Page:The Poets and Poetry of the West.djvu/38

 22 HISTORICAL SKETCH. " Must foreign rhymers still succeed " And sing how long these ramparts rude. In framing tales for you to read ? Spread through the western wilds, have stood, Can feudal jars Extended vdda : Alone inspire you with delight, Whether some bold adventurous host As vengeful chieftain, squire, and knight Of white men, wrecked upon the coast. Rush forth, in massive armor dight. Could this stupendous labor boast — To border-wars ? Then fled or died : " And will you not, in lofty verse. " Or whether, whence old Ocean roars Feats more chivalric still rehearse ? Round Asia's hyperborean shores. The feats of those, The Tartars wild Who, where his herd the swain now leads Here wandered, and these bulwarks planned ; O'er plains where peace to war succeeds, Till, pressed by some more potent band. Met and chastised, for barbarous deeds, They southward fled, and found a land Their savage foes. More fair and mild, — ((**** gg yours the task. " Where, self-illumed, from age to age, As in Apollo's rays you bask. Man from a savage to a sage The Arts to lead. Progi-essive grew ; And Science, to your fairy bowers, Where, undisturbed by foreign foe, To charm them with your tuneftil powers, The infant Arts began to grow. And crown them with the choicest flowers Till rose the towei's of Mexico To bards decreed. And rich Peru. " Be yours the office to describe " Whoe'er the builders may have been, The blooming belles of Flora's tribe ; How altered now the forest scene For, hidden here, From early times ! Linnaeus' self again might find The former race, though rude, yet brave. New treasures to enrich his mind, Perhaps, from death their tribes to save, To cultivate his taste refined. Forsook the land their fathers gave And judgment clear. For other climes. " Look through this pure and fragrant air, "Now, 'mid these shapeless mounds of soil. To note the volant minstrels there. Thrown up with long laborious toil, As yet unknown ; And want of skill. The finny race that cleave these floods ; A cultivated landscape spreads. That seek those fens, the reptile broods ; Towns, villas, cities lift their heads, And beasts that roam these boundless woods, And Commerce her rich treasures leads So late their own. Along each rill. " Sing how the soil which now we tread " Where late the war-whoop's hideous sound Was once the ocean's coral bed ; Alone disturbed the silence round ; Till, from the strife Now thousands join Of central fires, an earthquake-stroke In sacred harmony, to raise Was given ; the southern barrier broke, The Christian's grateful song of praise. And lo ! a new creation woke To Him who beamed o'er all their ways To light and life. His light divine. " How then, these valleys wide along, " Where late the Indian wigwams stood, From northern lakes the currents strong, Deep in the unbounded range of wood, In eddying coil. Where scarce the sun Rushed southward with impetuous sweep. Could penetrate the twilight-shade ; Where now but rills are seen to creep. Now, domes of science stand displayed. And formed these vast alluvions, deep Where youth's to fame, by learning's aid. In fertile soil. Their- journey run.