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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TOMO CHACHI, AN ODE. |
 | Georgia, a Poem |  |
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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,
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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.
| Georgia, a Poem | |