The Shamrock or, Hibernian Cresses. A Collection of Poems, Songs, Epigrams, &c. Latin as well as English, The Original Production of Ireland. To which are subjoined thoughts on the prevailing system of school education, respecting young ladies as well as gentlemen: with practical proposals for a reformation [by Samuel Whyte] |
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| ODE
On FREDERICK III. King of PRUSSIA. |
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 | The Shamrock |  |
ODE On FREDERICK III. King of PRUSSIA.
I.
1.
Goddess of the silver Lyre,Loftiest of the tuneful Quire,
Thou, whose high exalted Lay
Beams on great Acts a more eternal Day!
Thou, whose sweetly-sounding Song
Pour'd the rapid Stream along,
When, in Numbers truly great,
Pindar, in imperial State,
Rais'd the bold Notes of all thy trembling Strings,
To blazon high the Deeds of Heroes, and of Kings.
2.
Valour, pure and active Fire,Offspring of an heavenly Flame,
Claims thy Aid, O raptur'd Lyre,
Claims thy Passport unto Fame;
Wisdom, Guardian of the Soul,
Whose dread Command the Passions hush'd obey;
Whose Nod can even their boldest Rage controul,
Wisdom demands thy most majestic Lay;
To inborn Virtue lo!
The Strains spontaneous flow,
Warbling in their Favourite's Praise,
Mix the well-according Lays:
For her, the Soft, the Strong, their Numbers join;
For her, both Ease and Majesty combine,
And blend, like Shade and Light, in Harmony divine.
3.
In distant Ages, and in various Climes,All-ruling Providence with powerful Hand,
Has rais'd some Souls to blaze to future Times,
In Peace to govern, or in War command:
But, prudent, has to each consign'd
But one Perfection of the Mind:
Some shine with Splendor in the bloody Field,
Grasp the strong Lance, or wave the gleamy Shield:
Others, whom milder Arts adorn,
Deal righteous Laws to Ages yet unborn;
Or, pleas'd the Paths of Science to explore,
To them has Nature op'd her ample Store:
Others, inspir'd by Truth's un-erring Ray,
In their own Breasts behold unclouded Day;
Theirs is the peaceful Bliss, the Joy refin'd,
Calm Innocence is theirs, the Sunshine of the Mind.
II.
1.
See! where Heaven profusely poursAll these Gifts in mingled Showers,
All their sweetest Odours breathe,
And form for Frederick's Brow a blooming Wreath;
Valour, as the springing Rose,
With a crimson Tincture glows;
Wisdom, as the Jonquil fair,
Scents the Zephyrs ambient Air;
While Virtue, as the snow-clad Lilly bright,
Streams on the wondering Eye a more unsully'd Light.
2.
Science, Daughter of the Skies,Bade his Genius early soar,
Bade the kindling Spirit rise,
And the Paths of Fame explore;
As from Intuition's Eye,
Refulgent, beams the keen all-piercing Ray,
With infelt Vigour hails its native Sky,
Bright with the Splendors of meridian Day:
Through Heavenly Glories led,
Then views the mighty Dead;
Thence of every Gift possest,
Which enlighten'd every Breast;
The Lustre which illum'd the Julian Name,
The steady Blaze expanding Peter's Fame,
And Alexander's Glow, the Energy of Flame.
3.
Wrapp'd in the Glooms, embrowning Forests spread,The fair Astræa pours her melting Woe;
In dim Obscurity she veils her Head,
While Indignation bids her Sorrows slow:
No longer, hark! the Fair complains,
Her lov'd, her darling Frederick reigns;
Rais'd and assisted by his powerful Hand,
Now she resumes her long-usurp'd Command:
Surmise, and Doubt, and dark Delay,
Affrighted fly, and yield the sovereign Sway;
No longer, Arts, nor double Frauds avail,
To Truth, alone, inclines the unerring Scale;
With equal Current, and a gentle Force;
While Frederick, clad with terror-darting Awe,
Drives from the hallow'd Fount the Harpies of the Law.
III.
1.
Now, the angry Lord of WarWings the Thunder of his Car;
Darting quick, at his Command,
Stern Devastation shakes each guilty Land;
All his red-hot Fury hurl'd
Flames throughout the Western World;
Then, amid' the Storms of Fate,
Frederick rose supremely great;
Then, pour'd he all the Virtues of his Mind,
And all the Hero with the patriot Monarch join'd.
2.
Witness, all ye Streams that flowThrough Germania's every Vale,
Oft you 've heard the Shrieks of Woe
Swell each horror-wafting Gale:
Billow'd oft with Austrian Blood,
Hast thou, O Albis, urg'd thy purple Way,
When Dresden's Towers, incumbent o'er thy Flood,
Though strength-encircled, own'd the Victor's Sway:
In vain, unnumber'd Foes
His rapid Speed oppose,
Vain, differing Interests combin'd,
Vain, with Nations Nations join'd;
The Locusts spread their dark-embody'd Train,
Before the heaven-sent Wind then plunge into the Main.
3.
From ice-built Hills, and frozen Plains, afar,Wide Russia spreads her congregated Host;
And Suevia sends her hardy Sons to War,
Erst lov'd of Mars, and stern Bellona's Boast:
From Vales, where tepid Breezes play,
Enliven'd by the solar Ray,
Fir'd by the Thirst of Sway, and wide Command,
Gallia by Myriads pours each warlike Band:
Where the fierce Danube whirls his Course,
And rolls through various Realms his headlong Force,
Impetuous as his Waves, th'embattled Throng
Urge the rough Tide of raging War along:
Behold ill-omen'd Grief, and pale Despair,
Perch'd on their Standards, fan the darken'd Air,
While Victory new-plumes her glistening Wing,
And, as at Rosbach's Plain, salutes her favourite King.
IV.
1.
Scenes of 'raptur'd Vision rise,Mystic, wave before mine Eyes,
Painting, as they skim along,
Deeds which demand the boldest Flights of Song;
Glancing, as the Rays of Light,
Quick they glitter on my Sight;
Rend the terror-stricken Ear?
Thence they proceed, where to thy dazzled Eye,
The Prussians pour along, the nerveless Austrians fly.
2.
Softly streaming into Woe,Change we now the various Strain;
Let the melting Sorrows flow,
Let the tender Muse complain:
Thee, of every Praise possest,
With heart-felt Sighs, lamenting Heroes mourn;
Bless'd in thy Life, but in thy Fall more bless'd,
The Tears of Royal Friendship grac'd thy Urn;
Responsive Groans around
Return'd the plaintive Sound;
Through all the joyless Host was spread,
“Our Friend, our Chief, our Keith is dead!”
Oh, lov'd of Virtue, if her purest Flame
Can 'raptur'd Joys, and heavenly Pleasures claim,
Thy Soul has sprung to Bliss on Wings of well-earn'd Fame.
3.
Through Time's dark Bosom can the Muse's RayOn future Ages beam her piercing Light;
In mental Vision pour a Gleam of Day
On Deeds which scorn the Ken of vulgar Sight:
Behold the Rage of War is fled;
No more the Plains are strew'd with Dead;
The kindred Arts attend, and bless the Land:
In Northern Groves the Nine inspire,
Breathe the soft Lay, or string the sounding Lyre;
Succeeding Newtons range amid the Skies,
And other Raphaels, other Miltons rise;
O Days auspicious! Golden Age restor'd!
When Frederick sheaths the Terrors of the Sword:
Then late Posterity, through every Page,
Shall with his Name embalm this young Augustan Age.
The above Ode, with some little Variation, and the one following, are attempted, in the Manner of Pindar, as described in the Scholia on Hephæstion: It is the very last Paragraph of those Scholia; a Translation of which is here inserted for the Information of our fair Readers, who may have entertained mistaken Ideas of the ancient Ode, from the incorrect Copies given us by Mr. Cowley, and his Imitators.
“You must know, (says the Scholiast) that the Ancients, in their Odes, framed two larger Stanzas, and one less. The first of the large Stanzas they called Strophe; singing it on their Festivals, at the Altars of their Gods, and dancing at the same Time: The second they called Antistrophe; in which they inverted the Dance: The less Stanza was named the Epode; which they sung, standing still. The Strophe, as they say, denoted the Motion of the higher Sphere; the Antistrophe, that of the Planets; the Epode, the fixed Station and Repose of the Earth.”
Hence it appears, the two larger Stanzas were accompanied with Dancing; and that they danced one Way, while the Strophe was singing; and then danced back again, while the Antistrophe was singing; which shews why those two Parts consisted of the same Length and Measure. If we consider how much Breath is required for a full Song, perhaps we may conclude that the Strophe, and Antistrophe, partook something of the Nature of Recitative; and that the Epode, which was sung standing still, was the more compleat Air.
If the Ode ran into any Length, it was always divided into Triplets of Stanzas; the two first being constantly of the same Length, and Measure; and all the Epodes, in like Manner, corresponding with each other.
In the present Ode, the Similitude between the Strophe and Antistrophe is designedly omitted; as the Custom, which seemed to make it necessary amongst the Greeks, has no Place amongst us; and, as the Deviation does not, it is apprehended, trespass too much upon the Regularity of, and, at the same Time, gives Variety to the Piece.
The Triplets of Stanzas, as they are repeated, are here marked by the Roman Numerals I. II. III. &c. The Strophe, Antistrophe, Epode, are distinguished by the Figures 1, 2, 3.
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