The SAME ODE Imitated.

By Mr. J. DUNCOMBE.

To LIBERTY.

LIBERTY, to Britain's favour'd Land
Far dearer than the Mufes fabled

Throng,

Propitious guide me with thy friendly Hand, And while I fing thy Praises, aid my Song ! So fhall I foar above this earthly Sphere, And so shall all thy Sons with due Attention hear.

Bear me, O bear me, to each Plain and Flood

Renown'd for Triumphs in thy facred Cause, Where in firm Ranks our warlike Barons ftood, Th' Avengers of thy violated Laws;

But chief on Thames' fam'd Borders let me stray, Then waft me to the Boyne, and last to Northern Spey!

2

O point the Spot, where, in th' embattled Field, Ere Slaughter fwell'd the Boyne's impetuous

Tide,

Thy guardian Arm, with providential Shield,

Turn'd, unobferv'd, the guiltless Ball afide : 'Twas thou, bleft Nymph, that from th' impending Blow

In that important Hour preferv'd thy Champion's

Brow.

Swift ran the Rumour through th' Hibernian Hoft
That William, dreaded William, was no more;
Thence to the Capital and fartheft Coast

It flew, and ev'n to 3 Gallia's diftant Shore; Each Slave, each Prieft, unfeemly Joy betray'd, And Rome's triumphant Crofs once more in Thought furvey'd.

When Britain, in luxurious Charles's Reign, In fatal Union join'd with faithlefs Gaul, The States of harrafs'd Belgia to enchain, Refolv'd to perifh, or avert her Fall,

The Patriot-Hero, in his youthful Years, To Conqueft led by thee, difpell'd his Country's Fears.

Again, when Tyranny, worst Fiend of Rome, In this despairing Ile terrific rofe,

Soon he difpers'd that more than Stygian Gloom,

And foon the Monster funk beneath his Blows: To Him, to Thee, we owe that Royal Race Who now with gentle Sway Britannia's Sceptre grace.

What though the Bourbon Chiefs, inur'd to Arms,

O'er ravag❜d Flandria, like a Torrent, spread, Friend to thy Rights, and Votary to thyCharms, Through Glory's Paths thy Hofts the War

Witness my Plains, O turich, fand with

Blood,

Winch drad Lander's Field, and + Lemire's woEdering Flood.

From manial TWRAP: Stades, retir'd, Our laft Dellerer, of the Branick Race, Our fecond William, with the Love infpirid, Delights, fair Liberty, the Deeds to trace; Difplay'd in Hiftory's recording Page,

The Triumphs of thy Sons his peacefil Thoughts

engage.

And well we know by whom the Highland

Bands

Back to their Friths and native Rocks were

driven;

Vain their Attempts to feize our cultur'd Lands,
By France and Rome commiffion'd, not by

Heaven;

Th' almighty Sire, whom Earth and Heaven

obey,

Confirms a Brunfwick's Right, approves a Brunfwick's Sway.

Though fwift they flew o'er half th' unguarded
Realm,

And Terror in each loyal Face appear'd,
Tho' all, but George, were daunted at the Helm,
When Charles on Derby's Plains his Standard

car'd;

Yet

Yet what avail'd this fugitive Success? What Perth's diftinguish'd Zeal, or Lovat's fage

Addrefs?

What fierce Balmerino's undaunted Air,

Who with ftern Smiles the Field of Death furvey'd ;

What wife Pitfligo's Skill, or Elcho's Care,

Or what ev'n Manchester's disloyal Aid ?* When Crawford, wafted from the Belgian Shore, Unfheath'd his dreaded Blade, distain’d with Turkish Gore;

When Guest and Blakeney, in Britannia's Caufe Firm and unfhaken,check'd their rapidCourse; And last, to rescue our endanger'd Laws,

When youthful William, with refiftless Force, Eager purfued them o'er the Tweed and Spey, And dash'd Rebellion's Hopes on fam'd Culladen's Day.

So perish all whom Rome's enfnaring Arts,
And Gallia's flattering Promises, excite
To rob our Sovereign of his Subjects Hearts,
And quench our pure Religion's Gospel-
Light!

So all have perifh'd, who, beguil'd by Pride, Have figh'd for Slavery's Yoke, and righteous Power defy'd.

*The Manchefer Regiment.

C 6

What

What but Ambition, what but Pride, impelt'd Thole faithless Spirits in the Realms above, Who once in Glory and in Blifs excell ̈d, Obedient only to the Law of Love,

To fil Heaven's peaceful Regions with Alarms, "And dare," with impious Rage, "th' Omnipotent to Arms ?"

But foon, "hurl'd headlong from th' æthereal Sky,"

For ever exi'd from thofe bleft Domains, (As fings our matchlefs Bard*) "referv'd they lie "In penal Fire and adamantine Chains;" And there, convinc'd from whence their Sufferings fpring,

Too late by fee their Crime, and own th' Eternal

In a Meadow, called Running-mede, between Staines and Windfor, King John figned Magna Charta, and the barter of Foref, in the Year 1215.

The Battle of Culloden was fought near the Banks of the Speg.

3 On K. William's first alighting from his Horfe [after bis Wound] a Deferter had gone over to the Enemy with the News, which was carried quickly into France, where it was taken for granted that he could not long outlive fuch a Wound: So it ran over that Kingdom that he was dead, and upon it there were more public Rejoicings than had been usual upon the greatest Victories. BURNET.

4 Namur is fituated on the Conflux of the Rivers Maefe and Sambre.

Par. Left, B. 1.

ODE