[Page 137]

To His ROYAL HIGHNESS The DUKE of CUMBERLAND, On His BIRTH-DAY.

1 TWELVE
* This was writ, when the DUKE enter'd into the Twelfth Year of his Age.
times hath SOL his annual Race begun,
2 Since JOVE descended from his radiant Throne:
3 Around the pendent Globe, the God pursu'd
4 His circling March, and human Actions view'd;
5 But griev'd that Virtue droop'd her languid Head,
6 While Vice, from Clime to Clime, contagious spread.
7 Back, to his native Seat, he sternly flies;
8 And sends an Edict thro' the spacious Skies,
9 To call th'Ethereal Pow'rs: Swift flew his Word;
10 Th'Ethereal Pow'rs, as swift, attend their Lord.
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11 Upon Olympus' Top the Synod met,
12 Where, high inthron'd, the thund'ring Monarch sat;
13 And, with a Nod, that shook the Spheres, he swore,
14 The Minor Gods should visit Earth no more.
15 What, must your earthly Sons, MINERVA cry'd,
16 Explore their doubtful Way without a Guide?
17 If PALLAS must no more to Mortals go,
18 Let PALLAS beg a Substitute below,
19 Worthy to rule the World, whose noble Mind
20 May copy out the Gods to human Kind.
21 She lowly bow'd; and JOVE, consenting, smil'd;
22 Go, form, said he, this new-imagin'd Child:
23 Collect the best Materials, where you will;
24 And let us see, for once, MINERVA's Skill.
25 He said; she hastens o'er the bright Abodes,
26 Selecting each Perfection of the Gods:
27 From MARS she warlike Strength and Courage took;
28 But soften'd them with VENUS' graceful Look:
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29 To these she added HERMES' Eloquence,
30 And crown'd it with her own superior Sense:
31 Some of APOLLO's piercing Rays she stole;
32 And, while the MUSES play'd, she form'd a Soul.
33 When thus compos'd the bright Ingredients lay,
34 She nobly drest them in Ethereal Clay;
35 JOVE touch'd the Mass with his enliv'ning Hand,
36 And vital Warmth inspir'd a CUMBERLAND.

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About this text

Title (in Source Edition): To His ROYAL HIGHNESS The DUKE of CUMBERLAND, On His BIRTH-DAY.
Author: Stephen Duck
Themes: birthday
Genres: heroic couplet; address

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Source edition

Duck, Stephen, 1705-1756. Poems on several occasions: By Stephen Duck. London: printed for the author, 1736, pp. 137-139. xl,334,[2]p. ; 4⁰. (ESTC T90234; OTA K073280.000)

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The text has been typographically modernized, but without any silent modernization of spelling, capitalization, or punctuation. The source of the text is given and all editorial interventions have been recorded in textual notes. Based on the electronic text originally produced by the TCP project, this ECPA text has been edited to conform to the recommendations found in Level 5 of the Best Practices for TEI in Libraries version 4.0.0.

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