 | The poems, odes, songs, and other metrical effusions, of Samuel Woodworth |  |
145
NEW-YEAR ADDRESS,
Written for the Carrier of a Weekly Paper entitled The War—January 1, 1813.
Patrons! scowling Winter wages
O'er our realms his stormy war;
Back'd by Northern Powers, he rages,
Scattering tempests round his car.
O'er our realms his stormy war;
Back'd by Northern Powers, he rages,
Scattering tempests round his car.
None can stem his rude invasion,
All must to the Tyrant yield;
Spring, alone, with soft persuasion,
Can compel him from the field.
All must to the Tyrant yield;
Spring, alone, with soft persuasion,
Can compel him from the field.
Yet, amid the frowns of winter,
Beams one lucid ray of joy—
While it animates your Printer,
Bid it cheer the Printer's Boy.
Beams one lucid ray of joy—
While it animates your Printer,
Bid it cheer the Printer's Boy.
He'll not boast of rigid duty,
Nor complain his task is hard,
While the smile of Wealth and Beauty
All his services reward.
Nor complain his task is hard,
While the smile of Wealth and Beauty
All his services reward.
'Tis the height of his ambition,
(Laudable in age or youth)
That he claims the great commission
Of a Messenger of Truth.
(Laudable in age or youth)
That he claims the great commission
Of a Messenger of Truth.
146
Free from useless party squabbles,
Is the humble sheet he brings,
Unadorn'd by fiction's baubles,
Save when patriot Fancy sings.
Is the humble sheet he brings,
Unadorn'd by fiction's baubles,
Save when patriot Fancy sings.
Clio, o'er the press presiding,
From her minute-book selects,
Truth from falsehood still dividing,
This she copies—that rejects.
From her minute-book selects,
Truth from falsehood still dividing,
This she copies—that rejects.
Thus prepares a faithful history,
Perfect in each line and page,
Unobscured by doubt or mystery,
To inform a future age.
Perfect in each line and page,
Unobscured by doubt or mystery,
To inform a future age.
Thus, exempt from faction's demon,
He has yet another boast,
That he serves a race of Freemen,
With what Freemen value most.
He has yet another boast,
That he serves a race of Freemen,
With what Freemen value most.
Now accept his gratulations,
That the New-Year's glad return
Finds us still the first of nations,
Where the flame of freedom burns,
That the New-Year's glad return
Finds us still the first of nations,
Where the flame of freedom burns,
Health, the richest earthly blessing,
Wantons in the gelid gale;
Plenty, every board is dressing;
Genius and the Arts prevail.
Wantons in the gelid gale;
Plenty, every board is dressing;
Genius and the Arts prevail.
147
Peace, alone, on ruffled pinion,
Flies from Freedom's injured realm;
War extends his rough dominion,
Vengeance nodding on his helm.
Flies from Freedom's injured realm;
War extends his rough dominion,
Vengeance nodding on his helm.
Harshly sounds the trumpet's clamour,
While our warriors leap to arms;
Beauty shrinks in fearful tremour,
Snatching graces from alarms.
While our warriors leap to arms;
Beauty shrinks in fearful tremour,
Snatching graces from alarms.
Harsh to us the martial clarion
Who with Peace and Freedom blest,
Bade the desert, drear and barren,
Smile a garden in the West.
Who with Peace and Freedom blest,
Bade the desert, drear and barren,
Smile a garden in the West.
Harsh to us, whose fair pretensions
Ne'er infringed a nation's right,
Who have tamely borne aggressions,
Rather than engage in fight.
Ne'er infringed a nation's right,
Who have tamely borne aggressions,
Rather than engage in fight.
But at length, indignant Justice,
Bares her sabre's spotless blade,
Swears by Him in whom our trust is,
Every wrong shall be repaid.
Bares her sabre's spotless blade,
Swears by Him in whom our trust is,
Every wrong shall be repaid.
Now the horrid fray commences,
Bella goads the steeds of war,
Death on every side dispenses,
Spreading ruin round her car.
Bella goads the steeds of war,
Death on every side dispenses,
Spreading ruin round her car.
148
Hark! the tempest louder rages!
See! the Savage joins the strife,
With a hellish yell engages,
Arm'd with hatchet, fire, and knife!
See! the Savage joins the strife,
With a hellish yell engages,
Arm'd with hatchet, fire, and knife!
Age, nor sex, is now respected,
Infant, mother, hoary sire,
By the ruthless knife dissected,
Or in flaming cots, expire!
Infant, mother, hoary sire,
By the ruthless knife dissected,
Or in flaming cots, expire!
Can the foeman, famed for honour,
Britain, famed for social arts,
Can she brook this stain upon her,
Deeds at which a freeman starts!
Britain, famed for social arts,
Can she brook this stain upon her,
Deeds at which a freeman starts!
Form with tigers an alliance!
League with prowling beasts of prey!
Set religion at defiance!
Fright humanity away!
League with prowling beasts of prey!
Set religion at defiance!
Fright humanity away!
Oh! a day of retribution,
Haughty Britain! is at hand,
When the amplest restitution,
Freemen's thunder shall command.
Haughty Britain! is at hand,
When the amplest restitution,
Freemen's thunder shall command.
Now, already, on that ocean
She would rule with walls of oak,
Where her murderers gain promotion,
She has groan'd beneath our stroke.
She would rule with walls of oak,
Where her murderers gain promotion,
She has groan'd beneath our stroke.
149
There her haughty hopes are crumbled,
At our Eagle's flashing eye
George's cross is quickly humbled—
Not a streamer floats on high.
At our Eagle's flashing eye
George's cross is quickly humbled—
Not a streamer floats on high.
How they start, aghast with wonder,
That a rival dare advance,
Tempting Britain's awful thunder,
Which so oft has crippled France.
That a rival dare advance,
Tempting Britain's awful thunder,
Which so oft has crippled France.
But at length they have discovered
We can surer vengeance urge,
Till their ships with carnage covered,
Float in wrecks upon the surge.
We can surer vengeance urge,
Till their ships with carnage covered,
Float in wrecks upon the surge.
Hull advanced—illusion faded,
And the Guerriere, streaming blood,
Blushing for her flag degraded,
Shrunk beneath the crimson'd flood.
And the Guerriere, streaming blood,
Blushing for her flag degraded,
Shrunk beneath the crimson'd flood.
Jones, the next in naval story,
Eager in the brilliant course,
Pluck'd a sprig from British glory—
Conquer'd with inferior force.
Eager in the brilliant course,
Pluck'd a sprig from British glory—
Conquer'd with inferior force.
Next, Decatur—how the muses
Love to dwell upon his name!
Next, Decatur nobly chooses
British arrogance to tame.
Love to dwell upon his name!
Next, Decatur nobly chooses
British arrogance to tame.
150
Once his sabre's blade reflected
Lightnings from the Barbary shore;
More than once that blade directed
Freedom's fire against the Moor.
Lightnings from the Barbary shore;
More than once that blade directed
Freedom's fire against the Moor.
Now a nobler contest offers,
Brighter ardour fires his soul—
He the dreadful meeting proffers,
Where the western billows roll.
Brighter ardour fires his soul—
He the dreadful meeting proffers,
Where the western billows roll.
Short, but bloody, was the battle—
Iron thunders shake the Main—
Leaden hail-stones thickly rattle,
Dimpling all the watery plain.
Iron thunders shake the Main—
Leaden hail-stones thickly rattle,
Dimpling all the watery plain.
Soon the crippled foe surrenders;
Neptune sees the flag descend,
And, amaz'd, his Trident tenders
To Decatur, Freedom's friend.
Neptune sees the flag descend,
And, amaz'd, his Trident tenders
To Decatur, Freedom's friend.
Now Columbia's Eagle hovers
Where Britannia's streamers play'd,
There the patriot eye discovers
British injuries repaid.
Where Britannia's streamers play'd,
There the patriot eye discovers
British injuries repaid.
Entering now this great Emporium,
Grateful to our gladden'd eyes,
See, the British Macedonian
Enters here, Decatur's prize!
Grateful to our gladden'd eyes,
See, the British Macedonian
Enters here, Decatur's prize!
151
Patrons! when the British Lion
Prowl'd the plains where Freedom smil'd,
'Twas a giant, cased in iron,
Struggling with a little child.
Prowl'd the plains where Freedom smil'd,
'Twas a giant, cased in iron,
Struggling with a little child.
Even then, the cause of truth,
Innocence, and right, were won—
Now, in all the pride of youth,
Shall we now the contest shun?
Innocence, and right, were won—
Now, in all the pride of youth,
Shall we now the contest shun?
No! the power of Britain ceases,
Base corruption blunts her sword,
Daily Freedom's power increases,
Sailors' rights shall be restored.
Base corruption blunts her sword,
Daily Freedom's power increases,
Sailors' rights shall be restored.
All the gloomy clouds that hover
O'er the cheerless Western plain,
Shall Atlantic billows cover,
Ocean wash out every stain.
O'er the cheerless Western plain,
Shall Atlantic billows cover,
Ocean wash out every stain.
Be our Navy once completed,
Mann'd by Freedom's gallant tars,
Foes will find their hopes defeated,
And respect Columbia's stars.
Mann'd by Freedom's gallant tars,
Foes will find their hopes defeated,
And respect Columbia's stars.
Patrons! may each earthly blessing,
Crown'd with honourable Peace—
Each enjoyment worth possessing,
Be your own till life shall cease.
Crown'd with honourable Peace—
Each enjoyment worth possessing,
Be your own till life shall cease.
152
May no disappointing barrier
E'er your honest hopes oppose,
So sincerely prays your Carrier,
Such the grateful wish he owes.
E'er your honest hopes oppose,
So sincerely prays your Carrier,
Such the grateful wish he owes.
| The poems, odes, songs, and other metrical effusions, of Samuel Woodworth | |