To the AUTHOR of the UNIVERSAL SPECTATOR.
SIR,
”Please to insert in your Paper the following
ODE, compos’d in Honour of his MAJESTY’s
Birth Day (last Thursday) by the Poet Laureat, and
you’ll oblige, with many others of your Readers,
Sir,
Your very humble Servant
A. B.
ODE for the BIRTH-DAY, 1729.
RECITATIVO
As on the Deep, in War’s Array,
Thy Fleet, Fair Albion, lay,
Dreadfully gay!
Neptune raised his Oozy Head,
Wond’ring look’d around, and said:
AIR
Hail! British Floating Tow’rs!
All, all the Liqid Plains
From East to West are Yours;
Unbounded rich Domains!
Where e’er your Vengeance flies,
My Trident useless lies.
RECITATIVO
When into Greece the frantic Persian sail’d,
And whip’d, and chain’d, Old Ocean groan’d;
Or when Eliza o’er proud Spain prevail’d,
And her Armada sunk, she moan’d:
Not then my Eyes felt this unknown Delight,]
Not then so great, so glorious was the Sight!
AIR
Cease, Neptune, cease thy Wonder,
Britannia knows her Thunder.
She, melting now with Pleasure,
And joyous above Measure,
Sees safe her King returning,
And, Leine, thy Climes left mourning,
Olives thy Head surrounding,
The World his Fame resounding!
RECITATIVO
Thus to his Brothers from above,
To ballance Pow’r descended Jove,
And Universal Sway to share;
His Heav’ns he leaves to his Bright Juno’s Care!
Juno, the Guardian-Queen, his Room supplies,
Juno, the CAROLINA of the Skies!
AIR.
But solemn Leagues, and Union made,
No longer from his Realms he stay’d.
Again he reassum’d the Crown,
And charted Lightning’s from his Throne!
Again he shook, with dread Command,
The Bolt in his Imperial Hand!
CHORUS
Britons! your Jove, your Juno, here behold!
Bloom ever These, as those were feign’d of old!
Then to an envying World around
Britannia shall be shown
Still yearly with new Glories crown’d,
As Brunswick’s Years roul on.
|