網頁圖片
PDF
ePub 版

Oh fact accurft! what tears has Albion fhed, Heav'ns, what new wounds! and how her old have

bled?

She faw her fons with purple death expire,

Her facred domes involv'd in rolling fire,

A dreadful series of inteftine wars,
Inglorious triumphs and dishonest scars.

320

324

At length great ANNA faid-" Let Discord ceafe !" She faid, the world obey'd, and all was Peace!

In that bleft moment from his oozy bed Old father Thames advanc'd his rev'rend head. His treffes drop'd with dews, and o'er the stream His fhining horns diffus'd a golden gleam: 330 Grav'd on his urn appear'd the moon, that guides His fwelling waters, and alternate tides;

VARIATIONS.

VER. 319. Originally thus in the MS.
Oh fact accurft! oh facrilegious brood,
Sworn to rebellion, principled in blood!

The

Since that dire morn what tears has Albion shed,
Gods! what new wounds, etc.

VER. 315. Thus in the MS.

Till Anna rofe and bade the Furies ceafe;

Let there be Peace fhe faid, and all was Peace.

Between Verse 328 and 329, originally stood these lines,

From shore to fhore exulting fhouts he heard,
O'er all his banks a lambent light appear'd,
With sparkling flames heav'n's glowing concave

fhone,

Fictitious stars, and glories not her own.
He faw, and gently rofe above the stream;
His fhining horns diffufe a golden gleam:
With pearl and gold his tow'ry front was dreft,
The tributes of the distant Eaft and Weft.

P,

The figur'd ftreams in waves of filver roll'd,
And on their banks Augusta rose in gold.
Around his throne the fea-born brothers stood, 335
Who fwell with tributary urns his flood;
Firft the fam'd authors of his ancient name,
The winding Ifis and the fruitful Tame:

339

The Kennet fwift, for filver eels renown'd;
The Loddon flow, with verdant alders crown'd;
Cole, whofe dark streams his flow'ry islands lave;
And chalky Wey, that rolls a milky wave!
The blue, transparent Vandalis appears ;
The gulphy Lee his fedgy treffes rears ;

And fullen Mole, that hides his diving flood; 345
And filent Darent, ftain'd with Danish blood.

349

High in the midft, upon his urn reclin❜d, (His fea-green mantle waving with the wind) The God appear'd: he turn'd his azure eyes Where Windfor-domes and pompous turrets rife ; Then bow'd and spoke; the winds forget to roar, And the hush'd waves glide softly to the shore. Hail, facred Peace! hail long-expected days, That Thames's glory to the ftars shall raise! Tho' Tyber's ftreams immortal Rome behold, 355 Tho' foaming Hermus fwells with tides of gold, From heav'n itself tho' fev'n-fold Nilus flows, And harvefts on a hundred realms bestows; Thefe now no more fhall be the Mufe's themes, Loft in my fame, as in the fea their ftreams.

360

Let

Let Volga's banks with iron squadrons shine,
And groves of lances glitter on the Rhine,
Let barb'rous Ganges arm a fervile train;
Be mine the bleffings of a peaceful reign.

No more my fons fhall die with British blood 365
Red Iber's fands, or Ifter's foaming flood:
Safe on my fhore each unmolested swain
Shall tend the flocks, or reap the bearded grain;
The fhady empire fhall retain no trace

Of war or blood, but in the sylvan chace ;

370

The trumpet fleep, while chearful horns are blown,
And arms employ'd on birds and beafts alone.
Behold! th' afcending Villa's on my fide,
Project long fhadows o'er the crystal tide,
Behold! Augufta's glitt'ring fpires increase,
And Temple's rife, the beauteous works of Peace.
I fee, I fee, where two fair cities bend

375

Their ample bow, a new Whitehall afcend!
There mighty Nations fhall enquire their doom,
The World's great Oracle in times to come; 380
There Kings fhall fue, and fuppliant States be seen
Once more to bend before a BRITISH QUEEN.

Thy trees, fair Windfor! now shall leave their
woods,

And half thy forefts rufh into thy floods,

VER. 376 And Temples rife,] The fifty new Churches. P.
VARIATIONS.

VER. 351. Originally thus in the MS.

;

Let Venice boaft her Tow'rs amidst the Main,
Where the rough Adrian fwells and roars in vain
Here not a Town, but fpacious Realm fhall have
A fure foundation on the rolling wave.
F

VOL. I.

Bear

Bear Britain's thunder, and her Cross display, 385 To the bright regions of the rifing day;

Tempt icy feas, where fcarce the waters roll, Where clearer flames glow round the frozen Pole; Or under fouthern skies exalt their fails,

Led by new ftars, and borne by spicy gales!

For me the balm fhall bleed, and amber flow,

The coral redden, and the ruby glow,

The pearly shell its lucid globe infold,
And Phoebus warm the rip'ning ore. to gold.

390

394

The time fhall come, when free as feas or wind
Unbounded Thames fhall flow for all mankind,
Whole nations enter with each swelling tide,
And feas but join the regions they divide;
Earth's diftant ends our glory fhall behold,
And the new world launch forth to seek the old.
Then ships of uncouth form shall stem the tide,
And feather'd people croud my wealthy fide,

399

And

VER.. 388. Where clearer flames glow round the frozen Pole.] The Poet is here recommending the advantages of commerce, and therefore the extremities of heat and cold, are not represented in a forbidding manner as again, Or under fouthern fkies exalt their fails, Led by new fars, and borne by Spicy gales. But in the Dunciad, where the mifchief of Dulness is defcribed, they are painted in all their inclemencies,

See round the Poles where keener Spangles shine, Where fpices Smoke beneath the burning line. VER. 396. Unbounded Thames, etc.] A wish that London may be made a FREE PORT. P.

VARIATIÓN S.

VER. 383, etc. were originally thus,

Now shall our fleets the bloody Cross display
To the rich regions of the rifing day,

Or

And naked youths and painted chiefs admire

Our speech, our colour, and our strange attire!
Oh ftretch thy reign, fair Peace! from fhore to fhore,
'Till Conqueft ceafe, and Slav'ry be no more; 406
'Till the freed Indians in their native groves
Reap their own fruits, and woo their fable loves,
Peru once more a race of Kings behold,
And other Mexico's be roof'd with gold.
Exil'd by thee from earth to deepest hell,

410

In brazen bonds, fhall barb'rous Discord dwell;
Gigantic Pride, pale Terror, gloomy Care,
And mad Ambition shall attend her there :
There purple Vengeance bath'd in gore retires, 415
Her weapons blunted, and extinct her fires:
There hateful Envy her own snakes shall feel,
And Perfecution mourn her broken wheel :
There Faction roar, Rebellion bite her chain,
And gasping Furies thirst for blood in vain.

420

Here cease thy flight, nor with unhallow'd lays Touch the fair fame of Albion's golden days: The thoughts of Gods let GRANVILLE's verse recite, And bring the fcenes of op'ning fate to light. My humble Muse, in unambitious strains Paints the green forests and the flow'ry plains,

F 2

VARIATIONS.

425

Where

Or those green ifles, where headlong Titan steeps
His hiffing axle in th' Atlantic deeps;

Tempt icy feas, etc.

VER. 421.

P.

IMITATIONS:

Quo, Mufa, tendis? define pervicax
Referre fermones Deorum et
Magna modis tenuare parvis.

Hor.

« 上一頁繼續 »