Let Thofe of Luxury, with These to vie, Magnificently useless strike the Eye!

What tho' no Streams, in fruitlefs Pomp difplay'd,
Rife a proud Column, fall a grand Cascade;
Thro' fecret Pipes, which nobler Use renowns,
Here ductile Riv'lets vifit diftant Towns.

On Fens, where Peftilence, with poifon'd Breath,
Tainted the Gale, and fill'd the Land with Death,
New drain'd, the Grove afcends, the Harveft fprings,
The Heifer grazes, and the Linnet fings.

Now, where the Flood deep rolls, or wide extends,
From Road to Road the Bridge connective bends;
O'er the broad Arch the Cars of Commerce go,
And fearless hear the Billows rage below.
Now the firm Ifthmus finks a wat'ry Space,
And wonders in new State, at naval Grace;
While Cominerce check'd by Nature's Bars no more,
Steers, thro' the Land, a Course unknown before.
Now Harbours open, and where Mounds were vain,
The bulwark Mole repels the boist'rous Main.

When the funk Sun, no homeward Sail befriends,
On the Rock's Brow the Light-Houfe kind afcends,
And from the fhoaly, o'er the gulphy Way,
Points to the Pilct's Eye the warning Ray.
Count ftill, my Mufe (to count what Mufe can cease?)
The Works of Pablic Spirit, Freedom, Peace!
By them fhall, Plants, in Forefts, reach the Skies;
Then lose their leafy Pride, and, Navies rife:
Navies, which to invasive Foes explain,..

Heav'n throws not round us Rocks and Seas in vain.
The Sail of Commerce, in each Sky, afpires,
And Property affures what Toil acquires.

Who digs the Mine or Quarry, digs with Glee; Lord of Himself, his Choice and Gain are free: Him the fame Laws, the fame Protection yield, Who plows the Furrow, as who owns the Field.

Unlike

Unlike where Tyranny, the Rod maintains O'er turflefs, leaflefs and uncultur'd Plains, Here Herbs of Food and Phyfic, Plenty fhowers, Gives Fruits to blush, and colours various Flowers. Where Sands or ftony Wilds once starv'd the Year, Laughs the green Lawn, and nods the golden Ear. White shine the fleecy Race, which Fate fhall doom The Feaft of Life, the Treasure of the Loom.

On Plains, now bare, fhall Gardens wave their Groves,

While fettling Songsters woo their feather'd Loves.
Where pathlefs Woods, no grateful Openings knew,
Walks tempt the Step, and Vistoes court the View.
See the Parterre confefs expanfive Day!

The Grot, elufive of the noon-tide Ray!
Up yon green Slope a Length of Terras lies;
Whence gradual Landscapes fade in distant Skies.
Now the blue Lake, reflected Heav'n displays;
Now darkens, regularly wild, the Maze.
Urns, Obelisks, Fanes, Statues intervene ;
Now center, now commence or end the Scene.
Lo proud Alcoves! lo foft fequefter'd Bowers!
Retreats of focial, or of ftudious Hours!
Rank above Rank, here fhapely Greens afcend;
There others, natively grotefque, depend.
The Rude, the Delicate immingled tell
How Art would Nature, Nature Art excell.
And how, while these their rival Charms impart,
Art brightens Nature, Nature brightens Art;
Thus blends the various yet harmonious Space,
And All is Symmetry, and Force, and Grace.

But what the flow'ring Pride of Gardens rare,
However royal, or however fair?

If Doors, which to Accefs fhould still give Way, Ope but like Peter's Paradife for Pay;

If perquifited Varlets frequent ftand

And each new Walk must a new Tax demand, What foreign Eye but with Contempt surveys? What Muse shall from Oblivion fnatch their Praife?

When these from Public Spirit smile, we fee Free-opening Gates, and bow'ry Pleasures free; For fure great Souls, one Truth, can never mifs; Bliss not communicated.is not Blifs.

Thus Public Spirit, Liberty and Peace
Carve, build, and plant, and give the Land Increase;
From peasant Hands imperial Works arise,
And British hence with Roman Grandeur vies;
Not Grandeur, that in pompous Whim appears;
That levels Hills; that Vales to Mountains rears;
That alters Nature's regulated Grace;
Meaning to deck, but destin'd to deface.
Here let no Forts fome native Tyrant aid,
To awe the Free-should foreign Foes invade;
How useless these, where Rocks a Barrier lend,
Where Seas encircle, and where Fleets defend.
Here let no Arch of Triumph be affign'd.

To laurel'd Pride, whofe Sword has thin'd Mankind;
Tho' no vaft Wall extend from Coast to Coast,
No Pyramid afpire, fublimely loft;

Yet the fafe Road thro' Rocks fhall, winding, tend,
And the firm Caufe-way o'er the Clays afcend;
Here stately Streets, here ample Squares invite
The falutary Gale that breaths Delight.
Here Structures mark the charitable Soil,
For cafual Ill; maim'd Valour; feeble Toil,
Worn out with Care, Infirmity and Age;
The Life here ent'ring, qnitting there the Stage:
The Babe of lawless Birth, condemn'd to moan,
To ftarve, or bleed, for Errors not his own!
Let the frail Mother fcape the Fame defil'd,
If from the murd'ring Mother scape the Child!

Oh, guard his Youth from Sin's alluring Voice;
From Deeds of dire Neceffity, not Choice!
His grateful Hand, thus never harmful known,
Shall, on the public Welfare build his own.

Thus worthy Crafts which low-born Life divide, Give Towns their Opulence, and Courts their Pride. Sacred to Pleasure Structures rise elate;

To that still worthy of the Wife and Great.
Sacred to Pleasure then shall Piles afcend?
They fhall-when Pleasure and Inftruction blend.
Let Theatres, from Public Spirit, thine!
Such Theatres, as Athens, once were thine!
See! the gay Mufe, of pointed Wit poffeft,
Who wakes the virtuous Laugh, the decent Jeft:
What, though the mock, fhe mocks with honeft Aim,
And laughs each fav'rite Folly into Shame.
With lib'ral Light the Tragic charins the Age:
In folemn-training Robes the fills the Stage;
There human Nature mark'd in diff'rent Lines,
Alive, in Character, diftinctly shines.
Quick Paffions change, alternate, on her Face;
Her Diction, Mufic; as her Action, Grace.
Inftant we catch her Terror-giving Cares,
Pathetic Sighs, and Pity-moving Tears;
Inftant we catch her gen'rous Glow of Soul,
'Till one great striking Moral crowns the Whole.

Hence in warm Youth, by Scenes of Virtue taught, Honour exalts, and Love expands the Thought; Hence Pity, to peculiar Grief affign'd,

Grows wide Benevolence to all Mankind,

Where various Edifice, the Land, renowns, There Publick Spirit plans, exalts and crowns. She chears the Manfion with the fpacious Hall; Bids Painting live along the ftoried Wall; Seated, fhe, fmiling, eyes th'unclosing Door, And much the welcomes all, but moft the Poor.

She

She turns the Pillar, or the Arch the bends;
The Quire the lengthens, or the Quire extends; î
She rears the Tow'r, whofe Height the Heav'ns ad-
mire;

She rears, the rounds, the points the lefs'ning Spire;
At her Command the College-roofs alcend;
For Public Spirit ftill is Learning's Friend.
Stupendous Piles, which useful Pomp compleats,
Thus rife Religion's, and thus Learning's Seats:
There moral Truth and holy Science spring,
And give the Sage to teach, the Bard to fing.
There fome draw Health from Herbs and min'ral

Veins,

Some fearch the Systems of the heavenly Plains;
Some call from Hiftory paft Times to View,
And others trace old Laws, and sketch out new
Thence faving Rights, by Legiflators plann'd,
And guardian Patriots thence inspire the Land.

Now grant, ye Pow'rs, one great, one fond Defire,
And, granting, bid a new White-Hall afpire!
Far let it lead, by well-pleas'd Thames survey'd,
The fwelling Arch and ftately Colonnade;
Bid Courts of Juftice, Senate-chambers join,
Till various All in one proud Work combine!

But now be all the gen'rous Goddess feen, When moft diffus'd the fhines, and most benign Ye Sons of Mifery attract her View! Ye fallow, hollow-ey'd and meagre Crew! Such high Perfection have our Arts attain'd, That now few Sons of Toil our Arts demand? Then to the Publick, to itself, we fear, Ev'n willing Industry grows useless here. Are we too populous at length confess'd, From confluent Strangers refug'd and redrefs'd? Has War fo long withdrawn his barb'rous Train, That Peace o'erftocks us with the Sons of Men?

So