A Recommendation of the Study of the Remains of

Ancient Grecian and Roman Architecture, Sculp-

ture, and Painting

Moses, under the direction of Divine Providence,

conducting the Children of Israel from Egypt to the

Promised Land

101

107

THE

CONQUEST OF QUEBEC:

A PRIZE POEM,

RECITED

IN THE THEATRE, OXFORD,

IN THE YEAR MDCCLXVIII.

Επίτασθε γὰρ δήπε ὅτι ἔτε πλῆθός ἐσιν, οὔτε ἰσχὺς ἡ ἐν τῷ που λέμῳ τὰς νίκας ποιῆσα· ἀλλ ̓ ὁπότεροι ἂν σὺν τοῖς Θεοῖς ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἐῤῥωμενέσεροι ἴωσιν ἐπὶ τὰς πολεμίους. Xenoph. Cyri Exped. lib. iii.

P

THE

CONQUEST OF QUEBEC.

FAREWELL ye Naiads who your tresses lave

Where Isis rolls her unpolluted wave:

Far off to regions unexplor'd I fly,

To savage nations and a frozen sky;

Where the Laurentian stream his copious stores
In whitening torrents to th' Atlantic pours;
Where never echo his steep banks along
Heard the sweet accents of a Muse's song;
But shouts of barb'rous dissonance resound,

And blood of warriors bathes the reeking ground.

Long time the bashful Muse, content to stray Where list'ning swains approv'd her simple lay,

By art untutor'd, and unknown to fame,

Had learnt to warble only Delia's name ;
Nor from her silent caves and grottos led
Had dar'd the crimson fields of war to tread :
New ardors now her throbbing breast invade;
For themes untried she quits the chequer'd shade;
Fierce transport bears her o'er th' embattled plain,
And softer pleasures call her back in vain.
So, from the toils of martial service freed,
Thro' flow'ry meadows roves the warrior steed ;
Now plunges in the river's crystal tide,

To slake his thirst, or cool his glowing side;
Now on soft herbage rolls in wanton play,
And lengthens out with ease th' inglorious day:
But when the trumpet's piercing clangor sounds,
He leaps indignant o'er opposing mounds,
Untasted leaves the gusting rill behind,

And flies to fame impetuous as the wind.