The Poetical Works of Elijah Fenton/Verses on the Union
VERSES ON THE UNION.
The Gaul, intent on universal sway,
Sees his own subjects with constraint obey,
And they who most his rising beams ador'd,
Weep in their chains, and wish another lord:
But, if the Muse not uninspir'd presage, 5
Justice shall triumph o'er oppressive rage;
His pow'r shall be reclaim'd to rightful laws,
And all, like Savoy, shall desert his cause.
So when to distant vales an eagle steers,
His fierceness not disarm'd by length of years, 10
From his stretch'd wing he sees the feathers fly
Which bore him to his empire of the sky.
Unlike, great Queen! thy steps to deathless fame;
O best, O greatest, of thy royal name!
Thy Briton's, fam'd for arts, in battle brave, 15
Have nothing now to censure or to crave;
Ev'n Vice and factions Zeal are held in awe,
Thy court a temple, and thy life a law.
When, edg'd with terrors, by thy vengeful hand
The sword is drawn to gore a guilty land, 20
Thy mercy cures the wound thy justice gave,
For 't is thy lov'd prerogative to save;
And Victory, to grace thy triumph, brings
Palms in her hand, with healing in her wings.
But as mild heav'n on Eden's op'ning gems 25
Bestow'd the balmiest dews and brightest beams;
So, whilst remotest climes thy influence share,
Britain's the darling object of thy care:
By thy wise councils and resistless might
Abroad we conquer, and at home unite. 30
Before thou bidd'st the distant battles cease,
Thy piety cements domestic peace;
Impatient of delay to fix the state,
Thy dove brings olive ere the waves abate.
Hail, happy Sister-lands! for ever prove 35
Rivals alone in loyalty and love;
Kindled from heav'n, be your auspicious flame
As lasting and as bright as Anna's fame!
And thou, fair northern Nymphs! partake our toil;
With us divide the danger and the spoil: 40
When thy brave sons, the friends of Mars, avow'd,
In steel around our Albion standards crowd,
What wonders in the war shall now be shown
By her, who single shook the Gallic throne!
The day draws nigh in which the warrior-queen
Shall wave her Union-crosses o'er the Seine: 46
Rouz'd with heroic warmth unfelt before,
Her Lions with redoubled fury roar;
And urging on to fame, with joy behold
The woody walks in which they rang'd of old. 50
O Louis! long the terror of thy arms
Has aw'd the Continent with dire alarms,
Exulting in thy pride, with hope to see
Empires and states derive their pow'r from thee;
From Britain's equal hand the scale to wrest, 55
And reign without a rival o'er the West:
But now the laurels, by thy rapine torn
From Belgian groves, in early triumphs borne,
Wither'd and leafless in thy winter stand,
Expos'd a prey to ev'ry hostile hand, 60
By strange extremes of destiny decreed
To flourish and to fall with equal speed.
So the young gourd around the prophet's head
With swift increase her fragrant honours spread;
Beneath the growing shade secure he sate, 65
To see the tow'rs of Ninus bow to Fate;
But, curs'd by Heav'n, the greens began to fade,
And, sickening, sudden as they rose decay'd. 68
Sees his own subjects with constraint obey,
And they who most his rising beams ador'd,
Weep in their chains, and wish another lord:
But, if the Muse not uninspir'd presage, 5
Justice shall triumph o'er oppressive rage;
His pow'r shall be reclaim'd to rightful laws,
And all, like Savoy, shall desert his cause.
So when to distant vales an eagle steers,
His fierceness not disarm'd by length of years, 10
From his stretch'd wing he sees the feathers fly
Which bore him to his empire of the sky.
Unlike, great Queen! thy steps to deathless fame;
O best, O greatest, of thy royal name!
Thy Briton's, fam'd for arts, in battle brave, 15
Have nothing now to censure or to crave;
Ev'n Vice and factions Zeal are held in awe,
Thy court a temple, and thy life a law.
When, edg'd with terrors, by thy vengeful hand
The sword is drawn to gore a guilty land, 20
Thy mercy cures the wound thy justice gave,
For 't is thy lov'd prerogative to save;
And Victory, to grace thy triumph, brings
Palms in her hand, with healing in her wings.
But as mild heav'n on Eden's op'ning gems 25
Bestow'd the balmiest dews and brightest beams;
So, whilst remotest climes thy influence share,
Britain's the darling object of thy care:
By thy wise councils and resistless might
Abroad we conquer, and at home unite. 30
Before thou bidd'st the distant battles cease,
Thy piety cements domestic peace;
Impatient of delay to fix the state,
Thy dove brings olive ere the waves abate.
Hail, happy Sister-lands! for ever prove 35
Rivals alone in loyalty and love;
Kindled from heav'n, be your auspicious flame
As lasting and as bright as Anna's fame!
And thou, fair northern Nymphs! partake our toil;
With us divide the danger and the spoil: 40
When thy brave sons, the friends of Mars, avow'd,
In steel around our Albion standards crowd,
What wonders in the war shall now be shown
By her, who single shook the Gallic throne!
The day draws nigh in which the warrior-queen
Shall wave her Union-crosses o'er the Seine: 46
Rouz'd with heroic warmth unfelt before,
Her Lions with redoubled fury roar;
And urging on to fame, with joy behold
The woody walks in which they rang'd of old. 50
O Louis! long the terror of thy arms
Has aw'd the Continent with dire alarms,
Exulting in thy pride, with hope to see
Empires and states derive their pow'r from thee;
From Britain's equal hand the scale to wrest, 55
And reign without a rival o'er the West:
But now the laurels, by thy rapine torn
From Belgian groves, in early triumphs borne,
Wither'd and leafless in thy winter stand,
Expos'd a prey to ev'ry hostile hand, 60
By strange extremes of destiny decreed
To flourish and to fall with equal speed.
So the young gourd around the prophet's head
With swift increase her fragrant honours spread;
Beneath the growing shade secure he sate, 65
To see the tow'rs of Ninus bow to Fate;
But, curs'd by Heav'n, the greens began to fade,
And, sickening, sudden as they rose decay'd. 68