ABSTRACT
It is resolv’d! His Word and Honour’s past! We must submit, and let the Heroe go: This Scanty Isle He long has Serv’d and Grac’t, And distant Worlds expect Him now. 5 No Grateful Laurels this allows, To Crown the Noble Victor’s Brows: Supinely here His Generous Youth was lost, Which shou’d more memorable Glories boast, Such as shou’d more Renown His Name, 10 And still maintain aloft His spreading Fame. His Soul by Nature Bravely Rough and Great, Scorns the Confinement of a Home-Retreat; But soft Repose, that Court-Disease, Infectious to the Great and Young, 15 Subdu’d His Martial Mind to Ease, And Charm’d Him with her Pleasures long. Born for Great Action, but compell’d to Sloth, He yields to all the Splendid Baits for Youth. II So the Young Victor did at Capua lie, 20 Tamely unnerv’d in Luxury; While all his gilded Arms hung Useless by: In daz’ling Riots wanton’d with his Fair, Despising Conquests, and renouncing War, 223Till Glory wak’d him from th’ Inchanting Dream, 25 And pointing out his Youth a Nobler Theam. He rowses now, and puts his Armour on, Gives Order for his Warlike Steeds; In vain the Lovely Charmer Weeps and Pleads, He’ll be no more by Idle Love undone; 30 In vain the shining Goblets take their Round, And with Obliging Healths are Crown’d, The Ivory Tables bending with the Weight Of Costly Fare, in O’re-charg’d Plate: He now for Fame Ignoble Ease disdains; 35 Bravely Resolv’d, he breaks the Lazy Chains. III Well did Great Cæsar know, His Grandeur and Magnificence To New-found Worlds He cou’d not shew So greatly to His Fame, as now, 40 In so Renown’d a Prince: Already to the utmost Bounds of Shore His Mighty Name is gone before. Great Albemarle the Sea-born Nereids sung, Upon that Memorable Day, 45 When all the Floods let loose their joyful Throng, And bore the Martyr’s Sons in Triumph o’re the Sea: And still between the Monarchs Praise The Fame of Albemarle they raise; Crowns to the Royal Youths they brought, and to the Victor Bays. IV 50 How must that Wondring World rejoyce to see Their Land so Honour’d, and themselves so Blest, When on their Shores (Great Prince) they Welcom Thee, Whose Brave Hereditary Loyalty Has been so many generous ways exprest? 55 What Homage must Your Ravisht Subjects pay For the vast Condescention You have shewn? What Treasures offer, how enough Obey, Their Humble Gratitude to own, When they behold a Prince so Great 22460 From an Illustrious Court retreat, To render all their Happiness compleat? A Prince whom no Ignoble Interest sways To trust his Fortune with the Fickle Seas, Altho’ its Tributary Waves before 65 Allow’d Him so immense a Store, As if the Wonders of the Deep till now, Of which we have so oft been told, Did never yet its meaning shew, Till yielding up the Miracle in Gold: 70 And ‘tis Great Albemarle alone Has found the Secret of the Philosophic Stone. V With Him, his Princess, whose High Birth Must Adoration claim O’re all the Habitable Earth 75 That ever heard the Great Newcastle’s Name. How justly is our Verse a Tribute due, Illustrious Patroness, to You! Descended from a Prince and Poet too! That Honour which no Mortal Pow’r can give, 80 And is alone the Gods Prerogative; Like that bright Vertue which do’s in You shine, And, more than Mortal, renders You Divine. Prepare, ye Sun-scorch’d Natives of the Shore, Prepare another Rising Sun t’adore, 85 Such as has never blest your Horizon before. https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9781351259484/45c6613e-e6a3-4aed-a741-cef1e870b44a/content/bra3.tif"/> And you the Brave Inhabitants of the Place, Who have by Conquest made it all your own, Whose Generous and Industrious Race Has paid such Useful Tribute to the Crown; 90 See what your Grateful King for you has done! Behold a Prince high in His Favor plac’d, By Fortune Blest, and lavish Honour Grac’d, Lov’d by the Great, and Worshipp’d by the Crowd, Of whom the Nation has so long been proud, 95 The Souldiers Honour, and the Brave Mans Friend, The Muses best-lov’d Theme, To whom their Noblest Verse they Recommend, And to whose Vertues pay their Noblest Flame. <target id="page_225" target-type="page">225</target>VI This Prince, thus Lov’d, we do resign to you, 100 Yet must but lend Him for a space: Fond Parents lose their Darling so, To Dangers thus they let him go, With tender Tears, and many a soft Embrace; Loth to forego the Treasure of their Heart, 105 And yet wou’d have him Honour share, With trembling Doubts and Fears at last they part, With Vows and Pray’rs commit Him to Heav’ns Care. We lend Him to eternize you a Fame, That to the Coming Age your Land may boast, 110 Of all that e’re Obey’d Great Cæsar’s Name, He Honour’d yours the Most. Prepare your Triumphs, and your Songs of Joy, Let Albemarle’s Great Name resound To all your Happy Shores, and let the Sea 115 To the glad Echo’s and the Nymphs convey The grateful Tidings all around, While the soft Breezes prune their Wings, And gather all their Gentlest Air, (In the Rich Groves, drest with Perpetual Springs) 120 To Fan and Entertain the Hero there. Let all your World be Glad and Gay, To make His Joys Compleat, Eternal Zephires round Him play, And Flowers beneath His Feet. 125 Thus for Our Honour, and for your Repose, We are content Our Happiness to lose: But, like the Souls to Bodies newly Born, He is but Lent, more Glorious to Return.
