And let thy country think thee all her own.
Of thy delay how oft did we complain;
Our hope reached out and met thee on the main.
With much more in the same strain. The Prince of Wales was celebrated by Congreve in his song on the Battle of Oudenarde:—
Not so did behave young Hanover brave
On this bloody field, I assure ye;
When his war-horse was shot he valued it not,
But fought still on foot like a fury.
It was unfortunate that the Prince, on having this effusion quoted to him, asked, “And who might Mr. Congreve be?” This ignorance gives us the measure of the House of Hanover respecting everything English, for Congreve was the most celebrated dramatist of his day. Addison summoned his muse to extol the Princess of Wales. He assured her that
She was born to strengthen and grace our isle,