Scotch Poetry Consisting of Songs, Odes, Anthems, and Epigrams. By Alexander Rodger |
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[Who can hear without emotion] |
 | Scotch Poetry |  |
[Who can hear without emotion]
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THE Following Uerses Were written in September, 18I6, on reading a Paragraph in the Glasgow Chronicle, accompanied with a Proclamation of General Bolivar; wherein all the slaves in the Caraccas, Veneuzela, and Cumana, were declared free Citizens, on condition of their taking up Arms in the Cause of Independence. The number thus emancipated were stated to be about Seventy Thousand.
Who can hear without emotion
Such a piece of glorious news?
Who the tribute of devotion—
Who, the tear of joy refuse?
Such a piece of glorious news?
Who the tribute of devotion—
Who, the tear of joy refuse?
Hail thou Friend of Man—thou Saviour
Of the much-wrong'd sable race,
Bolivar! thy name for ever
History's brightest page shall grace.
Of the much-wrong'd sable race,
Bolivar! thy name for ever
History's brightest page shall grace.
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Forward, while thy country's pressing
Towards liberty complete,
Thou diffusest wide the blessing,
Making all participate.
Towards liberty complete,
Thou diffusest wide the blessing,
Making all participate.
Seventy thousand fellow creatures,
Differing only in their hue,
Freed from Slavery's galling fetters,
What a God-like deed to do!
Differing only in their hue,
Freed from Slavery's galling fetters,
What a God-like deed to do!
Every badge of Slavery broken,
Banish'd now all hopeless grief,
See a baud of Freemen flocking
Round the standard of their chief.
Banish'd now all hopeless grief,
See a baud of Freemen flocking
Round the standard of their chief.
See no more the slave, the coward,
But the man, undaunted, bold,
Striving, panting, pressing forward,
'Mong the brave to be enroll'd.
But the man, undaunted, bold,
Striving, panting, pressing forward,
'Mong the brave to be enroll'd.
Who'd not envy thee thy feelings
When thou view'st them thronging nigh,
All their former bitter wailings
Changed to shouts of frantic joy?
When thou view'st them thronging nigh,
All their former bitter wailings
Changed to shouts of frantic joy?
Every eye with gladness beaming,
Every act their soul bespeaks;
Grateful tears profusely streaming
Down their honest sable cheeks.
Every act their soul bespeaks;
Grateful tears profusely streaming
Down their honest sable cheeks.
Fiends confounded at the action,
Shrink within themselves aghast;
Despots, raving with detraction,
Gnaw their tongues and bite the dust.
Shrink within themselves aghast;
Despots, raving with detraction,
Gnaw their tongues and bite the dust.
Good men hail it as a prelude
Of that blissful happy time,
When fair Freedom, so much valued,
Shall extend to every clime.
Of that blissful happy time,
When fair Freedom, so much valued,
Shall extend to every clime.
Angels, while they view the measure,
Give their harps a livelier tone:
God himself looks down with pleasure
On a deed so like his own.
Give their harps a livelier tone:
God himself looks down with pleasure
On a deed so like his own.
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Spirits of immortal Wallace,
Bruce, Tell, Doria, Washington,
And ye noble Six of Calais,
Sterling patriots every one!
Bruce, Tell, Doria, Washington,
And ye noble Six of Calais,
Sterling patriots every one!
Hampden, Sidney, Marg'rot, Gerald,
Palmer, Kosciusko, Muir,
Names dear to a groaning world!
Names which tyrants can't endure!
Palmer, Kosciusko, Muir,
Names dear to a groaning world!
Names which tyrants can't endure!
Does that sacred flame of Freedom
Fire your breasts immortal still,
Which while mortal, struggling, bleeding,
You so potently did feel?
Fire your breasts immortal still,
Which while mortal, struggling, bleeding,
You so potently did feel?
Does it give an augmentation
To your bliss supreme, to see
An oppress'd insulted nation
Bravely struggling to be free?
To your bliss supreme, to see
An oppress'd insulted nation
Bravely struggling to be free?
Then descend, and kindly hover
Round your kindred spirit here,
Cheer him, prompt him to recover
All that mankind hold most dear.
Round your kindred spirit here,
Cheer him, prompt him to recover
All that mankind hold most dear.
On his peaceful couch while lying
With a calm untroubled breast,
All the sweets of sleep enjoying
Sweets which tyrants never taste,
With a calm untroubled breast,
All the sweets of sleep enjoying
Sweets which tyrants never taste,
Paint in every glowing colour
On his fancy warm and bright,
All your deeds of virtuous valour,
All the patriot to excite.
On his fancy warm and bright,
All your deeds of virtuous valour,
All the patriot to excite.
Copying every bright example
You so gloriously have set,
May he cease not—till he trample
Tyranny beneath his feet.
You so gloriously have set,
May he cease not—till he trample
Tyranny beneath his feet.
Fired already with your story,
Brave, disinterested, few,
Lo he treads a path to glory
Mad ambition never knew.
Brave, disinterested, few,
Lo he treads a path to glory
Mad ambition never knew.
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Persevere, thou friend of Freedom,
In the cause thou hast begun;
Freemen hail thee now to lead them
Till the glorious work be done;
In the cause thou hast begun;
Freemen hail thee now to lead them
Till the glorious work be done;
Till the servile cringing homage
Paid to kings be banish'd quite;
Till the great Creator's image
Shall enjoy his every right.
Paid to kings be banish'd quite;
Till the great Creator's image
Shall enjoy his every right.
Wellington, thine actions glorious
Now may hide them in the grave,
True, indeed, thou wert victorious,
But victorious—to enslave.
Now may hide them in the grave,
True, indeed, thou wert victorious,
But victorious—to enslave.
Here's one action far surpassing
All the victories thou hast won;
What has been their end?—replacing
Hated Louis on a throne.
All the victories thou hast won;
What has been their end?—replacing
Hated Louis on a throne.
What their end?—the sad undoing
Of those rights which France possess'd.
What their end?—impending ruin
To thy Country once so blest!
Of those rights which France possess'd.
What their end?—impending ruin
To thy Country once so blest!
When the system thou defendest
Shall be trampled in the dust,
And the tyrants thou befriendest
Shall be execrated—cursed!
Shall be trampled in the dust,
And the tyrants thou befriendest
Shall be execrated—cursed!
Bolivar's shall rise to splendour,
Solid, permanent, sublime;
Which will be beheld with wonder
Till the latest knell of Time.
Solid, permanent, sublime;
Which will be beheld with wonder
Till the latest knell of Time.
Yes, thou spoiler of oppression,
Thine shall yield thee deathless fame;
While the butchers of creation
Shall but reap eternal shame.
Thine shall yield thee deathless fame;
While the butchers of creation
Shall but reap eternal shame.
When those empty glittering bawbles,
Called crowns, shall charm no more,
And when kingly childish squabbles
Cease to drench the earth with gore,
Called crowns, shall charm no more,
And when kingly childish squabbles
Cease to drench the earth with gore,
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Then, with all its charms unfolded,
Will appear thy glorious plan!
Form'd by Truth, by Justice moulded,
Then, indeed, shall man be man!
Will appear thy glorious plan!
Form'd by Truth, by Justice moulded,
Then, indeed, shall man be man!
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