Commerce: A Poem Poem by Cornelius Arnold

Continuo has leges, æternaq; foedera certis
Imposuit natura locis---


Virgil

The ARGUMENT


Exordium on the Prince. Invocation on Commerce. Her Effects. A Fleet fitted out. Bay ofBiscay described. Compared with the Irish Sea. Voyage to the Atlantic, to Africa, to the Streights, the German Ocean, to Russia. Encomium on Peter the Great, Czar of Muscovy. Ditto on Queen Elizabeth. Effects of Persecution. Reflections on it. Description of the Royal Exchange. Character of the benevolent Merchant. Digression on Liberty and her Effects. Digression on Italy. Consequences of Bigotry and arbitrary Power. Digression on Spain. Effects of false Pride. Digression on France and Louis XIV. Application to Britain. 'Digression on Holland, and the Effects of Commerce there. Reflection on Britain, and the British Fishery. The Muse's Prayer. Digression on Happiness. Encomium on the Prince and Princess. Application to Prince George.


While You, Great Sir, Britannia's rising Hope,
Great in Benevolence, superior far
To all the Trophies of the sanguine Field,
Pursue each Plan, each generous Design,
To bless Mankind, and Happiness dispense;
Thus sings the Muse-Not dazzl'd with the Glare
Of Glory, Pomp, or Acclamation loud;
The Aim of vulgar Minds-No slavish Bard
Now makes his Court by Adulation vile,
Or sings a Language foreign to his Heart:
Transcendent Merit prompts the willing Muse,
To blend thy Virtues with commercial Arts;
Arts which she loves-Arts which she boasts are thine.


Hail, Commerce! fruitful hail! exhaustless Source!
Of all that's great, magnificent, or good;
Of all that Voyager romantic tells
Of India's Wealth-or Virtuoso dreams
Of philosophic Stone-oft vainly search'd
In chymic Process, when the heated Brain
Of Alchymist boils o'er, and 'fore him rise
Mountains of Gold-blest visionary Shades!
O Commerce! thine's the Substance, thine the Art
To make the Treasure of each World thy own:
Great Emblem of the Sun! whose genial Rays
And Pow'rs prolific glad with rip'ning Stores
Redundant Nature-Thou too deal'st around
Beneficence complete, and all the World
Looks gay-Thy Sons with ruddy Vigour glow,
And Jollity betokens thou art there.


Albion! to Her thou ow'st thy present Fame,
Thy stately Buildings, and thy Villas grand,
Thy peopled Cities, and thy numerous Towns,
Which rise promiscuous, pleasing to the Sight,
Thick as the Shocks of Corn on Field new reap'd;
To Her th'unrivall'd Empire of the Main,
Whose lordly Waves with glad Submission crouch,
And lay their Treasures prostrate at thy Feet.


See! the gay Fleet to various Ports consign'd,
Various their Freight-rich Industry at Helm
Smiles on the jovial Crew, joyous they hold
The swelling Canvas to th'impelling Wind,
Traverse each Pole, and distant Worlds explore;
Nor Torrid Zone, nor Frigid, check their Course.


Dauntless they brave the wide Biscayan Bay,
Well known to Mariners for boist'rous Wave,
And swell of Surges vast-an horrid Vale!
The liquid Mountains rear their tow'ring Heads,
And bellow Anarchy in hideous Roar,
Swoln with Disdain, and proud contemptuous Scorn
Of Boundary firm set, they foam with Rage,
And threat the affrighten'd Land with bold Usurp:
Less fatal yet those Seas, than what confuse
The rocky Coasts of rough Hibernia's Shore;
Oft seen in vain-oft has the greedy Eye
Of Mariner devour'd thy Hill, O Hoth!
Ah! never shall he reach thy friendly Shore,
Ah! never tread thy hospitable Land:
See! every Plank convulsive Tremor feels,
In cruel Conflict with th'insulting Foe,
Till bulg'd, alas! there ends the dreadful Strife.


Some the Atlantic plough, serener far,
Tho' oft the loud tongu'd Waves contentious brawl,
In Uproar wild-Onward they steer their Course,
To Afric's parched Clime, whose sooty Sons,
Thro' Rage of civil Broils-hard Destiny!
Forc'd from their native Home to Western Ind,
In Slavery drag the galling Chain of Life:
Or past the Streights, they coast the Tuscan Shore
To sea-born Venice, or the proud Levant:
Delicious Range! there variegated Scenes
Strike the enchanted Mind with new Delight.


The German Ocean cross'd, where Boreas rough,
Bracing the Nerves with Strength, enures to Toil
The Nations of the North; and left the Sound,
O'er Baltic Seas, we visit Russia's Sons;
A rude, uncultivated, rugged Race,
Till smooth'd by Commerce, rear'd by Peter's Hand;
Great Peter! who forsook th'Imperial Throne
To teach his People Arts unknown before.
Commerce!-what is't to brave the World in Arms?
Like as did Alexander, Cæsar, Charles,
Mighty Destroyers! Ravagers at large!
Once heav'n-commission'd Scourges of Mankind!
'Gainst Thee in Truth's eternal Balance weigh'd,
How does the Scale fly up, and kick the Beam!
How light to Thee! who taught the social Arts,
And made Man tractable and kind to Man:
All hail! Thou foremost in the Work, great Czar!
Unequall'd Man! who tam'd the savage Mind,
Chipt off th'incrusted Diamond's rougher Coat,
New set its native Lustre full to View;
Who bad by Commerce Petersburgh arise,
Great Mistress of the North, whose brilliant Court
Rivals in Splendour Gallia's proud Versailles.


But whither would the Muse transport me?-far
O'er endless Tracks of congregated Snow-
Adieu! O! frozen Worlds-our native Clime
Accords my Sight-What sea-bleach'd Cliffs are those?
White as the Sheep new shorn-They're Dover thine;
And Albion! thence thy Name-How from the Beach
Tow'ring they rise majestic-Semblance fit
Of thy superior Sway, and Height of Rule!
What do I see!-what those aspiring Domes!
Hail! fair Augusta, Mistress of the World!
Thy Fav'rite, Commerce, here has fix'd her Throne,
Here holds her Reign supreme-long may She Reign!
Triumphantly, as erst when England's Queen,
Elizabeth! renown'd for Arts and Arms,
Britannia sway'd-both loving and belov'd-
A more than Match for thy Armada, Spain!
'Twas She receiv'd thee, Commerce, when bid fly
The Netherlands by D'Alva's Tyranny,
When vanquish'd Liberty on haughty Philip
Her Cause reveng'd, and quitting Belgia's Shore,
Brought with her here the welcome Golden Fleece;
A Mine of Wealth surpassing thine, Peru!
Effect most just of Persecution dire!


Thus may Oppression, Cruelty, and Lust
Of Pow'r, however couch'd in pious Terms
Of Inquisition Holy!-Acts of Faith!
Thus ever may they thrive-Good God! that e'er
Thy Creature rational should steel his Breast
'Gainst Nature's Voice!-thy Image thus invert!


Is there a Crime on Earth, which calls aloud
For Wrath uncommon, and severest Ire?
Tho' tardy Vengeance dozing seems to sleep,
Sure it is Cruelty (true Fiend of Hell!)
When awful cloath'd in mild Religion's Dress,
Feasting on Blood in horrid Massacre:
Tremble at this, ye Tyrants of the Earth!
Who thus insult your God-monstrous to Thought-
Quick! let us quit th'unhallow'd gloomy Scene.


Lo! Gresham's noble Structure, Dome august!
Resort of Merchants! venerable Mart!
Where various Nations of the peopl'd Earth
The Business drive of the commercial Globe:
Here the furr'd Russian, and the turban'd Turk,
The trowser'd Dutchman, and the buskin'd Swede;
The plain, rough German, and the Italian soft;
The slow, grave Spaniard, and the Frenchman gay;
A World in Miniature! most pleasing Sight!
Nothing articulate thro' the buzzing Crowd-
Babel of Melody! harmonious Discord!
Sweeter than Airs by Handel's Genius sung.


What glowing Transport fills his raptur'd Breast,
Who can survey this little World around,
With friendly Eye, and universal Love?
Whose open Face the Image of his Heart,
Stranger to dark and sinister Designs,
Can smile on all benevolently good,
And in each Man can read his Brother there;
Such is the Merchant, who with gen'rous Views
Nobly anticipates the Want of Thousands,
Extending Commerce but the more to bless:
Great Son of Liberty, rich Queen of Arts!


Fair Liberty! the Venus of this Isle!
Where painful Industry, when cheer'd by Thee,
Strains ev'ry Nerve, nor deems the Toil severe:
Absent-thy Daughter Commerce soon would droop,
And happiest Lands become a dreary Waste.


O Italy! delightful, beauteous Spot!
Couldst thou but boast her gentle Golden Reign,
How blest were Thou!-
Nature with lavish Hand exuberant,
On thee has pour'd her Sweets, profusely kind!
The Tiber, Liris, Arno, Silver Streams!
Glide gently thro' t'enrich the fertile Glebe;
Fertile, alas! in vain, while Papal Pow'r
And slavish Bigotry depress the Mind;
While lordly Sway, and arbitrary Rule,
Eat up the Labour of the hungry Hind,
Toiling in vain-well may'st thou mourn thy Lands
Uncultivated, and thy Fields forlorn:
In all this Happiness unblest-So Spain,
Curst with the Treasures of the Indian World,
Supine and slothful, thro' affected Pride,
Boasting Gentility, neglected Trade,
And all at length was splendid Poverty.


Such was Iberia, when Cervantes rose
To ridicule the Foible of his Age:
But now the Fetters of false Pride disdain'd,
They rouse to Arts, and Manufactures raise-
Fetters! which long oppress'd thee, France! while Lust
Of Monarchy brought low thy Grand Monarque-
Richlieu by Politics made thy Name rever'd,
Mighty in Arms, and dreaded thro' the World;
But Fleury 'twas, great Minister, and good!
Who sav'd Thee, almost sunk by wily Schemes;
By Commerce rais'd Thee to an envied Height:
Thy Sons soon caught the Flame, and now their Ships,
Extending wide their Traffick o'er the Deep,
Bid fair to conquer the European World.


Britain! the World's in Arms-more dreadful Arms,
Than hostile Sword, or the loud Cannon's Roar;
Pacific Arms! which levell'd at thy Trade,
Thy Basis shake-'tis Time to take th'Alarm,
By Industry superior to arise;
By honest Councils, and true Patriot Zeal,
To cherish Commerce, and extend her Sway.


Commerce! most sov'reign Pow'r! Batavia tell
How She of old retriv'd thy State distrest;
Strong, incontested Proof that She can raise
The lowest States 'bove Kingdoms of the Earth:
Well is it known how thy Petition ran,
Address'd to great Eliza, Albion's Queen;
Eliza heard-
Britons! still view Her with a friendly Eye,
But dread supplanting by her artful Hand:
Remember oft your Mother's drooping Years
Demand no less your pious Care-she mourns
Her Northern Coasts, environ'd all around
When alien Busses, and a spurious Brood:
What Means this Indolence? this Lethargy?
Thus to neglect the Treasure of the Seas-


If aught avails the Muse's humble Pray'r,
Greatly solicitous for her Country's Good-
Hear me, propitious Heav'n! Britannia guard,
Direct her Councils, and extend her Trade;
Save her alike from ministerial Pow'r,
And Patriotism false-give to her Nobles
Zeal to assert her Rights-her Sons inspire
With Love of Industry and nervous Toil;
Assist her fav'rite Infant at its Birth,
The British Fishery-oh! rear it up
With Hand benign, bring it to Growth mature,
So in return shall Thousands bless thy Name.


Lo! Britain's Genius rising to her Aid,
Frederick vouchsafes to lead the glorious Van
Of brave Advent'rers in the grand Attempt:
Patron of Arts! You ever foremost stand,
In each Design to benefit Mankind;
Teach us, great Prince! to prize commercial Arts,
Teach us Benevolence, so shall we be blest,
So learn wherein true Happiness consists.
For what is Happiness? 'tis not to wear
The ermin'd Robe, the Mitre, or the Crown;
All these have many wore, alass! how wretched!
It is Benevolence-Offspring of Heav'n!
With this compar'd all Qualities are Dross,
Mere tinkling Cymbols, and an empty Sound.


It is the Quality, illustrious Sir!
The Character you so eminently fill:
How shall I paint the Condescension great?
When Princely Dignity vouchsaf'd to stoop
The callous Palm of Artisan to greet;
When thro' your Western Tour, with lib'ral Hand,
In Pleasure's Cup, Humanity You mixt,
And serv'd it round-All was tumultuous Joy!
When blest Corinium hail'd You as You past.


London! how great thy Triumph! truly great,
(More than when Charles his pompous Entry made,
By Monk attended thro' the crowded Streets-)
When on that gladsome Morn thy Fautor Frederick
Late deign'd to visit thy remotest Parts;
To raise the poor Mechanic's drooping Heart
By free Access-and Princely Converse mixt
With friendly Talk of Looms and Warps and Woofs,
Arts worthy of a Prince, the Friend of Trade!
Nor less, Augusta, did thy Presence charm!


Hail! gen'rous Frederick and Augusta mild!
In whom the social Virtues all unite,
To deal out Blessings to the human Race;
Long may ye live t'instruct your eldest Hope,
To add new Glories to the Brunswick Line.