Tun'd to his British lyre this ancient fong: Which Homer might without a blush rehearse, And leaves a doubtful palm in Virgil's verfe: He match'd their beauties, where they moft excel; Of love fung better, and of arms as well.
Vouchfafe, illuftrious Ormond, to behold What pow'r the charms of beauty had of old; Nor wonder if fuch deeds of arins were done, Infpir'd by two fair eyes that sparkled like your own, If Chaucer by the beft idea wrought,
And poets can divine each other's thought,
The fairest nymph before his eyes
And then the faireft was Plantagenet;
Who three contending princes made their prize,
And rul'd the rival' nations with her eyes:
Who left immortal trophies of her fame,
And to the nobleit order gave the name.
Like her, of equal kindred to the throne,
You keep her conquefts, and extend your own:
As when the stars in their etherial race,
At length have roll'd around the liquid space,
At certain periods they resume their place,
From the fame point of heaven their course advance,
And move in measures of their former dance
Thus, after length of ages, fhe returns,
Reftor'd in you, and the fame place adorns
Or you perform her office in the sphere,
Born of her blood, and make a new platonic year.
O true Plantagenet, O race divine,
(For beauty ftill is fatal to the line,)
Had Chaucer liv'd that angel-face to view,
Sure he had drawn his Emily from you;
Or had you liv'd to judge the doubtful right,
Your noble Palamon had been the knight;
And conqu'ring Thefeus from his fide had fent
Your gen'rous lord, to guide the Theban go-
Time fhall accomplish that; and I shall fee
A Palamon in him, in you an Emily.
Already have the fates your path prepar'd,
And fure prefage your future fway declar'd:
When weftward, like the fun, you took your way,
And from benighted Britain bore the day,
Blue Triton gave the signal from the shore,
The ready Nereids heard, and swam before
To smooth the seas; a soft Etesian gale
But juft infpir'd, and gently fwell'd the fail;
Portunus took his turn, whofe ample hand
Heav'd up his lighten'd keel, and funk the sand,
And steer'd the facred vessel safe to land.
The land, if not reftrain'd, had met your way,
Projected out a neck, and jutted to the sea.
Hibernia, proftrate at your feet, ador’d
you, the pledge of her expected lord; Due to her ifle; a venerable name;
His father and his grandfire known to fame;
Aw'd by that houfe, accuftom'd to command,
The sturdy Kerns in due fubjection stand;
Nor bear the reins in any foreign hand.
At your approach, they crouded to the port;
And scarcely landed, you create a court:
As Ormond's harbinger, to you they run;
For Venus is the promise of the fun.
The wafte of civil wars, their towns deftroy'd,
Pales unhonor'd, Ceres unemploy'd,
Were all forgot; and one triumphant day
Wip'd all the tears of three campaigns away.
Blood, rapines, maffacres, were cheaply bought,
So mighty recompence your beauty brought.
As when the dove returning bore the mark
Of earth restor❜d to the long lab'ring ark,
The relics of mankind, fecure of rest,
Ope'd ev'ry window to receive the guest,
And the fair bearer of the meffage bleff'd,
So, when you came, with loud repeated cries,
The nation took an omen from your eyes,
And God advanc'd his rainbow in the skies,
To fign inviolable peace reftor'd;
The faints with folemn fhouts proclaim'd the new
When at your fecond coming you appear,
(For I foretel that millenary year)
The fharpen'd share fhall vex the foil no more,
But earth unbidden fhall produce her store;
The land fhall laugh, the circling ocean fmile,
And heav'n's indulgence bless the holy isle.
Heav'n from all ages has referv'd for you
That happy clime, which venom never knew;
Or if it had been there, your eyes alone
Have power to chafe all poifon, but their own.
Now in this interval, which fate has caft
future glories, and your past, This pause of pow'r, 'tis Ireland's hour to mourn; While England celebrates your fafe return,
By which you seem the seasons to command,
And bring our fummers back to their forfaken land.
The vanquish'd ifle our leisure must attend, Till the fair bleffing we vouchfafe to fend; Nor can we spare you long, tho often we may lend. The dove was twice employ'd abroad, before The world was dry'd, and she return'd no more. Nor dare we truft fo foft a meffenger, New from her fickness, to that northern air Reft here a while your luftre to restore,
That they may see you, as you fhone before; For yet, th' eclipse not wholly past, you wade Thro fome remains, and dimness of a fhade.
A fubject in his prince may claim a right, Nor fuffer him with strength impair'd to fight; Till force returns, his ardor we restrain, And curb his warlike wish to cross the main, Now paft the danger, let the learn'd begin Th' inquiry, where disease could enter in ;
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