The works of Mr. Thomas Brown Serious and Comical, In Prose and Verse; In four volumes. The Fourth Edition, Corrected, and much Enlarged from his Originals never before publish'd. With a key to all his Writings |
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An Elegy in Memory of the Gallant Viscount Dundee,
who was killed by a random Shot, after he had won the Battle at Gillecrankey. Writ by
Mr. Brown, at the Request of Dr. Griffith and Mr. Burges.
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 | The works of Mr. Thomas Brown |  |
An Elegy in Memory of the Gallant Viscount Dundee, who was killed by a random Shot, after he had won the Battle at Gillecrankey. Writ by Mr. Brown, at the Request of Dr. Griffith and Mr. Burges.
Fors & virtus miscentur in unum.
Vir. Æneid. 12.
Vir. Æneid. 12.
Goddess
, to urge me on forbear,
Or make my mournful Song thy care;
Oppress'd with Doubts, and mighty Woe,
I'd sing the Man, that all Mankind shou'd know,
How brave he fought, how conquer'd, and how fell,
And in what Cause assist me whilst I tell.
Quickly the News was hither brought,
Too true, alas, that he was dead,
And all our Expectations fled;
But yet we would not entertain the Thought.
Between th'extreams of Hope and Fear,
Confus'd we stood the Truth to hear,
Until 'twas made at last too plain,
Beyond all doubt the great unconquer'd Man was slain.
Or make my mournful Song thy care;
Oppress'd with Doubts, and mighty Woe,
I'd sing the Man, that all Mankind shou'd know,
How brave he fought, how conquer'd, and how fell,
And in what Cause assist me whilst I tell.
Quickly the News was hither brought,
Too true, alas, that he was dead,
And all our Expectations fled;
But yet we would not entertain the Thought.
Between th'extreams of Hope and Fear,
Confus'd we stood the Truth to hear,
Until 'twas made at last too plain,
Beyond all doubt the great unconquer'd Man was slain.
46
Forgive me, Heaven, that impious Thought,
At first I question'd your Supreme Decree,
Love to my King the Madness wrought,
And Grief for the World's Loss, the brave DUNDEE.
Oh! frail Estate of Things below,
Well to our cost your emptiness we know.
Scarce from the fury he had pass'd
Of a mistaken factious Race,
But other Dangers follow him as fast,
And trace him as he goes from Place to Place.
His Friends desert, his Foes pursue,
Yet still undaunted he goes on;
New Dangers but his Mind and Strength renew,
So Brave, so Just and Good was this unalter'd Man.
At first I question'd your Supreme Decree,
Love to my King the Madness wrought,
And Grief for the World's Loss, the brave DUNDEE.
Oh! frail Estate of Things below,
Well to our cost your emptiness we know.
Scarce from the fury he had pass'd
Of a mistaken factious Race,
But other Dangers follow him as fast,
And trace him as he goes from Place to Place.
His Friends desert, his Foes pursue,
Yet still undaunted he goes on;
New Dangers but his Mind and Strength renew,
So Brave, so Just and Good was this unalter'd Man.
Tho' much o'er-match'd in Men and Arms,
His Cause and Courage only best,
And his Example far above the rest:
Firmly resolv'd, he meets the numerous Foe;
But first, with chearful Anger in his Face,
Soldiers and Friends, he spoke, I'm sure you know,
For what Intent, and for whose sake we go;
And then he bow'd, and briefly told the Case.
His Cause and Courage only best,
And his Example far above the rest:
Firmly resolv'd, he meets the numerous Foe;
But first, with chearful Anger in his Face,
Soldiers and Friends, he spoke, I'm sure you know,
For what Intent, and for whose sake we go;
And then he bow'd, and briefly told the Case.
His Speech to his Soldiers.
A King Entail'd by long Descent,
Equal almost to Time in its extent,
Robb'd of his Throne, for sure it must be so;
Nor God nor Nature can,
Only presumptuous Man,
Be guilty of so black an Overthrow.
What's worse, to palliate the pretence
Harmless Religion too is brought,
Falsly and indirectly us'd,
And all her sacred Mysteries abus'd,
Beyond what the dark Sibyls ever taught.
And can we bear, my Friends, this great Offence?
Can we stand idle by,
And see our Mother robb'd, at last condemn'd to die,
And not endeavour for some Recompence?
Envy and Fraud, Hypocrisie and Pride,
And bold Ambition, arm'd for Parricide;
The certain loss of Liberty and Laws,
And Usurpation, an intolerable Cause.
All these and more, have brought us here;
Let no Man doubt, let no Man fear,
His Cause is Just, and if he falls to day,
For so by chance he may.
At worst his Name shall wear
A large and noble Character;
But his exalted Soul shall fly
The boundless pitch of vast Eternity.
Equal almost to Time in its extent,
Robb'd of his Throne, for sure it must be so;
Nor God nor Nature can,
Only presumptuous Man,
Be guilty of so black an Overthrow.
What's worse, to palliate the pretence
Harmless Religion too is brought,
Falsly and indirectly us'd,
And all her sacred Mysteries abus'd,
Beyond what the dark Sibyls ever taught.
And can we bear, my Friends, this great Offence?
Can we stand idle by,
And see our Mother robb'd, at last condemn'd to die,
And not endeavour for some Recompence?
47
And bold Ambition, arm'd for Parricide;
The certain loss of Liberty and Laws,
And Usurpation, an intolerable Cause.
All these and more, have brought us here;
Let no Man doubt, let no Man fear,
His Cause is Just, and if he falls to day,
For so by chance he may.
At worst his Name shall wear
A large and noble Character;
But his exalted Soul shall fly
The boundless pitch of vast Eternity.
He spoke; his Soldiers much approve,
Despair and Fear quit ev'ry Breast,
Rage and Revenge their place possess'd:
And then with wond'rous Order t'wards the Foe they move.
But who th'Amazement and th'Affright can tell,
That on the other Army fell?
Or who, without Astonishment, can say,
The wonderous Things this great Man did that Day?
In vain their routed Squadrons fly,
In vain aloud for help they cry,
The Battle's lost, and they must yield, or die.
Despair and Fear quit ev'ry Breast,
Rage and Revenge their place possess'd:
And then with wond'rous Order t'wards the Foe they move.
But who th'Amazement and th'Affright can tell,
That on the other Army fell?
Or who, without Astonishment, can say,
The wonderous Things this great Man did that Day?
In vain their routed Squadrons fly,
In vain aloud for help they cry,
The Battle's lost, and they must yield, or die.
But, see of Human Things the brittle state!
The only best, and best deserving Man,
That should have breath'd beyond the common Span,
The last that meets Triumphantly his Fate;
As he was lifting up his Hand,
To give the finishing Command,
Comes a malicious random Shot,
And struck the Victor dead upon the spot.
Methinks I see the wounded Hero lie,
Too good to live, and yet to brave to die;
I hear him bless his Cause, and more he had to say,
But, oh! the hasty Soul could make no longer stay.
The only best, and best deserving Man,
That should have breath'd beyond the common Span,
The last that meets Triumphantly his Fate;
As he was lifting up his Hand,
To give the finishing Command,
Comes a malicious random Shot,
And struck the Victor dead upon the spot.
Methinks I see the wounded Hero lie,
Too good to live, and yet to brave to die;
I hear him bless his Cause, and more he had to say,
But, oh! the hasty Soul could make no longer stay.
Unconquer'd Man, farewel!
Now thou art gone to dwell
Where thou shalt be intirely free,
From all the Curses of Mortality.
No anxious Thoughs shall wrack thy Breast,
No Factions shall disturb thy Rest;
Nor shalt thou be by Tyranny oppress'd.
Thy Learning and thy Parts,
Thy Knowledge in the noblest, useful Arts,
Thy Conversation and thy Wit,
Spoke thee for Earth unmeet, for Heaven only fit.
Live bless'd above, almost invok'd below;
Live, and accept this pious Vow,
Our Captain once, our Guardian Angel now.
Live and enjoy, those great Rewards are due,
To those who to their Prince are Faithful, Just and True.
Now thou art gone to dwell
Where thou shalt be intirely free,
From all the Curses of Mortality.
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No Factions shall disturb thy Rest;
Nor shalt thou be by Tyranny oppress'd.
Thy Learning and thy Parts,
Thy Knowledge in the noblest, useful Arts,
Thy Conversation and thy Wit,
Spoke thee for Earth unmeet, for Heaven only fit.
Live bless'd above, almost invok'd below;
Live, and accept this pious Vow,
Our Captain once, our Guardian Angel now.
Live and enjoy, those great Rewards are due,
To those who to their Prince are Faithful, Just and True.
| The works of Mr. Thomas Brown | |