'Twas on the day, whose unauspicious fate,
With dismal news , alarm'd Britannia 's state;
And, in our admiral's shipwreck , let us see,
That courage cannot stem mortality!
The sea's grim sov'reign , in a calmer place,
Unbent the wrinkly terrors of his face:
Where, stretch'd at ease, the wanton monarch lay,
And, hem'd with Neriids , laugh'd the hours away;
Soft knots of unform'd coral swell'd his bed,
And oozy samphire crown'd his bushy head.
A watchful guard the best-arm'd fishes keep,
And wind-rock'd billows lull'd their lord to sleep.
While thus he lay, thick-gathering shouts were heard,
From ev'ry part, the scaly nation steer'd;
With sudden force , the swelling sea ran high,
And moving mountains swept the darken'd sky .
Disturb'd, the monarch rais'd his wond'ring head,
And started, doubtful, from his briny bed:
Angry, his aweful trident , thrice, he shook,
And swift possession of his chariot took:
Fix'd, in the stately seat, he drives, he raves!
The frighted steeds divide the foamy waves;
And plunging, fiercely, thro' retorted tides ,
Dash the drops, both ways, from their panting sides.
Soon, he arriv'd, where shoals, on shoals, amaz'd,
In gath'ring swarm , as on some wonder , gaz'd:
Triumphant tumult spoke unusual joys,
And growing numbers swell'd the savage noise.
The God advanc'd; and, as he nearer drew,
The shooting fishes fled his aweful view!
He came: and curious , what the cause cou'd be,
That had, at once, alarm'd th' assembled sea!
He saw — and, starting back, declin'd his head,
The well-known Clou'sly, Britain 's admiral , dead!
Stretch'd on the sands, the wave-swoln warrior lay,
To death's wide jaws, an unexpected prey!
Swift, he descends, o'erjoy'd, at what he found,
And rais'd the body , from th' unwilling ground:
Invok'd the soul , to re-inform his breast,
The late-ejected spirit, greatly blest,
Return'd, and joyful, its old seat possest,
The waking hero felt a strange surprize,
And, starting, open'd wide his sea-wash'd eyes:
Look'd round, with curious horror, all amaz'd,
While, thus, the God bespoke him, as he gaz'd.
Illustrious rival of my wat'ry throne!
Welcome, to regions , more than half your own!
Long have my seas been practis'd to your sway,
Scarce wou'd my doubtful slaves my laws obey ,
Unknowing , 'till, surpris'd, they saw you die ,
Who was most God of oceans, you , or I!
Live, now, confess'd, from this propitious hour,
Imperial partner of divided pow'r .
Grateful, the chief bow'd low, un-mov'd, with pride ,
And, to the gen'rous offer, thus, reply'd:
You tempt me with a pow'r, I would not lose ,
Had I my queen's consent , that pow'r to use .
She bid me rule the seas , to my last breath,
But gave me no commission after death .
With dismal news , alarm'd Britannia 's state;
And, in our admiral's shipwreck , let us see,
That courage cannot stem mortality!
The sea's grim sov'reign , in a calmer place,
Unbent the wrinkly terrors of his face:
Where, stretch'd at ease, the wanton monarch lay,
And, hem'd with Neriids , laugh'd the hours away;
Soft knots of unform'd coral swell'd his bed,
And oozy samphire crown'd his bushy head.
A watchful guard the best-arm'd fishes keep,
And wind-rock'd billows lull'd their lord to sleep.
While thus he lay, thick-gathering shouts were heard,
From ev'ry part, the scaly nation steer'd;
With sudden force , the swelling sea ran high,
And moving mountains swept the darken'd sky .
Disturb'd, the monarch rais'd his wond'ring head,
And started, doubtful, from his briny bed:
Angry, his aweful trident , thrice, he shook,
And swift possession of his chariot took:
Fix'd, in the stately seat, he drives, he raves!
The frighted steeds divide the foamy waves;
And plunging, fiercely, thro' retorted tides ,
Dash the drops, both ways, from their panting sides.
Soon, he arriv'd, where shoals, on shoals, amaz'd,
In gath'ring swarm , as on some wonder , gaz'd:
Triumphant tumult spoke unusual joys,
And growing numbers swell'd the savage noise.
The God advanc'd; and, as he nearer drew,
The shooting fishes fled his aweful view!
He came: and curious , what the cause cou'd be,
That had, at once, alarm'd th' assembled sea!
He saw — and, starting back, declin'd his head,
The well-known Clou'sly, Britain 's admiral , dead!
Stretch'd on the sands, the wave-swoln warrior lay,
To death's wide jaws, an unexpected prey!
Swift, he descends, o'erjoy'd, at what he found,
And rais'd the body , from th' unwilling ground:
Invok'd the soul , to re-inform his breast,
The late-ejected spirit, greatly blest,
Return'd, and joyful, its old seat possest,
The waking hero felt a strange surprize,
And, starting, open'd wide his sea-wash'd eyes:
Look'd round, with curious horror, all amaz'd,
While, thus, the God bespoke him, as he gaz'd.
Illustrious rival of my wat'ry throne!
Welcome, to regions , more than half your own!
Long have my seas been practis'd to your sway,
Scarce wou'd my doubtful slaves my laws obey ,
Unknowing , 'till, surpris'd, they saw you die ,
Who was most God of oceans, you , or I!
Live, now, confess'd, from this propitious hour,
Imperial partner of divided pow'r .
Grateful, the chief bow'd low, un-mov'd, with pride ,
And, to the gen'rous offer, thus, reply'd:
You tempt me with a pow'r, I would not lose ,
Had I my queen's consent , that pow'r to use .
She bid me rule the seas , to my last breath,
But gave me no commission after death .