 | Poems of Freneau |  |
On the DEATH OF CATHARINE II.
EMPRESS OF ALL THE RUSSIAS.
Confusion to that iron sway
Which bids the brute, not man, obey,
And dooms him to Siberian soil,
Chains, whips, and vassalage, and toil.
Which bids the brute, not man, obey,
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Chains, whips, and vassalage, and toil.
This female wolf, whom wolves did nurse,
So long of polar worlds the curse,
This Catharine, skill'd in royal arts,
To the dark world at last departs.
So long of polar worlds the curse,
This Catharine, skill'd in royal arts,
To the dark world at last departs.
In style, the second of her name,
She to the crown by treason came;
To Peter, drowsy, royal drone,
She gave a prison for a throne.
She to the crown by treason came;
To Peter, drowsy, royal drone,
She gave a prison for a throne.
She would have sent her Tartar bands
To waste and ravage gallic lands,
She would have sent her legions o'er,
Columbia! to invade your shore!—
To waste and ravage gallic lands,
She would have sent her legions o'er,
Columbia! to invade your shore!—
But, even in conquest, she foresaw
Destruction to despotic law;
She fear'd, in hordes returning home,
That liberty would with them come.
Destruction to despotic law;
She fear'd, in hordes returning home,
That liberty would with them come.
She fear'd the savage from the den
Would see and learn the rights of men;
And hence, in time, destruction bring
To hell's viceregents—queen and king.
Would see and learn the rights of men;
And hence, in time, destruction bring
To hell's viceregents—queen and king.
No thanks to her! she fear'd her beasts,
Enslaved by kings, enslaved by priests,
Even if all freedom they o'er ran,
Would learn the dignity of man;
Enslaved by kings, enslaved by priests,
Even if all freedom they o'er ran,
Would learn the dignity of man;
And kept them home, and held them there,
Oppression's iron reign to bear;
And never meet a beam of light,
Involved in worse than Zembla's night.
Oppression's iron reign to bear;
And never meet a beam of light,
Involved in worse than Zembla's night.
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Now she is dead, and Paul will rise
As fierce as she, but not as wise;
He may his barbarous millions send,
He may the fall of France intend;
As fierce as she, but not as wise;
He may his barbarous millions send,
He may the fall of France intend;
But they who see with keener eye
Will see them faint, will see them fly;
With hostile step will see them come
To turn their backs, or meet their doom.
Will see them faint, will see them fly;
With hostile step will see them come
To turn their backs, or meet their doom.
1815
| Poems of Freneau | |