Imatges de pàgina
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Long sitting at the loom; and those besides

Who crown with yellow sheaves the farmer's hopes,
And all the genii of commercial toil :

These on the dewy lawns await to speed
And celebrate the union, that the Fleece
And glossy web to every port around

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May lightly glide along. Ev'n now behold,
Adown a thousand floods the burden'd barks, 620
With white sails glist'ning, thro the gloomy woods
Haste to their harbours. See the silver maze
Of stately Thamis, ever checker'd o'er
With deeply-laden barges, gliding smooth
And constant as his stream: in growing pomp, 625
By Neptune still attended, slow he rolls

To great Augusta's mart, where lofty Trade,
Amid a thousand golden spires enthron'd,
Gives audience to the world; the strand around
Close swarms with busy crowds of many a realm.
What bales, what wealth,what industry, what fleets!
Lo, from the simple Fleece how much proceeds! 632

BOOK IV.

The Argument.

OUR manufactures exported. Voyage through the Channel, and by the coast of Spain. View of the Mediterranean. Decay of our Turkey trade. Address to the factors there. Voyage through the Baltic. The mart of Petersburg. The ancient channels of commerce to the Indies. The modern course thither. Shores of Afric. Reflections on the slave-trade. The Cape of Good Hope, and the eastern coast of Afric. Trade to Persia and Indostan preca. rious, through tyranny and frequent insurrections. Disputes between the French and English, on the coast of Coromandel, censured. A prospect of the Spice-islands, and of China. Traffic at Canten. Our woollen manufactures known at Pekin by the caravans from Russia. Description of that #journey. Transition to the western hemisphere. Voyage of Raleigh. The state and advantages of our North American colonies. Severe winters in those climates; hence the passage through Hudson's Bay impracticable. Inquiries for an easier passage into the Pacific ocean. View of the coasts of South America, and of those tempestuous seas. Lord Anson's expedi tion, and success against the Spaniards. The naval power of Britain consistent with the welfare of all nations. View of our probable improvements in traffic, and the distribution of our woollen manufactures over the whole globe.

Now, with our woolly treasures amply stor`d,
Glide the tall fleets into the wid'ning main,
A floating forest: every sail unfurl'd
Swells to the wind, and gilds the azure sky.
Mean-time, in pleasing care, the pilot steers
Steady; with eye intent upon the steel,
Steady before the breeze the pilot steers,
While gaily o'er the waves the mounting prows
Dance, like a shoal of dolphins, and begin
To streak with various paths the hoary deep.
Batavia's shallow sounds by some are sought,
Or sandy Elb or Weser, who receive

5

10

The swain's and peasant's toil with grateful hand,

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Long sitting at the loom; and those besides
Who crown with yellow sheaves the farmer's hopes,
And all the genii of commercial toil:
These on the dewy lawns await to speed
And celebrate the union, that the Fleece
And glossy web to every port around

May lightly glide along. Ev'n now behold,
Adown a thousand floods the burden'd barks, 620
With white sails glist'ning, thro the gloomy woods
Haste to their harbours. See the silver maze
Of stately Thamis, ever checker'd o'er
With deeply-laden barges, gliding smooth
And constant as his stream: in growing pomp, 625
By Neptune still attended, slow he rolls

To great Augusta's mart, where lofty Trade,
Amid a thousand golden spires enthron'd,
Gives audience to the world; the strand around
Close swarms with busy crowds of many a realm.
What bales, what wealth, what industry,what fleets!
Lo, from the simple Fleece how much proceeds! 632

BOOK IV.

The Argument.

OUR manufactures exported. Voyage through the Channel, and by the coast of Spain. View of the Mediterranean. Decay of our Turkey trade. Address to the factors there. Voyage through the Baltic. The mart of Petersburg. The ancient channels of commerce to the Indies. The modern course thither. Shores of Afric. Reflections on the slave-trade. The Cape of Good Hope, and the eastern coast of Afric. Trade to Persia and Indostan preca. rious, through tyranny and frequent insurrections. Disputes between the French and English, on the coast of Coromandel, censured. A prospect of the spice-islands, and of China. Traffic at Canten. Our woollen manufactures known at Pekin by the caravans from Russia. Description of that journey. Transition to the western hemisphere. Voyage of Raleigh. The state and advantages of our North American colonies. Severe winters in those climates; hence the passage through Hudson's Bay impracticable. Inquiries for an easier passage into the Pacific ocean. View of the coasts of South America, and of those tempestuous seas. Lord Anson's expedi. tion, and success against the Spaniards. The naval power of Britain consistent with the welfare of all nations. View of our probable improvements in traffic, and the distribution of our woollen manufactures over the whole globe.

Now, with our woolly treasures amply stor`d,
Glide the tall fleets into the wid'ning main,
A floating forest: every sail unfurl'd

Swells to the wind, and gilds the azure sky.
Mean-time, in pleasing care, the pilot steers
Steady; with eye intent upon the steel,
Steady before the breeze the pilot steers,
While gaily o'er the waves the mounting prows
Dance, like a shoal of dolphins, and begin
To streak with various paths the hoary deep.
Batavia's shallow sounds by some are sought,
Or sandy Elb or Weser, who receive

5

10

The swain's and peasant's toil with grateful hand,

Which copious gives return; while some explore Deep Finnic gulfs, and a new shore and mart, 15 The bold creation of that Kesar's power, Illustrious Peter! whose magnific toils

Repair the distant Caspian, and restore

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To trade its ancient ports. Some Thanet's strand
And Dover's chalky cliff behind them turn.
Soon sinks away the green and level beach
Of Rumney Marish and Rye's silent port,
By angry Neptune clos'd, and Vecta's isle,
Like the pale moon in vapour, faintly bright.
An hundred op'ning marts are seen, are lost; 25
Devonia's hills retire, and Edgecumb Mount,
Waving its gloomy groves, delicious scene!
Yet steady o'er the waves they steer; and now
The fluctuating world of waters wide,
In boundless magnitude, around them swells,
O'er whose imaginary brim nor towns,

the Cape

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Nor woods, nor mountain tops, nor aught appears,
But Phoebus' orb, refulgent lamp of light,
Millions of leagues aloft: heav'n's azure vault
Bends over-head, majestic, to its base,
Uninterrupted clear circumference;
Till, rising o'er the flickering waves,
OfFinisterre, a cloudy spot, appears.
Again, and oft', th' advent'rous sails disperse :
These to Iberia, others to the coasts
Of Lusitania, th' acnient Pharsis deem'd
Of Solomon; fair regions! with the webs

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