Chief of Confederate hofts, to fight the cause
Of Liberty and Juftice, grateful rais'd
This palace, facred to her leader's fame :
A trophy of fuccefs; with fpoils adorn'd
Of conquer'd towns, and glorying in the name
Of that aufpicious field, where Churchill's fword
Vanquish'd the might of Gallia, and chaftis'd
Rebel Bavar.-Majestic in its strength,

Stands the proud dome, and fpeaks its great defign.
Hail, happy chief, whofe valour could deserve
Reward fo glorious! grateful nation, hail,

Who paid'ft his fervice with fo rich a meed!
Which most shall I admire, which worthiest praise,
The hero or the people? Honour doubts,

And weighs their virtues in an equal scale.
Not thus Germania pays th' uncancel'd debt
Of Gratitude to us.-Blufh, Cæfar, blufh,
When thou behold'st these towers; ingrate, to thee
A monument of shame! Canst thou forget
Whence they are nam'd, and what an English arm
Did for thy throne that day? But we difdain
Or to upbraid or imitate thy guilt.

Still thy obdurate heart against the sense
Of obligation infinite; and know,

Britain, like Heaven, protects a thankless world

For her own glory, nor expects reward.

<Pleas'd with the noble theme, her task the Mufe Pursues untir'd, and through the palace roves With ever-new delight. The tapestry rich With gold, and gay with all the beauteous paint

Of various-colour'd filks, difpos'd with skill,
Attracts her curious eye. Here Ifter rolls
His purple wave; and there the Granick flood
With paffing squadrons foams: here hardy Gaul
Flies from the fword of Britain; there to Greece
Effeminate Perfia yields.-In arms oppos'd,
Marlborough and Alexander vie for fame.
With glorious competition; equal both
In valour and in fortune: but their praise:
Be different, for with different views they fought;
This to fubdue, and that to free mankind.

Now, through the ftately portals iffuing forth,.
The Mufe to fofter glories turns, and seeks
The woodland fhade, delighted.. Not the vale
Of Tempe fam'd in fong, or Ida's grove,
Such beauty boafts.. Amid the mazy gloom
Of this romantic wilderness once stood
The bower of Rofamonda, hapless fair,
Sacred to Grief and Love; the crystal fount
In which the us'd to bathe her beauteous limbs.
Still warbling flows, pleas'd to reflect the face.
Of Spencer, lovely maid, when tir'd the fits
Befide its flowery brink, and views thofe charms
Which only Rosamond could once excell.
But see where, flowing with a nobler stream,
A limpid lake of pureft waters rolls

Beneath the wide-stretch'd arch, ftupendous work,
Through which the Danube might collected pour
His fpacious urn! Silent a while and smooth
The current glides, till with an headlong force

Broke and diforder'd, down the steep it falls
In loud cafcades; the filver-fparkling foam
Glitters relucent in the dancing ray.

In these retreats repos'd the mighty foul
Of Churchill, from the teils of war and state,
Splendidly private, and the tranquil joy
Of contemplation felt, while Blenheim's dome
Triumphal ever in his mind renew'd

The memory of his fame, and footh'd his thoughts
With pleafing record of his glorious deeds.
So, by the rage of Faction home recall'd,
Lucullus, while he wag'd fuccessful war
Against the pride of Afia, and the power
Of Mithridates, whofe afpiring mind
No loffes could subdue, enrich'd with spoils
Of conquer'd nations, back return'd to Rome,
And in magnificent retirement past

The evening of his life.-But not alone,

In the calm fhades of honourable ease,

Great Marlborough peaceful dwelt: indulgent Heaven
Gave a companion to his fofter hours,

With whom converfing, he forgot all change
Of fortune, or of state, and in her mind
Found greatnefs equal to his own, and lov'd
Himself in her. Thus each by each admir'd,
In mutual honour, mutual fondness join'd:
Like two fair stars, with intermingled light,
In friendly union they together shone,
Aiding each other's brightness, till the cloud
Of night eternal quench'd the beams of one.

Thes

Thee, Churchill, firft the ruthlefs hand of death
Tore from thy confort's fide, and call'd thee hence
To the fublimer feats of joy and love 3

Where fate again shall join her soul to thine,
Who now, regardful of thy fame, erects
The column to thy praise, and fooths her woe
With pious honours to thy facred name
Immortal. Lo! where, towering in the height
Of yon aërial pillar, proudly stands

Thy image, like a guardian god, sublime,
And awes the fubject plain : beneath his feet,
The German eagles spread their wings; his hand
Grafps Victory, its flave. Such was thy brow
Majeftic, fuch thy martial port, when Gaut
Fled from thy frown, and in the Danube fought
A refuge from thy fword.-There, where the field
Was deepest ftain'd with gore, on Hochftet's plain,
The theatre of thy glory, once was rais'd-
A meaner trophy, .by the Imperial hand ; ·
Extorted gratitude! which now the rage
Of malice impotent, befeeming ill

A regal breaft, has level'd to the ground! :
Mean infult! This, with better aufpices,
Shall ftand on British earth, ..to tell the world

How Marlborough fought, for whom, and how repaid: 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 should the neighbour be
Of Blenheim, house superb; to which the throng
Of travellers approaching shall not pass

His roof unnoted, but respectful hail

With reverence due. Such honour does the Muse
Obtain her favourites.-But the noble pile

(My theme) demands my voice.—O shade ador❜d,
Marlborough! who now above the starry sphere
Dwell'ft in the palaces of heaven, enthron'd
Among the demi-gods, deign to defend
This thy abode, while prefent here below,
And facred ftill to thy immortal fame,
With tutelary care. Preferve it fafe

From Time's deftroying hand, and cruel stroke
Of factious Envy's more relentless rage.
Here may, long ages hence, the British youth,
When honour calls them to the field of war,
Behold the trophies which thy valour rais'd;
The proud reward of thy fuccessful toils
For Europe's freedom, and Britannia's fame;
That, fir'd with generous envy, they may dare
To emulate thy deeds.-So fhall thy name,
Dear to thy country, ftill inspire 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.

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