Quatrain

When Nature's heart was young and wild,
She bore in secret a love-child,
And weeping, laughed — too glad to dress
Its lawless naked loveliness.

Forbear Maria, Oh! forbear!
Nor trust to adverse winds;
Let England guard her lovely fair,
Where beauty safety finds.

One Venus has escap'd the sea,
From Neptune's wat'ry cell;
And now he only waits for thee,
Where ev'ry virtue dwell.

Think not to pass his dread domain,
The god in person waits;
And swears his Venus to regain,
And baffle e'en the Fates.

Be thine the Task, Urania! to display
The Charms of Britain 's Queen! bright Gift of May ,
Whose Birth's commemorated on this Day:
Apollo deigns, t' accompany the Strain,
While glad Ierne , doth her Joy explain,
With smiling Mirth, and Concord in her Train.

Air .

O Gracious Queen!—thrice happy Land,
 That boasts a Gem so rare;
Whose dazzling Virtues must command
 Our Love, and warmest Care:
Celestial Wreaths shall grace thy Brow,
Wherein a People's Wishes glow.

Peru's rich mines by captive slaves explor'd,
Where Plutus reigns supreme, by all ador'd;
'Tis not his treasures Williams' pen impart,
Her subject's Nature, glowing from the heart;
To her the Muse, the noblest tasks consign,
Expanded thought, gave energy divine,
Unfolded Nature's secrets to her view,
And form'd the line her conduct should pursue;
And well the maid's perform'd the mighty task,
The deed was great—no more the Muse could ask;
Peru unbosoms, all the Nine foretold
Where Nature forms the universal mould,

 To speak of merit in impartial lays,
And without flattery a friend to praise;
For this the muse shall strike the vocal lyre,
And sing in numbers which thy works inspire;
Who feels your sorrow with a sigh sincere,
And spite of resolution drops a tear.

 Tho' clouded, like the sun, thy genius shines
Thro' fortune's mist in bright immortal lines;
Like martyrs from affliction stronger grows,
Nor drooping sinks beneath a weight of woes.

 Not so could Ovid in his exile write;
The heart-felt anguish check'd his tow'ring flight;

As Jove held above a council of late,
Fair Venus was call'd to the chair;
Young Cupid was lost, and the charge laid to fate,
By old Vulcan's too lovely fair.

In vain he took oath, he flew from his arms,
One moment when absent in thought;
The goddess too conscious of pow'r and charms,
Swore Fate should to judgment be brought.

“Forbear,” cry'd Pallas, who rose to decide,
And waving her wand o'er the earth,
“Venus stands culprit, herself's to be try'd;
“For see where young Love has took birth.”

Sorrow, away! ye gloomy thoughts begone!
Thalia comes in ev'ry grace array'd;
Prepare the cymbal, tune the festive song,
See ev'ry homage to the goddess paid.

Unfold the Cestus form'd by magic skill,
And bind around Attraction's airy waist;
Enough — beware — each arrow aims to kill,
Shot from the bow of Fancy, and of Taste.

Methinks I see the lovely fair one smile,
And lightly trip it o'er the mimic stage;
Her artless look, devoid of ev'ry guile,
Unknowing, captivates and charms the age.

Jove smiles, and azures o'er the Welkin's Height,
Sol , at his Nod, resplendent shines around;
The Cloud-pent Rains, forbidden are to fall,
All Nature seems unusually serene.
While the glad People, in loud Peals, bespake
The Joy, that 'bounds in ev'ry loyal Breast:
Thus are our Sovereigns, with one Consent
Of Heav'n and Earth, Britannia 's Guardians crown'd.

When Pallas saw commerce extend o'er the earth,
The goddess in raptures thus cried —
" O Britain! first nation for traffic and worth,
" Young Fashion with you shall reside!

" Descend, lovely nymph, and encourage the arts,
" See the banners of Science unfurl'd!
" While History proves, by her records and charts,
" That England's the pride of the world. "

She ceas'd, and the nymph at the instant obey'd,
To Britain then wing'd her descent,
And having penn'd down the researches she made,
To Minerva these tidings she sent:

Now high advanc'd the night; o'er all the host
Sleep shed his softest balm: restless alone
Atrides lay, and cares revolv'd on cares.
As when with rising vengeance gloomy Jove
Pours down a wat'ry deluge, or in storms
Of hail or snow commands the gorey jaws
Of war to roar, thro' all the kindling skies
With flaming wings on lightnings lightnings play;
So, while Atrides meditates the war,
Sighs after sighs burst from his manly breast,
And shake his inmost soul: round o'er the fields
To Troy he turns his eyes, and round beholds