HORE LYRICÆ. BOOK II. SACRED TO VIRTUE, HONOUR, AND FRIENDSHIP. TO HER MAJESTY. QUEEN of the Northern world, whose gentle sway Of blooming joy, three happy realms appear, Stands; nor complains: while from thy gracious tongue Peace flows in silver streams amidst the throng. I The German eagle feels her guardian dead, Feels its own fire, and kindles, unconfin'd, 1 The Established Church of England. The Protestant Dissenters. Princess! the world already owns thy name: Go, mount the chariot of immortal fame, Nor die to be renown'd; Fame's loudest breath Too dear is purchas'd by an angel's death. The vengeance of thy rod, with general joy, Shall scourge rebellion and the rival boy 3; Thy sounding arms his Gallic patron hears And speeds his flight; nor overtakes his fears, Till hard despair wring from the tyrant's soul The iron tears out. Let thy frown control Our angry jars at home, till wrath submit Her impious banners to thy sacred feet. Mad zeal and frenzy, with their murderous train, Flee these sweet realms in thine auspicious reign, Envy expire in rage, and Treason bite the chain. Let no black scenes affright fair Albion's stage: Thy thread of life prolong our golden age, Long bless the earth, and late ascend thy throne Ethereal; (not thy deeds are there unknown, Nor there unsung; for, by thine awful hands, Heaven rules the waves, and thunders o'er the lands, Creates inferior kings 4, and gives them their comLegions attend thee at the radiant gates ; [mands), For thee thy sister-seraph, blest Maria, waits. But oh! the parting stroke! some heavenly power Cheer thy sad Britons in the gloomy hour; Some new propitions star appear on high, The fairest glory of the western sky, And Anna be its name; with gentle sway, To check the planets of malignant ray, 3 The Pretender. 4 She made Charles, the Emperor's second sou, King Spain, who was afterwards Emperor of Germany. Soothe the rude north-wind, and the rugged bear, Note. This poem was written in the year 1705, in that honourable part of the reign of Queen Anne, when she had broke the French power at Blenheim, asserted the right of Charles, the present Emperor, to the crown of Spain; exerted her zeal for the protestant succession; and promised, inviolably, to maintain the toleration to the protestant dissenters. Thus she appeared the chief support of the reformation, and the patroness of the liberties of Europe. The latter part of her reign was of a different colour, and was by no means attended with the accomplishment of those glorious hopes which we had conceived. Now the Muse cannot satisfy herself to publish this new editon without acknowledging the mistake of her former presages : and while she does the world this justice, she does herself the honour of a voluntary retraction. August 1, 1721. J. W. PALINODIA. BRITONS, forgive the forward Muse, When Anna sunk in Western skies, Streaking the heavens with crimson gloom, |