for fame
With glorious competition, equal both
In valour and in fortune; but their praise
Be diff'rent, for with diff'rent views they fought,
This to subdue and that to free mankind.

Now thro' the stately portals issuing forth
The Muse to softer glories turns, and seeks
The woodland shade delighted. Not the vale
Of Tempe, fam'd in song, or Ida's grove,
Such beauty boasts. Amid the mazy gloom
Of this romantic wilderness once stood
The bow'r of Rosamonda, hapless fair!
Sacred to grief and Love: the crystal fount
In which she us'd to bathe her beauteous limbs
Still warbling flows, pleas'd to reflect the face
Of Spenser, lovely maid! when tir'd she sits
Beside its flow'ry brink, and views those charms
Which only Rosamond could once excel.
But see where flowing with a nobler stream
A limpid lake of purest waters rolls

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Beneath the wide-stretch'd arch, stupendous work!
Thro' which the Danube might collected pour
His spacious urn: silent a while and smooth
The current glides, till with an headlong force

Broke and disorder'd down the steep it falls
In loud cascades; the silver-sparkling foam
Glitters relucent in the dancing ray.
In these retreats repos'd the mighty soul
Of Churchill, from the toils of war and state
Splendidly private, and the tranquil joy

Of Contemplation felt, while Blenheim's dome
Triumphal ever in his mind renew'd

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The mem'ry of his fame, and sooth'd his thoughts
With pleasing record of his glorious deeds.
So by the rage of Faction home recall'd
Lucullus, while he wag'd successful war
Against the pride of Asia and the pow'r
Of Mithridates, whose aspiring mind
No losses could subdue, enrich'd with spoils
Of conquer'd nations back return'd to Rome,
And in magnificent retirement past
But not alone

Th'ev'ning of his life.

In the calm shades of honourable ease

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Great Marlb'rough peaceful dwelt; indulgent Heav'n
Gave a companion to his softer hours,
With whom conversing he forgot all change
Of fortune or of state, and in her mind
Found greatness equal to his own, and lov'd
Himself in her.Thus each by each admir'd
In mutual honour mutual fondness join'd;
Like two fair stars with intermingled light
In friendly union they together shone,
Aiding each other's brightness, till the cloud
Of night eternal quench'd the beams of one.

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