Ballads for the Times (Now first collected,) Geraldine, A Modern Pyramid, Bartenus, A Thousand Lines, and other poems. By Martin F. Tupper. A new Edition, enlarged and revised |
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 | Ballads for the Times |  |
229
The Thanks of Parliament to Wellington and his Army.
Outspake a nation's voice,
Concentred in her king,
While cannons roar, and hearts rejoice,
And all the steeples ring:
Concentred in her king,
While cannons roar, and hearts rejoice,
And all the steeples ring:
Outspake old England then
By prelates and by peers:
By all her best and wisest men,
Her sages and her seers—
By prelates and by peers:
By all her best and wisest men,
Her sages and her seers—
Old England and her pair
Of sisters, north and west,
The comely graces, fresh and fair,
Who charm the world to rest.
Of sisters, north and west,
The comely graces, fresh and fair,
Who charm the world to rest.
All honour to the brave!
The living and the dead,
Who only fought to bless and save,
And crush the hydra's head:
The living and the dead,
Who only fought to bless and save,
And crush the hydra's head:
All honour and all thanks
To every mother's son,
Saxon, or Celt, or Gael, or Manx,
Who fought with Wellington!
To every mother's son,
Saxon, or Celt, or Gael, or Manx,
Who fought with Wellington!
For heroes were they all,
To conquer or to die,
By Ahmednuggra's bastion'd wall,
Or desperate Assye:
To conquer or to die,
By Ahmednuggra's bastion'd wall,
Or desperate Assye:
230
And, heroes still, they strive
Against the dangerous Dane,
When France stirr'd up the northern hive,
To sting us on the main:
Against the dangerous Dane,
When France stirr'd up the northern hive,
To sting us on the main:
All heroes, heroes still,
For Lusitania's right;
By red Roleia's hard-fought hill,
And Vimiera's fight:
For Lusitania's right;
By red Roleia's hard-fought hill,
And Vimiera's fight:
And stout the heroes stood
On Talavera's day;
And wrote their conquering names in blood,
At Salamanca's fray:
On Talavera's day;
And wrote their conquering names in blood,
At Salamanca's fray:
Still heroes, on they went
O'er Cuidad's gory fosse,
And stern Sebastian's battlement,
And thundering Badajoz:
O'er Cuidad's gory fosse,
And stern Sebastian's battlement,
And thundering Badajoz:
And, heroes ever, taught
Old Soult to fly and yield,
Shouting “Victory” as they fought
On red Vittoria's field;
Old Soult to fly and yield,
Shouting “Victory” as they fought
On red Vittoria's field;
And, heroes aye, they flew
To Orthez, conquering yet;
Until, at whelming Waterloo,
The Frenchman's sun had set!
To Orthez, conquering yet;
Until, at whelming Waterloo,
The Frenchman's sun had set!
Then, thanks! thou glorious chief,
And thanks! ye gallant band,
Who, under God, to man's relief
Stretch'd out the saving hand:
And thanks! ye gallant band,
Who, under God, to man's relief
Stretch'd out the saving hand:
231
All Britain thanks you well,
By peasant, peer, and king;
To all who fought for us, or fell,
Immortal honours bring!
By peasant, peer, and king;
To all who fought for us, or fell,
Immortal honours bring!
Peal fast the merry chime,
And bid the cannon roar
In praise of heroes, whom all time
Shall cherish evermore!
And bid the cannon roar
In praise of heroes, whom all time
Shall cherish evermore!
| Ballads for the Times | |