The univerfal Fabrick of the World,
Rent and divided, to your Empire's burl'd.
Scarce bad fhe fpoke, ere from a Cloud there flies
A nitrous Flame, and Thunder rent the Skies ;
At Jove's avenging Bolts to loweft Hell,
Earth closing up, th' affrighted Pluto fell;
When foon the angry Gods dire Omens fhow,
That bode Deftruction and approaching Woe;
Aftonishment furpiz'd the darken'd Sun,
As if the War already was begun;
The rip'ning Ills prefaging Cynthia knew,
And confcious, from Impiety withdrew;
With bideous Noife the falling Mountains cleave,
And Streams repuls'd, their ufual Courses leave
Battalions charge and combat in the Air,
And Mars excites his fiery Sons to War:
Sicilian Plains hear dreadful Etna roar,
And fulph'rous Streams furprize the wond'ring Shore.
Prefaging Tombs, and melancholy Urns,
Sad Groans emit, whofe Fire no longer burns.
Portending Comets, with long purple Streams,
Affright Mankind, and dart their fanguine Beams.
Jove once defcended in a Golden Shower,
Now Clouds a bloody Deluge pour,
Warning Great Julius from Batavian Fields,
To fetch the Crown Rome's conquer'd Empire yields.
High on the Alps, where the divided Rock,
Amilcar's Son did with ftrange Force unlock;
Altars devoted to Alcides Smoke,
And Græcian Pray'rs do Græcian Gods invoke."
The Temple with eternal Ice is crown'd,
Whofe milky Top in bazy Clouds is drown'd.
This facred Dome you'd think't did Heav'n fuftain,
And brawny Atlas eas'd of half bis Pain.
The melted Snow ne'er from its Summits run,
Thaw'd by the Force of a Meridian Sun.
Here conqu'ring Julius leads his joyful Bands,
And in the midft a while confid'ring ftands.
From thence Italian Plains the Chief Jurveys,
And thus to Heav'n with low Submiffion prays:
Saturnian Jove, and Jove's Almighty Bride,
With Aid divine afift the jufter Side.
Witness thefe Arms unwillingly I wear,
Compell'd by Injuries too great to bear:
Profcrib'd and banish'd, whilst I mix'd with Blood
The conquer'd Rhine, and fwell'd its angry Flood.
The mournful River, as it fwiftly runs,
Hugs in its bloody Arms its taughter'd Sons.
Preparing Gauls, our Empire to invade,
Skulk in the Alps, of Cæfar's Arms afraid.
Twice thirty Fields our conqu'ring Troops have won,
As many States have found themselves undone.
The German Troops, in Faftnesses inclos'd,
My Legions fought; to unknown Wars expos'd,
Did first the Depth of trembling Marshes found,
And fix'd their Eagles in unfaithful Ground.
But what Return bas Rome's proud Senate made!
Conquering Abroad, I am at Home betray'd.
They think my Conquefts dang'rous to their Peace,
And as my Glory, fo my Crimes increafe.
A Mob in Arms against my Fame declare,
And Actions flight, the Gen'rous only dare.
No Afian Slave fhall bind this Arm in Chains,
And unreveng'd contemn my warlike Pains.
Bold with Succefs, I'll to new Conquefts lead;
Come, my Companions, thus my Caufe I'll plead:
Let's boldly fight, alike upon us all
Does equal Guilt and equal Danger call.
I did the British Ocean plow,
And haughty Nations to our Arms did bow.
Fortune invoke; fee, glitt'ring Crowns appear!
With fuch an Army, who Succefs can fear?
Thus Cæfar fpoke: From the propitious Sky
Defcending Eagles, boding Victory,
Drive the flow Winds before 'em as they fly.
From dark Receffes of a Grove proceed
Shrill Cries, and vifionary Soldiers bleed.
The Sun-beams with unusual Brightness rise,
Spreading new Glories round the gilded Skies :
Fir'd with the Omens of their vaft Success,
The glitt'ring Troops o'er Rocks and Mountains prefs,
Where frozen Earth, cover'd with Ice and Snows,
A dreadful Quiet in dull Stiffness shows;
But when the Cuirafiers had broke the Chain,
And foften'd milky Clouds of frozen Rain;
So quick the melted Snows to Rivers run,
That foon a Deluge from the Mountains fprung ;
When fudden Colds the fhudd'ring Currents feize,
Stop their flow Streams, and rifing Billows freeze.
The Currents, frozen to an Icy Way,
To fudden Falls both Man and Horfe betray.
Now pregnant Clouds a gloomy Horror form,
And breaking, are deliver'd of a Storm..
Cæfar advancing, braves the threatning Skies,
And freddy on his confcious Worth relies.
Alcmena's Son did lefs fecurely rush
From the proud Height of rifing Caucafus.
With fuch an Air Jove on the Giants preft,
Who fcal'd the Skies, and durft his Heav'n moleft:
The Mountains Tops now Cæfar's Armies gain,
And Spread Confufion o'er the troubl'd Plain.
Big with the News, Fame takes her fudden Rife,
Froud of her Toil, and ftronger as fhe flies;
In dreadful Terms the wanton Goddess tells
Th' approaching Wars, and Truth to Falfhood fwells.
A num'rous Fleet is riding o'er the Main,
The melted Alps are bid with Cæfar's Train ;
Which wreaking from a German Conquest come,
And with alike Deftruction threaten Rome.
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