George Webb - "A Memorial to William Penn" lyrics

Goddess of Numbers, who art won't to rove O'er the gay Landscape, or the smiling Grove; Who taught me first to sing in humble Strains, Of murm'ring Fountains, and of flowery Plains; Assist me now; while I in Verse repeat The heavenly Beauties of thy Fav'rite Seat. Teach me, O Goddess, in harmonious Lays, To sing thy much b-lov'd Pennsylvania's Praise; Thy Philadelphia's Beauties to indict, In Verse as tuneful as her Sons can write: Such as from B⎯⎯l's Pen are won't to flow, Or more judicious T⎯⎯r's us'd to show. Stretch'd on the Bank of Delaware's rapid Stream Stands Philadelphia, not unknown to Fame: Here the tall Vessels safe at Anchor ride, And Europe's Wealth flows in with every Tide: Thro' each wide Ope the distant Prospect's clear; The well-built Streets are regularly fair: The Plan by thee contriv'd, O Penn, the Scheme, A Work immortal as the Founder's Name. 'Tis here Apollo does erect his Throne, This his Parna**us, this his Helicon: Here solid Sense does every Bosom warm, Here Noise and Nonsense have forgot to charm. Thy Seers how cautious! and how gravely wise! They hopeful Youth in Emulation rise: Who (if the wishing Muse inspir'd does sing) Shall Liberal Arts to such Perfection bring, Europe shall mourn her ancient Fame declin'd, And Philadelphia be the Athens of Mankind. Thy lovely Daughters unaffected shine, In each Perfection, every Grace divine: Beauty triumphant sits in every Eye, And Wit shines forth, but check'd with Modesty; Decently Grave, which shows a sober Sense, And Cheerful too, a Sign of Innocence. But what. O Pennsylvania does declare Thy Bliss, speaks thee profusely happy; here Sweet Liberty her gentle Influence sheds, And Peace her downy Wings about us spreads: While War and Desolation widely reigns, And Captive Nations groan beneath their Chains. While half the World implicitly obey, Some lawless Tyrant's most imperious Sway No fore[ ]tning Trumpet warns us from afar Of hastening Miseries or approaching War; Fearless the Hind pursues his wonted Toil, And eats the Product of his grateful Soil. Early American Imprints No unjust Sentence we have Cause to fear No arbitrary Monarch rules us here. Our Lives, our Properties, and all that's ours, Our happy Constitution here secures. What Praise and Thanks, O Penn! Are due to thee! For this first perfect Scheme of Liberty! How shall the Muse thy just Applauses sing? Or in what Strains due Acclamations bring? Who can thy Charter read, but with Surprise Must straight proclaim thee Generous, Just and Wise? Thro' every Page, thro' every careful Line, Now does the Friend, the Nursing Father shine! What Toils, what Perils didst thou undergo, Thro' scorching Heats, thro' endless Tracks of Snow? How scorning Ease didst tempt the raging Floods? How hew thy Pa**age thro' untrodden Woods? Thine was the Danger, Thine was all the Toil; While We, ungrateful We, divide the Spoil. O cou'd my Verse a Monument but raise, Some Part, some little Sketch of thy due Praise, When Time, the Tomb, or Statue shall destroy, Or Philadelphia's Self in Dust shall lie, Ages to come should read thy Favourite Name, Fresh and immortal in the Book of Fame.