Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A54757
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Augustus Britannicus a poem upon the conclusion of the peace of Europe, at Rijswick in Holland, upon the 20th of September, 1697 / by J. Phillips.
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Phillips, John, 1631-1706.
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1697
(1697)
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Wing P2079; ESTC R1671
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6,608
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14
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the Task that our Alcides presst In aid of Christendom to undergo Monsters the same and the Design as vast Those Monsters quell'd to lay Oppression low Nemaean Lyons Erymanthian Boars Lernaean Hydra's Geryons Triple-headed Stymphalian Harpies and more fell Centaurs These were the Monsters Europe then invaded For Man degenerate into Brute no less Embosoms every Brutish Appetite Only what Brutes in various Forms possess His Wits improve and all in one unite Yet could the Toil not fright our Hero's Mind Nor all the Hazards he was sure to meet And still his Conduct all so well design'd Never so slow as when to danger fleet He saw that more then Strength would be requir'd Nor did Alcides Strength alone prefer To Iove's Assistant Prudence he retir'd And there consults the Dubious Fate of War Many oppress'd yet variously engag'd And different Interests their Passions sway In Union only Wrong and Violence rag'd And on the Innocent in Bloody Consort prey'd Nothing but Concord and a warlike Chief This shatter'd Body could compactly joyn With Fear irresolute for their Relief Not knowing whence their Safety to divine So fast the Deluge still came rowling on As soon whole Regions fill'd with pale Dismay They knew not what to seek nor what to shun They moan'd their Harms unwilling to obey From this rude Chaos of unsteady Thoughts A Glorious League Great Britain's Monarch fram'd He soon confirm'd their Minds allay'd their Doubts And with new Life their drooping Souls inflam'd It might be deem'd a Work the nearest wrought To that which all things into Order brought A League so Sacred and so fast the Knot Not to be loos'd nor like the Gordian cut A League like this by Universal Greece Against th' insulting Persian Monarch made Repell'd th' Invader back a Sacrifice By his Ambition to his Shame betray'd This League to Britain's Sovereign bow'd her Knees And him the wronged Princes made their Head He gave their Motions Laws and his Decrees Like the Amphyction Council's were obey'd Resistance thus embolden'd potent-grew Numbers met Numbers while experienc'd War With artful Horrors did her Game pursue And Banquets fresh each Day for Death prepare The Air was forc'd the fiery Element To mingle with the Flames of dismal Fight As if Officious Man would Heav'n prevent And burn the World into its Primitive Night For Man who always had th' unhappy Fate Of most ingenious to destroy his Race Scorns his pursuit should find a safe Retreat And his industrious Arm not reach the Place Yet all this while the Fields neglected lay That with their timely Harvests wont to crown The longing Barns Affright drives all away Few left to sow few left to purchase what was sown Those Fields now thicker sown with Human Bones The Seed of Slaughter that gives no Return The Neighbouring Cities wail dispeopl'd Towns By Nature bless'd by cruel War forlorn Widows and Orphans Peasant and the Lord Temples Prophan'd and Ravish'd Virgins all Bemoan'd the Havocks of the wastful Sword Such was the Ravage menac'd Europe's Fall Such were the Torrents which the League oppos'd And Britain's Sovereign the Pious Chief Who Victim-like a Sacred Life expos'd While both Divine and Human begg'd Relief The Contest so much the more Obstinate While pamper'd Honour there for Empire strove Here timorous Zeal inflam'd their Martial Heat And Fear of Chains did Fears of Death remove All Men have Swords and Youth and Wills prepar'd Their Darling Freedom to defend or die Impugning haughty Violence undeterr'd That would impose unwilling Slavery Nine Times the Sun his Annual Race had run And in his tow'ring Solstice warm'd both Poles And all the while the Bloody Game went on The Winner only Death by more then common Tolls In Steenkirk Fields a large Repast he met Where Fortune stopp'd the Havocks of his Sword Who there had soon decided Europe's Fate Had not foreseeing Doom on purpose err'd Fame big with wonder at the first Attacks Bid Fortune stop least more her VVings should tire Fortune obey'd and too unkindly slacks The farther Progress of the Victor's Fire Old Luxemburgh who had enough that Day VVas glad to see the Lyon back retreat And in his Bloody Trenches quiet lay Admiring what he could not imitate VVonders then these far greater Lansden saw VVhere Skill and Courage Art and Number fought Battles were now Examples thence to draw New Patterns how young Captains should be taught Old Luxemburg for only him did Fame A Match for Britain's Hero still exalt Dreamt only hot Pursuit but grew more tame To see his daring Foe make steady Halt Long the Dispute who Victory should controul And Streams of Blood the Verdant Fields imbru'd VVhile Slaughter strew'd thick Banquets for the Fowl That on the Alms of Battle wait for Food And all the while Great Britain's Hero flew To every Part where thickest Danger call'd Expos'd to Vulgar Fury still in view But where dark Clouds of Smoak his Sacred Person vail'd At length great Luxemburg grew Pale with Fear To see his shatter'd Troops in Flight pursu'd And all his Lawrels won had wither'd here Had fresh Inforcements not the Fight renew'd Yet those fresh Succours did but serve to stop The Victor's Chace and force him to recoil He left his Foe the Marks of vanish'd Hope And kept the Glory of the former Foil Honour and Gold have both the same hard Fate Both may be bought too dear but Honour most Since Victory purchas'd at too dear a Rate Is by the Vanquish'd won but by the Victor lost Namur must next advance our Hero's high Renown Beyond what Agamemnon won by Ten Years Toil So long those Hero's fought to force one Town Not then subdu'd till Fraud did Strength beguile Namur like Sion deem'd Impregnable And if her Gates spoke Truth ne'er to be won As if secur'd by Doom of Oracle In the Palladium of a French Battoon Here had a nobler Theam for Homer been VVhile Gods 'gainst Gods and Hero's Hero's fought And if the far-fam'd Hector fought within The far more fam'd Achilles fought without Continual Thunder rends the Sky as when Assailing Giants against Iove rebell'd And all the while a more amazing Scene Smoak Day made Night and Flame o'er Night prevail'd Phoebus beheld th' embolden'd Flames aspire And how the distant Air in Sulphur burn'd What is the World he cry'd again on Fire And my unruly Chariot overturnd Th' Assaults the Combats sung by Homer's Muse Or what the Roman Prowess could renown Three Years 'fore Salem's Walls disdaining Truce Were here in Feats of dismal War out-done At length when the full Feast of Death was o're And rude Attacks had mow'd down all within The weak Remainder loud for Aid implore And they saw Succour that was only seen Fain would the Gallick Chief have sav'd the Town And vow'd the Strength of France to signalize But all in vain the Strength of France look'd on While lost Namur became the Victor's Prize While thus the Sword rag'd on and dubious War In bloody