Part 5 (1/2)
To view thee I no longer dare.--
I feel my throbbing heart respire.
Again my fancy with unquell'd desire, O Horror! courts thee, trembling owns thy power.
Come, let us now, at this congenial hour, While midnight tempests sweep With bellowing rage the s.h.i.+p-ingulfing deep, While thunders roar, and livid lightnings blaze, Let us on that dread, watery chaos gaze.
Or from the peopled vale, below, Uplooking, see, from lofty Alpine crown, The rolling ma.s.s of snow, Into a mountain grown, Rush overwhelming down.
Or let us, in Numidian desert drear, The roar of prowling beasts, and hiss of serpents hear; Or bask by blazing city; or explore, On Etna's brink, the sulphurous mouth of h.e.l.l, And hear the fiery flood tempestuous roar, And hear the d.a.m.n'd in hotter torments yell.
Or wilt thou, Horror! haunt the villain's breast, In dismal solitude, by thought opprest; Where guilty Conscience fetter'd lies, Turn'd all her shrinking lidless eyes Full to the blaze of truth's unclouded sun, And struggles, still in vain, her pangs, herself to shun?
Ah!--now more hideous grows thine air; With direr aspect ne'er dost thou appear, To fright weak Beings in this earthly sphere; Faint semblance of thy most tremendous mien, As, in Tartarean gulfs of endless night, By agonizing demons thou art seen: But oh! what living eye could bear that sight?
To look on it e'en Fancy does not dare.-- Oh! may I ne'er be doom'd to see thee, Horror! there!
ODE
TO HOPE.
Thou Cherub fair! in whose blue, sparkling eye New joys, antic.i.p.ated, ever play; Celestial Hope! with whose all-potent sway The moral elements of life comply; At thy melodious voice their jarrings cease, And settle into order, beauty, peace; How dear to memory that thrice-hallow'd hour Which gave Thee to the world, auspicious Power!
Sent by thy parent, Mercy, from the sky, Invested with her own all-cheering ray, To dissipate the thick, black cloud of fate Which long had shrouded this terrestrial state, What time fair Virtue, struggling with despair, Pour'd forth to pitying heaven her saddest soul in prayer: Then, then she saw the brightening gloom divide, And Thee, sweet Comforter! adown thy rainbow glide.
From the veil'd awful future, to her view Scenes of immortal bliss thou didst disclose; With faith's rapt eye she hail'd the vision true, Spurn'd the base earth, and smiled upon her woes.
Thou Sovereign of the human soul Whose influence rules without controul!
Unlike thy gloomy rival, Fear, Abhorr'd, usurping Demon! who constrains The shuddering spirit in his icy chains: O Hope! be thou for ever near; Keep the dread tyrant far away, And all my willing, grateful bosom sway.
Each coming hour, that smiles with promise sweet, In thy bright, spotless mirror let me greet, And fondly pa.s.sive to thy dictates, deem Those smiling hours all heavenly as they seem: Should changeful Fortune, hostile in her mood, With storms and thunder arm her meteor-car, And 'gainst me summon all her host to war, Rouse thou, kind Power! the champion Fort.i.tude, With his well-tempered s.h.i.+eld To brave the threatening field.
Amid that scene of woes and mental strife Let thy sweet, distant whisper soothe my ear, Inviting Fancy far from mortal life, To wander, blest, her own-created sphere.
Do thou her glowing thought possess, And let her fairy pencil draw, Free, and unconscious of thy law, Fair images of Happiness; Of that celestial form which lives imprest Indelible, eternal, in thy breast.
E'en in the dead calm of the mind, When Fancy sleeps, thou yet be kind; O Hope! still let thy golden pinions play, The unbreathing void to cheer, and shed a glancing ray!
ODE
TO THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON.
This, this is inspiration's hour!
Poetic Genius, rus.h.i.+ng on my soul, Rouses her every sense, her every power, And with a force too mighty to controul Inspires the warm, enthusiastic song: Now will I sing, O Wellington! of thee; To thee my plausive strains, of right, belong; For thee my lyre shall pour its choicest harmony.
Long have I fondly mused the theme sublime; And from my grateful heart of patriot flame In secret, offer'd incense to thy name; But dared not with unhallow'd rhyme Profane the British Hero's fame.
Thrice welcome this propitious time!
Now, joining with my Country's minstrel-band, Thy deeds, O Wellington! will I rehea.r.s.e In lofty never-dying verse, To which Britannia's self shall deign To lend a listening ear, While in thy military, swift career Triumphantly she leads thee by the hand, And proudly thrones thee high in glory's fane.
In yonder eastern climes afar What dawning light attracts the Muse's eye?-- She feels the influence of her ruling star, And with an eagle's gaze, an eagle's wings, As to Apollo's self, transported, springs-- 'Tis Wellington in Victory's brilliant car, Who his triumphal progress has begun; Around him honour's sun Shoots forth its orient ray: In wondering India's sky He rises like the G.o.d of day.
Greet him, O England! greet thy conquering Son!
O! could'st thou but foresee The events of dark futurity, How would'st thou, then, adore the name of Wellington!
Know!--he shall soon thy thunders wield In many a European field, Confound thy haughty foes with dread amaze, And fill the dazzled world with his meridian blaze.
To Europe's frighten'd eyes What scenes of horror rise!
See, from the darkness of the infernal world, Where with the rebel demons he was hurl'd, See, Revolution rears his hydra-head!
Ill-fated Gallia is his destined prey.
Thither the Monster makes his furious way; And with a loud, ferocious yell, That strikes the earth with dread, And spreads delight through h.e.l.l, He summons all his hideous train, To strengthen and support his reign.
Broke are the bonds of social life, All kindred, all domestic ties; Mid scenes of anarchy and civil strife, Mid plots, cabals, and murderous rivalries, Eager for prey, with licence unconfined Range the fierce Pa.s.sions of the human mind, Ambition, Avarice, Anger, Vengeance, Hate: With frantic men rejoicing devils howl, And all h.e.l.l's ravenous blood-hounds barking prowl.
O could oblivion veil that direst page of fate!
The revolutionary storm subsides.-- Lo! now, proud Gallia's Genius towers on high; O'er half Europa he already strides, And glorying in his might threats earth and sky; The neighbouring nations, vanquish'd to his sway, Like abject slaves his tyrant power obey.