SEA-PIECE:

CONTAINING,

I. The BRITISH Sailor's Exultation.

II. His Prayer before Engagement.

THE

DEDICATION.

TO

MR. VOLTAIRE.

M

I.

Y mufe, a bird of paffage, flies

From frozen climes to milder skies;

From chilling blafts fhe feeks thy chearing beam,

A beam of favour, here deny'd;

Confcious of faults, her blufhing pride

Hopes an afylum in so great a name.

II.

* To dive full deep in antient days, The warrior's ardent deeds to raise, And monarchs aggrandize ;-the glory, Thine; Thine is the drama, how renown'd! Thine, Epic's loftier trump to found;

But let ARION's fea-ftrung harp be Mine:

* Annals of the emperor CHARLES XII, Lewis XIV.

III. But

III.

But where's his dolphin? Know'ft thou, where?May that be found in Thee, VOLTAIRE! Save thou from harm my plunge into the wave: How will thy name illustrious raise

My finking song! Mere mortal lays, So patroniz'd, are rescu'd from the grave.

IV.

"Tell me," fay'ft thou, "who courts my fmile? "What stranger ftray'd from yonder ifle ?"No ftranger, Sir! though born in foreign climes; On Dorfet downs, when MILTON's page, With Sin and Death, provok'd thy rage, Thy rage provok'd, who footh'd with gentle rhymes?

V.

Who kindly couch'd thy cenfure's eye,
And gave thee clearly to defcry

Sound judgment giving law to fancy strong?
Who half inclin'd thee to confefs,

Nor could thy modefty do lefs,

That MILTON's blindness lay not in his fong?

VI.

But fuch debates long fince are flown;
For ever fet the funs that shone

On airy paftimes, ere our brows were grey:
How fhortly fhall we Both forget,

To thee my patron, I my debt,
And thou to thine, for Prnffia's golden key.

3

VII. The

VII.

The prefent, in oblivion caft,

Full foon fhall fleep, as fleeps the past; Full foon the wide distinction die between

The frowns, and favours of the great; High-flush'd fuccefs, and pale defeat; The Gallic gaiety, and British spleen.

VIII.

Ye wing'd, ye rapid moments! ftay:
Oh friend! as deaf as rapid, they;
Life's little drama done, the curtain falls!
Doft thou not hear it? I can hear,
Though nothing strikes the liftening ear;
groans his last! ETERNAL loudly calls!

Time

IX.

Nor calls in vain; the call inspires
Far other counfels, and defires,

Than once prevail'd; we ftand on higher ground:
What scenes we fee!. Exalted aim!
With ardors new, our fpirits flame;
Ambition bleft! with more than laurels crown'd.

VOL. I.

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