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 Akenside 
 
 An Ode to the Country Gentleoen 
 of England
 
 AN 
 
 ODE 
 
 TO THE 
 
 Country Gentlemen of England 
 
 rufticorum mafcula militum 
 
 Proles^ Sabellis doSia ligonibus 
 
 Verfare glebas Hor. 
 
 By Dr. a K E J^^'S I D E. 
 THE SECOND EDITION. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 Printed for R. and J. Dodsley in Pall-mall ; and fold by 
 M, Cooper in Pater-nofter- Row. 1758. 
 
 ( Price Sixpence. )
 
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 10. 
 
 ODE 
 
 TO THE 
 
 » 
 
 Country Gentlemen of England. 
 
 L 
 
 WHITHER is Europe's ancient fpirit fled ? 
 Where are thofe valiant tenants of her fliore, 
 Who from the warrior bow the ftrong dart fped. 
 Or with firm hand the rapid pole-axe bore ? 
 Freeman and foldier was their common name. 
 Who late with reapers to the furrow came, 
 Now in the front of battle charg'd the foe : 
 Who taught the fteer the wintry plough t' indure, 
 Now in full councils check'd incroaching pow'r, 
 And gave the gen'ral weal its majefty to know. ^< 
 
 A 2 II. But' 
 
 3'Wsir^
 
 (( ^ :) 
 
 v.. tr *•. ^a 
 
 II. 
 
 But who arc yc ? from Ebro's loit'ring fons 
 To Tiber's pageants, to the fports of Seine ; 
 From Rhine's frail palaces to Danube's thrones 
 And cities bord'ring on the Cimbric main, 
 Ye loft, yc felf-defertcd ? whofe proud lords 
 Have baffled your tame hands, and giv'n your fwords 
 To ilavilli ruffians hir'd lor their command : 
 Thcfe, at fome greedy monk's or harlot's nod. 
 Sec rifled nations crouch beneath their rod : 
 Thefe arc the public will, the reafon of the land. 
 
 III. 
 
 Thou, heedlcfs Albion^ what, alas I the while 
 
 Dofl: thou prcfume ? O inexpert in arms, 
 Yet vain of freedom, how dofl thou bcfiuilc 
 With dreams of hope thefe near and loud alarms ? 
 Thy fplendid home, thy plan of laws renown'd, 
 The praifc and envy ol the nations round. 
 What care haft thou to guard from fortune's fway? 
 Amid the ftorms of war, how fbon may all 
 The lofty pile from its foundations fall. 
 Of ages the proud toil, the ruin of a day ! 
 
 IV. No;
 
 ,( 5 ) 
 
 IV. 
 
 No : thou art rich, thy ftreams and fertile vales 
 Add induftry's wife gifts to nature's ftore : 
 And every port is crouded with thy fails, 
 And every wave throws treafure on thy (liore. 
 What boots it ? If luxurious plenty charm 
 Thy felfilli heart from glory, if thy arm 
 Shrink at the frowns of danger and of pain, 
 Thofe gifts, that treafure is no longer thine. 
 A coward's golden heaps malignant fhine, 
 Bribing rapacious force to work their owner's bane. 
 
 V. 
 
 But what hath force or war to do with thee ? 
 Girt by the azure tide and thron'd fublime 
 Amid thy floating bulwarks, thou can'ft fee 
 With fcorn the fury of each hoftile clime 
 DafK'd ere it reach thee. Sacred from the foe 
 Arc thy fair fields, athwart thy guardian prow 
 No bold invader's foot fhall tempt the flrand— 
 Yet fay, my country, will the waves and wind 
 Obey thee ? Hafl: thou all thy hopes refign'd 
 Toftbe fky's fickle faith? the pilot's wavering hand ? 
 
 VI. For
 
 vr. 
 
 For O ! may neither fear nor ftronger love 
 (Love, by thy virtuous princes nobly won) 
 Thee, laft of many wretched nations, move, 
 With mighty armies ftation'd round the throne 
 To truft thy fafety. Then, farewell the claims 
 Of freedom ! Her proud records to the flames 
 Tlien bear, an off' ring at ambition's flirine ; 
 Whate'er thy ancient patriots dar'd demand 
 From fierce Plantagenet's or Stuart's hand. 
 Or what great William feal'd for his adopted line. 
 
 VII. 
 
 But if thy fons be worthy of their name, 
 If lib'ral laws with lib'ral hearts they prize, 
 Let them from conqucfi: and from fervile (liame 
 In war's glad fchool their own prote(5lors rife. 
 Ye chiefly, heirs of Albion's cultur'd plains, 
 Ye leaders of her bold and faithful fwains. 
 Now not unequal to your birth be found : 
 The public voice bids arm your rural ftate, 
 Paternal hamlets for your enfigns wait. 
 And grange and fold prepare to pour their youth around. 
 
 VIII. Why
 
 ( 7 ) 
 
 VIII. 
 
 Why are ye tardy ? what inglorious care 
 Detains you from their head, your native poft ? 
 Who moft their country's fame and fortune fliarc, 
 'Tis theirs to {hare her toils, her perils moft. 
 Each man his tafk in focial life fuftains. 
 With partial labours, with domeftic gains 
 Let others dwell : to you indulgent heav'n 
 By counfel and by arms the public caufe 
 To ferve for public love and love's applaufe, 
 The firft imployment far, the nobleft hire, hath giv'n. 
 
 IX. 
 
 Have ye not heard of Laceda^mon's fame ? 
 Of Attic chiefs in freedom's war divine ? 
 Of Rome's dread gen rals ? the Valerian name ? 
 The Fabian fons } the Scipios, matchlefs line ? 
 Your lot was theirs, the farmer and the fwain 
 Met his lov'd patron's fummons from the plain j 
 The legions gather'd ; the bright eagles flew : 
 Barbarian monarchs in the triumph mourn'd ; 
 The conqu'rors to their houfefhold gods return'd. 
 And fed Calabrian flocks, and fteer'd the Sabine plough. 
 
 X. Shall
 
 ( 8 ) 
 
 X. 
 
 Shall then tliis glory of the antique age, 
 This pride of men, be loft among mankind ? 
 Shall war's heroic arts no more ingage 
 The unbought hand, the iinfubjedled mind ? 
 Doth valour to the foul no more belong ? '^ ujijij. 
 
 No more with fcorn of violence and vvron^ '^'^^'^l "^' ^^ 
 Doth forming nature now her fons infpirc, 
 That, like fome myftery to few reveal'd. 
 The fkill of arms implicitly they yield, '^'"•'^ ^^ ■'■' 
 
 And from their own defence abafh'd and aw'd retire ? "''''"" 
 
 XI. 
 
 O fliame to human life, to human laws ! 
 The loofc * advent'rer, hireling of a day. 
 Who his fell fword without affedion draws, 
 Whofe God, whofe country is a tyrant's pay, 
 This man the leflbns of the field can learn ; 
 Can every palm, which decks a warrior, earn, 
 And every pledge of conqueft : while in vain. 
 To guard your altars, rights, paternal lands. 
 Are focial arms held out to your free hands : 
 Too arduous is the lore ; too irkfome were the pain. 
 
 ^ XII. Meantinae 
 
 ♦ e. g. two late marflials of France.
 
 ( 9 ) 
 
 XII. 
 Meantime by pleafure*s fophiftry allur'd, 
 From the bright fun and living breeze ye ftray ; 
 And deep in London's gloomy haunts immur'd, 
 Brood o'er your fortune's, freedom's, health's decay. 
 _. -O blind of choice and to yourfelves untrue ! 
 
 The young grove fhoots, their bloom the fields renew, 
 The manjQon afks its lord, the fwains their friend ; 
 While he doth riot's orgies haply fliare, 
 < Or tempt the gamefter's dark, deftroying fnare, 
 
 Or at fome courtly fhrine with flavifli incenfe bend. 
 
 XIII. 
 
 And yet full oft your anxious tongues complain 
 That lavvlcfs tumult prompts the ruftic throng ; 
 That the rude village-inmates now difdain 
 Thofe homely ties which rul'd their fathers long. 
 Alas, you?' fathers did by other arts 
 Draw thofe kind ties around their fimple hearts, 
 And led in other padis their dudilc will ; 
 By fuccour, faithful counfel, courteous cheer, 
 Won them the ancient manners to revere, 
 To prize tlicir country's peace and hcav'n's due rites fulfill. 
 
 B XIV. But
 
 ( 10 ) 
 
 XIV. 
 
 But mark the judgement of expericnc'jj Xinie^fi, ?-->,! 
 Tutor of; nations. Doth Hght difcord tear] ^^^~ mui-i 
 A ftate ? and outrage ? and fcdition's crime ? 
 The pow'rs of warlike prudence dwell not there ; 
 The pou'rs who to command and to obe}', ,^J ^j^^jjj -v 
 InArud the valiant. There would civil fvvay 
 The fifing race to manly concord tame ? 
 Oft let the marfhall'd field their fleps unite, 
 And in glad fplendour bring before their fight 
 One common caufe and one hereditary fame. 
 
 XV. - 
 Nor yet be avv'd, nor yet your tafk difown. 
 Though war's ftri6l votaries look on fevere ; 
 Though fecrets, taught erevvhile to them alone, 
 They deem profan'd by your intruding ear. 
 Let them in vain, your martial hope to quell. 
 Of new refinements, fiercer weapons tell, 
 And mock the old fimplicity, in vain : 
 To the time's warfare, iimple or refin'd. 
 The time itfelf adapts the warrior's mind ; 
 And equal prowefs ftill fliall equal palms obtain. 
 
 XVI. Say
 
 ( " ) 
 
 XVI. 
 Say then ; if England's youth, in earHer days, 
 On glory's field with vvell-train'd armies vy'd, 
 Why fhall they now renounce that generous praife ? 
 Why dread the foreign mercenary's pride ? 
 Though Valoisbrav'd young Edward's gentle hand, 
 And D'xA.lbret rufli'd on Henry's way-worn band, 
 With Europe's chofcn fons in arms renown'd, 
 Yet not on Vere's bold archers long they look'd, 
 Nor Audley's fquires nor Mowbray's yeomen brook'd : 
 They faw their ftandard fall, and left their monarch bound. 
 
 - XVII. ^ 
 
 Such were the laurels which your fathers won ; 
 Such glory's dictates in their dauntlefs breaft : 
 — Is there no voice that fpeaks to every y3;z P 
 No nobler, holier call to Tou addrefs'd ? 
 O I by majeftic freedom, righteous laws. 
 By heav'nly truth's, by manly reafon's caufe, 
 Awake ; attend ; be indolent no more : 
 By friend (hip, focial peace, domeftic love. 
 Rife ; arm ; your country's living fafety prove ; 
 And train her valiant youth, and watch around her fhorc. 
 
 FINIS.
 
 CNlVfiRSITY OF CALIFORNU
 
 ^Ven?ide- 
 
 3312 An ode to the 
 n2c country ppntle- 
 1758 men of England. 
 
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 3312 
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