Felt in its quicken'd veins a pulse like youth; And lisping babes were taught to bless their King; And grandsires bade the children treasure up. The precious sight, for it would be a tale The which in their old age 10. O for a voice that might recall To their deserted hearths Thy truant sons! a voice Whose virtuous cogency Would make their children's children gather round Might with the strength of duty reach their souls; Intent, all ears to hear. 6. Were then the feelings of that generous time Pass'd they away like summer clouds, Like glories of the evening firmament, Which fade, and leave no trace? Merciful Heaven, oh, let not thou the hope Be frustrate, that our Sister Isle may reap, From the good seed then sown, Full harvests of prosperity and peace; That perfect union may derive its date From that auspicious day, And equitable ages thence 7. Green Island of the West, That happier order, still must thou remain That which beholdeth all, from thee alone In wrath had turn'd away! 8. But not forever thus shalt thou endure, To thy reproach, and ours, For Mercy shall go forth To stablish Order, with an arm'd right hand; And firm Authority, With its all-present strength, control the bad, And, with its all-sufficient shield, Protect the innocent: The first great duty this of lawful Power, Which holds its delegated right from Heaven. 9. The first great duty this; but this not all; For more than comes within the scope Of Power, is needed here; More than to watch insidious discontent, Curb, and keep curb'd, the treasonable tongue, And quell the madden'd multitude: Labors of love remain; To weed out noxious customs rooted deep And thou hast children able to perform Nor when the war is waged Of Darkness, will your aid Be wanting in the cause of Light and Love, Ye Ministers of that most holy Church, Whose firm foundations on the rock Of Scripture rest secure! What though the Romanist, in numbers strong, In misdirected zeal And bigotry's blind force, Assail your Fortress; though the sons of Schism Weening thereby to wreak What though the unbelieving crew, For fouler purpose, aid the unnatural league ; And Faction's wolfish pack Set up their fiercest yell, to augment The uproar of assault; Clad in your panoply will ye be found, Wielding the spear of Reason, with the sword Of Scripture girt; and from your shield of Truth Such radiance shall go forth, As when, unable to sustain its beams On Arthur's arm unveil'd, Earth-born Orgoglio reel'd, as if with wine; And, from her many-headed beast cast down, Duessa fell, her cup of sorcery spilt, Her three-crown'd mitre in the dust devolved, And all her secret filthiness exposed. 12. O thou fair Island, with thy Sister Isle Dear pledges hast thou render'd and received O land profuse of genius and of worth, Largely hast thou received, and largely given! 13. Green Island of the West, The example of unspotted Ormond's faith To thee we owe; to thee Her draught of witchcraft gave; O'erthrew her giant offspring in his strength, Proud of such debt, Rich to be thus indebted, these, Fair Island, Sister Queen Of Ocean, Ireland, these to thee we owe. 14. Shall I then imprecate A curse on them that would divide Our union? - Far be this from me, O Lord! Far be it! What is man, That he should scatter curses? - King of Kings, Father of all, Almighty, Governor Of all things! unto Thee Humbly I offer up our holier prayer! But in thy mercy, to confound Lighten their darkness with thy Gospel light, Keswick, 1821. ODE WRITTEN AFTER THE KING'S VISIT TO SCOTLAND. 1. Ar length hath Scotland seen The pomp of royalty By the free impulse of the loyal heart Her sons have gather'd, and beheld their King. 2. Land of the loyal, as in happy hour Forsaken, under favoring stars, when James His valediction gave, And place, his rising and his refluent tide A bending line suspended, shall o'erhang By Merlin's mighty magic there sustain'd; And Pont-Cyssylté, not less wondrous work; Where, on gigantic columns raised Aloft, a dizzying height, The laden barge pursues its even way, While o'er his rocky channel the dark Dee Hurries below, a raging stream, scarce heard. And that huge mole, whose deep foundations, firm As if by Nature laid, Repel the assailing billows, and protect The British fleet, securely riding there, Though southern storms possess the sea and sky, And, from its depths commoved, Infuriate ocean raves. Ye stately monuments of Britain's power, Bear record ye what Scottish minds Have plann'd and perfected! With grateful wonder shall posterity See the stupendous works, and Rennie's name, And Telford's shall survive, till time Leave not a wreck of sublunary things. 7. Him too may I attest for Scotland's praise, Who seized and wielded first The mightiest element That lies within the scope of man's control; Prolific spring, and dimly yet discern'd The mariner no longer seeks Wings from the wind; creating now the power Right on across the ocean-flood he steers And reaching now the inmost continent, Up rapid streams, innavigable else, Ascends with steady progress, self-propell'd. 8. Nor hath the Sister kingdom borne There is an empire which survives Rome yet maintains, and elder Greece, and such, By indefeasible right, Hath Britain made her own. How fair a part doth Caledonia claim Earthly immortals, there, her sons of fame, In eastern and in occidental Ind; And from the southern gulf, 9. There nations yet unborn shall trace How Britain rose, and through what storms attain'd In other climates, youths and maidens there Shall learn from Thomson's verse in what attire The various seasons, bringing in their change Variety of good, Revisit their beloved English ground. There, Beattie! in thy sweet and soothing strain Shall youthful poets read Their own emotions. There, too, old and young, Gentle and simple, by Sir Walter's tales Spell-bound, shall feel Imaginary hopes and fears Strong as realities, And, waking from the dream, regret its close. 10. These, Scotland, are thy glories; and thy praise 11. O House of Stuart, to thy memory still Should British hearts in gratitude be bound! Than thine unhappy tale hath never fill'd And in prosperity alone Found wanting, Time hath closed Thy tragic story now! Errors, and virtues fatally betrayed, Weakness, and headstrong zeal, sincere, tho' blind, The all-ingulfing stream of years hath closed. 'Stablish'd and perfected by length of days, 12. Nor hath the sceptre from that line Departed, though the name hath lost Its regal honors. Trunk and root have fail'd: A scion from the stock Liveth and flourisheth. It is the Tree Beneath whose sacred shade, In majesty and peaceful power serene, The Island Queen of Ocean hath her seat; Whose branches far and near Extend their sure protection; whose strong roots Are with the Isle's foundations interknit; Whose stately summit, when the storm careers Below, abides unmoved, Safe in the sunshine and the peace of Heaven. Keswick, 1822. THE WARNING VOICE. ODE I. 1. TAKE up thy prophecy, Thou dweller in the mountains, who hast nursed Holding communion with immortal minds, And with the sacred food Of meditation and of lore divine Hast fed thy heavenly part; Take up thy monitory strain. O son of song, a strain severe Of warning and of woe! 2. O Britain, O my Mother Isle, Is there a curse upon thee, that thy sons With sin, and in infuriate folly blind? Hath Hell enlarged itself, And are the Fiends let loose 3. For who is she That, on the many-headed Beast Doth ride abroad in state, The Book of her Enchantments in her hand? Is written BLASPHEMY. 4. Know ye not then the Harlot? know ye not Her shameless forehead, her obdurate eye, Her meretricious mien, Her loose, immodest garb, with slaughter foul! Drunk with her witcheries, 5. Your Fathers knew her! when the nations round And call'd her Liberty, When their blaspheming hosts defied high Heaven, 6. They knew her; and they knew That not in scenes of rapine and of blood, In lawless riotry, And wallowing with the multitude obscene, Would Liberty be found! Her in her form divine, Her genuine form, they knew; For Britain was her home; With Order and Religion there she dwelt; It was her chosen seat, Her own beloved Isle. Think not that Liberty From Order and Religion e'er will dwell Apart; companions they Of heavenly seed connate. 7. Woe, woe for Britain, woe! By lewd and impious uproar driven, Indignantly should leave The land that in their presence hath been blest! Woe, woe! for in her streets Should gray-hair'd Polity Be trampled under foot by ruffian force, Lift his red hands, as if no God were there, Devouring fire consume Temples and Palaces; Nor would the lowliest cot Escape that indiscriminating storm, When Heaven upon the guilty nation pour'd The vials of its wrath. 8. These are no doubtful ills! The unerring voice of Time Warns us that what hath been again shall be ; 9. Turn not thy face away, Almighty! from the realm By thee so highly favored, and so long. Thou who in war hast been our shield and strength, From famine who hast saved us, and hast bade The Earthquake and the Pestilence go by, Spare us, O Father! save us from ourselves! From insane Faction, who prepares the pit In which itself would fall; From rabid Treason's rage, The poor priest-ridden Papist's erring zeal, The lurking Atheist's wiles,The mad Blasphemer's venom, - from our foes, Our follies and our errors, and our sins, Save us, O Father! for thy mercy's sake, Thou who ALONE canst save! Who raised, in menacing act, his awful arm; He spake aloud, and thrill'd My inmost soul with fear. 8. "Woe Woe! Woe to the city where Faction reigns! Woe to the land where Sedition prevails! Woe to the nation whom Hell deceives! Woe! Woe! They have eyes, and they will not see! They have ears, and they will not hear! They have hearts, and they will not feel! Woe to the People who fasten their eyes! Woe to the People who deafen their ears! Woe to the People who harden their hearts! Woe! Woe ! The vials are charged; Woe! Woe!" |