Columbia's glory :: :: University of Virginia Library

Prime, Benjamin Young (1733-1791)

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Columbia long indignant mourn'd
Her disappointed aim,
Her oft dishonour'd name,
Her humble suit repuls'd with shame,

Slighted her pleas and her petitions scorn'd.
Determin'd in their crimes,
Those base oppressors of the times,
Proud Britain's servile sons she saw
Obsequious cross the waves,
And, without principle or law,
About her cities insolently stride,
To awe her patriots into slaves.
Nay she beheld, with wild affright,
And keen parental pain,
In cool delib'rate spite,
Her own free children slain,
Unhappy victims to a tyrant's pride.
Dejected on the ground,
And desolate she lay,
While heav'n tremendous frown'd,
And shed its dismal horrors round,
With scarce one smiling ray
Of joyful hope to cheer the sullen gloom;
Tumultuously distrest
With presage dire of heavier woes to come,
And frantic with despair,
She tore her loose neglected hair,
Astonish'd smote her boding breast,
And anxious trembled at th' impending doom.

Britannia long indignant mourn'd, &c.

Her gallant troops repuls'd with shame,
Her offers slighted and her vengeance scorn'd,
Triumphant in their crimes.—
The cruel murd'rers of the times,
She saw proud Gallia's servile sons advance, &c.

While, with parental pain,
She saw her own free children slain,
Unhappy victims to the pride of France, &c.