HOW MARLB'ROUGH fought, for whom, and how repay'd His fervices. Nor fhall the conftant love

• Of her who rais'd this monument be loft
In dark oblivion: that shall be the theme
Of future bards in ages yet unborn,

Infpir'd with Chaucer's fire, who in these groves
First tun'd the British harp, and little deem'd
His humble dwelling fhould the neighbour be
Of BLENHEIM, houfe fuperb; to which the throng
Of travellers approaching, fhall not pafs

His roof unnoted, but refpe&tful hail

With rev'rence due. Such honour does the Muse
Obtain her fav'rites

But the noble pile

(My theme) demands my voice-O fhade ador'd,
MARLB'ROUGH! who now above the ftarry fphere
Dwell'ft in the palaces of heav'n, enthron'd
Amongst the demi-gods, deign to defend
This thy abode, while prefent here below,
And facred still to thy immortal fame,
With tutelary care. Preferve it fafe

From Time's deftroying hand, and cruel ftroke
Of factious Envy's more relentless rage.
Here may, long ages hence, the British youth,

e The obelisk erected at Blenheim, by the dutchefs Dowager of Marlborough, has infcribed on it an account of the duke's actions and character, written by Dr. Hare, bishop of Chichefter.

When

When honour calls them to the field of war,
Behold the trophies which thy valour rais'd;
The proud reward of thy fuccefsful toils
For Europe's freedom, and Britannia's fame:
That fir'd with gen'rous envy, they may dare
To emulate thy deeds. -So fhall thy name,
Dear to thy country, ftill infpire her fons
With martial virtue; and to high attempts
Excite their arms, 'till other battles won,
And nations fav'd, new monuments require,
And other BLENHEIMS fhall adorn the land.

AY, dearest friend, how roll thy hours away?

SAY

What pleafing ftudy cheats the tedious day?

Doft thou the facred volumes oft explore

Of wife Antiquity's immortal lore,
Where virtue by the charms of wit refin'd,
At once exalts and polishes the mind?
How diff'rent from our modern guilty art,
Which pleases only to corrupt the heart;

a Preceptor to his Majefty George the third. He was tutor to Lord Lyttelton, at Oxford, and afterwards, by marrying a fifter of his pupil's, became brother-in-law to him. At the time of his death, which happened 15th August 1763, he was Dean of Bristol.

Whofe

Whofe curs'd refinements odicus Vice adorn.
And teach to honour what we ought to fcorn!
Doft thou in fage Hiftorians joy to fee
How Roman Greatness rofe with Liberty;
How the fame hands that tyrants durft controul,
Their empire ftretch'd from Atlas to the Pole;
'Till wealth and conqueft into flaves refin'd
The proud luxurious mafters of mankind?
Doft thou in letter'd Greece each charm admire,
Each grace, each virtue Freedom could inspire;
Yet in her troubled ftates fee all the woes,
And all the crimes that giddy Faction knows;
'Till rent by parties, by corruption fold,
Or weakly careless, or too rafhly bold,
She funk beneath a mitigated doom,
The flave and tut'refs of protecting Rome?
Does calm philofophy her aid impart,
To guide the paffions, and to mend the heart?
Taught by her precepts, haft thou learnt the end
To which alone the wife their ftudies bend ;
For which alone by nature were defign'd
The pow'rs of thought-to benefit mankind!
Not like a cloyster'd drone, to read and doze,
In undeferving, undeferv'd repofe;

But reafon's influence to diffufe; to clear
Th' enlighten'd world of every gloomy fear;
Difpel the mists of error, and unbind

Those pedant chain: that clog the freeborn mind.

Happy

Happy who thus his leisure can employ!
He knows the purest hours of tranquil joy ;
Nor vex'd with pangs that busier bofoms tear,
Nor loft to focial Virtue's pleafing care;
Safe in the port, yet lab'ring to sustain
Those who ftill float on the tempeftuous main.
So Locke the days of ftudious quiet spent ;
So Boyle in wisdom found divine content;
So Cambray, worthy of a happier doom,
The virtuous flave of Louis and of Rome.
Good b Wor'fter thus fupports his drooping age,
Far from court flatt'ry, far from party rage;

He,

b Dr. Hough, Bishop of Worcester. This venerable prelate was highly esteemed by Lord Lyttelton. In the Perfian Letters, letter 56, he thus speaks of him:—“ His character is so extraordinary, that not 66 to give it to thee, would be departing from the rule I have laid down, "to let nothing hat is fingular escape my notice. In the first place, "he refides conftantly on his diocese, and has done fo for many years: "he afks nothing of the Court for himself or family: he hoards up no wealth for his relations; but lays out the revenues of his fee in a decent hofpitality, and a charity void of oftentation. At his first entrance into the world, he diftinguished himself by a zeal for the "liberty of his country, and had a confiderable share in bringing on the "Revolution that preferved it. His principles never altered by his "preferment: he never prostituted his pen, nor debafed his character, "by party-difputes or blind compliance. Though he is warmly serious " in the belief of his religion, he is moderate to all who differ from "him he knows no diftinction of party, but extends his good offices