While to our Queen each duteous Bard conveys
The faithful Tribute of exalted Praise;
While Genius, Learning, all their Force combine,
To make the Numbers, as the Theme, divine;
How shall a Cambrian Muse, obscure, and mean,
The lowest, latest, of the tuneful Train;
Too weak for Wings, too tardy in her Flight:
Amongst the Sterling Coin, dare to present her Mite,
O Queen! more learn’d, than e’er Britannia saw,
Since our fam’d Tudor, to the Realm gave Law.
Of Wife! more happy in thy Lord alone,
Than in the Pow’r, and Splendour, of his Throne.
O Mother! blest in your Illustrious Race,
The Guardian Angels, of our future Peace.
O Patroness of Science! wilt thou deign,
T’ accept from thy own Sex, this artless Strain?
Around the Throne, too dazzling Glories dwell;
May I, most gracious Queen! approach thy Cell?
Hail happy Grotto! to thy blest Retreat,
Greatness retires, to be more truly Great.
Here, by the Sculptor’s Art, are well design’d,
The Busts of Those, who dignify’d their Kind.
Locke, Boyle, and Newton, Woolaston, and Clarke,
Brighten those Paths which Ignorance made dark;
Reason, and Arts, Truth moral, and Divine;
In their immortal Works, unclouded shine.
Resemblance, the well-judging Eye delights,
And th’ active Soul, to semblant Thought excites:
Intent, She exerts her Faculties, and Powers,
Rises in Thought, in Contemplation towers.
Reason, that Emanation of the Mind,
Breaks forth in Locke; diffusive, and refin’d.
Wisdom, and Piety, their Beams unite,
To shine in Boyle, with strong, convictive Light;
Which thro’ the various Works of Nature, shows
God, the sole Source, whence all Perfection flows.
Newton, th’ Allwise Creator’s Works explores,
Sublimely, on the Wings of Knowledge, soars;
Th’ establish’d Order, of each Orb, unfolds,
And th’ omni-present God, in all, beholds:
If to the dark Abyss, or bright Abode,
He points; the View still terminates in God.
The moral duties Woolaston displays;
On Nature’s Laws, the firm Foundation lays.
In Clarke, the Christian Purity appears
Reveal’d Religion, he divinely clears
From Mists of Error, Vapours of blind Zeal,
Which oft her Heav’n-born Beauties, wou’d conceal;
From Sanguine Marks, which her pure Whiteness stain’d;
And all her sacred Truths, polluted, and profain’d.
Her Reason, Learning, Primogeneal Law,
Submit to Faith, with Reverence and Awe.
‘Tis She, Celestial Grace! must those refine;
‘Tis her Impression stamps them all divine.
These, are the Worthies, which our glorious Queen
Delights to honour in this solemn Scene;
She consecrates their Memory to Fame;
Affixing theirs, to her own deathless Name.
While plenteous Thames, flows from its Crystal Urn,
While ebbing Tides, to Ocean’s Bed return;
While circling Waves, around Britannia move;
While Liberty, and Honour, Britons love;
While the fair Moon, reflects the Solar Ray,
And guides the Motions of the swelling Sea;
While the bright Sun, the golden Day shall give,
With Royal Caroline’s, these Sages’ Fame will live.
(Jane Brereton)
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Jane Brereton Poems based on Topics: Thought & Thinking, Education, Fairness, Kings & Queens, Name, Belief & Faith, Light, Contemplation, Learning, Praise, NatureReaders Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: Love Poems, God Poems, Light Poems, Mind Poems, Soul Poems, Nature Poems, War & Peace Poems, Fairness Poems, Christianity Poems, Name Poems, Kings & Queens PoemsBased on Keywords: locke, n-born, patroness, diffusive, dignify, busts, emanation, boyle, tudor, clarke, cambrian