Envy may rail; and faction fierce

May ftrive but what, alas, can those
(Though bold, yet blind and fordid foes)
To gratitude and love oppofe,
To faithful story and perfuafive verse ?

I. 2.

O nurfe of freedom, Albion, fay,
Thou tamer of defpotic sway,
What man, among thy fons around,
Thus heir to glory haft thou found?
What page, in all thy annals bright,.
Haft thou with purer joy furvey'd
Than that where truth, by Hoadly's aid,
Shines through impofture's folemn fhade,
Through kingly and through facerdotal night?

I. 3.

To him the Teacher blefs'd,

Who fent religion, from the palmy field By Jordan, like the morn to cheer the west, And lifted up the veil which heaven from earth conceal'd, To Hoadly thus his mandate he addrefs'd: "Go thou, and refcue my difhonor'd law "From hands rapacious and from tongues impure: "Let not my peaceful name be made a lure "Fell perfecution's mortal fnares to aid: "Let not my words be impious chains to draw "The freeborn foul in more than brutal awe,

To faith without affent, allegiance unrepaid."

II. I.

No cold or unperforming hand

Was arm'd by heaven with this command.

The world foon felt it: and, on high,
To William's ear with welcome joy
Did Locke among the bleft unfold
The rifing hope of Hoadly's name,
Godolphin then confirm'd the fame;
And Somers, when from earth he came,
And generous Stanhope the fair fequel told.

II. 2.

Then drew the lawgivers around,
(Sires of the Grecian name renown'd)
And liftening afk'd, and wondering knew,
What private force could thus fubdue
The vulgar and the great combin'd;
Could war with facred folly wage;
Could a whole nation difengage
From the dread bonds of many an age,
And to new habits mould the public mind.

II. 3.

For not a conqueror's fword,

Nor the ftrong, powers to civil founders known, Were his but truth by faithful fearch explor'd, And focial fenfe, like feed, in genial plenty fown. Wherever it took root, the foul (reftor'd

To freedom) freedom too for others fought.
Not monkish craft the tyrant's claim divinę,
Not regal zeal the bigot's cruel fhrine

Could longer guard from reafon's warfare fage
Not the wild rabble to fedition wrought,
Nor fynods by the papal Genius taught,

Nor St. John's fpirit loose, nor Atterbury's rage
III. 1.

But where fhall recompence be found?
Or how fuch arduous merit crown'd?
For look on life's laborious scene:
What rugged spaces lie between
Adventurous Virtue's early toils
And her triumphal threne! The fhade
Of death, mean time, does oft invade
Her progrefs; nor, to us difplay'd,
Wears the bright heroine her expected spoils.

III. 2.

Yet born to conquer is her power:
-O Hoadly, if that favourite hour
On earth arrive, with thankful awe
We own just heaven's indulgent law,
And proudly thy fuccefs behold;
We attend thy reverend length of days
With benediction and with praise,
And hail Thee in our public ways
Like fome great spirit fam'd in ages old.

III. 3.

While thus our vows prolong

Thy steps on earth, and when by us refign'd
Thou join'ft thy feniors, that heroic throng

Who rescued or preferv'd the rights of human kind,

O! not

O! not unworthy may thy Albion's tongue, Thee ftill, her friend and benefactor, name: O! never, Hoadly, in thy country's eyes, May impious gold, or pleasure's gaudy prize,, Make public virtue, public freedom, vile; Nor our own manners tempt us to disclaim That heritage, our nobleft wealth and fame,

Which Thou hast kept intire from force and factious

Frightly tuneful bards decide,

If it be fix'd in love's decrees,
That beauty ought not to be tried
But by its native power to please,
Then tell me, youths and lovers, tell,
What fair can Amoret excell?

II.

Behold that bright unfullied smile,
And wisdom speaking in her mien :

Yet (fhe fo artless all the while,
So little ftudious to be feen)

We nought but instant gladness know,
Nor think to whom the gift we owe.
III.

But neither mufic, nor the powers

Of youth and mirth and frolick cheer,
Add half that funfhine to the hours,
Or make life's profpect half fo clear,

As memory brings it to the eye

From scenes where Amoret was by.
IV.

Yet not a fatirift could there

Or fault or indifcretion find; Nor any prouder fage declare

One virtue, pictur'd in his mind, Whofe form with lovelier colours glows Than Amoret's demeanor shows.

V.

This fure is beauty's happieft part:
This gives the most unbounded sway :
This fhall inchant the fubject heart
When rofe and lily fade away;
And fhe be ftill, in fpite of time,
Sweet Amoret in all her prime.

WHITHER did my fancy fray?

By what magic drawn away

Have I left my ftudious theme?

From this philosophic page,

From the problems of the fage,

Wandering through a pleafing dream?

H. 'Tis