From ALBION's realm to fervile fhores convey'd, Wrung from her fons, and speeded by her kings! Oh irksome days! when wicked thrones combine With papal craft, to gull their native land!
Such was our fate, while ROME's director taught Of fubjects, born to be their monarch's prey, To toil for monks, for gluttony to toil, For vacant gluttony; extortion, fraud,
For av'rice, envy, pride, revenge, and shame! O doctrine breath'd from Stygian caves! exhal'd From inmoft EREBUS!-Such HENRY's reign! Urging his loyal realms reluctant hand
To wield the peaceful fword, by JOHN erewhile Forc'd from its fcabbard; and with burnish'd lance Effay the favage cure, domeftic war!
And now some nobler spirits chas'd the mist Of general darkness. GROSTED* now adorn'd The mitred wreath he wore, with reafon's fword Stagg'ring delufion's frauds; at length beneath ROME's interdict expiring calm, refign'd No vulgar foul that dar'd to heav'n appeal! But ah this fertile glebe, this fair domain Had well nigh ceded to the flothful hands Of monks libidinous; ere EDWARD's care The lavish hand of death-bed fear restrain’d. Yet was he clear of fuperftition's taint? He too, mifdeemful of his wholesome law, Ev'n he, expiring, gave his treasur'd gold
Bishop of LINCOLN, called Malleus Romanorum,
To fatten monks on SALEM's diftant foil!
Yes, the third EDWARD's breaft, to papal fway So little prone, and fierce in honour's cause, Cou'd fuperftition quell! before the tow'rs Of haggard PARIS, at the thunder's voice He drops the sword, and figns ignoble peace! But ftill the night by Romish art diffus'd Collects her clouds, and with flow pace recedes. When by foft BOURDEAU's braver queen approv❜d, Bold WICKLIFF rofe and while the bigot pow'r Amidst her native darkness skulk'd fecure, The demon vanifh'd as he spread the day. So from his bofom CACUS breath'd of old The pitchy cloud, and in a night of fmoke Secure awhile his recreant life fuftain'd; 'Till fam'd ALCIDES, o'er his fubtleft wiles Victorious, chear'd the ravag'd nations round. Hail honour'd WICKLIFF! enterprizing sage! An Epicurus in the cause of truth!
For 'tis not radiant funs, the jovial hours Of youthful spring, an ether all ferene, Nor all the verdure of CAMPANIA's vales, Can chase religious gloom! 'Tis reason, thought, The light, the radiance that pervades the soul, And sheds its beams on heav'n's myfterious way!
yet this light but glimmer'd, and again Error prevail'd; while kings by force uprais'd Let loose the rage of bigots on their foes, And feek affection by the dreadful boon
Of licens'd murder. Ev'n the kindeft prince, The most extended breast, the royal HAL! All unrelenting heard the Lollards cry Burst from the center of remorseless flames; Their fhrieks endur'd! Oh stain to martial praise ! When COBHAM, gen'rous as the noble peer That wears his honours, pay'd the fatal price Of virtue blooming ere the storms were laid! 'Twas thus, alternate, truth's precarious flame Decay'd or flourish'd. With malignant eye The pontiff faw BRITANNIA's golden fleece, Once all his own, invest her worthier fons ! Her verdant valleys, and her fertile plains, Yellow with grain abjure his hateful sway! Effay'd his utmost art, and inly own'd No labours bore proportion to the prize.
So when the tempter view'd, with envious eye, The first fair pattern of the female frame, All nature's beauties in one form difplay'd, And cent'ring there, in wild amaze he stood; Then only envying heav'n's creative hand : Wish'd to his gloomy reign his envious arts Might win this prize, and doubled ev'ry snare. And vain were reason, courage, learning, all, Till pow'r accede: till TUDOR's wild caprice Smile on their caufe; TUDOR, whofe tyrant reign With mental freedom crown'd, the best of kings Might envious view, and ill prefer their own!
Then from its tow'ring height with horrid found
Rush'd the proud abby. Then the vaulted roofs, Torn from their walls, difclos'd the wanton fcene Of monkish chastity! Each angry friar Crawl'd from his bedded ftrumpet, mutt'ring low An ineffectual curfe. The pervious nooks That, ages paft, convey'd the guileful priest To play fome image on the gaping crowd, Imbibe the novel day-light; and expofe Obvious, the fraudful engin'ry of ROME. As tho' this op'ning earth to nether realms Shou'd flash meridian day, the hooded race Shudder abash'd to find their cheats difplay'd: And confcious of their guilt, and pleas'd to wave Its fearful meed, refign'd their fair domain.
Nor yet fupine, nor void of rage, retir'd The pest gigantic; whofe revengeful stroke Ting'd the red annals of MARIA's reign. When from the tendereft breast, each wayward priest Cou'd banish mercy, and implant a fiend! When cruelty the fun'ral pyre uprear'd,
And bound religion there, and fir'd the base !
When the fame blaze, which on each tortur'd limb Fed with luxuriant rage, in ev'ry face
Triumphant faith appear'd, and fmiling hope. O bleft ELIZA! from thy piercing beam Forth flew this hated fiend, the child of ROME; Driv❜n to the verge of ALBION, linger'd there, Then with her JAMES receding, caft behind One angry frown, and fought more fervile climes.
Henceforth they ply'd the long-continued task Of righteous havoc, cov'ring distant fields. With the wrought remnants of the shatter'd pile. Then WOLSEY rofe, by nature form'd to feek Ambition's trophies, by addrefs to win, By temper to enjoy whofe humbler birth Taught the gay scenes of pomp to dazzle more. While thro' the land the mufing pilgrim fees A tract of brighter green, and in the midst Appears a mouldering wall, with ivy crown'd; Or gothic turret, pride of ancient days! Now but of ufe to grace a rural scene
To bound our viftas, and to glad the fons Of GEORGE's reign, referv'd for fairer times!
neque Medorum filva, ditissima terra,
Nec pulcher Ganges, atque auro turbidus Hamus, Laudibus Angligenûm certent: non Baltra, nec Indi; Totaque turriferis Panchaia pinguis arenis.
ET the green olive glad Hefperian fhores
Lfer tawny citron, and her orange-groves,
These let IBERIA boaft; but if in vain, To win the stranger plant's diffusive smile, The BRITON labours, yet our native minds, Our conftant bofoms, these, the dazled world
« 前へ次へ » |