PROLOGUE
,
SPOKEN
AT
COURT
before
the
QUEEN
,
On
Her
Majesty's
Birth-Day
,
1704.
Shine
forth
,
Ye
Planets
,
with
distinguish'd
Light
,
As
when
Ye
hallow'd
first
this
Happy
Night
:
Again
transmit
your
Friendly
Beams
to
Earth
,
As
when
Britannia
joy'd
for
Anna's
Birth
:
And
Thou
,
propitious
Star
,
whose
sacred
Pow'r
Presided
o'er
the
Monarch's
Natal
Hour
,
Thy
Radiant
Voyages
for
ever
run
,
Yielding
to
none
but
Cynthia
,
and
the
Sun
:
With
Thy
fair
Aspect
still
illustrate
Heav'n
:
Kindly
preserve
what
Thou
hast
greatly
giv'n
:
Thy
Influence
for
thy
Anna
We
implore
:
Prolong
One
Life
;
and
Britain
asks
no
more
.
For
Virtue
can
no
ampler
Power
express
,
Than
to
be
Great
in
War
,
and
Good
in
Peace
:
For
Thought
no
higher
Wish
of
Bliss
can
frame
,
Than
to
enjoy
that
Virtue
Still
the
Same
.
Entire
and
sure
the
Monarch's
Rule
must
prove
,
Who
founds
Her
Greatness
on
Her
Subjects
Love
;
Who
does
our
Homage
for
our
Good
require
;
And
Orders
that
which
We
should
first
Desire
:
Our
vanquish'd
Wills
that
pleasing
Force
obey
:
Her
Goodness
takes
our
Liberty
away
:
And
haughty
Britain
yields
to
Arbitrary
Sway
.
Let
the
young
Austrian
then
Her
Terrors
bear
,
Great
as
He
is
,
Her
Delegate
in
War
:
Let
Him
in
Thunder
speak
to
both
his
Spains
,
That
in
these
Dreadful
Isles
a
Woman
Reigns
.
While
the
Bright
Queen
does
on
Her
Subjects
show'r
The
gentle
Blessings
of
Her
softer
Pow'r
;
Gives
sacred
Morals
to
a
vicious
Age
,
To
Temples
Zeal
,
and
Manners
to
the
Stage
;
Bids
the
chaste
Muse
without
a
Blush
appear
,
And
Wit
be
that
which
Heav'n
and
She
may
hear
.
Minerva
thus
to
Perseus
lent
Her
Shield
;
Secure
of
Conquest
,
sent
Him
to
the
Field
:
The
Hero
acted
what
the
Queen
ordain'd
:
So
was
His
Fame
compleat
,
and
Andromede
unchain'd
.
Mean
time
amidst
Her
Native
Temples
sate
The
Goddess
,
studious
of
Her
Grecian's
Fate
;
Taught
'em
in
Laws
and
Letters
to
excell
,
In
Acting
justly
,
and
in
Writing
well
.
Thus
whilst
She
did
Her
various
Pow'r
dispose
,
The
World
was
freed
from
Tyrants
,
Wars
,
and
Woes
:
Virtue
was
taught
in
Verse
,
and
Athen's
Glory
rose
.