With the following POEM of
THE bard who firft adorn'd our native tongue,
Tun'd to his British lyre this ancient song :
Which Homer might without a blush rehearse,
And leaves a doubtful palm in Virgil's verse :
He match'd their beauties, where they most excel;
Of love fung better, and of arms as well.
Vouchsafe, illuftrious Ormond, to behold
What power the charms of beauty had of old;
Nor wonder if fuch deeds of arms were done,
Inspir'd by two fair eyes that sparkled like your own.
If Chaucer by the best idea wrought,
And poets can divine each other's thought,
The fairest nymph before his eyes he fet ;
And then the fairest was Plantagenet;
Who three contending princes made their prize,
And rul'd the rival nations with her eyes :
Who left immortal trophies of her fame,
And to the nobleft order gave the name.
Like her, of equal kindred to the throne,
You keep her conquefts, and extend your own :
As when the stars in their etherial race,
At length have roll'd around the liquid space,
At certain periods they refume their place,
From the fame point of heaven their course advance,
And move in measures of their former dance;
Thus, after length of ages, the returns,
Restor'd in you, and the fame place adorns ;
Or you perform her office in the sphere,
Born of her blood, and make a new platonic year.
O true Plantagenet, O race divine,
(For beauty fill is fatal to the line,)
Had Chaucer liv'd that angel-face to view,
Sure he had drawn his Emily from you;
Or had you liv'd to judge the doubtful right,
Your noble Palamon had been the knight;
And conquering Thefeus from his fide had fent
Your generous lord, to guide the Theban government.
Time fhall accomplish that; and I shall see
A Palamon in him, in you an Emily.
Already have the Fates your path prepar'd,
And fure prefage your future fway declar'd:
When weftward, like the fun, you took your way,
And from benighted Britain bore the day,
Blue Triton gave the fignal from the shore,
The ready Nereids heard, and swam before
To smooth the feas; a foft Etefian gale
But just infpir'd, and gently fwell'd the fail;
Portunus took his turn, whofe ample hand
Heav'd up his lighten'd keel, and funk the fand,
And fteer'd the facred veffel fafe to land.
The land, if not restrain'd, had met your way,
Projected out a neck, and jutted to the sea.
Hibernia, proftrate at your feet, ador'd
In you, the pledge of her expected lord;
Due to her ifle; a venerable name;
His father and his grandfire known to fame
Aw'd by that house, accustom'd to command,
The sturdy Kerns in due fubjection stand;
Nor bear the reins in any foreign hand.
At your approach, they crouded to the port;
And, fcarcely landed, you create a court :
As Ormond's harbinger, to you they run;
For Venus is the promise of the fun.
The waste of civil wars, their towns destroy'd,
Pales unhonour'd, Ceres unemploy'd,
Were all forgot; and one triumphant day
Wip'd all the tears of three campaigns away.
Blood, rapines, maffacres, were cheaply bought,
So mighty recompence your beauty brought.
As when the dove returning bore the mark
Of earth reftor'd to the long labouring ark,
The relicks of mankind, fecure of rest,
Ope'd every window to receive the guest,
And the fair bearer of the message blefs'd;
So, when you came, with loud repeated cries,
The nation took an omen from your eyes,
And God advanc'd his rainbow in the skies,
To fign inviolable peace reftor'd;
The faints with folemn fhouts proclaim'd the new accord.
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