 | Poems of Freneau |  |
On the Demolition of the FRENCH MONARCHY.
From Bourbon's brow the crown remov'd,
Low in the dust is laid;
And, parted now from all she loved,
MARIA'S beauties fade:
Low in the dust is laid;
And, parted now from all she loved,
MARIA'S beauties fade:
What shall relieve her sad distress,
What power recall that former state
When drinking deep her seas of bliss,
She smiled, and look'd so sweet!
With aching heart and haggard eye
She views the palace, towering high,
Where, once, were passed her brightest days,
And nations stood, in wild amaze,
Louis! to see you eat.
What power recall that former state
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She smiled, and look'd so sweet!
With aching heart and haggard eye
She views the palace, towering high,
Where, once, were passed her brightest days,
And nations stood, in wild amaze,
Louis! to see you eat.
This gaudy vision to restore
Shall fate its laws repeal,
Or cruel despots rise once more
To plan a new BASTILLE!
Will, from their sheathes, ten thousand blades
In glittering vengeance start
To mow down slaves, and slice off heads,
Taking a monarch's part?—
Ah no!—the heavens this hope refuse;
Despots! they send you no such news—
Nor Conde, fierce, nor Frederick, stout,
Nor Catherine brings this work about,
Nor Brunswick's warlike art:
Shall fate its laws repeal,
Or cruel despots rise once more
To plan a new BASTILLE!
Will, from their sheathes, ten thousand blades
In glittering vengeance start
To mow down slaves, and slice off heads,
Taking a monarch's part?—
Ah no!—the heavens this hope refuse;
Despots! they send you no such news—
Nor Conde, fierce, nor Frederick, stout,
Nor Catherine brings this work about,
Nor Brunswick's warlike art:
Nor HE
that once, with fire and sword,
This western world alarmed:
Throughout our clime whose thunders roared,
Whose legions round us swarmed—
Once more his tyrant arm invades
A race that dare be free:
His Myrmidons, with murdering blades,
In one base cause agree!—
Ill fate attend on every scheme
That tends to darken REASON'S beam:
And rising with gigantic might
In VIRTUE'S cause, I see unite
Worlds, under FREEDOM'S TREE!
This western world alarmed:
Throughout our clime whose thunders roared,
Whose legions round us swarmed—
Once more his tyrant arm invades
A race that dare be free:
His Myrmidons, with murdering blades,
In one base cause agree!—
Ill fate attend on every scheme
That tends to darken REASON'S beam:
And rising with gigantic might
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Worlds, under FREEDOM'S TREE!
Valour, at length, by Fortune led,
The RIGHTS OF MAN restores;
And GALLIA, now from bondage freed,
Her rising sun adores:
On EQUAL RIGHTS, her fabric planned,
Storms idly round it rave,
Nor longer breathes in Gallic land
A monarch, or a slave!
At distance far, and self-removed
From all he owned and all he loved,
See!—turned his back on Freedom's blaze,
In foreign lands the emigrant strays,
Or finds an early grave!
The RIGHTS OF MAN restores;
And GALLIA, now from bondage freed,
Her rising sun adores:
On EQUAL RIGHTS, her fabric planned,
Storms idly round it rave,
Nor longer breathes in Gallic land
A monarch, or a slave!
At distance far, and self-removed
From all he owned and all he loved,
See!—turned his back on Freedom's blaze,
In foreign lands the emigrant strays,
Or finds an early grave!
Enrolled with these—and close immur'd,
The gallant chief is found,
He, whom admiring crowds adored,
Through either world renowned,
Here, bold in arms, and firm in heart,
He helped to gain our cause,
Yet could not from a tyrant part,
But, turned to embrace his laws!—
Ah! hadst thou stay'd in fair Auvergne,
And Truth from PAINE vouchsafed to learn;
There, happy, honoured, and retired,
Both hemispheres had still admired,
Still crowned you with applause.
The gallant chief is found,
He, whom admiring crowds adored,
Through either world renowned,
Here, bold in arms, and firm in heart,
He helped to gain our cause,
Yet could not from a tyrant part,
But, turned to embrace his laws!—
Ah! hadst thou stay'd in fair Auvergne,
And Truth from PAINE vouchsafed to learn;
There, happy, honoured, and retired,
Both hemispheres had still admired,
Still crowned you with applause.
See! doomed to fare on famished steeds,
The rude Hungarians fly;
Brunswick, with drooping courage leads
Death's meagre family:
In dismal groups, o'er hosts of dead,
Their madness they bemoan,
No friendly hand to give them bread,
No THIONVILLE their own!
The Gaul, enraged as they retire,
Hurls at their heads his blaze of fire—
What hosts of Frederick's reeking crew
Dying, have bid the world adieu,
To dogs their flesh been thrown!
Escaped from death, a mangled train
In scatter'd bands retreat:
Where, bounding on Silesia's plain,
The Despot holds his seat;
With feeble step, I see them go
The heavy news to tell
Where Oder's lazy waters flow,
Or glides the swift Moselle;
Where Rhine his various journey moves
Through marshy lands and ruined groves,
Or, where the vast Danubian flood
(So often stained by Austrian Blood)
Foams with the autumnal swell.
The rude Hungarians fly;
Brunswick, with drooping courage leads
Death's meagre family:
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Their madness they bemoan,
No friendly hand to give them bread,
No THIONVILLE their own!
The Gaul, enraged as they retire,
Hurls at their heads his blaze of fire—
What hosts of Frederick's reeking crew
Dying, have bid the world adieu,
To dogs their flesh been thrown!
Escaped from death, a mangled train
In scatter'd bands retreat:
Where, bounding on Silesia's plain,
The Despot holds his seat;
With feeble step, I see them go
The heavy news to tell
Where Oder's lazy waters flow,
Or glides the swift Moselle;
Where Rhine his various journey moves
Through marshy lands and ruined groves,
Or, where the vast Danubian flood
(So often stained by Austrian Blood)
Foams with the autumnal swell.
But will they not some tidings bear
Of Freedom's sacred flame,
And shall not groaning millions hear
The long abandoned name?—
Through ages past, their spirits broke,
I see them spurn old laws,
Indignant, burst the Austrian yoke,
And clip the Eagle's claws:
From shore to shore, from sea to sea
They join, to set the wretched free,
And, driving from the servile court
Each titled slave—they help support
THE DEMOCRATIC CAUSE!
Of Freedom's sacred flame,
And shall not groaning millions hear
The long abandoned name?—
Through ages past, their spirits broke,
I see them spurn old laws,
Indignant, burst the Austrian yoke,
And clip the Eagle's claws:
From shore to shore, from sea to sea
They join, to set the wretched free,
And, driving from the servile court
Each titled slave—they help support
THE DEMOCRATIC CAUSE!
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O FRANCE! the world to thee must owe
A debt they ne'er can pay:
The RIGHTS OF MAN you bid them know,
And kindle REASON'S DAY!
COLUMBIA, in your friendship blest,
Your gallant deeds shall hail—
On the same ground our fortunes rest,
Must flourish, or must fail:
But—should all Europe's slaves combine
Against a cause so fair as thine,
And ASIA aid a league so base—
Defeat would all their arms disgrace,
And Liberty Prevail!
A debt they ne'er can pay:
The RIGHTS OF MAN you bid them know,
And kindle REASON'S DAY!
COLUMBIA, in your friendship blest,
Your gallant deeds shall hail—
On the same ground our fortunes rest,
Must flourish, or must fail:
But—should all Europe's slaves combine
Against a cause so fair as thine,
And ASIA aid a league so base—
Defeat would all their arms disgrace,
And Liberty Prevail!
First published in the National Gazette, Philadelphia, December 19, 1792.
| Poems of Freneau | |