Of  Gothic  nations  this  the  final  burft  ;
And,  mix'd  the  genius  of  thefe  people  all,
Their  virtues  mix'd  in  one  exalted  ftream,
Here  the  rich  tide  of  Englijh  blood  grew  full.  745:

A  while  my  fpirit  flept ;  the  land  a  while,
Affrighted,  droop'd  beneath  defpotic  rage..
Jnftead  of  \  Edward's  equal  gentle  laws,
The  furious  victor's  partial  will  prevail'd.
All  proftrate  lay  ;  and,  in  the  fecret  fhade,
Deep  ftung  but  fearful  Indignation  gnaih'd
His  teeth.     Of  freedom,  property,  defpoii'd,
And  of  their  bulwark,  arms ;  with  caftles  crufh'd,

*  ALFRED  the  Great,,  renowned  in  war,  and  no  lefs  famous
in  peace  for  his  many  excellent  inftitutions,  particularly  that  of
juries.
f  The  battle  of  HaJKngt,  in  which  Harold  II.  the  laft  of  the  Six™
kings,  was  flain,  and  William  the  Conqueror  made  himfelf  mailer  of
England.
.  I  Edward  III.  the  Confe/or,  who  reduced  the  Wefl-^ixon,  Mercian*
and  Dantjh  laws  into  one  body  j  which  from  that  time  betanic  lorr,-
Ricn  to  all  EnglarJ,  Uflder  the  r.ame  of  tie  Laws  of  Edward,

I  3  With


102  LIBERTY.  Part  IV.
With  ruffians  quartered  o'er  the  bridled  land  ;

The  flnvering  wretches,  at  the  *  Curfew  found,       755

Dejefted  Ihrunk  into  their  fordid  beds,

And,  thro'  the  mournful  gloom,  of  ancient  times

Mus'd  fad,  or  dream'd  of  better.     Even  to  feed

A  tyrant's  idle  fport  the  peafant  ftarv'd  :

To  the  wild  herd,  the  pafture  of  the  tame,  760

The  cheerful  hamlet,  fpiry  town,  was  given,

And  the  f  brown  foreft  roughen'd  wide  around.
But  this  fo  dead,  fo  vile  fubmiffion,  long
Endur'd  not.     Gathering  force,  MY  gradual  flame
Shook  off  the  mountain  of  tyrannic  fway.  765-

Umis'd  to  bend,  impatient  of  control,
"Tyrants  themfelves  the  common  tyrant  check'd.
