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58
SCENE BEFORE TRIPOLI.
[_]
[This poem was suggested by one of the many fine passages in Cooper's Naval History of the United States.]
A rosier flood of golden light,
A livelier gush of melody,
Told of a new earth-sent delight
For Heaven's ceaseless jubilee.
Joys none of purer holier birth
Hath Heaven, than noble deeds on earth.
Swift now the fire-eyed host
Of warriors quit their post,
And gathering,
With flashing wing,
On the deep nether bound of their blest home,
Shone like a vast illuminated dome.
Like keenest lightning,
The broad day brightening,
Glittered that army radiant,
With bounding gladness jubilant.
A myriad throng there mustered,
In song-wove circles clustered,
Of every age and strand.
He who had sought
The hero's death;
He who had wrought,
With gushing breath,
To build his fatherland;
He whose faint ear,
On battle-fields lying,
Freedom's glad cheer
Had blest in his dying;
He whom the might
Of duty had lifted,
With front upright,
By war to be rifted;
The hearty ones, whose deaths have been
The births of deathless thoughts 'mongst men.
With jocund flight, they sped their way
Towards Afric's northern shore, where lay,
On the black level of a sunless sea,
Columbia's fleet, afront of Tripoli.
They gathered round one slender bark,
They smiled upon her starry banner;
Her deadly cargo they did mark,
And as the men who were to man her
Each freely came with eager will,
A joy-born wave of richer light
Pulsed through the angelic host a thrill,
That flushed them more unearthly bright.
A livelier gush of melody,
Told of a new earth-sent delight
For Heaven's ceaseless jubilee.
Joys none of purer holier birth
Hath Heaven, than noble deeds on earth.
Swift now the fire-eyed host
Of warriors quit their post,
And gathering,
With flashing wing,
On the deep nether bound of their blest home,
Shone like a vast illuminated dome.
59
The broad day brightening,
Glittered that army radiant,
With bounding gladness jubilant.
A myriad throng there mustered,
In song-wove circles clustered,
Of every age and strand.
He who had sought
The hero's death;
He who had wrought,
With gushing breath,
To build his fatherland;
He whose faint ear,
On battle-fields lying,
Freedom's glad cheer
Had blest in his dying;
He whom the might
Of duty had lifted,
With front upright,
By war to be rifted;
60
The births of deathless thoughts 'mongst men.
With jocund flight, they sped their way
Towards Afric's northern shore, where lay,
On the black level of a sunless sea,
Columbia's fleet, afront of Tripoli.
They gathered round one slender bark,
They smiled upon her starry banner;
Her deadly cargo they did mark,
And as the men who were to man her
Each freely came with eager will,
A joy-born wave of richer light
Pulsed through the angelic host a thrill,
That flushed them more unearthly bright.
Hushed is the fleet; a fearful deed 's to do.
All hearts are with that bark and her bold crew.
A low “God bless you!”—seizure of the hand,—
A manly, tender look,—and the choice band
Have parted from their comrades. Fare ye well,
Ye brave, with Somers, Wadsworth, Israel!
Calmly and silent takes his station each:
Only who stay are moved. With warning speech,
Decatur, who for self ne'er danger spied,
Greets Somers; and stout Preble's bosom sighed,
As from his sight quick glided in the gloom
The death-fraught vessel, onward to her doom.
Through the dark and solemn night,
Forth she slid like voiceless sprite.
On her deck, so dread and cheerless,
Thirteen hearts beat free and fearless.
Friends were behind them, foes before;
Round and under,
War's black thunder
Slept till a spark should wake its roar.
But Heaven smiled in stars above;
And deep within
Each heart's full rim
Glowed the strong fire of country's love.
All hearts are with that bark and her bold crew.
A low “God bless you!”—seizure of the hand,—
A manly, tender look,—and the choice band
61
Ye brave, with Somers, Wadsworth, Israel!
Calmly and silent takes his station each:
Only who stay are moved. With warning speech,
Decatur, who for self ne'er danger spied,
Greets Somers; and stout Preble's bosom sighed,
As from his sight quick glided in the gloom
The death-fraught vessel, onward to her doom.
Through the dark and solemn night,
Forth she slid like voiceless sprite.
On her deck, so dread and cheerless,
Thirteen hearts beat free and fearless.
Friends were behind them, foes before;
Round and under,
War's black thunder
Slept till a spark should wake its roar.
But Heaven smiled in stars above;
And deep within
Each heart's full rim
Glowed the strong fire of country's love.
62
Hushed deeper is the fleet. All eyes are one;
All fastened to the lone “Intrepid's” path.
The wind is gauged, the time 't will take to run
To the Turk's cruisers, where will burst her wrath.
The bold bark's desperate goal she'll quickly gain;
The scene fore-paints itself on the strung brain:—
See Somers stand,
With fire in hand;
His comrades ready,
No nerve unsteady:
The match is lighted;
The crew, unfrighted,
(Naught of earth could shake them,)
To the boats betake them,—
Harshly is rent this hopeful dream.
Forth from the Moslem fort a stream
Gushes of flame; quick then the ear
Is filled, too, by the cannoneer.
Stream upon stream; with each a mate
Of thunder on the air doth grate.
Is broke this hot suspense
By what o'erwhelmed the sense.
One flash, as though all light were spent!
One crash, as though a sphere were rent!
Trembled the wars-men to their keels;
Glared the dark sea, as thing that feels.
By that appalling light, each saw
His neighbour's visage blanched with awe.
The air collapsed, as though a wrench
Were made Earth's very life to quench.
Silence and Night, as fraught with general death,
Rush back, while Turk and Christian hold their breath.
All fastened to the lone “Intrepid's” path.
The wind is gauged, the time 't will take to run
To the Turk's cruisers, where will burst her wrath.
The bold bark's desperate goal she'll quickly gain;
The scene fore-paints itself on the strung brain:—
See Somers stand,
With fire in hand;
His comrades ready,
No nerve unsteady:
The match is lighted;
The crew, unfrighted,
(Naught of earth could shake them,)
To the boats betake them,—
Harshly is rent this hopeful dream.
Forth from the Moslem fort a stream
Gushes of flame; quick then the ear
Is filled, too, by the cannoneer.
Stream upon stream; with each a mate
Of thunder on the air doth grate.
63
By what o'erwhelmed the sense.
One flash, as though all light were spent!
One crash, as though a sphere were rent!
Trembled the wars-men to their keels;
Glared the dark sea, as thing that feels.
By that appalling light, each saw
His neighbour's visage blanched with awe.
The air collapsed, as though a wrench
Were made Earth's very life to quench.
Silence and Night, as fraught with general death,
Rush back, while Turk and Christian hold their breath.
More slowly than when Ocean's homeward way
Is balked with calms, drag on the minutes now.
Keener than the fierce famished shark for prey,
Watches each silent ship from stern to prow.
Is balked with calms, drag on the minutes now.
Keener than the fierce famished shark for prey,
Watches each silent ship from stern to prow.
64
Save when impetuous fancy cheats the hope
With semblances of sound, nor eye nor ear
Can seize on aught within their tensest scope.
As hours wear sadly on, night grows more drear.
With semblances of sound, nor eye nor ear
Can seize on aught within their tensest scope.
As hours wear sadly on, night grows more drear.
Close to the water's edge the seamen creep,
Striving to catch the stroke of muffled oar.
The hands that should have pulled them, on the deep,
Where Courage keeps his state, will pull no more.
Striving to catch the stroke of muffled oar.
The hands that should have pulled them, on the deep,
Where Courage keeps his state, will pull no more.
Gleams the high rocket; booms the signal gun,
Calling to Somers, Wadsworth, Israel.
The heavenward gleam points to the path they 've gone;
The cannon's helpful roar,—it is their knell.
Calling to Somers, Wadsworth, Israel.
The heavenward gleam points to the path they 've gone;
The cannon's helpful roar,—it is their knell.
None came to say, how died th' heroic band;
And Death and Night the fearful secret kept.
Shrieked mothers, sisters, wives, as from that strand
Reached the dread tale, and a whole nation wept.
And Death and Night the fearful secret kept.
Shrieked mothers, sisters, wives, as from that strand
Reached the dread tale, and a whole nation wept.
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Gay as blossoms breeze-borne dancing,
Heavenward flew th' angelic host,
Swift as sunbeams earthward glancing,
Back to their empyreal post.
Heavenward flew th' angelic host,
Swift as sunbeams earthward glancing,
Back to their empyreal post.
E'er that glare the fleet that daunted
Quick was swallowed by the night,
They their song of triumph chanted
Near th' eternal realms of light.
Quick was swallowed by the night,
They their song of triumph chanted
Near th' eternal realms of light.
Linked in wreaths 'round heaven's portal,
With the lightsome grace of joy,
Hung that shining host immortal,
Heirs of bliss without alloy.
With the lightsome grace of joy,
Hung that shining host immortal,
Heirs of bliss without alloy.
Backward then their vision darting,
In the nether darkness met,
Just from earth fresh upward starting,
What seemed stars in circle set.
In the nether darkness met,
Just from earth fresh upward starting,
What seemed stars in circle set.
66
Upward, upward, surely steering,
Sparkling with perennial ray,
Thirteen stars, all free careering
Upward to the heavenly day.
Sparkling with perennial ray,
Thirteen stars, all free careering
Upward to the heavenly day.
Now they near the blissful portal,
Brightening still as they advance;
Now the exultant host immortal
Close them in with choral dance.
Brightening still as they advance;
Now the exultant host immortal
Close them in with choral dance.
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