Of licens'd murder. Ev'n the kindest prince, The most extended breast, the royal HAL! All unrelenting heard the Lollards cry
Burft from the center of remorseless flames; Their fhrieks endur'd! Oh ftain 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 ftorms 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, inveft 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 display'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 beft of kings Might envious view, and ill prefer their own!
Then from its tow'ring height with horrid found
Rufh'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 prieft 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 display'd: And confcious of their guilt, and pleas'd to wave Its fearful meed, resign'd their fair domain.
Nor yet fupine, nor void of rage, retir'd The peft gigantic; whofe revengeful stroke Ting'd the red annals of MARIA's reign. When from the tenderest 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 smiling 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. Hence-
Henceforth they ply'd the long-continued task Of righteous havoc, cov'ring diftant 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!
Sed neque Medorum filva, ditiffima terra, Nec pulcher Ganges, atque auro turbidus Hamus, Laudibus Angligenûm certent: non Baltra, nec Indi, Totaque turriferis Panchaia pinguis arenis.
olive glad Hefperian fhores;
Her tawny citron, and her
These let IBERIA boaft; but if in vain, To win the stranger plant's diffusive smile, The BRITON labours, yet our native minds, Our constant bofoms, these, the dazled world
May view with envy'; thefe, Iberian dames Survey with fixt efteem and fond defire.
Haplefs ELVIRA! thy difaftrous fate May well this truth explain; nor ill adorn The British lyre; then chiefly, if the mufe, Nor vain nor partial, from the fimple guife Of ancient record catch the penfive lay; And in lefs groveling accents give to fame. ELVIRA! loveliest maid! th' Iberian realm Could boast no purer breaft, no fprightlier mind, No race more fplendent, and no form fo fair. Such was the chance of war, this peerless maid In life's luxuriant bloom, enrich'd the spoil Of British victors, vict'ry's nobleft pride! She, fhe alone, amid the wailful train, Of captive maids, affign'd to HENRY's care; Lord of her life, her fortune, and her fame!
He, gen'rous youth, with no penurious hand, The tedious moments that unjoyous roll Where freedom's chearful radiance fhines no more, Effay'd to foften; confcious of the pang That beauty feels, to wafte its fleeting hours In fome dim fort, by foreign rule restrain'd, Far from the haunts of men, or eye
of day! Sometimes, to cheat her bofom of its cares, Her kind protector number'd o'er the toils Himself had worn the frowns of angry feas, Or hoftile rage, or faithlefs friend, more fell Than storm or foe: if haply fhe might find
Her cares diminish'd; fruitlefs fond effay ! Now to her lovely hand, with modest awe The tender lute he gave: fhe not averfe Nor deftitute of fkill, with willing hand Call'd forth angelic ftrains; the facred debt Of gratitude, she said, whofe juft commands Still might her hand with equal pride obey!
Nor to the melting founds the nymph refus'd Her vocal art; harmonious, as the strain Of fome imprison'd lark, who daily chear'd By guardian cares, repays them with a fong: Nor droops, nor deems fweet liberty refign'd.
The fong, not artlefs, had she fram'd to paint Difaftrous paffion; how, by tyrant laws Of idiot custom sway'd, fome soft-ey'd fair Lov'd only one; nor dar'd their love reveal! How the foft anguifh banish'd from her cheek The damaík rofe full-blown; a fever came; And from her bofom forc'd the plaintive tale. Then, fwift as light, he fought the love-lorn maid, But vainly fought her; torn by fwifter fate To join the tenants of the myrtle fhade, Love's mournful victims on the plains below. Sometimes, as fancy spoke the pleafing task, She taught her artful needle to display
The various pride of spring: then swift upfprung Thickets of myrtle, eglantine, and rofe: There might you fee, on gentle toils intent, A train of bufy loves; fome pluck the flow'r,
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