The Shamrock or, Hibernian Cresses. A Collection of Poems, Songs, Epigrams, &c. Latin as well as English, The Original Production of Ireland. To which are subjoined thoughts on the prevailing system of school education, respecting young ladies as well as gentlemen: with practical proposals for a reformation [by Samuel Whyte] |
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THE HONE: A Piece of IRISH MYTHOLOGY. |
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 | The Shamrock |  |
340
THE HONE: A Piece of IRISH MYTHOLOGY.
INSCRIBED TO The Rev. THOMAS LELAND, D. D. S. S. T. C. D.
Fungor vice Cotis.
Hor.
Hor.
Grifolia, fairest of O Connor's Race,
Of spotless Virtue, and angelic Face,
Was by O Neil, a Youth of princely Blood,
With wanton Fire, and loveless Courtship woo'd;
He watch'd her Steps, by lawless Passion sway'd,
And once, alone, surpriz'd the pious Maid.
Of spotless Virtue, and angelic Face,
Was by O Neil, a Youth of princely Blood,
With wanton Fire, and loveless Courtship woo'd;
He watch'd her Steps, by lawless Passion sway'd,
And once, alone, surpriz'd the pious Maid.
On the green Banks of Neagh's peaceful Sea,
The chaste Grifolia had retir'd to pray.
Here, the base Prince, with more than savage Power,
Attack'd the Vestal in her sacred Hour:
He talk'd—he pleaded of Love's Darts, and Fires;
Of his warm Wishes, and his strong Desires;
Of Time, and Place—of his long Suit refus'd;
Of Wealth; of Title; Patience;—all abus'd!
At length, he seiz'd the fair, resistless Prize,
Whilst Fires indignant darted from her Eyes;
He grasped—he press'd the Virgin to his Breast,
And urg'd her Yielding to his high Behest.
The chaste Grifolia had retir'd to pray.
Here, the base Prince, with more than savage Power,
Attack'd the Vestal in her sacred Hour:
He talk'd—he pleaded of Love's Darts, and Fires;
Of his warm Wishes, and his strong Desires;
341
Of Wealth; of Title; Patience;—all abus'd!
At length, he seiz'd the fair, resistless Prize,
Whilst Fires indignant darted from her Eyes;
He grasped—he press'd the Virgin to his Breast,
And urg'd her Yielding to his high Behest.
‘Tyrant!’ she cry'd, ‘thy vain Attempt forbear:
‘My Strength may fail; but Heaven will hear my Prayer—
‘O! may the sacred Guardian of this Land
‘Protect a Maid from thy polluting Hand!
‘May he, whose Power expell'd the prowling Wolf,
‘Save Virtue from Perdition's fatal Gulph!
‘May he, who purg'd this Isle from poisonous Air,
‘Blast thee! or snatch me to his saintly Care!’
‘My Strength may fail; but Heaven will hear my Prayer—
‘O! may the sacred Guardian of this Land
‘Protect a Maid from thy polluting Hand!
‘May he, whose Power expell'd the prowling Wolf,
‘Save Virtue from Perdition's fatal Gulph!
‘May he, who purg'd this Isle from poisonous Air,
‘Blast thee! or snatch me to his saintly Care!’
She pray'd—He still invades her blushing Charms—
When, lo! a prickly Holly fills his Arms!
Wounded, and stung with disappointed Pride,
He drew a Dagger from his trembling Side,
And smote the new-rais'd Holly as it grew,
When to the Lake the sever'd Fragment flew;
It sunk, and, as it disappear'd, the Flood
Was crimson'd o'er with Drops of virgin Blood;
Groanings were heard; and, what is still more strange,
A plaintive Voice succeeds the wonderous Change!
From the deep Lake, in Words articulate,
Thus mourn'd Grifolia her disasterous Fate.
When, lo! a prickly Holly fills his Arms!
Wounded, and stung with disappointed Pride,
He drew a Dagger from his trembling Side,
And smote the new-rais'd Holly as it grew,
When to the Lake the sever'd Fragment flew;
It sunk, and, as it disappear'd, the Flood
Was crimson'd o'er with Drops of virgin Blood;
Groanings were heard; and, what is still more strange,
A plaintive Voice succeeds the wonderous Change!
From the deep Lake, in Words articulate,
Thus mourn'd Grifolia her disasterous Fate.
‘O cruel Prince! transform'd, and turn'd to Stone,
‘My Honour's safe!’ she cry'd, then sigh'd—‘O Hone!’
‘O Honour!’ Half dissolv'd in liquid Air
Was the last Breathing of this hapless Fair.
Thus, Myrrha, Victim of a former Time,
Shar'd thy sad Fate; but how unlike thy Crime!
‘My Honour's safe!’ she cry'd, then sigh'd—‘O Hone!’
‘O Honour!’ Half dissolv'd in liquid Air
Was the last Breathing of this hapless Fair.
Thus, Myrrha, Victim of a former Time,
Shar'd thy sad Fate; but how unlike thy Crime!
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Amaz'd, the Prince gaz'd o'er the silent Flood,
And grew a burning Nettle as he stood;
Rank as his Thoughts, and fiery as his Lust,
Chang'd to that Weed, his Punishment how just!
Whilst chaste Grifolia constantly is seen
Rob'd in a Vesture of eternal Green,
Each Leaf in military Form appears
Arm'd with a Range of vegetable Spears.
Thus Nature shews in emblematic Sense
Her persevering Virtue, and Defence.
And grew a burning Nettle as he stood;
Rank as his Thoughts, and fiery as his Lust,
Chang'd to that Weed, his Punishment how just!
Whilst chaste Grifolia constantly is seen
Rob'd in a Vesture of eternal Green,
Each Leaf in military Form appears
Arm'd with a Range of vegetable Spears.
Thus Nature shews in emblematic Sense
Her persevering Virtue, and Defence.
The rude, unletter'd Natives of this Land,
When struck by Power, or Pain's oppressive Hand,
In Accents slow, and sad, express their Moan,
And, to this Hour, sob out, and cry, ‘Oh Hone!
But those, whom Arts and Education fire,
Who into Nature's curious Laws enquire,
Place Portions of this ever verdant Tree
In Neagh's peaceful petrifying Sea,
Where, steep'd a Time, it hardens into Stone,
And thus becomes the edge-bestowing Hone.
When struck by Power, or Pain's oppressive Hand,
In Accents slow, and sad, express their Moan,
And, to this Hour, sob out, and cry, ‘Oh Hone!
But those, whom Arts and Education fire,
Who into Nature's curious Laws enquire,
Place Portions of this ever verdant Tree
In Neagh's peaceful petrifying Sea,
Where, steep'd a Time, it hardens into Stone,
And thus becomes the edge-bestowing Hone.
| The Shamrock | |