The Poetical Works of Anna Seward With Extracts from her Literary Correspondence. Edited by Walter Scott ... In Three Volumes |
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 | The Poetical Works of Anna Seward |  |
114
TO MRS SIDDONS.
Siddons, when first commenc'd thy ardent course,
The powers that guard the Drama's aweful shrine,
Beauty, and grandeur, tenderness, and force,
Silence that speaks, and eloquence divine,
The powers that guard the Drama's aweful shrine,
Beauty, and grandeur, tenderness, and force,
Silence that speaks, and eloquence divine,
For thee erected that approachless throne
None may or hope to conquer, or to share,
And all our subject passions trembling own
Each various sense subdued and captive there:
None may or hope to conquer, or to share,
And all our subject passions trembling own
Each various sense subdued and captive there:
Yet the heart says, respect a rival claim,
A claim that rises in unvanquish'd strife;
Behold, dividing still the palm of Fame,
Her radiant Science, and her spotless Life!
A claim that rises in unvanquish'd strife;
Behold, dividing still the palm of Fame,
Her radiant Science, and her spotless Life!
115
ODE ON ENGLAND'S NAVAL TRIUMPHS IN THE PRESENT WAR.
Sublime to all the rising winds
Britannia's ensigns gaily stream;
From Howe's bright day proud Gallia finds
Her naval strength a vanish'd dream;
“That Britain rules the subject waves,
“And vows her sons shall ne'er be slaves.
Britannia's ensigns gaily stream;
From Howe's bright day proud Gallia finds
Her naval strength a vanish'd dream;
“That Britain rules the subject waves,
“And vows her sons shall ne'er be slaves.
When Jervis, on the Atlantic deep,
Intrepid crush'd Iberia's sails,
He taught St Vincent's rocky steep,
Her torrid hills, and sultry vales,
“That great Britannia rul'd the waves,
“And vow'd her sons should ne'er be slaves.
Intrepid crush'd Iberia's sails,
He taught St Vincent's rocky steep,
Her torrid hills, and sultry vales,
“That great Britannia rul'd the waves,
“And vow'd her sons should ne'er be slaves.
116
And when illustrious Duncan stood
To France and Holland's blended train,
In tyrant and apostate blood
Afresh he stampt the patriot strain,
“Rule Britannia, rule the waves,
“Britons never shall be slaves.
To France and Holland's blended train,
In tyrant and apostate blood
Afresh he stampt the patriot strain,
“Rule Britannia, rule the waves,
“Britons never shall be slaves.
But hark! from Afric's glowing shores
What sounds exulting Glory brings!
How loud Britannia's Lion roars,
How high her Genius soars—and sings
“Rule Britannia, &c.
What sounds exulting Glory brings!
How loud Britannia's Lion roars,
How high her Genius soars—and sings
“Rule Britannia, &c.
The motley flag of France no more
Shall vaunting greet her bloody coast,
Before resistless Nelson's power
It sunk!—appall'd!—o'erwhelm'd!—and lost!
“Rule Britannia, &c.
Shall vaunting greet her bloody coast,
Before resistless Nelson's power
It sunk!—appall'd!—o'erwhelm'd!—and lost!
“Rule Britannia, &c.
Invaded Egypt, at the sight,
Her grateful shores illumin'd wide;
Old Nile records that wondrous night,
Resounding o'er his purpled tide,
“Rule Britannia, &c.
Her grateful shores illumin'd wide;
Old Nile records that wondrous night,
Resounding o'er his purpled tide,
“Rule Britannia, &c.
Ye partners of that matchless hour,
Return, to future ages famed;
Return the charter'd song to pour
When Nelson and the Nile are named,
“Rule Britannia, rule the waves,
“Britons never shall be slaves.
Return, to future ages famed;
117
When Nelson and the Nile are named,
“Rule Britannia, rule the waves,
“Britons never shall be slaves.
The flag of triumph yet again
Floats from the temple's gilded height!
Gay fires ascend!—the patriot strain
Redoubled rends the vault of night!
“Rule Britannia, rule the waves,
“Britons never shall be slaves!
Floats from the temple's gilded height!
Gay fires ascend!—the patriot strain
Redoubled rends the vault of night!
“Rule Britannia, rule the waves,
“Britons never shall be slaves!
On green Ierne's menaced strand
Rebellion, darkly cowering, stood,
And heard the charter'd song expand
'Mid skies of flame, o'er seas of blood,
“Rule Britannia, &c.
Rebellion, darkly cowering, stood,
And heard the charter'd song expand
'Mid skies of flame, o'er seas of blood,
“Rule Britannia, &c.
Saw fell Invasion's routed horde,
Victorious Warren, strike to thee,
Loud as thy cannon's thunder pour'd,
And hail'd redeem'd Ierne free,
Whose sons, while Britain rules the waves,
To haughty France shall ne'er be slaves.
Victorious Warren, strike to thee,
Loud as thy cannon's thunder pour'd,
And hail'd redeem'd Ierne free,
Whose sons, while Britain rules the waves,
To haughty France shall ne'er be slaves.
118
O Source of Mercies! to thy name
Shall Praise her grateful notes prolong,
That thus ascends, in high acclaim,
Thy favour'd nation's hallow'd song,
“Rule Britannia, rule the waves,
“Britons never shall be slaves.”
Shall Praise her grateful notes prolong,
That thus ascends, in high acclaim,
Thy favour'd nation's hallow'd song,
“Rule Britannia, rule the waves,
“Britons never shall be slaves.”
119
TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE MARCHIONESS OF DONEGALL,
WITH MR HAYLEY'S LIFE OF MILTON.
Go, rescuing Volume, seek her gentle hands
Whose heart o'er every noble deed expands!
To such thy page inevitably dear,
Where Truth, resistless as Ithuriel's spear,
From party-prejudice, malignant spleen,
And literary envy draws the screen,
Whose sophist reasoning, and detractive powers,
Satanic influence breath'd in Eden's bowers;
Yet with some merits, pious, liberal, kind,
Held union strange in Johnson's mighty mind.
Whose heart o'er every noble deed expands!
To such thy page inevitably dear,
Where Truth, resistless as Ithuriel's spear,
From party-prejudice, malignant spleen,
And literary envy draws the screen,
Whose sophist reasoning, and detractive powers,
Satanic influence breath'd in Eden's bowers;
Yet with some merits, pious, liberal, kind,
Held union strange in Johnson's mighty mind.
120
Lo! all is day in this redeeming tome!
Again in light the amaranth garlands bloom;
And, as unveil'd appears each dark'ning aim,
Great in the lustre of his former fame,
Immortal Milton stands to future times,
Nor sighing Goodness mourns his fancied crimes.
Again in light the amaranth garlands bloom;
And, as unveil'd appears each dark'ning aim,
Great in the lustre of his former fame,
Immortal Milton stands to future times,
Nor sighing Goodness mourns his fancied crimes.
These leaves while graceful Donegall explores,
New pleasures shall augment her bosom's stores;
Increase the happiness, that hourly swells
Where the soul's sunshine, conscious Virtue, dwells.
And O! what virtue more unclouded beams
Than from her spotless life continual streams?
Virtue, that 'mid distinction's dazzling rays,
And in the tempting and the dangerous days
Of blooming charms, and inexperienc'd youth,
Shone the bright pattern of connubial truth;
With growing lustre and with strength'ning powers
From life's gay morning to its noontide hours.
What then was innocence and faith sincere,
The blush of modesty and pity's tear,
Now glows with energies, that widely spread
Comfort on penury's deserted head,
And guards that Worth, which rank and wealth behold
Change all their tinsel to Intrinsic Gold.
New pleasures shall augment her bosom's stores;
Increase the happiness, that hourly swells
Where the soul's sunshine, conscious Virtue, dwells.
And O! what virtue more unclouded beams
Than from her spotless life continual streams?
Virtue, that 'mid distinction's dazzling rays,
And in the tempting and the dangerous days
Of blooming charms, and inexperienc'd youth,
Shone the bright pattern of connubial truth;
With growing lustre and with strength'ning powers
From life's gay morning to its noontide hours.
What then was innocence and faith sincere,
The blush of modesty and pity's tear,
Now glows with energies, that widely spread
Comfort on penury's deserted head,
And guards that Worth, which rank and wealth behold
Change all their tinsel to Intrinsic Gold.
121
TO MISS GODFREY,
WITH MR HAYLEY'S LIFE OF MILTON.
Here, from that excellence of mind and heart
Which seated Milton high in Honour's fane,
From genius, piety, and lyric art,
Recedes injustice' dark but transient stain.
Which seated Milton high in Honour's fane,
From genius, piety, and lyric art,
Recedes injustice' dark but transient stain.
Thou, gentle Maid, whose kindred spirit shares
Each virtue thy fair sister's life displays,
Wilt joy to see expos'd the sophist snares
That wilder judgment in their artful maze.
Each virtue thy fair sister's life displays,
Wilt joy to see expos'd the sophist snares
That wilder judgment in their artful maze.
And O! to each more bright these leaves will shine,
Their truth, their eloquence, more welcome prove,
Viewing the Bard, whose songs ye feel divine,
Given back to Glory by the Friend ye love.
Their truth, their eloquence, more welcome prove,
Viewing the Bard, whose songs ye feel divine,
Given back to Glory by the Friend ye love.
| The Poetical Works of Anna Seward | |