Our foes, compell’d by need, have peace embraced: 
  The peace both parties want, is like to last: 
  Which, if secure, securely we may trade;
  Or, not secure, should never have been made. 
  Safe in ourselves, while on ourselves we stand,
  The sea is ours, and that defends the land. 
  Be then the naval stores the nation’s care,
  New ships to build, and batter’d to repair.

    Observe the war, in every annual course; 150
  What has been done, was done with British force: 
  Namur subdued,[30] is England’s palm alone;
  The rest besieged, but we constrain’d the town;
  We saw the event that follow’d our success;
  France, though pretending arms, pursued the peace;
  Obliged, by one sole treaty,[31] to restore
  What twenty years of war had won before. 
  Enough for Europe has our Albion fought: 
  Let us enjoy the peace our blood has bought. 
  When once the Persian king was put to flight, 160
  The weary Macedons refused to fight: 
  Themselves their own mortality confess’d: 
  And left the son of Jove to quarrel for the rest.

    Even victors are by victories undone;
  Thus Hannibal, with foreign laurels won,
  To Carthage was recall’d, too late to keep his own. 
  While sore of battle, while our wounds are green,
  Why should we tempt the doubtful die again? 
  In wars renew’d, uncertain of success;
  Sure of a share, as umpires of the peace. 170

    A patriot both the king and country serves: 
  Prerogative and privilege preserves: 
  Of each our laws the certain limit show;
  One must not ebb, nor the other overflow: 
  Betwixt the prince and parliament we stand;
  The barriers of the state on either hand: 
  May neither overflow, for then they drown the land. 
  When both are full, they feed our bless’d abode;
  Like those that water’d once the paradise of God.

    Some overpoise of sway, by turns, they share; 180
  In peace the people, and the prince in war: 
  Consuls of moderate power in calms were made;
  When the Gauls came, one sole dictator sway’d.

    Patriots, in peace, assert the people’s right;
  With noble stubbornness resisting might: 
  No lawless mandates from the court receive,
  Nor lend by force, but in a body give. 
  Such was your generous grandsire; free to grant
  In parliaments, that weigh’d their prince’s want: 

  But so tenacious of the common cause, 190
  As not to lend the king against his laws;
  And, in a loathsome dungeon doom’d to lie,
  In bonds retain’d his birthright liberty,
  And shamed oppression, till it set him free.