WElcome Great Prince from the Field of Mars! from the Re­nown'd Siege of Namur! co­ver'd with Laurels, and charg'd with Spoils; Victory waited only your Approach, Tri­umphs attend your Return, and Trophies are your Reward.

Thrice Welcome Great Sir, to a Joyful, Gallant and Grateful Nation! Who both know and prize your Worth. You are the Joy of Our Hearts! The Delight of Our Eyes! Our Good Genius! Guardian-Angel and Tu­telar Saint! Vollies of Huzza's, and Flouds of Mirth are ready for your Reception; Loud Acclamations Eccho ev'ry where, the Streets are fill'd with Nothing else; Joy sparkles in our very Eyes, and Mirth dwels in our Hearts. Your Safety and Success was the Blessing we pray'd for, and we have it. All Europe is concern'd for You, for You are The Soul of the Union, The Life of The League, The Dar­ling of the Soldiers, The Delight of the Of­ficers, and The Wonder of your Enemies. Thy Prowess was early felt in the Field, Thy Courage and thy Conduct Stupendious in themselves, were admir'd and own'd even by the Generals in Arms against Thee, who gave a lasting Character to thy Great Name. Great in the Camp! Great in the Court! and Wondrous-Great in the Cabinet. Thy Glories Darken and Eclipse Those of Thy Haughty-Enemy, and Cloud his Atchievements. Thou art the True Spur of Honour, and hast rous'd [Page 3]up the Martial-Spirit of Old-England, almost lost and extinguish'd in the Late Lew'd and Ease and Luxury, the Constant Companions of those Times. Nature her self speaks loud for you, New Prodigies appear; Whales leave the Sea, and come to thy Happy Land; New-Stars in our Horizon presage Thy Fu­ture Greatness; New-Prophets arise and con­firm the same; Heaven and Earth, all the Four Elements Concur; New Poets adorn Thy Reign, and Celebrate Thy Praises, which shall be as long and lasting as Time it self! New Songs are daily made in Honour of thy Illustrious Actions; Oracles are not ceas'd, which Predict the Blessings thou givest the World; the Age of Miracles is return'd, of True Ones too! No Cheats, or Impostures offer'd, all Natural and Genuine! Wondrous Things hast thou perform'd, but Greater yet remain behind, for thy Hand and thy Head to Compleat; Great is the Care of Heaven over Thy Life, destin'd to Uncommon Acts! All the World resounds with what is past, Eu­rope is too Narrow and Confin'd, the whole Globe alone has but space enough!

And Thou Great Apollo, inspire me at this Time with Raptures, with Elevated Thought and Lofty Speech. The Theme it self admits no Common-Words or Expressions; 'Tis God-like! All Divine! The Ancient Heroes all come short of Thee! Great William! tho Fame and Merit pronounce Them truly Great. Alexander and Caesar if here, wou'd cry and blush indeed, as they are both said to have done, one for the Smallness of the World, and t'other for being so Old without a Name; Their Lawrels wou'd wither, and Yours, Great Sir, only remain Green: How Beautiful and Bright will your Glory stand in the Annals of Time! It needs no History to Embelish it; each Campaigne brings Fresh Fame, and gives Renown above the Power and Reach of Words! Thy Actions speak thee Great! and are the Best and Truest Heralds, the Clearest and Loudest-Trumpets. No Luscious Lying-Poetry, or Base-Court or Town-Flattery, are requir'd to varnish o're thy Story. The Simplest Colours and Plainest Words will do it best; and the Hearts of thy Subjects and thy For­reign Friends will be the Truest Tables, and Fairest Books. Your Glories, Great Monarch, [Page 5]are Unspotted, and Unfullied, not the least Tincture of Violence, Oppression, or Injustice appears on Them; They are Virgin-White, Pure, and without Blemish. Such Mighty Merits without Allay, draw all Tongues, all Pens, all People, all Nations, both Sexes, and all Ages, the Present and the Future, to admire Great William.

What a Glorious Pattern have you set! what a Royal-Example have you given! which to imitate will be difficult, but to come up to, almost Impossible. Your Sun is not yet arriv'd to his Meridian, but Lewis's is long since past that Point, and hastens apace to the Western-World. He has already surviv'd his Glory, and out-liv'd his Good-Fortune, and now declines apace, will fall unpittied, un­lamented, and unreveng'd: He loaded with Curses, and You, Royal Sir, crown'd with Praises, both at Home and Abroad. He Stinks and Putrifies, even while Alive, Your very Dust will smell sweet, beyond the Noblest Perfume. He Destroys, and you Preserve. He Murders, and you keep Alive. He Robs his Neighbours, and you make him Restore. Your Great and Immortal-Ancestor, William [Page 6]the First, Your Great-Grand-Father, laid the Foundation of, and Establish'd a Mighty Com­mon-wealth, and broke the Heart of the Spa­nish Pride and Ambition, and ruin'd (with the kind Help of your Renown'd-Female-Predecessor) all his Pretensions to Universal Empire. And you, Great Prince, are destin'd by Heaven to Preserve that very Republick, and all Europe too, from their insulting Neigh­bour, that in this Age threaten'd no less than the Austrians in the Last, both alike deceiv'd. You are the Bulwark of Europe, the Ne plus ultra to the Spaniards and French, Those Stiff Contenders for more than comes to their share, The Fifth Monarchy. If ever Prince merited such an ample. Extent of Territory, surely King William has bid the Fairest for it, Has most Suffrages, and seems to be intended for no less: At least, thus much may be pro­nounced, and which will really be a greater Honour, Your Majesty has it in your Royal Hand, to give a Happy and Welcome Peace to all Europe, which will more Embellish your Name and Character, than the Conquest of a New or an Absolute Dominion over the Old World.

To enumerate Thy Vertues and Victories, Mighty Monarch, wou'd be to write the Hi­story of Thy Matchless Life, fit only for the Pen of an Angel, or at least something more than Human, Who can penetrate into the ve­ry Recesses of Thy Soul, and communicate to Us thy Faithful Subjects the Beauties of it.

'Twill exceed the Limits of a Panegyrick, to dwell upon this Glorious Theme, which wou'd soon swell into a Volume, 'tis so trans­por [...]ing; The Subject it self warms all Loyal Grateful-Hearts, that are sensible what Great Things the King has done for Us: He has out-gon the Fam'd-Henry's and Brave-Edwards too! Those Gallant Princes, that stand so fair in English-Annals, that carried their Victorious Arms into the very Heart of France, and re­ceiv'd the Gallique-Crown at Paris.

The Fam'd Battels of Seneffe, Mons, the Boyne and Landen, are True Testimonies of thy Undaunted Courage, which was Invinci­ble, though surrounded with Enemies, and charg'd with Trible the Number of thy Troops. The Spirit of Great William appear'd ev'ry where, from the Right to the Left, in the Front and the Rear, penetrating through, [Page 8]and inspiring the whole Army, from the Ge­neral to the Centinel, diffus'd all o're the Mighty Body was thy Native Warmth; Thy very Enemies pronounc'd Thee Insuperable.

Straits and Difficulties though to others For­midable, You, Royal Sir, have vanquish'd and broke through; and though you have been inviron'd with many and mighty ones, both at Home and Abroad, e're since You drew Your Sword, and appear'd in Arms, in Field of Mars, yet Nothing was too hard for You to cope with. Your Constancy of Mind is not to be shaken, the same in Adverse-Fortune as when she Smiles; Your Patience above Price, and Your Resolution Immoveable.

What Barrs and Remora's have you not met with, and remov'd? Have Cemented dif­ferent Opinions, Religions, Politiques and In­terests, and made 'em all one: Supplying the Weakness and Defect of some Members, with the Strength and Ability of Others; The Greatest and Most Skilful, nay, and Successful too, State-Physician in the Universe.

That Glorious Union now in Europe, so Terrible and Boding to the Bourbon-House, You, Great Sir alone, have happily Conducted [Page 9]and Continued against all the Efforts of France, which, nor her Power, Artifice or Gold cou'd e're dissolve: Well may we call thee Blessed! Great! Good and Just! 'Tis you alone have baffled all the Gallique Engines, and this Them­selves are forc'd to own.

The Stopping the Victorious Arms of France, in the Former as well as Present War, the Stemming that Impetuous Tide of Conquest, and snatching the Lawrels from the Greatest Generals of the Age, at the Head of the best Troops in the World, was surprizing and amazing, and this with Men Undisciplin'd and Raw, without Officers or Soldiers, and at a Time so Fatal, when Civil-Commotions in­vade the State, and Threaten naught but Ruin: The Balm you brought Sir, heal'd all these Wounds, Forreign and Intestine; You restor'd Private-Peace and Publick too! You Fac'd your Foes in Field of Battel, repell'd 'em, and regain'd the Lost Provinces!

But above All, and beyond Compare, was the Stupendious Revolution here at Home! How Swift Great Prince, You flew to Our Rescue! How soon you came to Guard Us from Bondage and Destruction! Sav'd Our [Page 10]Religion and Our Laws, Those Inestimable Jewels, and with the Hazard of Your Royal Person, bravely contending with Winds and Waves, Ice and Snow! Your Hand alone preserv'd Us from Impendent Danger, When You Our Glorious Sun appear'd, Our Foes soon Fled, quitted the Sacrifice, though near the Altar, and ran in Confusion.

Scotland and Ireland owe their Peace and Plenty to You, Rebels and Foreigners ex­pell'd and gon, nought resists Your Conquer­ing Hand, Victory proud of Your Presence, only wants to see you, and Fortune her self, as blind as she is thought, can find the Head fit only for Lawrels, can distinguish True from False-Merit, and extend her Rewards; The Tribute she brings and Lays at your Royal Feet, is but Your Due.

But what shall the English Nation return for Your Bounties and Royal Residence, for the Graces and Blessings that issue from Your Sacred Breast? For thy Strong Arm that De­fends and Protects them against their Cruel and Voracious Neighbour. Monuments shall be erected to thy Goodness, and to perpetuate thy Name and History, more Costly and more [Page 11]Durable, than ever yet were seen: Gold is too Mean, too Base, and too Cheap for thy Statue; Pearl and Diamonds too Common and Contemptible to be employ'd therein. New Mettals and more Refin'd, more Beautiful and more Lasting, will meet a Discovery for thy sake alone. All England shall contribute to the Work, and Express their Gratitude by their Generosity.

The Senate is Impatient to let You into their Bosom, and thence to their Purses open'd wide for your Service; New Honours are De­creed You, greater than Rome cou'd ever give, or Caesar receive. All Hearts are Open, all Bags Untied, all Treasuries Expanded to express their Joy and Duty; More shall be given than Demanded; Supplies readily Voted, and early Levied, all swiftly dispatch'd to render Your Next-Campaigne the more Compleat. All Things shall concur to your very Wishes, and Your Majesty shall have Fresh Experience of Our Loyalty and of Our Gratitude.

Italy the once Renown'd Mistress of the U­niverse, sends forth thy Eulogies, and by their Ambassadors Court Thy Alliance, and value Thy Friendship beyond all the Worlds; They [Page 12]own their Obligations to Thy Conduct and Assistance, with Thy Formidable Fleets and Powerful Armies, they have regain'd Cazal, the Enemies Strongest Frontier, and almost ex­pell'd the Flutt'ring-French out of their Para­dice: Such Huge Navies were never heard of in Their Seas; The Sovereign Pontife Himself stood amaz'd at the Report of Their Approach, sent his Compliments to the Ad­miral, and ever since has slighted Monsieur. The Rich and Mighty Duke of Florence, soon saw his True-Interest, and Embrac'd it; The State of Genoa Huff'd and Scorn'd by France in Former Times, tho lately much caress'd, now nor Fears nor Values her Menaces, Slights her Amity, and Addresses K. William. The Venetian Republick politickly applies in Time to Thee, by her Envoys, and though deep in French In­terests, yet seems to abandon all, and hastens to be a Party in this Happy Conjunction. Thy Royal-Armada has wrought more Real-Won­ders, than the Popish-Female-Virgin e're cou'd on That side, who deaf to all their Prayers, cou'd bring them no Assistance: But on the Opposite Coasts, what Mighty Miracles has Thy Navy not produc'd? Taught Civility to [Page 13]the Wild, the Barbarous and Unrefin'd; The Moors Themselves Admire Thy Prowess, A­dore Thy Person tho Distant, call Thee more than Man, and Little Less than God! Oft have they felt the English Power, and heard Their Cannon roar, but never yet so Great a Force United: Africk's Amaz'd, hasts to Thy Feet, and begs Thy Protection.

Spain thy Ancient-Enemy pays Thee Ado­rations more than Human, Flies for Refuge to Thy Arms; No more pretends to be In­vincible, but gives That to Thee; Her Power is lost by Sea and Land, Her Navy dwindled into Galleys, and Those almost to Cock-boats, no longer Formidable, Calls for Thy Royal Hand, and there alone can meet her Safety; Swallow'd in Part by her Devouring Neigh­bour, rescu'd by Thee: At thy Fleets-Ap­proach, her Enemies sneak'd away, Left her Ports, and hasten'd to Their Own, and there lie locked up, nor dare to peep Abroad, re­sign Dominion all to Thy Prevailing Hand; Their Barricado's and Their Booms, Their Chains and Forts hardly can secure 'em; and thus Confin'd and Pris'ners-like, they lie in Harbor. New Courage comes to Spain, warms [Page 14]her Drooping-Spirits, and bids her March to Glory; Inspir'd by her Friends, she gains New­Life, Flies to Arms, and beats her Foes; her very Peasants are Victorious o're the French, defeat their Parties, then their Bodies, force 'em to abandon almost all they gain'd, and this before their Army takes the Field.

Persia and China are no Strangers to thy Prowess; Whites, Blacks and Tawneys, all hear thy Fame; the Worlds Remotest Ends rehearse Thy Name, Thy Sword reaches o're all the World; Whole Colonies of thy Ene­mies at once are rooted out in Canada no more pretend to fooling there; America calls Thee Lord alone, forgets the French, and quite dis­owns Them; resigns her Wealth to thy In­dustrious Subjects, and Courts their Commerce.

Flanders ows her Salvation only to Thy Arms; long since had she been swallow'd up, a Morsel only, a Luscious-bit for Lewis; she pays Thee Equal-Honours with the Spanish Kings, Calls Thee her Protector, forgets her Ancient Jealousy and Inbred Enmity, knows her Ruin was design'd by France, by Thee Preserv'd, Supported and Defended; lays all her Angry Sentiments aside, and courts Thy [Page 15]Saving Hand; and though thy Ancestors re­duc'd her Haughty Brow, restor'd Religion, Law and Liberty, taught her the best of Vir­tues, Humility: Yet You, Great Prince, are now the only Prop can bear her up; sunk as she was, she pierks her Head, and by Your In­fluence receives New-Life, and hopes again to bid for Empire; Worried almost to Death by her Unruly Neighbour, is rescu'd by Thy Potent-Hand alone. The Austrian-Eagles Tower aloft, Revive by your Assistance, and keep at Distance Infidels, and French, the Worse ot'h Two, by Thy Successes the Frontiers of Germany are secur'd.

Thy Native Holland by thee preserv'd alone, skreen'd from their Raging Foe, and shelter'd from all Future Harms, pay their most Hearty Thanks, and own the Debts too great to be discharg'd in whole, the Interest only can be spar'd, the rest shall all be faithfully made up by their Descendents, who with Duty and with Gratitude, shall all declare thy Worth. 'Twas you, Great Sir, that stem'd the Tide, that startled all the World; the Flood of Power and Gallique-Force, was brought to stand at Bay by You; the Dutch took Breath, and ba­nish'd [Page 16]all their Fears; and though the Blows were smart and heavy, amazing and destru­ctive, repeated o're and o're, yet soon they were return'd; a Change was wrought, and all by your Commanding Hand; Your Breast was the Cabinet and the Treasure too! Your Councils animated the Drooping State! Your Presence in the Field was an Army, and made Troops tho in Themselves Feeble, soon For­midable: And that which damp'd all ord'nary Courage, gave more heat to Thine; the Dif­ficulty of the Enterprize, was but an Earnest of the Success; You chang'd the Scene, and made 'em scorn the Thoughts of Peace, to which they had lent an Ear, tho neither Safe nor Ho­nourable: 'Twas You, Brave Prince, that was resolv'd to hazard all, fall with the Cause, no­bly expire in Honour's-Bed, rather than sub­mit to Terms so Infamous, so Base, and so De­structive toward the True-Interest of your Na­tive-Land, of which you were the Sole and Valiant Guardian, Tender of Their Liberty and Their Trade. The People all inspir'd by Thee, resum'd fresh Vigor, and were sure Thy Name alone wou'd them Preserve, that 'twas the Virtue of thy Great-Fore-Father form'd [Page 17]their State, and Yours was destin'd to recover it; And this You did, Immortal Sir; and now again, when France Pretends to Insult her Peace­ful Neighbours, You beard the Monster, force him recoil, and think of Peace in Time; and to that End, all Parties, all Interests are en­gag'd, no Stone unturn'd to gain his Aim, but all in vain; the Allies are now too weary grown, to be seduc'd again by his smooth and false Pretensions of Amity; he must Restore, give up the Towns and Provinces which he unjustly seiz'd, and yet detains: The Sword will make him do it; No Faith can be allow'd him, His Honour and his Word are pawn'd and broke long since; His Oaths and Vows were made in Jest, and so not worth the keep­ing; The Present Union now in Europe, pro­mises Great-Good, and Threatens France more than ever; She Trembles at the Prospect so doleful and so hideous; her Force abates, her Strength and Heat declines apace, her Trea­sures low, her Commerce lost, and all make way for Ruin; all the World combine to strip her of her Borrow'd Plumes, and make her only France her self, a Land of Beauty, Wealth, and all that's good, but now Reduc'd, De­stroy'd, [Page 18]and near abandon'd by her Prince's Pride and Cruelty; all must be Sacrific'd to his Flaming Glory, the Subjects Blood and Treasure too little to assist; and this alone has been the Attractive of Their Neighbours Hate, England, Holland, Germany, Spain and Italy Unite against Him, resolve to Humble and Abase him, and return their Rights to all the Injur'd Princes; and these Designs are Great and Noble, and hasten on apace to be Effected. What Shifts Poor Lewis makes to oppose his Angry Foes are plain to all the World; he drains his People's Pockets, and has Tax'd no less than Three of Four which We call Elements, Fire, Earth and Water, all submit, and so must Air to his Long Arm, but that it cannot be confin'd. The Gallique-Church is Moody, Grumbles at the Long Continuance of the War, Appeals are sent to Rome, where French-Interest falls, when it can no longer be supported by French-Coin; That Godly Court is very Greedy; Avarice and Pride attend the Place; Point d' Argent, Point d' Grace. No Money you must have no Fa­vour. A Happy Juncture of Affairs! Good Omens, Sure Prognosticks of Future Good [Page 19]Success. The Glorious Campaign is almost near an End, and the Court of France in Pain for the Approaching, which menaces much deeper Wounds, bids 'em prepare for Fire and Sword. 'Twas They began the Sport, and if my Skill deludes me not, they will receive their due. The Gallique Crown begins to totter, and Lewis shakes in's Throne, Amaz'd to think that all his Perjuries, his Rapines and Oppressions are now a coming strait to him: The Just Reward of all his Barbarous Acts is near at Hand, almost with­in his View; a State deplor'd he Feels, his Sentiments are all chagrin, he must for ever lose hopes of Empire, all his Glory and his Flattring-Honour, are now envelop'd in the Clouds; The Rising Sun no more shall be his Motto; He blazes, and he glares more like the Western Light, appears no more in this Horizon.

And now Great William, the Tribute of all Loyal Hearts lies at Thy Royal-Feet, With Open-Arms We meet Thee, and with Thanks we load Thee. The Stupendious Siege of Namur Crowns Thy Fame, and speaks Thee Wondrous-Great; The Manly, Fair and [Page 20]Martial Taking of the Place, Inch by Inch, with Sword in Hand, and Hearts of Temper high as Steel; No Gold, No Treachery, No Artifice was us'd (like France) to hedge in Towns; but what resounds more high, Re­lief though threatn'd, came too late, yet had the Pleasure all to View the Place surren­der'd to their Foes; of Evidences no less than a Hundred Thousand all in Arms, nor dar'd to strike a Stroke to Save it; the Fate of Flanders and of France the same.

For This, Mighty Sir, all Europe stands engag'd to Your Happy-Conduct; All the World admires [...] Your Bravery, and Gra­tulates Your Success: Thy very Enemies own thy Merit. Unborn Babes are oblig'd to Thy Sword, which is now cutting out Peace and Prosperity to usher them into the World; Blessings fit only to Adorn Thy God-like Reign; the Result of all thy Cares and Ha­zards so frequently repeated for Our Sakes; for which we all Huzza, Long Live King WILLIAM the Third.