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 | Columbia's glory |  |
Thrice worthy Washington, how great
Thy character, thy conduct and thy State!
Long ere Columbia's woes,
Or thy command began,
So high thy genious and thy virtues rose
Above the common line,
'Twere almost reason to suppose
Those must be more than man,
And, tho' compos'd of common dust,
The all-creating power at first
Lodg'd some good angel in that form of thine.
And since thou didst engage
Invading force t'oppose,
And with Columbia's foes
An arduous war to wage;
Such honour, such disinterested zeal,
Such diligence, fidelity so rare,
Such strict attention to thy country's weal,
Such patience, prudence fortitude and care,
Have mark'd thy footsteps on the public stage,
Which thou with so much dignity hast trod,
That, by the conduct of thy past,
So worthily sustain'd,
Thou hast the whole world's plaudit gain'd,
Columbia's love, more ardent and unfeign'd,
For her deliv'rance from a tyrant's rod,
Than ever state to benefactor bore,—
Th' approving voice of thy own conscious heart,
And, what is infinitely more,
No doubt, th' all gracious euge of thy God.
Thy character, thy conduct and thy State!
Long ere Columbia's woes,
Or thy command began,
So high thy genious and thy virtues rose
Above the common line,
'Twere almost reason to suppose
Those must be more than man,
And, tho' compos'd of common dust,
The all-creating power at first
Lodg'd some good angel in that form of thine.
And since thou didst engage
Invading force t'oppose,
And with Columbia's foes
An arduous war to wage;
Such honour, such disinterested zeal,
Such diligence, fidelity so rare,
Such strict attention to thy country's weal,
Such patience, prudence fortitude and care,
21
Which thou with so much dignity hast trod,
That, by the conduct of thy past,
So worthily sustain'd,
Thou hast the whole world's plaudit gain'd,
Columbia's love, more ardent and unfeign'd,
For her deliv'rance from a tyrant's rod,
Than ever state to benefactor bore,—
Th' approving voice of thy own conscious heart,
And, what is infinitely more,
No doubt, th' all gracious euge of thy God.
| Columbia's glory | |