[Page 98]

On J. W. ranging PAMPHLETS.

By the Same.
1 WHAT ken mine eyes, enchanted? man of ease,
2 In elbow chair, and under brow of thought
3 Intense, on some great matter fixt, no doubt:
4 What mean the myrmidons on either hand
5 In paper-coats, and orderly array,
6 Spread far and wide, on table, desk, and stool,
7 Variety of troops, white, purple, pied,
8 And grey, and blue's battalion trim; and who
9 In marbled regimentals, some in vest
10 Gay edg'd with gold; of various garb, and tongue,
11 And clime; extended o'er the wooden plain.
12 Not force more numerous from her teeming loins
13 Pours forth Hungaria to the Danube's bank
14 Croats and Pandeurs: nor the swarming war
15 Of Turk and Nadir, nodding opposite
16 With particolour'd turbans. Sing, O Muse,
17 Their marshal'd numbers, and puissance. First,
18 With sable shield, and arms opaque, advance
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19 Divinity polemic, sober rage,
20 Yet deadly! (and can rage in minds divine
21 Inhabit!) councils, synods, cloysters, schools,
22 Cowl beats off cowl, and mitre mitre knocks.
23 Presbyt'ry here with wither'd face askew,
24 Vengeance demure; and there devoutly fierce
25 Catholicos, in lawn sprinkled with blood.
26 Not far behind with her divided troops
27 Comes Policy, with democratic shouts
28 On one hand, on the other loud acclaim
29 For pow'r hereditary, and right divine:
30 I see the various portraiture display'd,
31 Brutus and Nimrod, libertines, and slaves,
32 And crowns, and
h Alluding to the arms impress'd on the money of the Commonwealth of England.
breeches flutter in the air.
33 Who next with aspect sage and parchment wav'd
34 Voluminous come on? I know their beards
35 Historic, see the style acute, with which
36 They fight old Time, maugre his desp'rate scythe,
37 And as he cleaves the pyramid, apply
38 Their puny prop. Hence annals, journals hence,
39 And memoirs, doubtful truth, and certain lies,
40 And tales, and all the magazines of war.
41 What Muse, O Poetry, can pass unsung
42 Thy flowing banners, and gay tent, adorn'd
43 With airy trophies? or would leave thy name
44 Uncatalogu'd, were it but Nereus-like
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45 To beautify the list. Not that thou want'st
46 Th' offensive dart, 'till Satire's quiver fails.
47 All these, and more came flocking; — but await
48 The dread commander's voice, and dare no more
49 Start from their place, than did the Theban stone,
50 Ere yet Amphion sung. — From side to side
51 The sedentary chief, in studious mood,
52 And deep revolve, darts his experienc'd eye.
53 Forth from his presence hies his aid-de-camp,
54 A sturdy Cambro-Briton, to survey
55 The posture of the field; from rank to rank
56 Posting succinct. He gives the word, which way
57 The squadrons to advance, where wheel their course.
58 "Vanguard to right and left." Forthwith the bands,
59 As at the sound of trump, obedient move
60 In perfect phalanx. Each their station knows
61 And quarters, as the general's will ordains.
62 First to its place spontaneous Verse repairs,
63 Knowing the call, and practis'd to obey
64 His summons. Peaceful Controversy sheaths
65 Her claws, contracted to make room for Scot
66 And Tom. Aquinas, slumb'ring side by side;
67 And Bellarmine, and Luther, heard no more
68 Than Delphi's shrine, or Memnon's statue dumb.
69 All, all, in order due and silence, look
70 A modern convocation. Hist'ry lies
71 By hist'ry, — Hyde and Oldmixon agree.
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72 Which when the marshal, from his easy chair
73 Of callimanco, saw; knit his calm brows
74 Thoughtful, and thus th' assembled leaves bespoke.
75 Ye hierarchies, and commonweals, and thrones,
76 Folios, octavos, and ye minor pow'rs
77 Of paper, ere to winter-quarters sent,
78 Hear me, ye list'ning books. First I direct
79 Submission to your lord and faith entire.
80 Did I not list you, and enroll your names
81 On parchment? See the volume; look at me.
82 Did I not mark you (as the Prussian late
83 His subjects) badge of service when requir'd?
84 'Tis well, — and let me next, ye flimsy peers,
85 Love brother-like and union recommend:
86 Live peaceful, as by me together tied
87 In bands of strictest amity: shou'd then
88 Your master lend you to some neighb'ring state
89 Auxiliaries; remember ye preserve
90 Your first allegiance pure, and chearful home
91 Return, when summon'd by your natural prince.
92 Be humble, nor repine, tho' smear'd with ink
93 And dust inglorious; know your birth and end,
94 For rags ye were, and must to rags return.

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Title (in Source Edition): On J. W. ranging PAMPHLETS.
Author: Sneyd Davies
Themes: books; poetry; literature; writing
Genres: blank verse
References: DMI 27533

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Dodsley, Robert, 1703-1764. A Collection of Poems in Six Volumes. By Several Hands. Vol. V. London: printed by J. Hughs, for R. and J. Dodsley, 1763 [1st ed. 1758], pp. 98-101. 6v.: music; 8⁰. (ESTC T131163; OTA K104099.005) (Page images digitized by the Eighteenth-Century Poetry Archive from a copy in the archive's library.)

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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.