Next holy Rome, thy happiness declare;
While peace and truth watch round the sacred chair.
Peace! — which from racks and persecution flows!
Mysterious truths! — which every sense oppose!
That God made man, was all th' unlearn'd could reach;
That man makes God th' enlighten'd fathers teach.
Men, blind and partial, need a light divine:
Which popes new trim, and teach it how to shine.
Rude nature dreads accusing guilt, unknown
The balmy doctrine, that dead saints atone:
The careful pontiff, merciful to save,
Hoards up a fund of merit from the grave;
And righteous hands the equal balance hold,
Nor weigh it out but to just sums of gold.
Sole judge, he deals his pardon, or his curse;
Not heav'n itself the sentence can reverse:
Grac'd with his scepter, aweful with his rod,
This man of sin usurps the seat of God;
Disarm'd and unador'd th' Almighty lies,
And quits to saints his incense, and his skies:
No more the object of our fears, or hope;
The creature, and the vassal of the pope.
"From fanes and cities scar'd, fly swift away!"
— To the rude Lybian in his wilds a prey.
"The blood-stain'd sword from the fell tyrant wrest!"
— Thousands unsheath'd shall threat thy naked breast.
"The dogmatists imperious aid disdain!"
— So sink in brutish ignorance again.
"Is there no medium? must we victims fall
"To one man's LUST, or to the RAGE of all?
"Is reason doom'd a certain slave to be,
"To our blind PASSIONS, or a priest's DECREE? "
Hail happy Albion! whose distinguish'd plains
This temp'rate mean, so dearly earn'd, maintains!
Senates, (the will of individuals check'd)
The strength and prudence of the realm collect,
Each yields to all; that each may thence receive
The full assistance, which the whole can give.
For this, thy patriots lawless pow'r withstood,
And bought their children's charter with their blood;
While reverend years, and various letter'd age,
Dispassion'd open the mysterious page;
Not one alone the various judgment sways,
But prejudice the general voice obeys:
For this, thy martyrs wak'd the bloody strife,
Asserting truth with brave contempt of life.
Oh OXFORD! let deliver'd Briton know
From thy fam'd seats her several blessings flow.
Th' accouter'd barons, and assisting knights,
In thee prepar'd for council, or for fights,
Plan'd and obtain'd her civil liberty:
Truth found her fearless witnesses in thee;
When, try'd as gold, saints, from thy tott'ring pyres,
Rose up to heav'n, Elijah-like, in fires!
Peace to thy walls! and honour to thy name!
May age to age record thy gathering fame!
While thy still favour'd seats pour forth their youth,
Brave advocates of liberty and truth!
In fair succession rise to bless the realm!
Fathers in church, and statesmen at the helm!