“When _Neptune’s_ back with _stripes_ is _red_, The sickly _Lion_ shall hide his head. VIII. “When _seven_ and _six_ shall make but _one_, The _Lion’s _ might shall be undone.” _Verse 1._—The settlement of America by a civilized nation is very clearly alluded to in the first line. The frantic mother is Britain. America still feels the wounds she has received from her. _Verse 2._—The Cock is France, the Dove is America, Columbia; their union is the epocha when America shall cease to love Britain. _Verse 3._—In many parts of Europe there are subterranean works carried on by persons who never see the light of day. But perhaps the solution may more particularly be referred to the siege of York, in Virginia, where the approaches were carried on by working in the earth. In the second line there is another equivoque. We are told by Mr. Addison, in his “Spectator,” that a lion will not hurt a true maid. This, at first view, seems to be contradicted by the prophecy; but, on examination, the epocha referred to, the virgin, Columbia (or, perhaps, _Virginia_, by which name all North America was called in the days of Queen Elizabeth), shall wound the _lion_,—that is, _Britain_,—which shows the precise time when the oracle should be accomplished. _Verse 4_ clearly alludes to the successes of the united forces of America and France against those of Britain. _Verse 5._—For the solution of this oracle, as well as all the rest, we are indebted to the engraving of the _arms_ of the _United States_ in the “Columbian Magazine” for September, 1786. America is clearly designated by the eagle’s nest, as it is the only part of the globe where the _bald eagle_ (the arms of the United States) is to be found. Thus, this hitherto inexplicable prophecy may now be easily understood as meaning that when the _cock_—that is, France—shall protect America (as she did during the late war), the stars—that is, the standard of the American empire—shall rise in this western hemisphere. _Verse 6._—It is very remarkable that the first discovery of the amazing properties of inflammable air, by means of which men have been able to explore a region till then impervious to them, happened in the same year when _Britain’s_ strength was so reduced as to oblige her to acknowledge the independence of America. The _boats_ in which the adventurous aeronauts traversed the upper regions are the _ships_ here referred to. Thus far the prophecy seems to have been already fully and literally accomplished: it is to be hoped that the accomplishment of those which remain is not far remote. _Verse 7_ I understand to mean that when the _sea_ (_Neptune’s back_) is _red_ with the _American stripes_, the naval power of Britain shall decline. A proper exertion in the art of ship-building would soon produce this effect; and whenever Congress is vested with the power of regulating the commerce of America, we may hope to see the full accomplishment of this prediction.