Page:The American Revolution (scriptural style).djvu/372



6 COLUMBIAD.

This fure is Inppinerrf and petfe£l joy.

Thus have I ieen upon the clofe«'day, Soft gentle ::-pliyrs on the ocean pray, Pleas'd with the profped, fondly have I gaz'd, And the great archited of nature prais'd : But, chang'd hov/ foon! to what it was before— 'I'he v/inds liowl dreadful, and the billows roar; They lift their foaming tops in dread array— The fons of Neptune hail the Dawning day. The day, al is! no cheering comfort brings, The tumult thickens, and the death-bell rings. Some climb the fl;rouds, the tatter'd fails to reeve. Others apart — in filent anniifb grieve; The pilot's Aiiil evades the broken v.'aves, The bark fecures, the fearful crew he fares; Safe into port condufls them all at laO, Fleas'd they carefs, for joy at dangers pafl-.

So far'd Columbians generous race of men,

Nor knew what Itorms were gath'ring tliick on theifl.

Such direful ftorms no bard did. ever fing,

Rais'd by gre-at George, fam*d Albion's fcepter'd king.

By want opprefs'd, by fycophants amus'd,

A.nd by his venal fervants long abus'd.—

Kis eiTipty ccifers call forth all the fkill,

Of the fage North^ prime-minirter at will;

tion, like the diamond from the hands of the lapidary, would fbine with dillinguiilieJ luilre; and here perhaps, ray readers v/ill not be ■ olfcaJcd if I quote a few lines from Gay's beautifu' elegy, written in a country church yard,?.s it is not R'cry foreign to the purpofe.


 * ' Perha'f-s in this neglected fpot is laid,

<' Some heart once pregnant with ^eitjal fire;

« Han^ls, that th;; rod ^f em. ire niight have fway'd,

'f Or wak'd to exla y the living lyre.

" Some vil'age Hampden, who with dauntle'is trea/l,

<' The little tyrant of his fie'ds withftood;

"!* Some mute inglorious Milton here may reft,

'* Some Cromwell, guiltlefs of his counijy's blocd/*