On the Marriage of his Serene Highness the Prince of Orange . ILLUSTRIOUS Prince ! forgive the feeble Lay , That now aspires to hail your Nuptial Day ; Nor scorn a Muse , the meanest of the Nine , Who brings her humble Off'ring to your Shrine . And you , Imperial Nymph ! whose lovely Face Invites the Hero to your chaste Embrace , Vouchsafe a Spark of your celestial Fire ; Harmonious Words , and pleasing Thoughts inspire , Soft , as your Love , and tuneful , as your Lyre : So shall my Numbers charm the list'ning Ear , And ev'n the glad NASSAU delighted hear . NASSAU has long enrich'd the Book of Fame , And ANNA now adorns the noble Name . Nations , who saw the Light of ORANGE rise , With awful Splendor , in the Belgian Skies ; Shall soon behold it with new Lustre shine , Join'd to a glorious Star , of BRUNSWIC's Line . SO , where the flowing Sambre gently glides , The Swain delights to view the beauteous Tides : But , when his more extended Eye surveys The shining Torrent join the spacious Maese ; Both Rivers , thus , with friendly Union flow , And to the Sight superior Beauty show . WHENE'ER the Gods a noble Race intend , They suit the Causes to the destin'd End , Nor yoke unequal Hearts in Nuptial Love : JOVE's valiant Bird disdains the fearful Dove ; Great Minds , by native Sympathy , combine , As golden Particles the closest join . Paternal Virtues in their Bosom roll , Ally'd in Love by Nobleness of Soul : Hence Thrones and Sceptres shine neglected Things , Hence Royal ANNE prefers NASSAU to Kings ; While Britons with united Hearts rejoice , And willing Senators applaud the Choice , To see their KING ( to Honour ever true ) Discharge the Debt to sacred WILLIAM due ; Immortal WILLIAM ! by whose prudent Cares We yet enjoy the Fruits of all our Wars ; Our Laws , Religion , Liberty , and Peace , And ev'n the Blessings of the BRUNSWIC Race . NOR Thou , Illustrious ORANGE ! blush to own , Thy Honour , thus ally'd to Albion's Crown ; Blest with a Princess , in whose Form we trace Her Father's Majesty , and Mother's Grace ; Bright Orbs of Pow'r , that , with propitious Ray , Dispel our Clouds , and beautify our Day : Not as the Comet , raging thro' the Air , Infects the World with Pestilence and War ; But , like the Sun , their Beams of Goodness glow , Inspiring Life , and chearing all below . Such are the glorious SIRE , and gracious DAME , From whence the beauteous Bride of ORANGE came . And shall unerring Nature change her Kind ? What Lion e'er produc'd a tim'rous Hind ? The Royal Eagles Royal Eagles breed , And Heroes from heroic Sires proceed : Rome's Founder , thus , confess'd his Race Divine ; Thus NASSAU copies the NASSOVIAN Line ; Thus ANNA's noble Stream of Virtue flows , High , as the Regal Spring , from whence it rose . Thrice happy Nymph , with ev'ry Grace supply'd ! Thrice happy Prince , with such a heav'nly Bride ! In whom superior Sense with Judgment joins , Her Beauty much , but more her Merit shines . How glorious ! When such Worth adorns the Great , We hear , we see , admire , and imitate : Virtue , in Them , attracts remotest Eyes ; But , in the vulgar Soul , unheeded lies . As radiant PHOEBUS darts superior Light , While smaller Planets shun the watchful Sight . ACCOMPLISH'D thus , let her Example fire The drooping Muse , and wake the sounding Lyre : To aid Religion , be her chiefest Care , ( Heav'n justly claims the Soul , it made so fair ) To stem the Torrent of licentious Rage , And prop the Virtues of a sinking Age ; Exalting Science to her ancient Height , To raise declining Arts , and make the Rude polite : While great NASSAU , whom native Glory warms , Whene'er his Country calls him forth to Arms , May fire the Belgians in the Field of MARS , Consult their Peace , or animate their Wars ; Paint his Forefathers to their wond'ring Eye , And teach 'em how to conquer , or to die ; Like him , who bravely dar'd to break their Chain , Tho' held by all the Force and Fraud of Spain : For injur'd Liberty the Sword he draws , Resolv'd to gain , or perish in the Cause ; And having long the doubtful Combat try'd , Like CAESAR vanquish'd , and like CAESAR King WILLIAM's Great-Grandfather , the First great Assertor of the Belgian Liberties , assassinated at Delph . dy'd ; Tho' diff'rent far the Motives of their Mind ; That fought to conquer , this to save Mankind ; Till prais'd , lamented , envy'd , and admir'd , The Hero , Patriot , and the Prince expir'd . O ! where did then the Guardian Angels hide ? Nor watch'd to turn the guilty Ball aside ; When he , whom armed Hosts could not withstand , Now falls a Victim to one Villain's Hand ! BUT rise , ye Muses , quit the pensive Lay : Nor damp the Joys of this auspicious Day . Since yet the glorious Name of ORANGE stands , Since Royal ANNA seals the Nuptial Bands ; Soon may Imperial ADOLPHS rise again , Again new FRED'RICS thunder on the Main , Rouzing the Martial Youth to War's Alarms , ( If proud Iberians shine again in Arms ) To guard their Country from tyrannic Pow'r , And be , what glorious WILLIAM was before . NOR shall the States invading Forces fear , Ere pregnant Time the promis'd Heroes bear ; Nor want Allies their Freedom to defend , Since BRUNSWIC reigns , and ALBION is their Friend . As branching Oaks protect the rural Swain , Secure from Summer Heat , and Winter Rain ; So shall our Monarch , with paternal Aid , His Regal Shelter o'er Batavia spread : Long as the Sceptre fills his Royal Hand , A true Palladium shall insure the Land . AND if the prescient Muses guide my Lay , Or future Secrets PHOEBUS can display ; The Day shall shine distinguish'd from the rest , That ANNA dignify'd , and HYMEN blest ; In which AUGUSTUS fortifies his Throne , And plans a Scheme of Union for his Son ; Bespeaks Allies for Princes yet to come , New Friends to Britain , and new Foes to Rome . PROCEED , Great MONARCH ! new Allies to gain , And with new Nuptial Leagues our Peace maintain : So shall thy beauteous Nymphs secure with Charms That Safety , other Kings defend with Arms ; They , VENUS like , could MARS himself surprize , And awe stern Tyrants with their conqu'ring Eyes .