A POEM. Humbly Preſented to His moſt Sacred Majeſty
[]THE LARK, while ſhe her Gratitude to prove,
Lauds with her ſprightly Notes, immortal Jov
Shuts not his Ear againſt the SPARROWS Lays;
Whoſe tuneleſs Pipe can only chirp his Praiſe.
Thus I, tho' Learned Bards before have ſtrung
Their ſounding Lyres, and moſt divinely Sung,
Fear not the Dictates of my Soul to own;
The leſs of Art, the more of Love is ſhown:
Vouchſafe, Great Prince, to hear my humble Muſe,
And let my Zeal my Want of Skill excuſe.
HAIL! Hero born to rule, and reconcile
The fatal Diſcords of our Engliſh Iſle!
[6] Our pure Religion, long the Mark of Rome,
Repriev'd by YOU Eſcapes her final Doom.
Innumber'd Joys YOU to Britannia bring,
And lo Paeans thro' the Nation ring.
Delightful Liberty, with Fears half dead,
Hears the glad Noiſe, and rears her pleaſing Head;
Her ſlacken'd Nerves their former Strength regain,
And ſhe her Life redates from GEORGE's Reign.
SO Cruel Faction tore Rome's ancient State,
And all her Glories ſeem'd the Sport of Fate;
When by Adoption Trajan took the Reins,
And check'd his People's Heats, and quench'd the Flames;
Enlarg'd her Bounds to diſtant India's Shoar,
And taught her Drooping Eagles how to ſoar.
YOU Sir, like him, the Britiſh Throne aſcend;
May equal Victories your Reign attend.
When round the Continent the Trump of Fame
Did Britain's Glory in your Right proclaim,
Tyrannick Monarchs, as with Thunder ſcar'd,
Sent up their Prayers impending Fates to ward;
Whilſt BELGIA's LION brav'd his threaten'd Chain,
Rowl'd his Glad Eyes, and ſtretch'd his Paws again.
BY your fam'd Juſtice, and your prudent Sway,
France ſhall be taught to Love, or to Obey;
[7] Whilſt YOU the Right of Liberty aſſert,
And all the Ills of broken Faith avert;
To Barcelona may Your Succours fly,
Before her Champions 'midſt her Ruins dye.
PROPHETICK Sages had this Day in View,
And nam'd our PATRON as a Type of You:
So Men to Oracles had once Regard,
'Till the Great Saviour of the World appear'd.
THE ſwelling Waves, which often heretofore
Our yet lov'd King, the Glorious WILLIAM, bore,
Proud in conveying his Adopted Son,
Part with Regret, and murmur as they run.
WELLCOME great Guardian of our Britiſh Land;
Receive the Nation reſcu'd by thy Hand.
A wicked Race of Men, for private Ends,
Had rais'd her baffled Foes, and ſunk her Friends,
Diſpers'd her Strength, and Royal ANN betray'd
Whilſt in the Sunſhine of her Smiles they play'd;
The Ruin rowl'd too faſt for her to ſtem,
Whoſe greateſt Weakneſs was her Choice of Them:
When Heav'n, in Pity to thoſe ſuppliant Few,
Who own'd its Power, and kept their Vows to YOU,
Came to our Aid, revers'd our low'ring Fate,
And by thy deſtin'd ARM retriev'd the State.
[8]
HAIL great Deliverer, much lov'd MONARCH Hail!
No more ſhall France, no more ſhall Rome prevail:
By Heav'ns Decree, YOU and your Iſſue ſtand
Sure Signs of future Safety to this Land.
So when th' Almighty caus'd the Flouds to ceaſe,
He fix'd his Bow in Token of the Peace.
I am with the profoundeſt Reſpect, Your Majeſty's Moſt Dutiful and Moſt Devoted Subject, Suſanna Centlivre.
FINIS.