See the glad promife of a line of kings!

35

Royal Youth! what bard divine,

Equal to a praife like thine,

Shall in fome exalted measure
Sing thee, Britain's dearest treasure!

Who her joy in thee fhall tell,

40

Who the fprightly note fhall fwell,

His voice attemp'ring to the tuneful fhell?

Thee Audenard's recorded field,

Bold in thy brave paternal band, beheld,

And faw with hopeless heart thy fainting rival yield:
Troubled he with fore difmay

To thy ftronger fate gave way;
Safe beneath thy noble fcorn

Wingy footed was he borne

46

Swift as the fleeting fhades upon the golden corn. 50

IV.

What valour, what distinguish'd worth,

From thee fhall lead the coming ages forth!

Crefted helms and fhining fhields,

Warriours fam'd in foreign fields,
Hoary heads with olive bound,
Kings and lawgivers renown'd!

55

Crowding ftill they rife anew

Beyond the reach of deep prophetick view.

Young Auguftus! never cease,

Pledge of our present and our future peace; 60

Still pour the bleflings forth and give thy great in-
All the stock that Fate ordains

To fupply fucceeding reigns,
Whether glory shall inspire
Gentler arts or martial fire,
Still the fair descent shall be

[creafe.

65

Oh spread thy facred wing above the royal fair!

George by thee was wafted o'er

80

To the long expected fhore;

None prefuming to withstand

Thy celestial armed hand,

While his facred head to fhade

The blended Cross on high thy silver shield display'd.

VI.

But oh! what other form divine

Propitious near the hero feems to fhine!
Peace of mind and joy ferene

In her facred eyes are feen;
Honour binds her mitred brow,

Faith and Truth befide her go,

With Zeal and pure Devotion bending low.
A thousand storms around her threat,

A thousand billows roar beneath her fect,

While fix'd upon a rock fhe keeps her ftable feat. 95 Still in fign of fure defence

Truft and mutual confidence,

On the monarch standing by

Still the bends her gracious eye,

Nor fears her foes approach while Heav'n and he are

VII.

Hence then with ev'ry anxious care;

Be gone, pale Envy! and thou, cold Despair!

Seek ye out a moody cell

Where Deceit and Treafon dwell;

[nigh.

ΙΟΙ

There blaft the pathlefs wild and the bleak northern

There your exile vainly moan;

There where with murmurs horrid as your own

[hill;

Beneath the fweeping winds the bending forefts groan; But thou, Hope! with fmiling cheer

Do thou bring the ready Year.

ILI

See the Hours! a chofen band,

See with jocund looks they ftand

All in their trim array,and waiting for command. 115

VIII.

The welcome train begins to move,
Hope leads Increase and chaste Connubial Love;

Flora fweet her bounty spreads,

Smelling gardens, painted meads;

Ceres crowns the yellow plain,
Pan rewards the shepherd's pain:
All is plenty all is wealth,

And on the balmy air fits rofy colour'd Health.
I hear the mirth, I hear the land rejoice,

Like many waters fwells the pealing noise,

120

125

"Earth in fruits and flow'rs is dreft,

"Joy abounds in ev'ry breast:

"For thee thy people all, for thee the Year, is blest. 1 34

ODE FOR THE NEW YEAR 1717.

I.

WINTER! thou hoary venerable fire,

All richly in thy furry mantle clad,

What thoughts of mirth can feeble age inspire
To make thy careful wrinkled brow fo glad?

II.

Now I fee the reason plain,

Now I fee thy jolly train;

Snowy headed Winter leads,

Spring and Summer next fucceeds,
Yellow Autumn brings the rear:
Thou art father of the Year.

III.

While from the frofty mellow'd earth
Abounding plenty takes her birth,
The confcious fire exulting fees
The feafons fpread their rich increase;
So dusky Night and Chaos fmil'd

On beauteous Form their lovely child.

O fair variety!

IV.

What blifs thou dost supply!
The foul brings forth the fair
To deck the changing Year.
When our old pleasures die
Some new one ftill is nigh;

Oh fair variety!

V.

Our paffions like the seasons turn

And now we laugh and now we mourn.

25

Britannia late oppreft with dread
Hung her declining drooping head:
A better vifage now she wears,
And now at once the quits her fears:
Strife and war no more fhe knows,
Rebel fons nor foreign foes.

VI.

Safe beneath her mighty master
In fecurity fhe fits,

Hij

30