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A mound restraining its imperious rage,
And bid the raving deep no farther flow.

Nor where, without that fence, the swallow'd flate
Better than Belgian plains without their dykes, 1140
Sustaining weighty feas. This, often fav'd
By more than human hand, the Public faw,
And seiz'd the white-wing'd moment. Pleas'd to
Destructive power, a wife heroic prince + [yield
Even lent his aid. -Thrice happy! did they know
Their happiness, Britannia's bounded kings. 1146
What tho' not theirs the boast, in dungeon-glooms
To plunge bold Freedom? or to cheerless wilds
To drive him from the cordial face of friend?
Or fierce to strike him at the midnight hour, 1150
By mandate blind, not Justice, that delights
To dare the keenest eye of open day?
What tho' no glory to control the laws,
And make injurious will their only rule,

They deem it? What tho', tools of wanton power,
Pestiferous armies swarm not at their call?

What tho they give not a relentless crew
Of Civil Furies proud Oppression's fangs?
To tear at pleasure the dejected land,

1156

With starving Labour pampering idle Waste! 1160
To clothe the naked, feed the hungry, wipe
The guiltless tear from lone Affliction's eye !
To raise hid Merit, fet the alluring light

* By the Bill of Rights, and the At of Succeffion,
+ William III,

1165

Of Virtue high to view; to nourish arts,
Direct the thunder of an injur'd state,
Make a whole glorious people fing for joy,
Bless human kind, and thro' the downward depth
Of future times to spread that better fun
Which lights up British soul: for deeds like these
The dazzling fair career unbounded lies;
While (still superior bless!) the dark abrupt
Is kindly barr'd, the precipice of ill.
Oh! luxury divine! Oh! poor to this,
Ye giddy glories of despotic Thrones!
By this, by this indeed, is imag'd Heaven,
By boundless good, without the power of ill.

1170

1175

And now, behold! exalted as the cope
That swells immense o'er many-peopled earth,
And like it free, My fabric stands complete,
The Palace of the Laws. To the four heavens 1180

Four gates impartial thrown, unceasing crowds,
With kings themselves the hearty peasant mix'd,
Pour urgent in; and tho' to different ranks
Responsive place belongs, yet equal spreads
The shelt'ring roof o'er all; while Plenty flows, 1185
And glad Contentment echoes round the whole.
Ye Floods! descend; ye Windst confirming, blow;

Nor outward tempeft nor corrofive time,
Nought but the felon undermining hand
Of dark Corruption, can its frame dissolve,

1190

And lay the toil of ages in the dust.

1

THE PROSPECT.

LIBERTY.
PART V.

The Tontents.

AUTHOR addresses the Goddess of Liberty, marking the happiness and grandeur
of Great-Britain, as arifing from her influence, to ver. 88. She refumes her
discourse, and points out the chief virtues which are necessary to maintain her
establishment there, to ver. 374. Recommends, as its last ornaments and
anishing, Sciences, fine Arts, and public Works. The encouragement of these
urged from the example of France, though under a defpotic government, to
ver. 549. The whole concludes with a profpect of future times, given by the
Goddess of Liberty: this described by the Author, as it passes in Vifion before
him.

HERE interpofing, as the Goddess paus'd,-
"Oh! blest Britannia! in thy prefence blest,
"Thou guardian of mankind! whencespring, alone,
"All human grandeur, happiness, and fame:
"For Toil, by thee protected, feels no pain;
"The poor man's lot with milk and honey flows;
"And, gilded with thy rays, even death looks gay.

5

"Let other lands the potent blessings boast
"Of more exalting suns: let Afia's woods,

"Untended, yield the vegetable fleece;
"And let the little infect-artist form,

10

"On higher life intent, its filken tomb:

"Let wondering rocks, in radiant birth, disclose

"The various-tinetur'd children of the Sun : " From the prone beam let more delicious fruits 15 " A flavour drink, that in one piercing taste

20

Bids each combine: let Gallic vineyards burst " With floods of joy; with mild balfamic juice "The Tuscan olive: let Arabia breathe " Her spicy gales, her vital gums distil: "Turbid with gold, let southern rivers flow, "And orient floods draw soft o'er pearls their maze: "Let Afric vaunt her treasures: let Peru " Deep in her bowels her own ruin breed, " The yellow traitor that her bliss betray'd,- 25 "Unequall'd bliss!-and to unequall'd rage! " Yet nor the gorgeous East nor golden South, "Nor, in full prime, that new-discover'd world, " Where flames the falling day in wealth and praife, " Shall with Britannia vie, while, Goddess! the 30

Derives her praise from Thee, her matchless charms. "Her hearty fruits the hand of Freedom own; "And, warm with culture, her thick-clust'ringfields "Prolific teem. Eternal verdure crowns

" Her meads; her gardens smile eternal spring: 35 She gives the hunter-horse, unquell'd by toil,

" Ardent, to rush into the rapid chase: "She, whitening o'er her downs, diffusive, pours "Unnumber'd flocks: she weaves the fleecy robe "That wraps the nations: she to lufty droves "The richest pasture spreads; and her's, deep-wave

40 50

" Autumnal feas of pleasing plenty round. "These her delights; and by no baneful herb, "No darting tiger, no grim lion's glare, "No fierce-descending wolf, no ferpent roll'd 45 " In spires immense progressive o'er the land "Disturb'd. Enlivening these, add cities full "Of wealth, of trade, of cheerful toiling crowds; "Add thriving towns; add villages and farms, "Innumerous sow'd along the lively vale, " Where bold unrival'd peasants happy dwell: "Add ancient feats, with venerable oaks "Embofom'd high, while kindred floods below "Windthro' the mead; and those of modern hand, "More pompous, add, that splendid shine afar. 55 "Need I her limpid lakes, her rivers, name, "Whereswarm the finny race! Thee, chief, OThames! "On whose each tide, glad with returning fails, "Flows in the mingled harvest of mankind? "And thee, thou Severn! whose prodigious swell, 60 "And waves, resounding, imitate the main? "Why need I name her deep capacious ports, "That point around the world? And why her feas? "All ocean is her own, and every land

"To whom her ruling thunder ocean bears.

65

"She, too, the mineral feeds: the obedient lead,

"The warlike iron, nor the peaceful less,

"Forming of life art-civiliz'd the bond;

"And that the Tyrian merchant fought of old*,

* Tin.

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