On glorious schemes, and thoughts of empire dwell, And with imaginary titles swell. Say, for thou know'st I own his sacred line, The passive doctrine, and the right divine, Say, what new succours does the chief prepare? The strength of armies? or the force of prayer? Does he from Heaven or Earth his hopes derive? From saints departed, or from priests alive? [stand, Nor saints nor priests can Brunswick's troops withAnd beads drop useless through the zealot's hand; Heaven to our vows may future kingdoms owe, But skill and courage win the crowns below. Ere to thy cause, and thee, my heart inclin'd, Or love to party had seduc'd my mind, In female joys I took a dull delight, Slept all the morn, and punted half the night: But now, with fears and public cares possest, The church, the church, for ever breaks my rest. The postboy on my pillow I explore, And sift the news of every foreign shore, Studious to find new friends, and new allies; What armies march from Sweden in disguise; How Spain prepares her banners to unfold, And Rome deals out her blessings, and her gold: Then o'er the map my finger, taught to stray, Cross many a region marks the winding way; From sea to sea, from realm to realm I rove, And grow a mere geographer by love: But still Avignon, and the pleasing coast That holds thee banish'd, claims my care the most: Oft on the well-known spot I fix my eyes, And span the distance that between us lies. Let not our James, though foil'd in arms, despair, Whilst on his side he reckons half the fair: In Britain's lovely isle a shining throng War in his cause, a thousand beauties strong. Th' unthinking victors vainly boast their powers; Be theirs the musket, while the tongue is ours. We reason with such fluency and fire, The beaux we baffle, and the learned tire, Against her prelates plead the church's cause, And from our judges vindicate the laws. Then mourn not, hapless prince, thy kingdoms lost; A crown, though late, thy sacred brows may boast; Heaven seems through us thy empire to decree ; Those who win hearts, have given their hearts to thee. Hast thou not heard that when, profusely gay, Our well-drest rivals grac'd their sovereign's day, We stubborn damsels met the public view In loathsome wormwood, and repenting rue? What Whig but trembled, when our spotless band In virgin roses whiten'd half the land! Who can forget what fears the foe possest, When oaken-boughs mark'd every loyal breast! Less scar'd than Medway's stream the Norman stood, When cross the plain he spy'd a marching wood, Till, near at hand, a gleam of swords betray'd The youth of Kent beneath its wandering shade? Those who the succours of the fair despise, May find that we have nails as well as eyes. Thy female bards, O prince by fortune crost, At least more courage than thy men can boast: Our sex has dar'd the mug-house chiefs to meet, And purchas'd fame in many a well-fought street. From Drury-Lane, the region of renown, The land of love, the Paphos of the town, Fair patriots sallying oft have put to flight With all their poles the guardians of the night, And bore, with screams of triumph, to their side The leader's staff in all its painted pride. Nor fears the hawker in her warbling note Meanwhile, regardless of the royal cause, But lists them all to guard his own abodes, Was it for this the Sun's whole lustre fail'd, From James and Rome I feel my heart decline, And fear, O Brunswick, 'twill be wholly thine ; Yet still his share thy rival will contest, And still the double claim divides my breast. And wish my homage were not Brunswick's due: Though griev'd I speak it, let the truth appear! Heaps driv'n on heaps, in the dire shock they fled : In Britain's funds their wealth all Europe throws, To my sad thought no beam of hope appears O princess! happy by thy foes confest! Wide-branching o'er the western world shall spread, Where Britain's foremost names are found, Once more a son of Spencer waits, Sprung from the chief whose prowess gain'd These seats our sires, a hardy kind, In after-times, as courts refin'd, Our patriots in the list were join'd. Not only Warwick stain'd with blood, Or Marlborough near the Danube's flood, Have in their crimson crosses glow'd; But, on just lawgivers bestow'd, These emblems Cecil did invest, And gleam'd on wise Godolphin's breast. So Greece, ere arts began to rise, Then, Spencer, mount amid the band, The sage, who, large of soul, surveys The globe, and all its empires weighs, Watchful the various climes to guide, Which seas, and tongues, and faiths, divide, A nobler name in Windsor's shrine Shall leave, if right the Muse divine, Than sprung of old, abhorr'd and vain, From ravag'd realms and myriads slain. Why praise we, prodigal of fame, The rage that sets the world on flame? My guiltless Muse his brow shall bind Whose godlike bounty spares mankind. For those, whom bloody garlands crown, The brass may breathe, the marble frown, To him through every rescued land, Ten thousand living trophies stand. Names of constellations. JAMES HAMMOND. JAMES AMES HAMMOND, a popular elegiac poet, was the "Love Elegies" were published soon after his second son of Anthony Hammond, Esq. of Somer-death by Lord Chesterfield, and have been several sham Place, in Huntingdonshire. He was born in times reprinted. It will seem extraordinary that 1710, and was educated in Westminster school, the noble editor has only once mentioned the name where at an early age he obtained the friendship of of Tibullus, and has asserted that Hammond, sinseveral persons of distinction, among whom were cere in his love, as in his friendship, spoke only the Lords Cobham, Chesterfield, and Lyttleton. He genuine sentiments of his heart, when there are so was appointed equerry to Frederic, Prince of many obvious imitations of the Roman poet, even Wales, and upon his interest was brought into par- so far as the adoption of his names of Neera, Cynliament in 1741, for Truro in Cornwall. This was thia, and Delia. It must, however, be acknownearly the last stage of his life, for he died in June ledged, that he copies with the hand of a master, 1742, at the seat of Lord Cobham, at Stowe. An and that his imitations are generally managed with unfortunate passion for a young lady, Miss Dash- a grace that almost conceals their character. Still wood, who was cold to his addresses, is thought to as they are, in fact, poems of this class, however have disordered his mind, and perhaps contributed skilfully transposed, we shall content ourselves with to his premature death. transcribing one which introduces the name of his principal patron with peculiarly happy effect. Hammond was a man of an amiable character, and was much regretted by his friends. His ELEGY. He imagines himself married to Delia, and that, content with each other, they are retired into the country. LET others boast their heaps of shining gold, While calmly poor I trifle life away, With timely care I'll sow my little field, And plant my orchard with its master's hand, If late at dusk, while carelessly I roam, What joy to hear the tempest howl in vain, Or, if the Sun in flaming Leo ride, What joy to wind along the cool retreat, Thus pleas'd at heart, and not with fancy's dream, Ah, foolish man, who thus of her possest, With her I scorn the idle breath of praise, Stanhope, in wisdom as in wit divine, Let Stanhope speak his listening country's wrongs, Stanhope shall come, and grace his rural friend, Hers be the care of all my little train, For her I'll yoke my oxen to the plough, Ah, what avails to press the stately bed, And, while they murmur, strive in vain to sleep? Delia alone can please, and never tire, Beauty and worth in her alike contend, On her I'll gaze, when others loves are o'er, Oh, when I die, my latest moments spare, Oh, quit the room, oh, quit the deathful bed, Let them, extended on the decent bier, WILLIAM SOMERVILE. WILLIAM SOMERVILE, an agreeable poet, was his mind, and plunged him into habits which born in 1692, at his father's seat at Edston, in Warwickshire. He was educated at Winchester school, whence he was elected to New College, Oxford. His political attachments were to the Whig party, as appeared from his praises of Marlborough, Stanhope, and Addison. To the latter of these he addressed a poem, in which there is the happy couplet alluded to in the Spectator: "When panting Virtue her last efforts made, "You brought your Clio to the Virgin's aid." "Clio" was known to be the mark by which Addison distinguished his papers in that miscellany. Somervile inherited a considerable paternal estate, on which he principally lived, acting as a magistrate, and pursuing with ardour the amusements of a sportsman, varied with the studies of a man of letters. His mode of living, which was hospitable, and addicted to conviviality, threw him into pecuniary embarrassments, which preyed on shortened his life. He died in 1742; and his friend Shenstone, with much feeling, announces the event to one of his correspondents. Somervile passed his life in celibacy, and made over the reversion of his estate to Lord Somervile, a branch of the same family, charged with a jointure to his mother, then in her 90th year. As a poet, he is chiefly known by "The Chase," a piece in blank verse, which maintains a high rank in the didactic and descriptive classes. Being composed by one who was perfectly conversant with the sports which are its subject, and entered into them with enthusiasm, his pictures greatly surpass the draughts of the same kind which are attempted by poets by profession. Another piece connected with this is entitled "Field Sports," but only describes that of hawking. In his “Hobbinol, or Rural Games," he attempts the burlesque with tolerable success. Of his other pieces, serious and comic, there are few which add to his fame. THE CHASE. Book I. Argument. The subject proposed. Address to his royal highness the prince. The origin of hunting. The rude and unpolished manner of the first hunters. Beasts at first hunted for food and sacrifice. The grant made by God to man of the beasts, &c. The regular manner of hunting first brought into this island by the Normans. The best hounds and best horses bred here. The advantage of this exercise to us, as islanders. Address to gentlemen of estates. Situation of the kennel and its several courts. The diversion and employment of hounds in the kennel. The different sorts of hounds for each different chase. Description of a perfect hound. Of sizing and sorting of hounds; the middle-sized hound recommended. Of the large deep-mouthed hound for hunting the stag and otter. Of the lime-hound; their use on the borders of England and Scotland. A physical account of scents. Of good and bad scenting days. A short admonition to my rethren of the couples. THE Chase I sing, hounds, and their various breed, And no less various use. O thou, great prince! Whom Cambria's towering hills proclaim their lord, Deign thou to hear my bold, instructive song. While grateful citizens with pompous show, Rear the triumphal arch, rich with th' exploits Of thy illustrious house; while virgins pave Thy way with flowers, and, as the royal youth Passing they view, admire and sigh in vain; While crowded theatres, too fondly proud Of their exotic minstrels, and shrill pipes, The price of manhood, hail thee with a song, And airs soft-warbling; my hoarse-sounding horn Invites thee to the Chase, the sport of kings; Image of war, without its guilt. The Muse Aloft on wing shall soar, conduct with care Thy foaming courser o'er the steepy rock, Or on the river bank receive thee safe, Light-bounding o'er the wave, from shore to shore. Be thou our great protector, gracious youth! And if, in future times, some envious prince, Careless of right, and guileful, should invade Thy Britain's commerce, or should strive in vain To wrest the balance from thy equal hand; Thy hunter-train, in cheerful green array'd, ! (A band undaunted, and inur'd to toils) |