STRAIN THE FOURTH.

THE ARGUMENT.

Pindar invoked. His praife. Britain should decline var; but boldly affert her trade. Encouraged from the throne: Britain's condition without trade. Trade's character, and surprizing deeds. Carthage. Solomon's temple. St. Paul's church. The mifer's character. The wonderful effects of trade. Why religion recommended to the merchant. What, falfe joy. What, true. What religion is to the merchant. Why trade more glorious in Britons than others. How warmly, and how long, to be pursued by us. The Briton's legacy. Columbus. His praife. America defcribed. Worlds ftill unknown. Queen Elizabeth. King George the Second. His glory navally reprefented.

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What is the bound of Britain's power. Beyond that of the most famed in hiftory. The fign Lyra. What the constellations are. Argo. The whale. The Dolphin. Eridanus. The lion. Libra. Virgo. Berenice. Te British ladies cenfured. The Moon. What the fea is. Apoftrophe to the Emperor. The Spanish armada. How Britain fhould fpeak her refentment. What gives power. What navies de in war. The Tartar. Mogul Africa, China. Who master of the world. What the history of the world is. The genealogy of glory. Miftakes about it. the merchant't har vet. Ships of divine origin. Merchants ambassadors. The Briton's voyage. Praife the food of glory. Britain's record.

I.

Peace

BRITANNIA'S ftate what bounds confine! (Of rifing thought O golden mine! Mountains, Alps, freams, gulphs, oceans, fet no bourd;

She fallies till the ftrikes the star;
Expanding wide, and launching far
As wind can fly, or rolling wave refound.
II.

Small ille! For Cæfars, for the fon
Of Jove, who burft from Macedon,
For gorgeous Easterns blazing o'er mankind;

Then, when they call'd the world their own,
Not equal fame from fable fhone:
They rofe to Gods, in half thy sphere confin'd.

III.

This truth I swear by Cynthia's beam. Pale Queen! be flush'd at Britain's fame; And, rolling, tell the nations" o'er the main "To share her empire is thy pride."

HE, mighty power! who curbs the tide, Uncurbs, extends, throws wide Britannia's reign. X.

What is the main! Ye kings renown'd! Britannia's centre, and your bound: Auftrian! where-e'er Leviathan can roll,

Is Britain's home! And Britain's mine, Where-e'er the ripening fun can fhine, Parts are for emperors; for her the whole.

ΧΙ.

Why, Auftrian! wilt thou hover ftill On doubtful wing, and want the skill To fee thy welfare in the world's? Too late Another Churchill thou may'ft find, Another Churchill, not fo kind," And other Blenheims, big with other fute. XII.

Ill thou remember'ft, ill doft own, Who refcued an ungrateful throne; Ill thou confider'ft, that the kind are brave; Ill doft thou weigh, that in Time's womb A day may fleep, a day of doom,

As great to ruin, as was that to fare.

XIII.

How would't thou fmile to hear my strain,
Whole boafted infpiration 's vain?

Yet what if my prediction fhould prove true?
Know'st thou the fatal pair who fhine
O'er Britain's trading empire Thine
As one rejected, what, if one fubdue?
XIV.

What naval fcene adorns the feat
Of awful Britain's high debate *,
Infpires her councils, and records her power?
The nations know, in glowing balls
On finking thrones, the tempeft falls,
When her auguft affembled fenates lour.
XV.

O language ft for thoughts so bold!
Would Britain have her anger told;

Ah! never let a meaner language found,

Than that which proftrates human fouls, Through Heaven's dark vault impetuous rolls, And nature rocks, when angry Jove has frown'd. * The Spam armada in the House of Lords.

3 H

XVI.

Not realms unbounded, not a feed Of natives, not expence of blood, Or reach of counfel gives the world a lerd: Trade calls him forth, and fets him high, As mortal man, o'er men can fly : Trade leaves poor gleanings to the keeneft fword. XVII.

Nay, her's the fword! For Fleets have wings; Like lightning fly to difiant kings; Like Gods defcend at once on trembling states: Is war proclaim'd? Our wars are hurl'd To fartheft confines of the world, Surprize your ports, and thunder at your gates. XVIII.

The king of tempetts, Æolus, Sends forth his pin on'd people, thus, On rapid errands: as they fly, they roar, And carry fable clouds, and freep

The land, the defert, and the deep!

Earth fakes! proud cities fall! and thrones adore!
XIX.

The Fools of Nature ever ftrike
On bare cut fides; and loath, or like,
As glitter bids; in endleís error vie ;
Admire the purple and the crown;
Of human welfare and renown,

Trade's the big heart; bright empire, but their eye.
XX.

Whence Tartar GRAND? or Mogul GREAT?-Trade gilt their titles, pour'd their ftate; While Afric's black, lafcivious, flothful breed, To clafp their ruin, Hy from teil; That meanest product on their foil, Their people fell one half on t' other feed.

XXI.

Britain! To thefe, and fuch as thefe,
The river broad, and foaming feas

Which fever lands to mortals les renown'd,
Devoid of naval kill or might:
Thofe fever'd parts of earth unite:

XXV.

Haft thou look'd round the fpacious earth? From Commerce, Grandeur's humble birth: To George from Noah, empires living, dead, Their pride, their fhame, their rife, their fall,

Time's whole plain chronicle is all
One bright encomium, undefign'd, on Trade,
XXVI.

Trade fprings from Peace, and Wealth from
Trade,

And Power from Wealth! of Power is made The God on Earth: hail, then, the dove of Peace! Whofe olive fpeaks the raging flood

Of war reprefs'd: what's lofs of blood? War is the death of Commerce and Increase. XXVII.

Then perish War!-Detefted War! Shalt thou make Gods? light far's ftar? What calls man fool fo loud as this has done,

From Nimrod's down to Bourbon's line?— Why not adore too, as divine, Wide-walling ftorms, before the genial fun? XXVIII.

Peace is the Merchant's fummer clear!
His harvest! harvest round the year!
For Peace with laurel every mast be bound;
Each deck caroufe, each flag ftream out,
Each cannon found, each failer fhout!
For Peace let every facred flip be crown'd!
XXIX.

Sacred are Ships, of birth divine!
An angel drew the first defign;

With which the Patriarch Nature's ruins brav'd:
Two worlds aboard, an old and new,

He fafe o'er foaming billows flew :

The Gods made Human race, a Pilot, fav'd.

XXX.

Merchants in diftant courts revcr'd,

Where prouder ftatefmen ne'er appear'd, Merchants Embaffadors! and Thrones in awe. XXXI.

'Tis theirs to know the tides, the times;
The march of ftars; the births of climes;
Summer and Winter theirs; theirs land and fea,
Theirs are the feasons, months, and years;
And each a different garland wears :-
O that my fong could add Eternity!
XXXII.

Praife is the facred oil that feeds
The burning lamp of god-like deeds;

round.

Whither, ye Britons! are ye bound? O noble voyage! glorious round! Launch from the Thames, and end among the ftars:

XXXIII.

If to my fubject rofe my foul,

Your fame should laft while oceans roll:

In Queen Elizabeth's Reign.

The shore of Profe, where thou haft flumber'd long;

And fend thy flag triumphant down
The tide of Time, to fure renown;

O blefs my country! and thou pay't my fong.

Thou art the Briton's nobleft theme,
Why, then, unfung? My fimple aim
To drefs plain fenfe, and fire the generous blood;
Not fport imaginations vain,

But lift, with yon ethereal train,
The fhining Mufe, to ferve the public good.
III.

Of ancient art, and ancient praise,
The frings are open'd in my lays :
Olympic heroes ghofts around me throng.
And think their glory fung anew;
Till chiefs of equal fame they view;
Nor grudge to Britons bold their Theban fong.
IV.

Not Pindar's theme with nine compares,
As far furpaft, as useful cares
Tranfcend diverfion light and glory vain:
The wreath fantaftic, fhouting throng,
And panting feed, to him belong
The charioteer's, not empire's golden rein.
V.

Nor, Chandos! thou the Mufe defpife
That would to glowing Ætna rife

(Such Pindar's breaft) thou Theron of our time! Seldom to man the Gods impart

A Pindar's head, or Theron's heart;
In life, or fong, how rare the true Sublime!
VI.

None, British-born, will fure difdain

This new, bold, moral, patriot ftrain, Though not with genius with fome virtue crown'd; (How vain the Mufe!) the lay may last, Thus twin'd around the British Maft, The British Maft, with nobler laurels bound! VII.

Weak ivy curls round naval oak,

And fimiles at wind and ftorm unbroke;` By ftrength not hers fublime; thus, proud to foar,

To Britain's grandeur cleaves my firain;
And lives, and echoes through the plain,
While o'er the billow Britain's thunders roar.
VII.

Be dumb, ye groveling Sons of Verfe
Who ing not actions, but rehearse,
And fool the Mufe with impotent defire;
Ye facrilegious! who prefume
To tarnish Britain's naval bloom,

Sing Britain's fame, with all her Hero's fire.

THE CHORUS.

"Ye Sirens, fing; ye Tritons, blow; "Ye Nereids, dance; ye Billows, flow; Roll to my measures, O ye Starry Throng! "Ye Winds! in concert breathe around; "Ye N vies! to the concert bound "From Pole to Pole; to Britain all belong; "Britain to Heaven; from Heaven defcends my fong, 3 H 2