Our greedy seamen rummage every hold, Smile on the booty of each wealthier chest And, as the priests who with their gods make bold, Take what they like, and sacrifice the rest. But ah! how insincere are all our joys! [stay: Swell'd with our late successes on the foe, And feed their envious eyes with English loss. Each element his dread command obeys, Who makes or ruins with a smile or frown; Who, as by one he did our nation raise, So now he with another pulls us down. Yet, London, empress of the northern clime, As when some dire usurper Heaven provides, Till, fully ripe, his swelling fate breaks out, Such was the rise of this prodigious Fire, Which in mean buildings first obscurely bred, From thence did soon to open streets aspire, And straight to palaces and temples spread. The diligence of trades and noiseful gain, And luxury more late, asleep were laid: All was the Night's; and in her silent reign No sound the rest of Nature did invade. In this deep quiet, from what source unknown, Then in some close-pent room it crept along, Now like some rich or mighty murderer, So scapes th' insulting Fire his narrow jail, The winds, like crafty courtesans, withheld At length the crackling noise and dreadful blaze Their cries soon waken all the dwellers near; So weary bees in little cells repose; But if night-robbers lift the well-stor'd hive, An humming through their waxen city grows, And out upon each other's wings they drive. Now streets grow throng'd and busy as by day: Some run for buckets to the hallow'd quire Some cut the pipes, and some the engines play; And some more bold mount ladders to the fire In vain: for from the east a Belgian wind His hostile breath through the dry rafters sent, The flames impell'd soon left their foes behind, And forward with a wanton fury went. A key of fire ran all along the shore, And wondering fish in shining waters gaze Old father Thames rais'd up his reverend head But fear'd the fate of Simois would return : Deep in his ooze he sought his sedgy bed, And shrunk his waters back into his urn. The Fire, meantime, walks in a broader gross; At first they warm, then scorch, and then they take Now with long necks from side to side they feed At length grown strong, their mother Fire forsake And a new colony of Flames succeed. To every nobler portion of the town The curling billows roll their restless tide. In parties now they straggle up and down, As armies unoppos'd for prey divide. "Thy threatenings, Lord, as thine thou may'st re- As when sharp frosts had long constrain'd the earth, voke: But if immutable and fix'd they stand, Continue still thyself to give the stroke, And let not foreign foes oppress thy land." Th' Eternal heard, and from the heavenly quire Chose out the cherub with the flaming sword; And bade him swiftly drive th' approaching Fire From where our naval magazines were stor'd. The blessed minister his wings display'd, And like a shooting star he cleft the night: The fugitive Flames, chastis'd, went forth to prey The wanting orphans saw, with watery eyes, Nor could thy fabric, Paul's, defend thee long, The daring flames peep'd in, and saw from far Now down the narrow streets it swiftly came, Now frequent trines the happier lights among, And high-raised Jove from his dark prison freed, Those weights took off that on his planet hung, Will gloriously the new-laid work succeed. Methinks already from this chymic flame, I see a city of more precious mould: Already laboring with a mighty fate, She shakes the rubbish from her mounting brow, And seems to have renew'd her charter's date, ALEXANDER'S FEAST: OR, THE POWER OF MUSIC. "Twas at the royal feast for Persia won On his imperial throne: His valiant peers were plac'd around; Their brows with roses and with myrtles bound Which Heaven will to the death of Time allow. Sate, like a blooming eastern bride, More great than human now, and more august, Before she like some shepherdess did show, Now like a maiden queen she will behold, From her high turrets, hourly suitors come; The East with incense, and the West with gold, Will stand like suppliants to receive her doom. The silver Thames, her own domestic flood, Shall bear her vessels like a sweeping train; And often wind, as of his mistress proud, With longing eyes to meet her face again. The wealthy Tagus, and the wealthier Rhine, The venturous merchant, who design'd more far, Our powerful navy shall no longer meet, The wealth of France or Holland to invade ; The beauty of this town without a fleet, From all the world shall vindicate her trade. And while this fam'd emporium we prepare, The British ocean shall such triumphs boast, That those, who now disdain our trade to share, Shall rob like pirates on our wealthy coast. Already we have conquer'd half the war, And the less dangerous part is left behind: Our trouble now is but to make them dare, And not so great to vanquish as to find. Thus to the eastern wealth through storms we go, A constant trade-wind will securely blow, In flower of youth and beauty's pride. None but the brave, None but the brave, None but the brave deserves the fair. With ravish'd ears And seems to shake the spheres. The praise of Bacchus then the sweet musician sung The jolly god in triumph comes; He shows his honest face; Now give the hautboys breath: he comes, he comes Drinking joys did first ordain; Rich the treasure, Sweet is pleasure after pain CHORUS. Bacchus' blessings are a treasure, Rich the treasure, Sweet is pleasure after pain. Sooth'd with the sound, the king grew vain; Fought all his battles o'er again; [the slain. And thrice he routed all his foes, and thrice he slew He sung Darius great and good, And weltering in his blood; The various turns of Chance below; CHORUS. Revolving in his alter'd soul The various turns of Chance below; And, now and then, a sigh he stole, And tears began to flow. The mighty master smil'd, to see Softly sweet, in Lydian measures, Never ending, still beginning, If the world be worth thy winning, Take the good the gods provide thee. Who caus'd his care, And sigh'd and look'd, sigh'd and look'd, Sigh'd and look'd, and sigh'd again: At length, with love and wine at once oppress'd, The vanquish'd victor sunk upon her breast. CHORUS. The prince, unable to conceal his pain, Gaz'd on the fair Who caus'd his care, And sigh'd and look'd, sigh'd and look'd, Sigh'd and look'd, and sigh'd again : At length, with love and wine at once oppress'd Now strike the golden lyre again : A louder yet, and yet a louder strain. And rouse him, like a rattling peal of thunder Has rais'd up his head! As awak'd from the dead, And, amaz'd, he stares around. Revenge, revenge, Timotheus cries, See the snakes that they rear, And the sparkles that flash from their eyes! Each a torch in his hand! Those are Grecian ghosts, that in battle were slain, And unburied remain |