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Tho' poets may of inspiration boaft,
Their rage, ill-govern'd, in the clouds is loft.
He that proportion'd wonders can difclofe,
At once his fancy and his judgment shows.
Chafte moral writing we may learn from hence,
Neglect of which no wit can recompenfe.----

Well-founding verfes are the charm we use,
Heroick thoughts and virtue to infuse.
Things of deep fenfe we may in profe unfold,
But they move more in lofty numbers told :----
For rudeft minds with harmony were caught,
And civil life was by the Mufes taught.

POEM TO LORD ROSCOMMON

EDINBURG:

AT THE Apollo Prefs, BY THE MARTINS,
Anno 1784.

EPISTLES.

I.

TO THE KING,

ON HIS NAVY.

WHERE'ER thy Navy spreads her canvass wings,
Homage to thee, and peace to all the brings:
The French and Spaniard, when thy flags appear,
Forget their hatred, and confent to fear.

So Jove from Ida did both hosts survey,
And when he pleas'd to thunder part the fray.
Ships heretofore in feas like fishes sped,
The mightiest fill upon the fmalleft fed:
Thou on the deep impofest nobler laws,
And by that juftice haft remov'd the cause
Of thofe rude tempefts, which for rapine fent,
Too oft', alas! involv'd the innocent.
Now fhall the Ocean, as thy Thames, be free
From both thofe fates of ftorms and piracy.
But we most happy, who can fear no force
But winged troops, or Pegafean horse.
'Tis not fo hard for greedy foes to spoil
Another nation as to touch our foil.
Should Nature's felf invade the world again,
And o'er the centre spread the liquid main,
Volume II.

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Thy pow'r were fafe, and her deftructive hand
Would but enlarge the bounds of thy command:
Thy dreadful fleet would style thee Lord of All,
And ride in triumph o'er the drowned ball;
Those tow'rs of oak o'er fertile plains might go, 25
And vifit mountains where they once did grow.

The world's Reftorer once could not endure
That finifh'd Babel fhould thofe men fecure
Whose pride defign'd that fabrick to have flood
Above the reach of any fecond flood;

To thee, his chofen, more indulgent, he
Dares truft fuch pow'r with so much piety.

II.

TO THE QUEEN,

Occafioned upon fight of

HER MAJESTY'S PICTURE.

WELL fare the hand which to our humble fight
Prefents that beauty which the dazzling light
Of royal fplendour hides from weaker eyes,
And all accefs, fave by this art, denies.
Here only we have courage to behold
This beam of glory, here we dare unfold
In numbers thus the wonders we conceive:
The gracious image, seeming to give leave,
Propitious ftands, vouchfafing to be feen,
And by our Mufe faluted Mighty Queen,

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