AN IMITATION OF MILTON, 1706
O F English tipple, and the potent grain
Which in the conclave of celestial powers
Bred fell debate, sing, Nymph of heavenly stem!
Who on the hoary top of Penmanmaur
Merlin the seer didst visit, while he sate
With astrolabe prophetic, to foresee
Young actions issuing from the Fates' divan
Full of thy power, infus'd by nappy Ale.
Darkling he watch'd the planetary orbs
In their obscure sojourn o'er heaven's high cope,
Nor ceas'd till the grey dawn with orient dew
Impearl'd his large mustach'es, deep ensconc'd
Beneath his overshadowing orb of hat
And ample fence of elephantine nose;
Scornful of keenest polar winds, or sleet,
Or hail, sent rattling down from wintry Jove,
(Vain efforts on his sevenfold mantle made
Of Caledonian rug, immortal woof!)
Such energy of soul to raise the song,
Deign, Goddess! now to me; nor then withdraw
Thy sure presiding power, but guide my wing,
Which nobly meditates no vulgar flight.
Now from the' ensanguin'd Ister's reeking flood,
Tardy with many a corse of Boian knight
And Gallic deep ingulft, with barbed steeds
Promiscuous, Fame to high Olympus flew,
Shearing the' expanse of heaven with active plume;
Nor swifter from Plinlimmon's steepy top
The staunch gerfalcon through the buxom air
Stoops on the steerage of his wings, to truss
The quarry, hern, or mallard, newly sprung
From creek, whence bright Sabrina bubbling forth,
Runs fast a Nais through the flowery meads,
To spread round Uriconium's towers her streams.
Her golden trump the goddess sounded thrice,
Whose shilling clang reach'd heaven's extremest sphere.
Rous'd at the blast, the gods with winged speed
To learn the tidings came: on radiant thrones
With fair memorials and impresses quaint
Emblazon'd o'er they sat, devis'd of old
By Mulciber, nor small his skill I ween.
There she relates what Churchill's arm had wrought
On Blenheim's bloody plain. Up Bacchus rose,
By his plump cheek and barrel-belly known:
The pliant tendrils of a juicy vine
Around his rosy brow in ringlets curl'd;
And in his hand a bunch of grapes he held,
The ensigns of the god. With ardent tone
He mov'd, that straight the nectar'd bowl should flow,
Devote to Churchill's health, and o'er all heaven
Uncommon orgies should be kept till eve,
Till all were sated with immortal must,
Delicious tipple! that in heavenly veins
Assimilated, vigorous ichor bred;
Superior to Frontiniac, or Bourdeaux,
Or old Falern, Compania's best increase;
Or the more dulcet juice the happy isles
From Palma or Forteventura send.
Joy flush'd on every face, and pleasing glee
Inward assent discover'd, till uprose
Ceres, not blithe; for marks of latent woe
Dim on her visage lower'd: such her deport
When Arethusa from her reedy bed
Told her how Dis young Proserpine had rap'd,
To sway his iron sceptre, and command
In gloom tartareous half his wide domain:
Then, sighing, thus she said — " Have I so long
Employ'd my various art to" enrich the lap
Of Earth, all-bearing mother, and my lore
Communicated to the' unweeting hind,
And shall not this pre-eminence obtain?"
Then from beneath her Tyrian vest she took
The bearded ears of grain she most admir'd,
Which gods call Crithe, in terrestrial speech
Ycleped Barley. " 'Tis to this, (she cried)
The British cohorts owe their martial fame
And far-redoubted prowess, matchless youth!
This, when returning from the foughten field
Or Noric, or Iberian, seam'd with scars,
(Sad signatures of many a dreadful gash!)
The veteran, carousing, soon restores
Puissance to his arm, and strings his nerves
And as a snake, when first the rosy Hours
Shed vernal sweets o'er every vale and mead,
Rolls tardy from his cell obscure and dank;
But when by genial rays of summer sun
Purg'd of his slough, he nimbler thrids the brake,
Whetting his sting, his crested head he rears
Terrific, from each eye retort he shoots
Ensanguin'd rays, the distant swains admire
His various neck and spires bedropt with gold;
So at each glass the harass'd warrior feels
Vigour renate; his horrent arms he takes
And rusting falchion, on whose ample hilt
Long Victory sat dormant: soon she shakes
Her drowsy wings, and follows to the war,
With speed succinct; where soon his martial port
She recognises, whilst he haughty stands
On the rough edge of battle, and bestows
Wide torment on the serried files, so us'd
Frequent in bold emprise, to work sad rout
And havoc dire; these the bold Briton mows,
Dauntless as deities exempt from fate,
Ardent to deck his brow with mural gold,
Or civic wreath of oak, the victor's meed.
Such is the power of Ale with vines embower'd,
While dangling bunches court his thirsting lip;
Sullen he sits, and sighing oft extols
The beverage they quaff, whose happy soil
Prolific Dovus laves, or Trenta's urn
Adorns with waving crithe (joyous scenes
Of vegetable gold!) Secure they dwell,
Nor feel the' eternal snows that clothe their cliffs;
Nor curse the' inclement air, whose horrid face
Scowls like that Arctic heaven, that drizzling sheds
Perpetual winter on the frozen skirts
Of Scandinavia and the Baltic main,
Where the young tempests first are taught to roar.
Snug in their straw-built huts or darkling earth'd
In cavern'd rock they live (small need of art
To form spruce architrave or cornice quaint
On Parian marble, with Corinthian grace
Prepar'd) — There on well-fuel'd hearth they chat,
Whilst black pots walk the round with laughing Ale
Surcharg'd, or brew'd in planetary hour,
When March weigh'd night and day in equal scale;
Or in October tunn'd, and mellow grown
With seven revolving suns, the racy juice,
Strong with delicious flavour, strikes the sense;
Nor wants on vast circumference of board,
Of Arthur's imitative, large sirloin
Of ox, or virgin-heifer, wont to browse
The meads of Longovicum (fattening soil
Replete with clover grass and foodful shrub:)
Planted with sprigs of rosemary it stands,
Meet paragon (as far as great with small
May correspond) from some Panchaean hill
Imbrown'd with sultry skies, thin set with palm
And olive rarely interspers'd, whose shade
Skreens hospitably from the Tropie Crab
The quiver'd Arab's vagrant clan that waits
Insidious some rich caravan, which fares
To Mecca, with barbaric gold full fraught.
" Thus Britain's hardy sons, of rustic mould,
Patient of arms, still quash the' aspiring Gaul,
Blest by my boon; which when they slightly prize,
Should they, with high defence of triple brass
Wide-circling, live immur'd, (as erst was tried
By Bacon's charms, on which the sickening moon
Look'd wan, and cheerless mew'd her crescent horns,
Whilst Demogorgon heard his stern behest)
Thrice the prevailing power of Gallia's arms
Should there resistless ravage, as of old
Great Pharamond, the founder of her fame,
Was wont when first his marshall'd peerage pass'd
The subject Rhine. What though Britannia boasts
Herself a world, with ocean circumfus'd?
'Tis Ale that warms her sons to' assert her claim,
And with full volley makes her naval tubes
Thunder disastrous doom to' opponent powers.
" Nor potent only to enkindle Mars,
And fire with knightly prowess recreant souls;
It science can encourage, and excite
The mind to ditties blithe and charming song.
Thou Pallas! to my speech just witness bear;
How oft hast thou thy votaries beheld
At crambo merry met, and hymning shrill
With voice harmonic each, whilst others frisk
In mazy dance, or Cestrian gambols show,
Elate with mighty joy, when to the brim
Chritheian nectar crown'd the lordly bowl.
(Equal to Nestor's ponderous cup, which ask'd
A hero's arm to mount it on the board,
Ere he the' embattled Pylians led, to quell
The pride of Dardan youth in hosting dire?)
Or if, with front unblest, came towering in
Proctor armipotent, in stern deport
Resembling turban'd Turk, when high he wields
His scimitar with huge two-handed sway,
Alarm'd with threatening accent, harsher far
Than that ill-omen'd sound, the bird of night,
With beak uncomely bent, from dodder'd oak
Screams out, the sick man's trump of doleful doom;
Thy jocund sons confront the horrid van
That crowds his gonfalcon of seven-foot size,
And with their rubied faces stand the foe;
Whilst they of sober guise contrive retreat,
And run with ears erect; as the tall stag
Unharbour'd by the woodman quits his lair,
And flies the yearning pack which close pursue;
So they, not bowsy, dread the' approaching foe;
They run, they fly, till flying on obscure,
Night-founder'd in town-ditches, stagnant gurge,
Soph rowls on soph promiscuous — Caps aloof
Quadrate and circular confus'dly fly,
The sport of fierce Norwegian tempests, tost
By Thracia's coadjutant and the roar
Of loud Euroclydon's tumultuous gusts."
She said: — the sire of gods and men supreme,
With aspect bland, attentive audience gave,
Then nodded awful; from his shaken locks
Ambrosial fragrance flew: the signal giv'n
By Ganymede, the skinker soon was ken'd;
With Ale he heaven's capacious goblet crown'd,
To Phrygian mood Apollo tun'd his lyre,
The Muses sang alternate, all carous'd,
But Bacchus murm'ring left the' assembled powers.
O F English tipple, and the potent grain
Which in the conclave of celestial powers
Bred fell debate, sing, Nymph of heavenly stem!
Who on the hoary top of Penmanmaur
Merlin the seer didst visit, while he sate
With astrolabe prophetic, to foresee
Young actions issuing from the Fates' divan
Full of thy power, infus'd by nappy Ale.
Darkling he watch'd the planetary orbs
In their obscure sojourn o'er heaven's high cope,
Nor ceas'd till the grey dawn with orient dew
Impearl'd his large mustach'es, deep ensconc'd
Beneath his overshadowing orb of hat
And ample fence of elephantine nose;
Scornful of keenest polar winds, or sleet,
Or hail, sent rattling down from wintry Jove,
(Vain efforts on his sevenfold mantle made
Of Caledonian rug, immortal woof!)
Such energy of soul to raise the song,
Deign, Goddess! now to me; nor then withdraw
Thy sure presiding power, but guide my wing,
Which nobly meditates no vulgar flight.
Now from the' ensanguin'd Ister's reeking flood,
Tardy with many a corse of Boian knight
And Gallic deep ingulft, with barbed steeds
Promiscuous, Fame to high Olympus flew,
Shearing the' expanse of heaven with active plume;
Nor swifter from Plinlimmon's steepy top
The staunch gerfalcon through the buxom air
Stoops on the steerage of his wings, to truss
The quarry, hern, or mallard, newly sprung
From creek, whence bright Sabrina bubbling forth,
Runs fast a Nais through the flowery meads,
To spread round Uriconium's towers her streams.
Her golden trump the goddess sounded thrice,
Whose shilling clang reach'd heaven's extremest sphere.
Rous'd at the blast, the gods with winged speed
To learn the tidings came: on radiant thrones
With fair memorials and impresses quaint
Emblazon'd o'er they sat, devis'd of old
By Mulciber, nor small his skill I ween.
There she relates what Churchill's arm had wrought
On Blenheim's bloody plain. Up Bacchus rose,
By his plump cheek and barrel-belly known:
The pliant tendrils of a juicy vine
Around his rosy brow in ringlets curl'd;
And in his hand a bunch of grapes he held,
The ensigns of the god. With ardent tone
He mov'd, that straight the nectar'd bowl should flow,
Devote to Churchill's health, and o'er all heaven
Uncommon orgies should be kept till eve,
Till all were sated with immortal must,
Delicious tipple! that in heavenly veins
Assimilated, vigorous ichor bred;
Superior to Frontiniac, or Bourdeaux,
Or old Falern, Compania's best increase;
Or the more dulcet juice the happy isles
From Palma or Forteventura send.
Joy flush'd on every face, and pleasing glee
Inward assent discover'd, till uprose
Ceres, not blithe; for marks of latent woe
Dim on her visage lower'd: such her deport
When Arethusa from her reedy bed
Told her how Dis young Proserpine had rap'd,
To sway his iron sceptre, and command
In gloom tartareous half his wide domain:
Then, sighing, thus she said — " Have I so long
Employ'd my various art to" enrich the lap
Of Earth, all-bearing mother, and my lore
Communicated to the' unweeting hind,
And shall not this pre-eminence obtain?"
Then from beneath her Tyrian vest she took
The bearded ears of grain she most admir'd,
Which gods call Crithe, in terrestrial speech
Ycleped Barley. " 'Tis to this, (she cried)
The British cohorts owe their martial fame
And far-redoubted prowess, matchless youth!
This, when returning from the foughten field
Or Noric, or Iberian, seam'd with scars,
(Sad signatures of many a dreadful gash!)
The veteran, carousing, soon restores
Puissance to his arm, and strings his nerves
And as a snake, when first the rosy Hours
Shed vernal sweets o'er every vale and mead,
Rolls tardy from his cell obscure and dank;
But when by genial rays of summer sun
Purg'd of his slough, he nimbler thrids the brake,
Whetting his sting, his crested head he rears
Terrific, from each eye retort he shoots
Ensanguin'd rays, the distant swains admire
His various neck and spires bedropt with gold;
So at each glass the harass'd warrior feels
Vigour renate; his horrent arms he takes
And rusting falchion, on whose ample hilt
Long Victory sat dormant: soon she shakes
Her drowsy wings, and follows to the war,
With speed succinct; where soon his martial port
She recognises, whilst he haughty stands
On the rough edge of battle, and bestows
Wide torment on the serried files, so us'd
Frequent in bold emprise, to work sad rout
And havoc dire; these the bold Briton mows,
Dauntless as deities exempt from fate,
Ardent to deck his brow with mural gold,
Or civic wreath of oak, the victor's meed.
Such is the power of Ale with vines embower'd,
While dangling bunches court his thirsting lip;
Sullen he sits, and sighing oft extols
The beverage they quaff, whose happy soil
Prolific Dovus laves, or Trenta's urn
Adorns with waving crithe (joyous scenes
Of vegetable gold!) Secure they dwell,
Nor feel the' eternal snows that clothe their cliffs;
Nor curse the' inclement air, whose horrid face
Scowls like that Arctic heaven, that drizzling sheds
Perpetual winter on the frozen skirts
Of Scandinavia and the Baltic main,
Where the young tempests first are taught to roar.
Snug in their straw-built huts or darkling earth'd
In cavern'd rock they live (small need of art
To form spruce architrave or cornice quaint
On Parian marble, with Corinthian grace
Prepar'd) — There on well-fuel'd hearth they chat,
Whilst black pots walk the round with laughing Ale
Surcharg'd, or brew'd in planetary hour,
When March weigh'd night and day in equal scale;
Or in October tunn'd, and mellow grown
With seven revolving suns, the racy juice,
Strong with delicious flavour, strikes the sense;
Nor wants on vast circumference of board,
Of Arthur's imitative, large sirloin
Of ox, or virgin-heifer, wont to browse
The meads of Longovicum (fattening soil
Replete with clover grass and foodful shrub:)
Planted with sprigs of rosemary it stands,
Meet paragon (as far as great with small
May correspond) from some Panchaean hill
Imbrown'd with sultry skies, thin set with palm
And olive rarely interspers'd, whose shade
Skreens hospitably from the Tropie Crab
The quiver'd Arab's vagrant clan that waits
Insidious some rich caravan, which fares
To Mecca, with barbaric gold full fraught.
" Thus Britain's hardy sons, of rustic mould,
Patient of arms, still quash the' aspiring Gaul,
Blest by my boon; which when they slightly prize,
Should they, with high defence of triple brass
Wide-circling, live immur'd, (as erst was tried
By Bacon's charms, on which the sickening moon
Look'd wan, and cheerless mew'd her crescent horns,
Whilst Demogorgon heard his stern behest)
Thrice the prevailing power of Gallia's arms
Should there resistless ravage, as of old
Great Pharamond, the founder of her fame,
Was wont when first his marshall'd peerage pass'd
The subject Rhine. What though Britannia boasts
Herself a world, with ocean circumfus'd?
'Tis Ale that warms her sons to' assert her claim,
And with full volley makes her naval tubes
Thunder disastrous doom to' opponent powers.
" Nor potent only to enkindle Mars,
And fire with knightly prowess recreant souls;
It science can encourage, and excite
The mind to ditties blithe and charming song.
Thou Pallas! to my speech just witness bear;
How oft hast thou thy votaries beheld
At crambo merry met, and hymning shrill
With voice harmonic each, whilst others frisk
In mazy dance, or Cestrian gambols show,
Elate with mighty joy, when to the brim
Chritheian nectar crown'd the lordly bowl.
(Equal to Nestor's ponderous cup, which ask'd
A hero's arm to mount it on the board,
Ere he the' embattled Pylians led, to quell
The pride of Dardan youth in hosting dire?)
Or if, with front unblest, came towering in
Proctor armipotent, in stern deport
Resembling turban'd Turk, when high he wields
His scimitar with huge two-handed sway,
Alarm'd with threatening accent, harsher far
Than that ill-omen'd sound, the bird of night,
With beak uncomely bent, from dodder'd oak
Screams out, the sick man's trump of doleful doom;
Thy jocund sons confront the horrid van
That crowds his gonfalcon of seven-foot size,
And with their rubied faces stand the foe;
Whilst they of sober guise contrive retreat,
And run with ears erect; as the tall stag
Unharbour'd by the woodman quits his lair,
And flies the yearning pack which close pursue;
So they, not bowsy, dread the' approaching foe;
They run, they fly, till flying on obscure,
Night-founder'd in town-ditches, stagnant gurge,
Soph rowls on soph promiscuous — Caps aloof
Quadrate and circular confus'dly fly,
The sport of fierce Norwegian tempests, tost
By Thracia's coadjutant and the roar
Of loud Euroclydon's tumultuous gusts."
She said: — the sire of gods and men supreme,
With aspect bland, attentive audience gave,
Then nodded awful; from his shaken locks
Ambrosial fragrance flew: the signal giv'n
By Ganymede, the skinker soon was ken'd;
With Ale he heaven's capacious goblet crown'd,
To Phrygian mood Apollo tun'd his lyre,
The Muses sang alternate, all carous'd,
But Bacchus murm'ring left the' assembled powers.