And, fix'd on Cambria's solitary shore,
Give to St. David one true Briton more.

* For who would leave, unbrib'd, Hibernia's land,
Or change the rocks of Scotland for the Strand?
There none are swept by sudden fate away,
But all, whom hunger spares, with age decay:
Here malice, rapine, accident, conspire;
And now a rabble rages, now a fire;
Their ambush here relentless ruffians lay,
And here the fell attorney prowls for prey;
Here falling houses thunder on your head,
And here a female Atheist talks you dead.

3 While THALES waits the wherry that contains Of dissipated wealth the small remains, On Thames's banks, in silent thought we stood Where Greenwich smiles upon the silver flood ; Struck with the seat that gave ELIZA* birth, We kneel, and kiss the consecrated earth; In pleasing dreams the blissful age renew, And call Britannia's glories back to view; Behold her cross triumphant on the main, The guard of commerce, and the dread of Spain, Ere masquerades debauch'd, excise oppress'd, Or English honour grew a standing jest.

A transient

2-Ego vel Prochytam præpono Suburræ, Nam quid tam miserum, tam folum vidimus ut non Deterius credas horrere incendia, lapsus Tectorum assiduos, & mille pericula sæva Urbis, & Augusto recitantes mense poetas? 3 Sed, dum tota domus rhedà componitur unâ, Substitit ad veteres arcus.—

* Queen Elizabeth, born at Greenwich.

A transient calm the happy scenes bestow,
And for a moment lull the sense of woe.
At length awaking, with contemptuous frown,
Indignant THALES eyes the neighb'ring town.

+ Since worth, he cries, in these degenerate days.
Wants ev'n the cheap reward of empty praise;
In those curs'd walls, devote to vice and gain,
Since unrewarded science toils in vain;
Since hope but sooths to double my distress,
And every moment leaves my little less;
While yet my steady steps no' staff sustains,
And life still vig'rous revels in my veins ;

Grant me, kind Heaven, to find some happier place,
Where honesty and sense are no disgrace;
Some pleasing bank where verdant osiers play,
Some peaceful vale with Nature's paintings gay;
Where once the harass'd Briton found repose,
And safe in poverty defy'd his foes;
Some secret cell, ye Pow'rs, indulgent give,

6

" Let

live here, for - has learn'd to live. Here let those reign, whom pensions can incite To vote a patriot black, a courtier white;

Explain

* Hic tunc Umbritius: Quando artibus, inquit, honestis
Nullus in urbe locus, nulla emolumenta laborum,
Res hodie minor est, heri quam fuit, atque eadem cras
Deteret exiguis aliquid: proponimus illuo

Ire, fatigatas ubi Dædalus exuit alas ;
Dum nova canities.

5 et pedibus me

Porto meis, nullo dextram subeunte bacillo. 6 Cedamus patriâ: vivant Arturius istic

Et Catullus: maneant qui nigra in candida vertunt.

Explain their country's dear-bought rights away,
And plead for * pirates in the face of day;
With slavish tenets taint our poison'd youth,
And lend a lie the confidence of truth.

7 Let such raise palaces, and manors buy, Collect a tax, or farm a lottery;

With warbling eunuchs fill our † silenc'd stage,
And lull to servitude a thoughtless age.

Heroes, proceed! what bounds your pride shall hold? What check restrain your thirst of pow'r and gold ? Behold rebellious virtue quite o'erthrown,

Behold our fame, our wealth, our lives, your own.
To such, the plunder of a land is giv'n,
When publick crimes inflame the wrath of Heaven:
9 But what, my friend, what hope remains for me,
Who start at theft, and blush at perjury?
Who scarce forbear, tho' BRITAIN'S court he sing,
To pluck a titled poet's borrow'd wing;

A statesman's logick unconvinc'd can hear,
And dare to slumber o'er the Gazetteer ;
Despise a fool in half his pension dress'd,
And strive in vain to laugh at Clodio's jest.
Others with softer smiles, and subtler art,
Can sap the principles, or taint the heart;

7 Queis facile est ædem conducere, flumina, portus, Siccandam eluviem, portandum ad busta cadaver.· Munera nunc edunt.

8 Quid Roma faciam? mentiri nescio: librum, Si malus est, nequeo laudare & poscere.

9 Ferre ad nuptam quæ mittit adulter, Que mandat norint alii; me nemo ministro

Fur erit, atque ideo nulli comes exeo.

With

*The invasions of the Spaniards were defended in the houses of parliament.

+ The licensing act was then lately made.

The paper which at that time contained apologies for the court.

With more address a lover's note convey,
Or bribe a virgin's innocence away,

Well may they rise, while I, whose rustick tongue Ne'er knew to puzzle right, or varnish wrong, Spurn'd as a beggar, dreaded as a spy,

Live unregarded, unlamented die.

10 For what but social guilt the friend endears? Who shares Orgilio's crimes, his fortune shares. " But thou, should tempting villainy present All Marlb'rough hoarded, or all Villiers spent, Turn from the glitt'ring bribe thy scornful eye, Nor sell for gold, what gold could never buy, The peaceful slumber, self-approving day, Unsullied fame, and conscience ever gay.

12 The cheated nation's happy fav rites, see! Mark whom the great caress, who frown on me! LONDON! the needy villain's gen'ral home, The common-sewer of Paris and of Rome; With eager thirst, by folly or by fate, Sucks in the dregs of each corrupted state. Forgive my transports on a theme like this, 13 I cannot bear a French metropolis.

10 Quis nunc diligitur nisi conscius ?

Carus erit Verri, qui Verrem tempore, quo vult,
Accusare potest.

II

-Tanti tibi non sit opaci

Illustrious

Omnis arena Tagi, quodque in mare volvitur aurum,
Ut somno careas.--

12 Quæ nunc divitibus gens acceptissima nostris, Et quos præcipue fugiam, properabo fateri. 13➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖Non possum ferre, Quirites,

Græcam urbem.

14 Illustrious EDWARD! from the realms of day,
The land of heroes and of saints survey;
Nor hope the British lineaments to trace,
The rustick grandeur, or the surly grace;
But, lost in thoughtless ease and empty show,
Behold the warrior dwindled to a beau;
Sense, freedom, piety, refin'd away,

Of France the mimick, and of Spain the prey.
All that at home no more can beg or steal,
Or like a gibbet better than a wheel ;

Hiss'd from the stage, or hooted from the court,
Their air, their dress, their politicks import;

15

Obsequious, artful, voluble, and gay,

On Britain's fond credulity they prey.

No gainful trade their industry can 'scape,

16 They sing, they dance, clean shoes, or cure a clap: All sciences a fasting Monsieur knows,

And bid him go to hell, to hell he goes.

17 Ah! what avails it, that, from slav'ry far,
I drew the breath of life in English air;
Was early taught a Briton's right to prize,
And lisp the tale of HENRY's victories ;
If the gull'd conqueror receives the chain,
And flattery prevails when arms are vain?

14 Rusticus ille tuus sumit trechedipna, Quirine, Et ceromatico fert niceteria collo.

15 Ingenium velox, audacia perdita, sermo Promptus.

Studious

16 Augur schoenobates, medicus, magus: omnia novit, Græculus esuriens, in cœlum, jusseris, ibit.

17 Usque adeo nihil est, quod nostra infantia cœlum Hausit Aventini ?

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