INSTITUTION

OF THE

ORDER

OF THE

GARTER.

A

Dramatic POEM.

By the Same.

Lectos ex omnibus Oris

Evebis;& meritum, non quæ cunabula quæris,
Et qualis, non unde fatus: fub tefte benigno
Vivitur; egregios invitant præmia mores.

CLAUD.

HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE.

Dramatis Perfonæ.

EDWARD the Third, King of England, &c.

PHILIPPA, Queen of England, &c.

EDWARD, Prince of Wales.

Windfor-Park, with a Profpect of the Castle.

* The order of the GARTER was inftituted on St. George's day the 23d of April 1350. King John came into England in 1357. I have taken the advantage of the licence ufually allowed to poets, of departing a little from chronology; and have poftponed for a few years the inftitution of this order, for the fake of rendering that folemnity more auguft, by introducing king John of France, who, though a prifoner, was treated both by Edward and his fon the prince of Wales with all the regard due to the quality and virtue of fo great a prince. To alleviate his captivity, Edward entertained him and the other French prisoners with diverfions of various kinds : among which a tournament he held at Windfor on the 23d of April, to folemnize the feast of St. George, the patron of the order of the GARTER, held the chief place; and was, as Rapin tells us, the most fumptuous and magnificent that had ever been seen in England. The duke of Brabant, with feveral other fovereign princes, and an infinite number of knights of all nations were prefent, and fplendidly

entertained.

THE

THE

INSTITUTION

OF THE

Order of the GARTER.

SCENE, WINDSOR Park.

Flourish of aerial mufick at a distance, after which the following verfes are fung in the air by SPIRITS, while the GENIUS of England defcends.

H

Firft SPIRIT.

ITHER, all ye heav'nly pow'rs,

From your empyreal bow'rs;

From the fields for ever gay,
From the ftar-pav'd milky way,
From the moon's relucent horn,
From the ftar that wakes the morn;
From the bow, whofe mingling dyes
Sweetly chear the frowning skies;
From the filver cloud that fails
Shadowy o'er the darken'd vales

From th' Elyfiums of the sky,
Spirits immortal, hither fly!

;

CHORUS

CHORUS of SPIRITS.

Fly, and through the limpid air
Guard in pomp the sliding car,
Which to his terreftrial throne
Wafts Britannia's Genius down.
Second SPIRIT.

Hither, all ye heav'nly pow'rs!
From your empyreal bow'rs!
Chiefly ye, whose brows divine
Crown'd with starry circlets fhine;
Who in various labours try'd,
Once Britannia's ftrength and pride,
Now in everlasting reft

Share the glories of the bleft!
Peers and nobles of the sky,
Spirits immortal, hither fly!

CHORUS of SPIRITS.

Fly, and through the limpid air
Guard in pomp the fliding car,
Which to his terreftrial throne
Wafts Britannia's Genius down.
Third SPIRIT.

Hither too, ye tuneful throng,
Masters of enchanting fong,

Sacred bards! whose rapt'rous ftrains

Sooth the toiling hero's pains,

Sooth the patriot's gen'rous cares;

Sweetly thro' their ravish'd ears

Whisp'ring

Whifp'ring to th' immortal mind
Heav'nly vifions, hopes refin'd;
Hopes of endlefs 'peace and fame,
Safe from envy's blasting flame,
Pure, fincere, in thofe abodes,
Where to throngs of lift'ning gods,
Hymning bards, to virtue's praife,
Tune their never-dying lays.
Sweet encomiafts of the sky,
Spirits immortal, hither fly!

CHORUS of SPIRITS.

Fly, and charm the limpid air,
While the foftly-fliding car,

To his fea-encircled throne

Wafts Britannia's Genius down.

Chorus of BARDS defcends, drefs'd in long floring fky-colour'à robes Spangled with ftars, with garlands of oaken boughs upon their heads, and golden harps in their hands, made like the Welch or old British harp. Before they appear, they fing the chorus, and afterwards, as they defcend, the following fongs; at the laft ftanza of which, the chariot of the GENIUS appears, and defcends gradually all the while that and the grand chorus is finging.

CHORUS of BARDS.

Gentle Spirit, we obey;
Thus along th' ætherial way,
We attend our monarch's car;
Thus we charm the filent air.

SONG.