Without  or  ear,  or  eye,  or  feeling  he-rt ;  715

While  clofe  behind  them  march'd  the  fallow  power
Of  defolating  Famine,  who  delights
In  grafs-grown  cities,  and  in  defert  fields  j
And  purple-fpotted  Peflilence,  by  whom
Ev'n  Friendship  fcar'd,  in  fick'ning  horror  finks       720
Each  focial  fenfe  and  tendernefs  of  life.
Fixing  at  lait,  the  fanguinary  race
Spread,  from  the  Humbert  loud-refounding  fhore,
To  where  the  Thames  devolves  his  gentle  maze,
And  with  fuperior  arm  the  Saxon  aw'd.  725

But  Superftition  firft,  and  monkim  dreams,.
And  monk- directed  cloy fler-fe eking  kings,.
Had  eat  away  his  vigour,  eat  away

*  Egl-tr-  king  of  ff'effix,  who,  after  ha 'ing  reduced  all  the  other
kingdoms  of  the  Heptarcty  under  his  dominion,  was  the  firft  kln^  of
Er.gland.
f  A  famous  Danifa  ftandard,  was  called  Re&fan,  or  Raven.  The
Dana  imagined  that,  before  a  battle,  the  raven  wrought  upon  this
ftandard  clapt  its  wings  or  hung  down  its  head,  in  token  of  fiftpij
or  defeat.
His


PartlV.  LIBERTY.  ror

His  edge  of  courage,  and  depxefs'd  the  foul

Of  conquering  Freedom,  which  he  once  refpir'd.      730

Thus  cruel  ages  pafs'd  ;  and  rare  appear'd

White-mantled  Peace,  exulting  o'er  the  vale,

As  when,  with  *  ALFRED,  from  the  wilds  flie  came

To  polic'd  cities  and  protected  plains*

Thus  by  degrees  the  Saxon  empire  funk,  73 5

Then  fet  entire  in  f  Hajtings  bloody  field.
Compendious  war  !  (on  BRITAIN'S  glory  bent,
So  fate  ordain'd)  in  that  decifive  day,
The  haughty  Korman  feiz'd  at  once  an  ifle,
For  which,  thro'  many  a  century,  in  vain,  740

The  Romany   Saxon,  Dane,  had  toil'd  and  bled.
