The Poetical Works of Elijah Fenton/Ode to the Sun, for the New Year 1707

by Elijah Fenton

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ODES.

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AN ODE TO THE SUN,

FOR THE NEW YEAR 1707.

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Augur, et fulgente decorus arcu
Phœbus acceptusque novem camœnis,
Qui salutari levat arte fessos
Corporis artus;————
Alterum in lustrum meliusque semper
HOR.Proroget ævum.

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I.
Begin, celestial Source of light!
To gild the new-revolving sphere,
And from the pregnant womb of Night
Urge on to birth the infant year.
Rich with auspicious lustre rise, 5
Thou fairest regent of the skies!
Conspicuous with thy silver bow:
To thee, a god, 't was giv'n by Jove
To rule the radiant orbs above,
To Gloriana this below. 10

II.
With joy renew thy destin'd race,
And let the mighty months begin;
Let no ill omen cloud thy face;
Thro' all thy circle smile serene.
While the stern ministers of Fate 15
Watchful o'er pale Lutetia wait,
To grieve the Gaul's perfidious head,
The Hours, thy offspring, heav'nly fair!
Their whitest wings should ever wear,
And gentle joys on Albion shed. 20

III.
When Ilia bore the future fates of Rome,
And the long honours of her race began,
Thus, to prepare the graceful age to come,
'They from thy stores in happy order ran:
Heroes, elected to the list of fame, 25
Fix'd the sure columns of her rising state,
Till the loud triumphs of the Julian name
Render'd the glories of her reign complete;
Each year advanc'd a rival to the rest,
In comely spoils of war and great achievements drest.

I.
Say, Phœbus! for thy searching eye 31
Saw Rome, the darling child of Fate,
When nothing equal here could vie
In strength with her imperious state;
Say if high virtues there did reign 35
Exalted in a nobler strain
Than in fair Albion thou hast seen?
Or can her demi-gods compare
Their trophies for successful war
To those that rise for Albion's Queen? 40

II.
When Albion first majestic shew'd
High o'er the circling seas her head,
Her the great Father smiling view'd,
And thus to bright Victoria said:
Mindful of Phlegra's happy plain, 45
On which, fair Nymph! you fix'd my reign,
This Isle to you shall sacred be;
Her hand shall hold the rightful scale,
And crowns be vanquish'd or prevail
As Gloriana shall decree. 50

III.
Victoria, triumph in thy great increase!
With joy the Julian stem the Tiber claims,
Young Ammon's might the Granic waves confess;
The Heber had a Mars, a Churchill Thames:
Roll sov'reign of the streams thy rapid tide, 55
And bid thy brother floods revere the Queen
Whose voice the hero's happy hand employ'd
To save the Danube and subdue the Seine;
And, boldly just to Gloriana's fame,
Exalt thy silver urn, and duteous homage claim. 60

I.
Advanc'd to thy meridian height,
On earth, great god of Day! look down;
Let Windsor entertain thy sight,
Clad in fair emblems of renown;
And whilst in radiant pomp appear 65
The names to bright Victoria dear,
Intent the long procession view;
Confess none worthier ever wore
Her favours, or was deck'd with more
Than she confers on Churchill's brow. 70

II.
But, oh! withdraw thy piercing rays;
The nymph anew begins to moan,
Viewing the much-lamented space
Where late her warlike William shone:
There, fix'd by her officious hand, 75
His sword and sceptre of command
To deathless fame adopted rest;
Nor wants there to complete her woe,
Plac'd with respectful love below,
The star that beam'd on Glou'ster's breast. 80

III.
O Phœbus! all thy saving pow'r employ;
Long let our vows avert the destin'd woe,
Ere Gloriana reascends the sky,
And leaves a land of orphans here below!
But when (so Heav'n ordains) her smiling ray 85
Distinguish'd o'er the Balance shall preside,
Whilst future kings her ancient sceptre sway,
May her mild influence all their councils guide;
To Albion ever constant in her love,
Of sov'reigns here the best, the brightest star above.

I.
For lawless power, reclaim'd to right, 91
And virtue rais'd by pious arms,
Let Albion be thy fair delight,
And shield her safe from threaten'd harms:
With flow'rs and fruit her bosom fill, 95
Let laurel rise on ev'ry hill
Fresh as the first on Daphne's brow:
Instruct her tuneful sons to sing,
And make each vale with pæans ring,
To Blenheim and Ramillia due. 100

II.
Secure of bright eternal fame,
With happy wing the Theban swan,
Tow'ring from Pisa's sacred stream,
Inspir'd by thee the song began:
Thro' deserts of unclouded light, 105
When he harmonious took his flight,
The gods constrain'd the sounding spheres;
Still Envy darts her rage in vain,
The lustre of his worth to stain,
He growing whiter with his years. 110

III.
But, Phœbus! god of numbers, high to raise
The honours of thy art and heav'nly lyre,
What Muse is destin'd to our Sov'reign's praise,
Worthy her acts and thy informing fire?
To him for whom this springing laurel grows 115
Eternal on the topmost heights of fame
Be kind, and all thy Helicon disclose;
And, all intent on Gloriana's name,
Let silence brood o'er ocean, earth, and air,
As when to victor Jove thou sung'st the Giants' war.

I.
In sure records each shining deed 121
When faithful Clio sets to view,
Posterity will doubting read,
And scarce believe her annals true.
The Muses toil, with art, to raise 125
Fictitious monuments of praise
When other actions they rehearse;
But half of Gloriana's reign,
That so the rest may credit gain,
Should pass unregister'd in verse. 130

II.
High on its own establish'd base
Prevailing virtue's pleas'd to rise,
Divinely deck'd with native grace,
Rich in itself with solid joys;
Ere Gloriana on the throne, 135
Quitting for Albion's rest her own,
In types of regal pow'r was seen,
With fair pre-eminence confest
It triumph'd in a private breast,
And made the princess more than queen. 140

III.
O Phœbus! would thy godhead not refuse
This humble incense on thy altar laid;
Would thy propitious ear attend the Muse
That suppliant now invokes thy certain aid;
With Mantuan force I'd mount a stronger gale, 145
And sing the parent of her land, who strove
T' exceed the transports of her people's zeal
With acts of mercy and majestic love;
By Fate, to fix Britannia's empire, given
The guardian pow'r of earth, and public care of Heav'n. 150

I.
Then, Churchill! should the Muse record
The conquests by thy sword achiev'd,
Quiet to Belgian states restor'd,
And Austrian crowns by thee retriev’d.
Imperious Leopold confess'd 155
His hoary Majesty distress'd;
To arms, to arms, Bavaria calls,
Nor with less terror shook his throne
Than when the rising Crescent shone
Malignant o'er his shatter'd walls. 160

II.
The warrior led the Britons forth
On foreign fields to dare their fate,
Distinguish'd souls of shining worth,
In war unknowing to retreat:
Thou, Phœbus! saw'st the hero's face, 165
When Mars had breath'd a purple grace,
And mighty fury fill'd his breast:
How like thyself, when to destroy
The Greeks thou didst thy darts employ,
Fierce with thy golden quiver drest! 170

III.
Sudden, whilst, banish'd from his native land,
Red with dishonest wounds, Bavaria mourn'd,
The chief, at Gloriana's high command,
Like a rous'd lion to the Maes return'd;
With vengeful speed the British sword he drew, 175
Unus'd to grieve his host with long delay,
Whilst, wing'd with fear, the force of Gallia flew;
As when the morning-star restores the day
The wand'ring ghosts of twenty thousand slain
Fleet sullen to the shades from Blenheim's mournful plain.

I.
Britannia! wipe thy dusty brow, 181
And put the Bourbon laurels on;
To thee deliver'd nations bow,
And bless the spoils thy wars have won:
For thee Bellona points her spear, 185
And whilst lamenting mothers fear,
On high her signal torch displays;
But when thy sword is sheath'd, again
Obsequious she receives thy chain,
And smooths her violence of face. 190

II.
Parent of arms! for ever stand
With large increase of fame rever'd,
Whilst arches to thy saving hand
On Danube's grateful banks are rear'd.
Eugene, inspir'd to war by thee, 195
Ausonia's weeping states to free,
Swift on th' imperial Eagle flies,
Whilst, bleeding, from his azure bed
Th' asserted Iber lifts his head,
And safe his Austrian lord enjoys. 200

III.
Iö, Britannia! fix'd on foreign wars,
Guiltless of civil rage, extend thy name;
The waves of utmost ocean, and the stars,
Are bounds but equal to thy Sov'reign's fame.
With deeper wrath thy victor Lion roars, 205
Wide o'er the subject world diffusing fear,
Whilst Gallia weeps her guilt, and peace implores:
So earth, transfix'd by fierce Minerva's spear,
A gentler birth obedient did disclose,
And sudden from the wound eternal olives rose. 210

I.
When, with establish'd freedom bless'd,
The globe to great Alcides bow'd,
Whose happy pow'r reliev'd th' oppress'd
From lawless chains, and check'd the proud,
Mature in fame, the grateful gods 215
Receiv'd him to their bright abodes,
Where Hebe crown'd his blooming joys;
Garlands the willing Muses wove,
And each, with emulation, strove
T' adorn the Churchill of the skies. 220

II.
For Albion's chief, ye sacred Nine!
Your harps with gen'rous ardour string,
With Fame's immortal trumpet join,
And safe beneath his laurel sing:
When clad in vines the Seine fhall glide, 225
And duteous in a smoother tide
To British seas her tribute yield;
Wakeful at Honour's shrine attend,
And long with living beams defend
From night the warrior's votive shield. 230

III.
And, Woodstock! let his dome exalt thy fame;
Great o'er thy Norman ruins be restor'd:
Thou that with pride dost Edward's^[1] cradle claim,
Receive an equal hero for thy lord:
Whilst ev'ry column, to record their toils, 235
Eternal monuments of conquest wears,
And all thy walls are dress'd with mingled spoils,
Gather'd on fam'd Ramillia and Poictiers,
High on thy tow'r the grateful flag display,
Due to thy Queen's reward and Blenheim's glorious day.

1. The Black Prince.