A coftly crown with stones clarified bright,
This comely Queen did in her head inclose,
While all the land illumined of light;
Wherefore methought, the flowers did all rejoyce,
Crying at once, Hail to the fragrant ROSE!
Hail Empress of the herbs! fresh Queen of flowers!
To thee be glore and honour at all hours.
Then all the birds they fang with voice on height,
Whose mirthful found was marvellous to hear:
The Mavys fang, Hail ROSE moft rich and right,
That does upflourish under Phebus' sphere,
Hail plant of youth, hail Prince's daughter dear,
Hail bloffom breaking out of blood royal,
Whose precious virtue is imperial.
The Merle she fang, Hail ROSE of most delight,
Hail of all flowers the fweet and fovereign Queen:
The lark fhe fang, hail ROSE both red and white,
Most pleasant flower of mighty colours * twain:
Nightingals fang, hail Natures fuffragan,
In beauty, nurture, and each nobleness,
In rich array, renown, and gentleness.
* Alluding to the Houses of YORK and LANCASTER, which were distinguished by the wHITE and RED ROSE, and united in the perfon of Queen MARGARET.
The common voice uprose of warblers fmall,
Upon this wife, "O bleffed be the hour
"That thou waft chofe to be our principal,
"Welcome to be our Princess crown'd with pow'r,
“Our pearl, our pleasance, and our paramour,
"Our peace, our play, our plain felicity:
"Chrift thee conferve from all adverfity."
XXVII.
Then all the concert fang with such a shout,
That I anon awaken'd where I lay,
And with a braid I turned me about
To fee this court, but all were gone away;
Then up I lean'd me, halflings in affray,
Call'd to my Mufe, and for my fubject chofe
To fing the royal THISTLE and the ROSE.
Blivion wraps not in her filent fhade
All human labours. Virtue blooms a flower, That Time's rough hand fhall never violate. Still CAROLINE fhall live in faithful verfe, Sweet nurse of Memory, and in the voice Of grateful Britain. These shall testify How well her calm impartial rule fupplied A monarch's abfence; thefe commemorate Her foul contemplative of peaceful Truth And nature, mindful midst the pomp of Courts Of wife retirement, and the filent grove.
She stretch'd thro' length'ning shades thy fpacious walks,
Delightful Richmond, and the terrass rais'd
Of regal grandeur, whence the eye difcerns
Fair Thames with copious waters winding flow
Midft paftures, spreading herds, and villages
Of afpect neat, and villas wrapt in shades :
Fair scene of chearful peace! the lovely fight
Frequent the view'd, and blefs'd the honour'd reign
Of her great Confort, provident and mild.
Now wander'd mufing thro' the darkening depth
Of thickest woods, friendly to folemn thought:
Now o'er broad lawns fair opening to the fun.
Nor midft her rural plans disdain'd to mix
The useful arable, and waving corn
With foft turf border'd, and the lowly cot,
That half appears, in branching elms obfcur'd.
Here beauty dwells, affembled from the scenes
Of various nature; fuch as oft inflam'd
With rapture Grecian bards, in that fair vale,
Theffalian Tempe, or thy favorite foil,
Arcadia, erft by awe-ftruck fancy fill'd
With wand'ring forms, the woodland Deities,
Light Nymphs and wanton Satyrs, faintly feen
Quick glancing thro' the fhade at close of eve,
Great Pan, and old Silenus. Hither led
By folitary grief fhall GEORGE recall
Th' endearing manners, the foft fpeech, that flow'd
From his lov'd Confort, virtue mix'd with love,
Prudence, and mild infinuating sense:
But chief her thoughtful breast of counfels deep
Capacious, nor unequal to the weight
Of Government. Such was the royal mind
Of wife ELIZA, name of loveliest found
To British ears, and pattern fair to Kings:
Or the who rules the Scepter of the North
Illuftrious, fpreading o'er a barbarous world
The light of arts and manners, and with arms
Infefts th' aftonish'd Sultan, hardly now
With scatter'd troops refifting; fhe drives on
The heavy war, and shakes th' Imperial Throne
Of old Byzantium. Latest time shall found
The praise of female genius. Oft fhall GEORGE
Pay the kind tear, and grief of tender words
To CAROLINE, thus oft lamenting fad.
"Hail facred fhade! by me with endless woe "Still honour'd! ever in my Breast shall dwell "Thy image, ever present to my foul "Thy faithful love, in length of years mature: “ O skill'd t’enliven time, to soften care "With looks and smiles and friendship's chearful voice!
"Anxious, of Thee bereft, a folitude
"I feel, that not the fond condoling cares
"Of our fad offspring can remove.
"With lonely steps I trace the gloomy groves,
"Thy lov'd receffes, ftudious to recall
"The vanish'd blifs, and cheat my wand'ring thoughts "With sweet illufion. Yet I not accufe "Heav'n's difpenfation. Profperous and long "Have been my days, and not unknown to fame, "That dwells with virtue. But 'tis hard to part "The league of ancient friendship, to refign"The home-felt fondness, the fecure delight, "That reason nourish'd, and fair fame approv'd."
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