Malvern Hills with Minor Poems, and Essays. By Joseph Cottle. Fourth Edition |
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| THE SONG OF THE UNION.
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| II. |
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THE SONG OF THE UNION.
BY A CAMBRIAN BARD.
I.
ENDLESS changes, great, and small,Time, on rapid pinion, brings!
Empires rise, and empires fall,
In the round of human things!
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Thy hour, so long protracted, now is nigh!
And whilst dim sorrow trembles in my eye,
I bid a last adieu, for shadows round thee wait:
Can I, from the light of day,
Thee behold, my mother dear!
Borne by hostile bands away,
Nor drop the fond, and filial tear?
When I forget thee, flower of earth!
Thou loveliest blossom in this world of blast,
Where innocence and playful mirth,
Have o'er thy scenes, so long, a lustre cast,
May the harp which still hath been
My solace, in the hour of care,
Hence, with its softest note, serene,
Plunge this my faithless heart, in horror and despair!
II.
Cambria! thou declin'st thy head,Not like the sons of infamy and scorn!
They, for the abject fate, were born,
And sink, unwept, to their dishonor'd bed.
But when thou sought'st the land of shade,
And on the turf thy head was laid,
Whilst Sorrow, sad, upheld thy bier,
Pity dropp'd the pearly tear;
Valour, for thy braided hair,
Wove a chaplet, fresh and fair,
And all the Virtues, in a train,
Sigh'd around their Champion, slain.
III.
What voice is that of joyful measure?—Bounding sport, and tuneful pleasure?
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Heaven unlocks her stately treasure!
Hark! again the concave rings!
Roused by the immortal strain,
I will list, and list again.
In sounds that melt the ravish'd soul,
Around, the wild-notes, warbling, roll.
Now, in lulling airs, they die;
Now, they wake bold harmony;
Now, to awful grandeur, rise,
Shaking the eternal skies!
While now, by gentler themes beguiled,
All again is soft and mild.
Music, Spirits bless'd, employ,
To tell their plenitude of joy,—
In this heart-inspiring hour,
They behold the demon, War,
From his pinnacle of power,
Chain'd to Discord's fiery car,
Both plunged in dark Oblivion's tide;
They swell the concord of the spheres,
Audible to mortal ears,
And, with ambrosial songs, thro' Heaven, exultant, ride.
1.
Fairer than the evening ray,Who is she, with dove-like wing,
Rising from the ocean spray,
Whilst attendant angels sing?
To new delight and ardent joyance born,
With eyes, that pleasure beam, she mounts on high;
And by her side, whom starry robes adorn,
A kindred shape sublime, illumes the laughing sky.
By her lofty port, and mien,
I see a parent's image there!—
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With the noble England fair!
No more their eye-balls dart around,
Envy, and wrath, and killing scorn, and hate,
In bonds of holy friendship bound,
Each visage wears the smile of love sedate.
May they, to the verge of time,
Traverse, hand in hand, along;
And Bards of every age and clime,
Inspired with Albion's praise, chant the immortal song.
2.
While scenes, august, before my vision play,And Cambria's new-born star of glory shines;
My spirit faints, my head declines,
And dark the hue of this auspicious day!—
Can I, from my memory tear,
The image, graven deepest there!
Llewellyn, and his bitter fate,
Brave, but fallen potentate!
His soul, so high! his heart, so true!
Where generous thoughts, luxuriant, grew!
Till in dust I lay my head,
I will weep Llewellyn, dead!
3.
Ye heroes, pride of future story!Ye who fell, or young, or hoary,
I will not bewail you dead.
The blood that left your falchions gory,
In a noble cause, was shed!
O, earth! what higher praise below
Can thy loftiest children know,
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Than, how to die in freedom's cause.
What fearful vision fills my eyes?
The murder'd Bards before me rise!
Borne from earth, and mortal care,
Their looks, their happier state declare;
Whilst each the golden lyre sustains,
Form'd for heaven, and heavenly strains!
From clouds they come!—a long array!
With the cloud, they pass away!
While sordid spirits leave behind
Names that perish but for scorn,
Your brows shall living garlands bind,
Fragrant, as the blushing morn.
Though never more your concords sweet
Shall raise the soul to ecstasy,
Precious shall your memory be,
Whilst, at the voice of song, a Cambrian's heart shall beat.
1.
O Eleanor! for thee I sigh!Must I not thy tomb adorn?—
Fair as a wanderer from the sky,
That just beheld her natal morn!
While feeling holds dominion o'er the heart,
And sympathy the spirit bears along;
Thy fate shall bid the tear of pity start;
And sorrow oft, for thee, awake her tenderest song!
David! though thy crimes were great,
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Rising from thy traitor state,
Thou, the patriot's sword didst wield.
Edwall, too, shall have his fame!—
Through life's brief morn, fair did thy planet shine,
Thy heart was warm'd with friendship's flame,
And David's dust shall mingle now with thine.
Llewellyn! yet a last adieu,
I bid to thee, thy country's pride!
Cambria, o'er thy grave shall strew
Her first, and latest flowers, striving the tear to hide!
2.
Although the Eternal Fiat, thus ordainsThat Cambria's towering head, in dust should lie;
Ere long, and she shall lift her lofty eye,
Whilst her Own Prince, again, triumphant, reigns!
Let our ardent spirits glow!
Noble is our Victor Foe!
Not to alien power and pride,
We the island-helm confide!
Vanquish'd in the hard-fought field,
Not to coward arm we yield!
But to Edward!—dear to Fame,
England's hope, nor Cambria's shame!
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3.
Ah! check the tear, unbidden, flowing!Favouring winds around are blowing!
Soon will joy our prospects crown;
Heaven is richer gifts bestowing,
Though, awhile, he seems to frown!
England bold, and Cambria fair!
Now are join'd, a happy pair!
Whilst their progeny shall rise,
Great, as good, and brave, as wise!
Far off I gaze! as years advance,
Gallia wields the bloody lance!
The base she raises to renown,
Or tramples thrones, and sceptres, down.
I see her, in her rebel pride,
O'er plains of waste, and carnage, stride!
With one, her lord, deform'd with crimes,
(The Attila of after times)
Dealing, wide, his treacherous smile,
Who, ere he stabs, his victim blinds!
While, in this wave-sequester'd isle,
Affrighted Freedom refuge finds.
New visions burst! Mid rude alarms,
Firm in their strength, our children stand;
Proud spectacle, a Spartan band,
And, with the smiles of Heaven, defy a world in arms.
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