University of Virginia Library

[I. How went the cry in Greece, an ominous sound]

How went the cry in Greece, an ominous sound,
When Elatea fell—disaster dread,
Presaging Chœronea! Is the tale read—
Is there no moral in the history found,
That we grope on, with tidings each day brought
Of outposts lost to the enemy—our foe
That saps our liberties through the popular thought,
And in our stupor, brings our virtue low.
Yet may we not despair—a nation sleeps
Not always:—she may need repose for strength,
And, at the perilous moment, break at length
Her bonds, as from his lair the lion leaps
To conquest, in the pride of all his powers:—
Ah! Chœronea never shall be ours!