Yet, notwithstanding all that the author has said concerning this external mark of reverence, he is sensible that there is a set of cynical philosophers, who are so far from paying it due regard, that they count it no better than a refined species of idolatry, and an abomination utterly unbecoming so noble and erect a creature as man. Upon these gentlemen it is not to be expected that the best bow which the author or his book could make, would have any effect; and therefore he shall decline that ceremony with them, to take them by the hand in a friendly manner, hoping that they will make some allowance for his having been taught against his own consent to dance, and scribble from his infancy. He is aware likewise that there is another sect of philosophers, whom his ingenious friend Mr. G. author of the Spiritual Quixote, distinguishes by the name of censorious Christians, "who," as he expresses it," will not suffer a man to nod in his elbow-chair, or to talk nonsense without contradicting or ridiculing him."-But as the writer of this admirable work has shown himself so able and successful a casuist in a similar instance of a petulant and over officious zeal, he hopes these gentlemen will, in imitation of Mr. Wildgoose, for the future refrain from a practice so injurious to their neighbours' repose, and so contrary to all the laws of civility and good manners. It is true, some of these literati may be considered under a more formidable character, from their custom of holding a monthly meeting, or office for arraigning the conduct of all whom they suspect of maintaining heretical opinions contrary to their jurisdiction. In this view these good fathers scruple not to put an author upon the rack for the slightest offence, and not content with their claims of inspiration and infallibility, will torture his own words to prove his guilt. In the execution of this office they judge all men by their own standard, and, like the tyrant Procrustes, regardless of the acute pain they inflict at every stroke, will lop off a foot, or any other portion of an author's matter, or lengthen it out, as best suits their purpose, to bring him to their measure. But to the inexpressible comfort of himself, and of every free-born English writer, the author reflects that the competence of such a court cannot be admitted in a protestant country: and to speak the truth, from experience, its power, as exercised amongst us, though still very tremendous, is tempered with a gentleness and moderation unknown to those of Spain and Portugal. But though the author is not without hopes, by his complaisance and condescension, to conciliate the affections of all those various sects of the learned in every part of the world, yet his principal dependence is upon the gentle and humane, whose minds are always open to the feelings of others, as well as to the gratification of their own refined taste and sentiments; and to these he makes his appeal, which he hopes they will accept as a tribute due to their superior merit, and a testimony of the profound respect with which he is their most obedient, humble servant, THE AUTHOR. PREFACE. THE following poem takes its name from a ridge of hills, which is the boundary between the counties of Oxford and Warwick, and remarkable for its beautiful and extensive prospect, of which the latter forms a considerable part. This circumstance afforded the writer an opportunity, very agreeable to him, of paying a tribute to his native country, by exhibiting its beauties to the public in a poetical delineation; divided, by an imaginary line, into a number of distinct scenes, corresponding with the different times of the day, each forming an entire picture, and containing its due proportion of objects and colouring. In the execution of this design, he endeavoured to make it as extensively interesting as he could, by the frequent introduction of general reflections, historical, philosophical, and moral; and to enliven the description by digressions and episodes, naturally arising from the subject. EDGE-HILL. BOOK I. MORNING. ARGUMENT. The subject proposed. Address. Ascent to the hill. General view. Comparison. Philosophical account of the origin and formation of mountains, &c. Morning view, comprehending the southwest part of the scene, interspersed with elements and examples of rural taste; showing, at the same time, its connection with, and dependence upon civil government; and concluding with an historical episode of the Red-horse. RITANNIA'S rural charms, and tranquil scenes, Far from the circling ocean, where her fleets, Like Eden's nightly guards', majestic ride, I sing; O may the theme and kindred soil Propitious prove, and to th' appointed hill Invite the Muses from their cloister'd shades, With me to rove, and harmonize the strain!! Nor shall they, for a time, regret the loss Of their lov'd Isis, and fair Cherwel's stream, While to the north of their own beauteous fields The pictur'd scene they view, where Avon shapes His winding way, enlarging as it flows, Nor hastes to join Sabrina's prouder wave. Like a tall rampart! here the mountain rears Its verdant edge; and, if the tuneful maids Their presence deign, shall with Parnassus vie. Level and smooth the track, which thither leads! Of champaign bold and fair! its adverse side Abrupt and steep! Thanks, Miller 2! to thy paths, That ease our winding steps! Thanks to the fount, 1 Milton. Paradise Lost, book iv. * Sanderson Miller, esq. of Radway. The trees, the flow'rs, imparting to the sense Still let thy friendship, which prepar'd the way, Such is the scene! that, from the terrac'd hill, And with thy counsel regulate her flight. * See Lord Shaftsbury's Judgment of Hercules. ✦ Amongst the many fanciful conceits of writers on the subject, a learned divine, in his Confutation of Dr. Burnett's Theory, supposes that hills and mountains might be occasioned by fermentation, after the manner of leaven in dough; while others have attributed their production to the several different causes mentioned above. The following solution, by the descent of water from the surface of the Earth to the centre, seemed most easy and natural to the author, and is therefore adopted. Vide Warren's Geologiæ, 1698. When now two days, as mortals count their time, Th' Almighty had employ'd on man's abode; To motion rous'd the dead, inactive mass, The dark illumin'd, and the parts terrene Impelling each to each, the circle form'd, Compact and firm, of Earth's stupendous orb, With boundless seas, as with a garment cloth'd, On the third morn he bade the waters flow Down to their place, and let dry land appear; And it was so. Straight to their destin'd bed, From every part, th' obedient waters ran, Shaping their downward course, and, as they found Resistance varying with the varying soil, In their retreat they form'd the gentle slope, Or headlong precipice, or deep-worn dale, Or valley, stretching far its winding maze, As further still their humid train they led, By Heav'n directed to the realms below3. Now first was seen the variegated face Of Earth's fair orb shap'd by the plastic flood: Now smooth and level like its liquid plains, Now, like its ruffled waves, sweet interchange Of hill and dale, and now a rougher scene, Mountains on mountains lifted to the sky. Such was her infant form, yet unadorn'd! And in the naked soil the subtle stream❝ Fretted its winding track. So he ordain'd! Who form'd the fluid mass of atoms small, The principles of things! who moist from dry, From heavy sever'd light, compacting close The solid glebe, stratum of rock, or ore, Or crumbling marl, or close tenacious clay, Or what beside, in wondrous order rang'd, Orb within orb, Earth's secret depths contains. So was the shapely sphere, on ev'ry side, With equal pressure of surrounding air Sustain'd, of sea and land harmonious form'd. Nor beauteous covering was withheld, for straight, At the divine command, the verd'rous grass Upsprang unsown, with ev'ry seedful herb, Fruit, piant, or tree, pregnant with future store; God saw the whole-And lo! 't was very good. But man, ungrateful man! to deadly ill Soon turn'd the good bestow'd, with horrid crimes Polluting Earth's fair seat, his Maker's gift! Till mercy could no more with justice strive. Then wrath divine unbarr'd Heav'n's watry gates, And loos'd the fountains of the great abyss. Again the waters o'er the Earth prevail'd. Hills rear'd their heads in vain. Full forty days The flood increas'd, nor, till sev'n Moons had wan'd, Appear'd the mountain tops. Perish'd all flesh, One family except! and all the works Of art were swept into th' oblivious pool. In that dread time what change th' avenging flood Might cause in Earth's devoted fabric, who Of mortal birth can tell? Whether again 'T was to its first chaotic mass reduc'd", What violence, what disruptions it endur'd 8 ? To prop the skies! and that fam'd Alpine ridge, First moor'd that precious bark, whose chosen crew Confirming, with persuasive eloquence Drawn from the rocky mount or watry fen, Those sacred pages, which record the past, And awfully predict its future doom. Now, while the Sun its heav'nly radiance sheds Across the vale, disclosing all its charms, Emblem of that fair light, at whose approach The Gentile darkness fled! ye nymphs, and swains! Come haste with me, while now 't is early morn, Through Upton's airy fields 2, to where yon point Projecting hides Northampton's ancient seat 13, Retir'd, and hid amidst surrounding shades: Counting a length of honourable years, And solid worth; while painted Belvideres, Naked, aloft, and built but to be seen, Shrink at the Sun, and totter to the wind. So sober sense oft shuns the public view, In privacy conceal'd, while the pert sons Of folly flutter in the glare of day. Hence, o'er the plain, where, strip'd with alleys green, The golden harvest nods, let me your view Ere they their summits gain, down their steep sides The glitt'ring stream, with correspondent grace, To trickle in a never-ceasing round 10. So up the porous stone, or crystal tube, Such is the structure, such the wave-worn face Of Earth's huge fabric! beauteous to the sight, And stor❜d with wonders", to the attentive mind 7 According to Mr. Hutchinson and his followers. 8 According to Dr. Burnett's Theory. There are some remarkable traces of the great event here treated of, in each of these kinds, at Welcombe, near Stratford upon Avon, formerly a seat of the Combe family, the whole scene bearing the strongest marks of some violent conflict of Nature, and particularly of the agency of water. 10 May not the ebbing and flowing of the sea, to whatever cause it is owing, tend to assist this operation, as the pulsation of the heart accelerates the circulation of the blood in animal bodies? The reader may see this hypothesis very ably supported by Mr. Catcot, in his Essay on the Deluge, second edit., together with many respectable Dames, ancient and modern, by whom it is patronised. The following passage from Lucretius is quoted by him, as well expressing their general meaning: Partim quod subter per terras diditur omnes. Percolatur enim virus, retroque remanat Materies humoris, et ad caput amnibus omnis Convenit, unde super terras fluit agmine dulci, Quà via secta semel liquido pede detulit undas. "Trees of a very large size, torn up by the roots, and other vegetable and animal bodies, the spoils of VOL. XVII. Its course pursues, and o'er th' exulting wave The Graces reign. Plains, hills, and woods reply the Deluge, are found in every part of the Earth, but chiefly in fens, or bogs, or amongst peat-earth, which is an assemblage of decayed vegetables. See Woodward's Nat. Hist. of the Earth, &c. 12 Upton, the seat of Robert Child, esq. 13 Compton-Winyate, a seat of the right hon. the earl of Northampton, at the foot of Edge-Hill. 14 Compton-Verney, a seat of the right hon. lord Willoughby de Broke. 15 Wroxton, the seat of the right hon. the earl of Guilford, father of lady Willoughby de Broke. 16 Walton, the seat of sir Charles Mordaunt, bart. many years a member of parliament for the county of Warwick. U And, by the public voice attested long, The search pursue to Charlecote's fair domain '7, To speed her wealth, lo! the proud bridge 18 extends Of native soil! There Stower exulting pays Of Eatington's, and Tolton's verdant meads, Hail, beauteous Avon, hail! on whose fair banks And thou, whose birth these walls unrival'd boast, That mock'st the rules of the proud Stagyrite, And learning's tedious toil, hail, mighty bard! Thou great magic an, hail! Thy piercing thought Unaided saw each movement of the mind, As skilful artists view the small machine, 17 Charlecote, the seat of George Lucy, esq. 18 This bridge was built in the reign of king Henry VII. at the sole cost and charge of sir Hugh Clopton, knt. lord mayor of the city of London, and a native of this place. 19 The seat of James West, esq. 20 The seat of the hon. George Shirley, esq. The secret springs and nice dependencies, Alas! how languid is the labour'd song, I court the genius of thy sportive Muse To Britain's sister isle. Hibernia's sons grac'd With loftiest-titled names-The Cecil line, See, how the pillar'd isles and sately dome Brighten the woodland shade! while scatter'd hills, Airy and light, in many a conic form, A theatre compose, grotesque and wild, 23 So called from its situation on the river Alenus, or Alne, and from its being a Roman station on the Ikenild-street. 24 A seat of the right hon the earl of Hertford. 25 The right hon. Henry Seymour Conway, esq. one of his majesty's princpal secretaries of state, and brother to the right hon. the earl of Hertford. |