Georgia, a Poem Tomo Chachi, an Ode. A Copy of Verses on Mr. Oglethorpe's Second Voyage to Georgia [by Thomas Fitzgerald] |
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 | Georgia, a Poem |  |
------ Facies non omnibus una,
Nec diversa tamen.
Nec diversa tamen.
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GEORGIA, A POEM.
------ Plures in Pace Triumphi.
Whilst
Europe round us pants with dread Alarms,
And mourns her total Continent in Arms,
Alone Britannia, uninvolv'd in Woes,
Enjoys a steady Calm, and sweet Repose.
Her Monarch, Great and Good, pursues an Aim
Beyond what wild Ambition knows to frame:
'Tis His, in Glory's genuine Paths to move,
And rule despotick in his People's Love;
For them no Toil to shun, no Danger fear,
And plan their Welfare with unweary'd Care,
Of Wealth and Joy to open ev'ry Spring,
And still to join the Father with the King.
And mourns her total Continent in Arms,
Alone Britannia, uninvolv'd in Woes,
Enjoys a steady Calm, and sweet Repose.
Her Monarch, Great and Good, pursues an Aim
Beyond what wild Ambition knows to frame:
'Tis His, in Glory's genuine Paths to move,
And rule despotick in his People's Love;
For them no Toil to shun, no Danger fear,
And plan their Welfare with unweary'd Care,
Of Wealth and Joy to open ev'ry Spring,
And still to join the Father with the King.
4
Yet O! thus happy as he shines confest,
His People blessing, by his People blest,
He grieves to hear the neighb'ring Nations' Moan,
And mourns the Wounds of Subjects not his own.
Hence hostile Pow'rs his kind Persuasions hear,
And Discord slackens in her mad Career.
He speaks, and Armies in each other's Sight,
Restrain their Rage, and hesitate to fight;
Conscious that He at last can turn the Scale,
And send his Thunder where his Counsels fail.
His People blessing, by his People blest,
He grieves to hear the neighb'ring Nations' Moan,
And mourns the Wounds of Subjects not his own.
Hence hostile Pow'rs his kind Persuasions hear,
And Discord slackens in her mad Career.
He speaks, and Armies in each other's Sight,
Restrain their Rage, and hesitate to fight;
Conscious that He at last can turn the Scale,
And send his Thunder where his Counsels fail.
Thus when fair Lisbon views by his Command,
The British Navy speeding to her Strand,
Her Succour entring with the friendly Tide,
And in her Port our floating Bulwarks ride;
Instant she slights whate'er the Foe design'd,
And gives her anxious Terrors to the Wind:
Her Frontiers dread the threat'ning Hosts no more,
And hostile Fleets glide harmless by her Shore;
Forgetful of the Spoil, in Haste they fly,
Whilst Gold and Diamonds pass unheeded by.
Safe their full Freight Brasilia's Carracks bear,
The promis'd Wealth, and Harvest of the Year,
Amaz'd what Pow'r unknown dissolves their Fright:
And now their great Deliverers in Sight,
At once the Streamers fly, the Salvo roars,
And Tagus triumphs from his echoing Shores.
The British Navy speeding to her Strand,
Her Succour entring with the friendly Tide,
And in her Port our floating Bulwarks ride;
Instant she slights whate'er the Foe design'd,
And gives her anxious Terrors to the Wind:
Her Frontiers dread the threat'ning Hosts no more,
And hostile Fleets glide harmless by her Shore;
Forgetful of the Spoil, in Haste they fly,
Whilst Gold and Diamonds pass unheeded by.
Safe their full Freight Brasilia's Carracks bear,
The promis'd Wealth, and Harvest of the Year,
Amaz'd what Pow'r unknown dissolves their Fright:
And now their great Deliverers in Sight,
At once the Streamers fly, the Salvo roars,
And Tagus triumphs from his echoing Shores.
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With such Surprize and Joy the Trojans gaz'd,
Snatch'd from the Storm which restless Juno rais'd,
When in the midst of Horror and Despair,
The Gloom was scatter'd, and the Day was fair:
'Twas then his Head the Sea's great Sov'reign rear'd,
(The Sea subsided as the God appear'd)
He bade the Winds and Waves their Rage forego,
And sav'd the Trojan Flota from the Foe.
Snatch'd from the Storm which restless Juno rais'd,
When in the midst of Horror and Despair,
The Gloom was scatter'd, and the Day was fair:
'Twas then his Head the Sea's great Sov'reign rear'd,
(The Sea subsided as the God appear'd)
He bade the Winds and Waves their Rage forego,
And sav'd the Trojan Flota from the Foe.
Well then, Great Prince, since other Nations share
Such happy Fruits of thy protecting Care,
Well thy own Britons, far as Oceans roll,
May range from Sun to Sun, from Pole to Pole.
Thy Arts are still dissever'd Realms to bind,
To aid, to better, to exalt Mankind;
To bid rich Commerce all her Rights enjoy;
To give the Hand of Industry Employ;
To plant the Colony, to rear the Town,
With smiling Plenty the wild Waste to crown;
By Reason's Rules the Savage to improve,
To awe by Kindness, to subdue by Love,
And shew, performing the Creator's Will,
There's something more Heroick, than to Kill.
Such happy Fruits of thy protecting Care,
Well thy own Britons, far as Oceans roll,
May range from Sun to Sun, from Pole to Pole.
Thy Arts are still dissever'd Realms to bind,
To aid, to better, to exalt Mankind;
To bid rich Commerce all her Rights enjoy;
To give the Hand of Industry Employ;
To plant the Colony, to rear the Town,
With smiling Plenty the wild Waste to crown;
By Reason's Rules the Savage to improve,
To awe by Kindness, to subdue by Love,
And shew, performing the Creator's Will,
There's something more Heroick, than to Kill.
See where beyond the spacious Ocean lies
A wide waste Land, beneath the Southern Skies!
Where kindly Suns for Ages roll'd in vain,
Nor e'er the Vintage saw, or rip'ning Grain;
Where all things into wild Luxuriance ran,
And burden'd Nature ask'd the Aid of Man.
In This sweet Climate, and prolifick Soil,
He bids the eager Swain indulge his Toil;
In free Possession to the Planter's Hand
Consigns the rich uncultivated Land:
Go you, the Monarch cries, Go, settle there,
Whom Britain from her Plenitude can spare:
Go, your old wonted Industry pursue,
Nor envy Spain the Treasures of Peru.
A wide waste Land, beneath the Southern Skies!
Where kindly Suns for Ages roll'd in vain,
Nor e'er the Vintage saw, or rip'ning Grain;
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And burden'd Nature ask'd the Aid of Man.
In This sweet Climate, and prolifick Soil,
He bids the eager Swain indulge his Toil;
In free Possession to the Planter's Hand
Consigns the rich uncultivated Land:
Go you, the Monarch cries, Go, settle there,
Whom Britain from her Plenitude can spare:
Go, your old wonted Industry pursue,
Nor envy Spain the Treasures of Peru.
Still has it been the gen'rous Briton's Praise,
To rise to worthy Ends by worthy Ways;
To form for Use what Nature's Bounties yield;
To fix the Staple, or to till the Field;
To Life's essential Arts their Cares confine,
And earn the Gold while Others dig the Mine.
To rise to worthy Ends by worthy Ways;
To form for Use what Nature's Bounties yield;
To fix the Staple, or to till the Field;
To Life's essential Arts their Cares confine,
And earn the Gold while Others dig the Mine.
But well to execute the glorious Plan,
Each Ill to obviate, and each Need to scan;
To waft the chosen Band in Safety o'er,
And fix th'Adventurer on his promis'd Shore;
To watch the various wayward Turns of Fate,
And guard with Parent Arms the Infant State:
Who shall for This their private Cares postpone,
And make the universal Cause their own?
Behold a List of Patriots, wise and just,
Glow for the Work, and court the Godlike Trust!
Illustrious Souls! by Principle combin'd,
Lovers of Virtue, Friends of Human Kind,
Whose Actions all in one sweet Tenor move,
Whose Views are Mercy, and whose Life is Love.
These, these assume the delegated Care,
And first to George prefer their duteous Pray'r:
O grant, nor other Auspicy we claim,
To grace the Country with our Sov'reign's Name!
Each Ill to obviate, and each Need to scan;
To waft the chosen Band in Safety o'er,
And fix th'Adventurer on his promis'd Shore;
To watch the various wayward Turns of Fate,
And guard with Parent Arms the Infant State:
Who shall for This their private Cares postpone,
And make the universal Cause their own?
Behold a List of Patriots, wise and just,
Glow for the Work, and court the Godlike Trust!
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Lovers of Virtue, Friends of Human Kind,
Whose Actions all in one sweet Tenor move,
Whose Views are Mercy, and whose Life is Love.
These, these assume the delegated Care,
And first to George prefer their duteous Pray'r:
O grant, nor other Auspicy we claim,
To grace the Country with our Sov'reign's Name!
But not content in Counsel Here to join,
A farther Labour, Oglethorpe, is thine:
In each great Deed thou claim'st the foremost Part,
And Toil and Danger charm thy gen'rous Heart:
But chief for This thy warm Affections rise,
For Oh! thou view'st it with a Parent's Eyes:
For this thou tempt'st the vast tremendous Main,
And Floods and Storms oppose their Threats in vain,
Till Thee the first, their wish'd-for Shore possest,
Thy Voyagers behold before the rest
Spring to the Beach; each Heart with Ardor glows,
And from That happy Æra Georgia rose!
A farther Labour, Oglethorpe, is thine:
In each great Deed thou claim'st the foremost Part,
And Toil and Danger charm thy gen'rous Heart:
But chief for This thy warm Affections rise,
For Oh! thou view'st it with a Parent's Eyes:
For this thou tempt'st the vast tremendous Main,
And Floods and Storms oppose their Threats in vain,
Till Thee the first, their wish'd-for Shore possest,
Thy Voyagers behold before the rest
Spring to the Beach; each Heart with Ardor glows,
And from That happy Æra Georgia rose!
And now to Heav'n their just Devotions paid,
For past Deliv'rance, and for future Aid,
All with one Voice the needful Task demand,
And long to build the Town, and clear the Land.
Not more intent their busy Labours ply
The swarming Bees beneath the vernal Sky;
When yet unhous'd their fragrant Cells they found,
And seize on all the flow'ry District round.
Instant at Work a thousand Hands appear,
These fell the Trees, and these the Fabricks rear;
The vigorous Ax resistless wins its Way,
And bids th'eternal Woods admit the Day:
A sprightlier Scene succeeds the awful Shade,
And distant Landskips open thro' the Glade;
The sunny Hills afar, and prostrate Plains,
Invite the Labours of the lusty Swains;
Their Annual Stores already seem possest,
And future Harvests wave in ev'ry Breast.
For past Deliv'rance, and for future Aid,
All with one Voice the needful Task demand,
And long to build the Town, and clear the Land.
Not more intent their busy Labours ply
The swarming Bees beneath the vernal Sky;
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And seize on all the flow'ry District round.
Instant at Work a thousand Hands appear,
These fell the Trees, and these the Fabricks rear;
The vigorous Ax resistless wins its Way,
And bids th'eternal Woods admit the Day:
A sprightlier Scene succeeds the awful Shade,
And distant Landskips open thro' the Glade;
The sunny Hills afar, and prostrate Plains,
Invite the Labours of the lusty Swains;
Their Annual Stores already seem possest,
And future Harvests wave in ev'ry Breast.
Mean time their Leader, Stranger to Repose,
Looks round, and guards against impending Foes:
Thro' distant Nations traverses the Land,
And bears the peaceful Olive in his Hand;
Makes various States his friendly Terms embrace,
And binds in Social Leagues the Savage Race:
Their hoary Chiefs the youthful Heroe greet,
And lay their homely Presents at his Feet;
Aw'd by his Wisdom, by his Sweetness won,
They bow submissive to the British Throne;
Each Heart its voluntary Homage pays,
And owns the mighty Monarch He obeys.
Pleas'd with plain Nature, yet concern'd to find
How faint the Sallies of th'unaided Mind;
He meditates to clear their glimmering Ray,
And guide bewilder'd Reason on its Way;
Heaven's Will reveal'd to teach them to explore,
And know the God whom blindly they adore.
Looks round, and guards against impending Foes:
Thro' distant Nations traverses the Land,
And bears the peaceful Olive in his Hand;
Makes various States his friendly Terms embrace,
And binds in Social Leagues the Savage Race:
Their hoary Chiefs the youthful Heroe greet,
And lay their homely Presents at his Feet;
Aw'd by his Wisdom, by his Sweetness won,
They bow submissive to the British Throne;
Each Heart its voluntary Homage pays,
And owns the mighty Monarch He obeys.
Pleas'd with plain Nature, yet concern'd to find
How faint the Sallies of th'unaided Mind;
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And guide bewilder'd Reason on its Way;
Heaven's Will reveal'd to teach them to explore,
And know the God whom blindly they adore.
To This new World, Britannia, turn thy View,
From Clime to Clime the pleasing Scene pursue;
From the cold Pole-Star to the Burning Line,
See what a Length of Continent is thine!
Rul'd by thy Laws, protected by thy Arms,
To Thee each fertile Region yields its Charms;
With copious Fruits the rich Plantations smile,
To freight thy Fleets, and bless their Parent Isle.
Nor asks, tho' yet for Tributes unprepar'd,
Thy last, thy youngest Child the least Regard:
With nobler Products see thy Georgia teems!
Chear'd with the genial Sun's directer Beams.
Here the wild Vine to Culture learns to yield,
And purple Clusters ripen thro' the Field.
Now bid thy Merchants bring their Wines no more,
Or from th'Iberian, or the Tuscan Shore;
No more they need th'Hungarian Vineyards drain,
And France herself may drink her best Champaign.
Behold at last, and in a subject Land,
Nectar sufficient for thy large Demand;
Delicious Nectar, pow'rful to improve
Our hospitable Mirth, and social Love.
Hence Joys shall rise, unknown to former Times,
And Spleen no more reproach our happy Climes;
Ev'n jarring Factions shall their Feuds resign,
And loyal Healths go round in Georgian Wine.
From Clime to Clime the pleasing Scene pursue;
From the cold Pole-Star to the Burning Line,
See what a Length of Continent is thine!
Rul'd by thy Laws, protected by thy Arms,
To Thee each fertile Region yields its Charms;
With copious Fruits the rich Plantations smile,
To freight thy Fleets, and bless their Parent Isle.
Nor asks, tho' yet for Tributes unprepar'd,
Thy last, thy youngest Child the least Regard:
With nobler Products see thy Georgia teems!
Chear'd with the genial Sun's directer Beams.
Here the wild Vine to Culture learns to yield,
And purple Clusters ripen thro' the Field.
Now bid thy Merchants bring their Wines no more,
Or from th'Iberian, or the Tuscan Shore;
No more they need th'Hungarian Vineyards drain,
And France herself may drink her best Champaign.
Behold at last, and in a subject Land,
Nectar sufficient for thy large Demand;
Delicious Nectar, pow'rful to improve
Our hospitable Mirth, and social Love.
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And Spleen no more reproach our happy Climes;
Ev'n jarring Factions shall their Feuds resign,
And loyal Healths go round in Georgian Wine.
This for thy jovial Sons—Nor less the Care
Of thy young Province to oblige the Fair:
Here tend the Silkworm in the verdant Shade
The frugal Matron, and the blooming Maid;
Th'expiring Insect's curious Work resume,
And wind Materials for the British Loom;
Our Web to these shall all the Beauties owe,
Which Asia boasts, and Eastern Pride can show;
With skilful China's richest Damasks vie,
And emulate the Chint's alluring Dye.
When This shall lend its tributary Grace
To each sweet Form, and each Angelick Face;
When thus adorn'd our Nymphs shall shine compleat,
What Eyes must dazzle, and what Hearts must beat!
Admiring Strangers that in Crowds resort,
To view the Splendor of our Birth-Day Court,
Shall own was never so Majestick seen,
As in her home-wrought Silks, the British Queen:
And when each Princess of her high-born Race,
Whom all her Mother's Charms and Virtues grace,
Shall see some Monarch, her appointed Spouse,
Confess her Chains, and breathe his ardent Vows,
Thy Product, Georgia, shall her Conquest aid,
And add new Lustre to the Royal Maid.
Of thy young Province to oblige the Fair:
Here tend the Silkworm in the verdant Shade
The frugal Matron, and the blooming Maid;
Th'expiring Insect's curious Work resume,
And wind Materials for the British Loom;
Our Web to these shall all the Beauties owe,
Which Asia boasts, and Eastern Pride can show;
With skilful China's richest Damasks vie,
And emulate the Chint's alluring Dye.
When This shall lend its tributary Grace
To each sweet Form, and each Angelick Face;
When thus adorn'd our Nymphs shall shine compleat,
What Eyes must dazzle, and what Hearts must beat!
Admiring Strangers that in Crowds resort,
To view the Splendor of our Birth-Day Court,
Shall own was never so Majestick seen,
As in her home-wrought Silks, the British Queen:
And when each Princess of her high-born Race,
Whom all her Mother's Charms and Virtues grace,
Shall see some Monarch, her appointed Spouse,
Confess her Chains, and breathe his ardent Vows,
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And add new Lustre to the Royal Maid.
Thus, O ye Guardian Pow'rs! still thus maintain
The steady Tenor of your George's Reign;
And let th'admiring World One Sovereign know,
Of Good all studious, and without a Foe;
With such high Worth let Him the Age adorn,
And call forth other Nations yet unborn;
Still by new Colonies enjoy the Stores
Of other Climates, and remoter Shores;
And see unenvy'd his Domains increase,
The Work of Wisdom, and the Gifts of Peace.
The steady Tenor of your George's Reign;
And let th'admiring World One Sovereign know,
Of Good all studious, and without a Foe;
With such high Worth let Him the Age adorn,
And call forth other Nations yet unborn;
Still by new Colonies enjoy the Stores
Of other Climates, and remoter Shores;
And see unenvy'd his Domains increase,
The Work of Wisdom, and the Gifts of Peace.
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TOMO CHACHI, AN ODE.
Hanc olim veteres vitam coluere Sabini,
Hanc Remus & frater: sic fortis Hetruria crevit,
Scilicet & rerum facta est pulcherrima Roma.
Hanc Remus & frater: sic fortis Hetruria crevit,
Scilicet & rerum facta est pulcherrima Roma.
What Stranger's this? and from what Region far?
This wond'rous Form, majestic to behold?
Uncloath'd, but arm'd offensive for the War,
In hoary Age and wise Experience old?
His Limbs, inur'd to Hardiness and Toil,
His strong large Limbs, what mighty Sinews brace!
Whilst Truth sincere, and artless Virtue smile
In the expressive Features of his Face.
His bold free Aspect speaks the inward Mind,
Aw'd by no slavish Fear, from no vile Passion blind.
This wond'rous Form, majestic to behold?
Uncloath'd, but arm'd offensive for the War,
In hoary Age and wise Experience old?
His Limbs, inur'd to Hardiness and Toil,
His strong large Limbs, what mighty Sinews brace!
Whilst Truth sincere, and artless Virtue smile
In the expressive Features of his Face.
His bold free Aspect speaks the inward Mind,
Aw'd by no slavish Fear, from no vile Passion blind.
Erst in our Isle, with such an Air and Mien,
Whilst Britain's Glory stood in Times of Yore,
Might some redoubted Chief of hers be seen,
In all his painted Pride, upon the Shore.
Or He, who graceful from the Chariot's Height,
When conqu'ring Julius landed from the Main,
Urg'd his confederated Tribes to fight
For gen'rous Freedom, fierce Cassibelan;
Or He, whose Fame, in Roman Annals told,
Must live thro' ev'ry Age, Caractacus the Bold.
Whilst Britain's Glory stood in Times of Yore,
Might some redoubted Chief of hers be seen,
In all his painted Pride, upon the Shore.
Or He, who graceful from the Chariot's Height,
When conqu'ring Julius landed from the Main,
Urg'd his confederated Tribes to fight
For gen'rous Freedom, fierce Cassibelan;
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Must live thro' ev'ry Age, Caractacus the Bold.
From the wide Western Continent of Land,
Where yet uncultivated Nature reigns,
Where the huge Forests undiminish'd stand,
Nor Towns nor Castles grace the naked Plains;
From That new World undaunted he pursues
To our fam'd Nation his advent'rous Way;
His Soul elated high with glorious Views,
Our Strength, our Arts, our Manners to survey;
The boasted European Skill to find,
And bear triumphant home, and civilize his Kind.
Where yet uncultivated Nature reigns,
Where the huge Forests undiminish'd stand,
Nor Towns nor Castles grace the naked Plains;
From That new World undaunted he pursues
To our fam'd Nation his advent'rous Way;
His Soul elated high with glorious Views,
Our Strength, our Arts, our Manners to survey;
The boasted European Skill to find,
And bear triumphant home, and civilize his Kind.
And, O the idle impotent Disdain
Of vulgar Error, partial to decide!
Must He be stil'd by Us a Savage Man?
O the blind Folly of conceited Pride!
Ever by Reason's equal Dictates sway'd,
Conscious of each great Impulse in the Soul,
And all his Words, and all his Actions weigh'd
By unaffected Wisdom's just Controul,
Must He be rank'd in an inferior Place,
In our inglorious Times, to our degenerate Race!
Of vulgar Error, partial to decide!
Must He be stil'd by Us a Savage Man?
O the blind Folly of conceited Pride!
Ever by Reason's equal Dictates sway'd,
Conscious of each great Impulse in the Soul,
And all his Words, and all his Actions weigh'd
By unaffected Wisdom's just Controul,
Must He be rank'd in an inferior Place,
In our inglorious Times, to our degenerate Race!
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Alas! brave Indian, good old England's Fame
Thou seest sunk down from its Meridian Height;
The noble Ardors now no more inflame,
Of conscious Worth, and Honour's dear Delight;
As then, when welcom'd to your happy Shore,
Our Fleets first landed from the watry Way,
And each strange Region studious to explore
Pass'd the long Gulf, and vast Pacific Sea;
And round emerging to the Eastern Main,
Maintain'd from Sun to Sun their Gloriana's Reign.
Thou seest sunk down from its Meridian Height;
The noble Ardors now no more inflame,
Of conscious Worth, and Honour's dear Delight;
As then, when welcom'd to your happy Shore,
Our Fleets first landed from the watry Way,
And each strange Region studious to explore
Pass'd the long Gulf, and vast Pacific Sea;
And round emerging to the Eastern Main,
Maintain'd from Sun to Sun their Gloriana's Reign.
Wealth without End, from such Exploits as These,
Crown'd our large Commerce, and extended Sway;
And hence, dissolv'd in soft luxurious Ease,
Our ancient Virtue vanish'd soon away.
Rare to be found is the old gen'rous Strain
So fam'd amongst us once for Patriot Zeal,
Of try'd Good Faith, and Manners stanch and plain,
And bold and active for their Country's Weal;
Clear from all Stain, superior to all Fear;
Alas! few such as These, few Oglethorpes are here.
Crown'd our large Commerce, and extended Sway;
And hence, dissolv'd in soft luxurious Ease,
Our ancient Virtue vanish'd soon away.
Rare to be found is the old gen'rous Strain
So fam'd amongst us once for Patriot Zeal,
Of try'd Good Faith, and Manners stanch and plain,
And bold and active for their Country's Weal;
Clear from all Stain, superior to all Fear;
Alas! few such as These, few Oglethorpes are here.
Oft hast thou seen His gallant Spirit prov'd,
His noble Scorn of Danger oft hast known,
Admir'd his Wisdom, and his Candor lov'd,
And Openness of Heart, so like thy own;
What time, at home before long lov'd and blest,
He to Thy Country brought his Godlike Aim,
Born as he is, to succour the Distrest,
The Prey from proud Oppression to reclaim,
Of lawless Might to curb the impious Rage,
And strike with conscious Shame the prostituted Age.
His noble Scorn of Danger oft hast known,
Admir'd his Wisdom, and his Candor lov'd,
And Openness of Heart, so like thy own;
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He to Thy Country brought his Godlike Aim,
Born as he is, to succour the Distrest,
The Prey from proud Oppression to reclaim,
Of lawless Might to curb the impious Rage,
And strike with conscious Shame the prostituted Age.
Oft hast thou seen with what assiduous Care
His own young Infant Colony he rears;
Like a fond Parent anxious to prepare
His tender Offspring for maturer Years.
To Love of Labour he subdues their Minds,
And forms their Morals with instructive Laws,
By Principle their solid Union binds,
And Zeal that only heeds the Public Cause;
Still with Example strength'ning Reason's Call,
Still by superior Toil distinguish'd from them all.
His own young Infant Colony he rears;
Like a fond Parent anxious to prepare
His tender Offspring for maturer Years.
To Love of Labour he subdues their Minds,
And forms their Morals with instructive Laws,
By Principle their solid Union binds,
And Zeal that only heeds the Public Cause;
Still with Example strength'ning Reason's Call,
Still by superior Toil distinguish'd from them all.
Whate'er of Empire underneath the Sun
Time thro' revolving Ages has survey'd,
First from such manly Discipline begun,
And Merit summon'd Fortune to its Aid.
And hence, when op'ning Scenes of Fate make known
The long-determin'd Purpose of the Skies,
Shall Georgia, to a mighty Nation grown,
In Arts, and Arms, and glorious Actions rise,
And stand renown'd upon the Western Shore,
Ev'n then, when Europe's Fame shall cease, and be no more.
Time thro' revolving Ages has survey'd,
First from such manly Discipline begun,
And Merit summon'd Fortune to its Aid.
And hence, when op'ning Scenes of Fate make known
The long-determin'd Purpose of the Skies,
Shall Georgia, to a mighty Nation grown,
In Arts, and Arms, and glorious Actions rise,
16
Ev'n then, when Europe's Fame shall cease, and be no more.
Renown'd shall Georgia stand its own short Hour,
For soon must all that's Human pass away;
Fix'd are the gradual Dates of Earthly Pow'r,
To rise, to grow, to flourish, and decay:
Still the Effect must follow from the Cause,
And every Work of mortal Men must fall,
And Kingdoms change by Nature's stated Laws,
For ever round the habitable Ball:
All must, in turn, the self-same Tenor run;
All rais'd by honest Toil, by Licence all undone.
For soon must all that's Human pass away;
Fix'd are the gradual Dates of Earthly Pow'r,
To rise, to grow, to flourish, and decay:
Still the Effect must follow from the Cause,
And every Work of mortal Men must fall,
And Kingdoms change by Nature's stated Laws,
For ever round the habitable Ball:
All must, in turn, the self-same Tenor run;
All rais'd by honest Toil, by Licence all undone.
But sacred Virtue, ever self-sustain'd,
Whilst all things fleeting round her she surveys,
Alone to Time shall unobnoxious stand,
And live and flourish in perpetual Praise.
Thine with thy Oglethorpe's fair Fame shall last,
Together to Eternity consign'd,
In the immortal Roll of Heroes plac'd,
The mighty Benefactors of Mankind:
Those Heav'n-born Souls, from whose high Worth we know
The Deity himself best imag'd Here below.
Whilst all things fleeting round her she surveys,
Alone to Time shall unobnoxious stand,
And live and flourish in perpetual Praise.
Thine with thy Oglethorpe's fair Fame shall last,
Together to Eternity consign'd,
In the immortal Roll of Heroes plac'd,
The mighty Benefactors of Mankind:
Those Heav'n-born Souls, from whose high Worth we know
The Deity himself best imag'd Here below.
17
A Copy of Verses on Mr. Oglethorpe's Second Voyage to GEORGIA.
------ Miro properabat amore.
Of Heart so dauntless, of such firm Good-will,
So brave, so true, can Oglethorpe lie still?
No, see he spreads again his active Sails!
Flow smooth ye Seas, and kindly blow ye Gales;
And thou, fair Bark, of such a Charge possest,
The Hopes and Fears of many an anxious Breast,
Go, to thy Port the quickest Passage force,
Go, steer for Oglethorpe the steadiest Course:
And so be ever thine the richest Prize,
So spare thee Oceans, and so guide thee Skies,
As thou shalt bear him safe to Georgia's Strand,
And give the Father to his Infant Land.
So brave, so true, can Oglethorpe lie still?
No, see he spreads again his active Sails!
Flow smooth ye Seas, and kindly blow ye Gales;
And thou, fair Bark, of such a Charge possest,
The Hopes and Fears of many an anxious Breast,
Go, to thy Port the quickest Passage force,
Go, steer for Oglethorpe the steadiest Course:
And so be ever thine the richest Prize,
So spare thee Oceans, and so guide thee Skies,
As thou shalt bear him safe to Georgia's Strand,
And give the Father to his Infant Land.
And You who wond'ring breathe in Southern Air,
Plants of his Hand, and Children of his Care,
Suspend awhile, suspend your needful Toil,
Withhold the Plowshare from the Maiden Soil;
Let the loud Ax forbear the reverend Wood,
And Pines stand one Day more where long they stood;
Half prun'd the Vine along the Poplar crawl,
And half unwound lie by the Silken Ball:
Behold who comes! and sure, in such a Cause,
Ev'n Need may halt, and Industry may pause.
See once again, see on your Shore descend
Your gen'rous Leader, your unweary'd Friend!
No Storm, or Chance his Vessel thither drives,
No, to secure and bless you, He arrives.
To Heav'n the Praise, to Him your Homage pay,
And let remotest Times respect the Day.
Plants of his Hand, and Children of his Care,
18
Withhold the Plowshare from the Maiden Soil;
Let the loud Ax forbear the reverend Wood,
And Pines stand one Day more where long they stood;
Half prun'd the Vine along the Poplar crawl,
And half unwound lie by the Silken Ball:
Behold who comes! and sure, in such a Cause,
Ev'n Need may halt, and Industry may pause.
See once again, see on your Shore descend
Your gen'rous Leader, your unweary'd Friend!
No Storm, or Chance his Vessel thither drives,
No, to secure and bless you, He arrives.
To Heav'n the Praise, to Him your Homage pay,
And let remotest Times respect the Day.
He comes, whose Life, while absent from your View,
Was one continu'd Ministry for You:
For You were laid out all his Pains and Art,
Won ev'ry Will, and soften'd ev'ry Heart.
With what Paternal Joy shall He relate,
How views its Mother Isle your little State!
How aids the Senate, how the Nation loves,
How George protects, and Caroline approves!
Was one continu'd Ministry for You:
For You were laid out all his Pains and Art,
Won ev'ry Will, and soften'd ev'ry Heart.
With what Paternal Joy shall He relate,
How views its Mother Isle your little State!
How aids the Senate, how the Nation loves,
How George protects, and Caroline approves!
Think, while he strove your distant Coast to gain,
How oft he sigh'd, and chid the tedious Main;
Impatient to survey by Culture grac'd,
Your dreary Woodland, and your rugged Waste;
Fair were the Scenes he feign'd, the Prospects fair,
And sure, ye Georgians, all he feign'd are there.
Ere yet he prints your Sand, his eager Eye
Descries the sinking Wild, and opening Sky;
Sees Fields and Meads far stretching from the Shore,
And meets the Ancient Horror there no more.
A thousand Pleasures crowd into his Breast;
But one, one mighty Thought absorbs the rest,
And gives me Heaven to see, the Patriot cries,
Another Britain in the Desart rise!
How oft he sigh'd, and chid the tedious Main;
Impatient to survey by Culture grac'd,
Your dreary Woodland, and your rugged Waste;
19
And sure, ye Georgians, all he feign'd are there.
Ere yet he prints your Sand, his eager Eye
Descries the sinking Wild, and opening Sky;
Sees Fields and Meads far stretching from the Shore,
And meets the Ancient Horror there no more.
A thousand Pleasures crowd into his Breast;
But one, one mighty Thought absorbs the rest,
And gives me Heaven to see, the Patriot cries,
Another Britain in the Desart rise!
FINIS.
| Georgia, a Poem | |