![[frontispiece]](/images/authors/colour-portraits/banner-frontispiece.jpg)
![[section of text]](/images/screenshots/ECPA-snippet5.jpg)
![[poet writing]](/images/authors/colour-portraits/banner-poet.jpg)
[Page 177][Page 184]
On the Marriage of his Serene Highness the Prince of Orange.
1 ILLUSTRIOUS Prince! forgive the feeble Lay,
2 That now aspires to hail your Nuptial Day;
3 Nor scorn a Muse, the meanest of the Nine,
4 Who brings her humble Off'ring to your Shrine.
5 And you, Imperial Nymph! whose lovely Face
6 Invites the Hero to your chaste Embrace,
7 Vouchsafe a Spark of your celestial Fire;
8 Harmonious Words, and pleasing Thoughts inspire,
9 Soft, as your Love, and tuneful, as your Lyre:
10 So shall my Numbers charm the list'ning Ear,
11 And ev'n the glad NASSAU delighted hear.
[Page 178]12 NASSAU has long enrich'd the Book of Fame,
13 And ANNA now adorns the noble Name.
14 Nations, who saw the Light of ORANGE rise,
15 With awful Splendor, in the Belgian Skies;
16 Shall soon behold it with new Lustre shine,
17 Join'd to a glorious Star, of BRUNSWIC's Line.
18 SO, where the flowing Sambre gently glides,
19 The Swain delights to view the beauteous Tides:
20 But, when his more extended Eye surveys
21 The shining Torrent join the spacious Maese;
22 Both Rivers, thus, with friendly Union flow,
23 And to the Sight superior Beauty show.
24 WHENE'ER the Gods a noble Race intend,
25 They suit the Causes to the destin'd End,
26 Nor yoke unequal Hearts in Nuptial Love:
27 JOVE's valiant Bird disdains the fearful Dove;
[Page 179]28 Great Minds, by native Sympathy, combine,
29 As golden Particles the closest join.
30 Paternal Virtues in their Bosom roll,
31 Ally'd in Love by Nobleness of Soul:
32 Hence Thrones and Sceptres shine neglected Things,
33 Hence Royal ANNE prefers NASSAU to Kings;
34 While Britons with united Hearts rejoice,
35 And willing Senators applaud the Choice,
36 To see their KING (to Honour ever true)
37 Discharge the Debt to sacred WILLIAM due;
38 Immortal WILLIAM! by whose prudent Cares
39 We yet enjoy the Fruits of all our Wars;
40 Our Laws, Religion, Liberty, and Peace,
41 And ev'n the Blessings of the BRUNSWIC Race.
42 NOR Thou, Illustrious ORANGE! blush to own,
43 Thy Honour, thus ally'd to Albion's Crown;
[Page 180]44 Blest with a Princess, in whose Form we trace
45 Her Father's Majesty, and Mother's Grace;
46 Bright Orbs of Pow'r, that, with propitious Ray,
47 Dispel our Clouds, and beautify our Day:
48 Not as the Comet, raging thro' the Air,
49 Infects the World with Pestilence and War;
50 But, like the Sun, their Beams of Goodness glow,
51 Inspiring Life, and chearing all below.
52 Such are the glorious SIRE, and gracious DAME,
53 From whence the beauteous Bride of ORANGE came.
54 And shall unerring Nature change her Kind?
55 What Lion e'er produc'd a tim'rous Hind?
56 The Royal Eagles Royal Eagles breed,
57 And Heroes from heroic Sires proceed:
58 Rome's Founder, thus, confess'd his Race Divine;
59 Thus NASSAU copies the NASSOVIAN Line;
60 Thus ANNA's noble Stream of Virtue flows,
61 High, as the Regal Spring, from whence it rose.
[Page 181]62 Thrice happy Nymph, with ev'ry Grace supply'd!
63 Thrice happy Prince, with such a heav'nly Bride!
64 In whom superior Sense with Judgment joins,
65 Her Beauty much, but more her Merit shines.
66 How glorious! When such Worth adorns the Great,
67 We hear, we see, admire, and imitate:
68 Virtue, in Them, attracts remotest Eyes;
69 But, in the vulgar Soul, unheeded lies.
70 As radiant PHOEBUS darts superior Light,
71 While smaller Planets shun the watchful Sight.
72 ACCOMPLISH'D thus, let her Example fire
73 The drooping Muse, and wake the sounding Lyre:
74 To aid Religion, be her chiefest Care,
75 (Heav'n justly claims the Soul, it made so fair)
76 To stem the Torrent of licentious Rage,
77 And prop the Virtues of a sinking Age;
[Page 182]78 Exalting Science to her ancient Height,
79 To raise declining Arts, and make the Rude polite:
80 While great NASSAU, whom native Glory warms,
81 Whene'er his Country calls him forth to Arms,
82 May fire the Belgians in the Field of MARS,
83 Consult their Peace, or animate their Wars;
84 Paint his Forefathers to their wond'ring Eye,
85 And teach 'em how to conquer, or to die;
86 Like him, who bravely dar'd to break their Chain,
87 Tho' held by all the Force and Fraud of Spain:
88 For injur'd Liberty the Sword he draws,
89 Resolv'd to gain, or perish in the Cause;
90 And having long the doubtful Combat try'd,
91 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;92 Tho' diff'rent far the Motives of their Mind;
93 That fought to conquer, this to save Mankind;
[Page 183]94 Till prais'd, lamented, envy'd, and admir'd,
95 The Hero, Patriot, and the Prince expir'd.
96 O! where did then the Guardian Angels hide?
97 Nor watch'd to turn the guilty Ball aside;
98 When he, whom armed Hosts could not withstand,
99 Now falls a Victim to one Villain's Hand!
100 BUT rise, ye Muses, quit the pensive Lay:
101 Nor damp the Joys of this auspicious Day.
102 Since yet the glorious Name of ORANGE stands,
103 Since Royal ANNA seals the Nuptial Bands;
104 Soon may Imperial ADOLPHS rise again,
105 Again new FRED'RICS thunder on the Main,
106 Rouzing the Martial Youth to War's Alarms,
107 (If proud Iberians shine again in Arms)
108 To guard their Country from tyrannic Pow'r,
109 And be, what glorious WILLIAM was before.
110 NOR shall the States invading Forces fear,
111 Ere pregnant Time the promis'd Heroes bear;
112 Nor want Allies their Freedom to defend,
113 Since BRUNSWIC reigns, and ALBION is their Friend.
114 As branching Oaks protect the rural Swain,
115 Secure from Summer Heat, and Winter Rain;
116 So shall our Monarch, with paternal Aid,
117 His Regal Shelter o'er Batavia spread:
118 Long as the Sceptre fills his Royal Hand,
119 A true Palladium shall insure the Land.
120 AND if the prescient Muses guide my Lay,
121 Or future Secrets PHOEBUS can display;
122 The Day shall shine distinguish'd from the rest,
123 That ANNA dignify'd, and HYMEN blest;
124 In which AUGUSTUS fortifies his Throne,
125 And plans a Scheme of Union for his Son;
[Page 185]126 Bespeaks Allies for Princes yet to come,
127 New Friends to Britain, and new Foes to Rome.
128 PROCEED, Great MONARCH! new Allies to gain,
129 And with new Nuptial Leagues our Peace maintain:
130 So shall thy beauteous Nymphs secure with Charms
131 That Safety, other Kings defend with Arms;
132 They, VENUS like, could MARS himself surprize,
133 And awe stern Tyrants with their conqu'ring Eyes.
About this text
Author: Stephen Duck
Themes:
marriage
Genres:
heroic couplet; occasional poem
Text view / Document view
Source edition
Duck, Stephen, 1705-1756. Poems on several occasions: By Stephen Duck. London: printed for the author, 1736, pp. 177-185. xl,334,[2]p. ; 4⁰. (ESTC T90234; OTA K073280.000)
Editorial principles
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.
Other works by Stephen Duck
- The ABSENT LOVER. ()
- [Ad JOANNEM MILTONUM.] ()
- The ANSWER. ()
- AVARO and AMANDA. A POEM, in FOUR CANTO's, Taken from the Spectator, Vol. I. No. xi. ()
- CHLOE's CONQUEST. ()
- CONTENTMENT. ()
- A Description of a Journey To Marlborough, Bath, Portsmouth, &c. To the Right Honourable the Lord Viscount PALMERSTON. ()
- An EPIGRAM. ()
- FELIX and CONSTANCE. A POEM, taken from BOCCACE. ()
- GRATITUDE. A PASTORAL. ()
- Imitated from CLAUDIAN. ()
- An IMITATION Of the Sixteenth Ode Of the Second Book of HORACE. ()
- An Imitation of the Sixteenth Ode of the Third Book of HORACE. ()
- An Imitation of the Tenth Ode of the Second Book of HORACE. To the Right Hon. the Lord Viscount PALMERSTON. ()
- Occasion'd by a Dispute with a LADY. ()
- An ODE, presented to their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of WALES, in Richmond Gardens, on Thursday, May 6. 1736. ()
- Of FRIENDSHIP. To CELIA. ()
- On a GOOD CONSCIENCE. ()
- On a Screen, work'd in Flowers by Her Royal Highness ANNE, Princess of ORANGE. ()
- On Celia's Picture, drawn by Sir Godfrey Kneller. ()
- On Delia singing, and playing on Music. ()
- On FLORELLA's Birth-Day. ()
- On MITES. To a LADY. ()
- On Mrs. L—s. ()
- On MUSIC. ()
- On POVERTY. ()
- On RICHMOND PARK, and ROYAL GARDENS. ()
- On the Hon. Mrs. HORNER's Travelling for the Recovery of her Health. ()
- On the QUEEN's Grotto, in RICHMOND Gardens. ()
- On Two Young Ladies leaving the Country. ()
- A PASTORAL ELEGY. ()
- PENELOPE to ULYSSES. Paraphras'd from OVID. ()
- A Poem on Her MAJESTY's Birth-Day. ()
- Proper Ingredients to make a Sceptic. ()
- The SHUNAMMITE. To Mrs. STANLEY. ()
- The THRESHER's LABOUR. To the Revd. Mr. STANLEY. ()
- To a Gentleman, who requested a Copy of Verses from the Author. ()
- To a Young LADY, who had a CUPID given Her. ()
- To DEATH. An IRREGULAR ODE. ()
- To His ROYAL HIGHNESS The DUKE of CUMBERLAND, On His BIRTH-DAY. ()
- To Mr. Winder, (now Fellow) of Corpus-Christi, Oxford; in Answer to a Latin Epistle, which he sent me. ()
- To Mr. WORSDALE: Occasion'd by seeing CELIA's Picture unfinish'd. Writ extempore at Kensington. ()
- To the Author of a Poem on the Duke of Lorrain's Arrival at the British Court. ()
- To the Rev. Dr. Freind, on his quitting Westminster School. ()
- To the Right Honourable William Clayton, Esq (now Lord Sundon) on his being Elected Representative in Parliament for Westminster without Opposition. ()
- TRUTH and FALSHOOD. A FABLE. ()
- The Two Beavers. A FABLE. ()
- VERSES to the Author, In IMITATION of HORACE's ODE on PINDAR. Apply'd to the Marriage of his Highness the Prince of Orange with ANNE, Princess Royal of Great Britain. ()