Page:The Rosciad - Churchill (1761, 2nd edition).djvu/10

"Foe to restraint, from place to place she flies,
"And may hereafter e'en in Holland rise.
"May not, to give a pleasing fancy scope,
"And chear a patriot heart with patriot hope;
"May not some great extensive genius raise 115
"The name of Britain 'bove Athenian praise;
"And, whilst brave thirst of fame his bosom warms,
"Make England great in letters as in arms?
"There may—there hath—and Shakespear's muse aspires
"Beyond the reach of Greece; with native fires, 120
"Mounting alost he wings his daring flight,
"Whilst Sophocles below stands trembling at his height."

Why should we then abroad for judges roam,
When abler judges we may find at home?
Happy in tragic and in comic pow'rs, 125
Have we not Shakespear?———Is not Johnson ours?
For them, your nat'ral judges, Britons vote;
They'll judge like Britons, who like Britons wrote.

He said, and conquer'd.———Sense resum'd her sway,
And disappointed pedants stalk'd away. 130
Shakespear and Johnson, with deserv'd applause,
Joint-judges were ordain'd to try the cause.
Mean-time the stranger ev'ry voice employ'd,
To ask or tell his name.———"Who is it?"———Lloyd.

Thus