A collection of poems on various subjects including the theatre, a didactic essay; in the course of which are pointed out, the rocks and shoals to which deluded adventurers are inevitably exposed. Ornamented with cuts and illustrated with notes, original letters and curious incidental anecdotes [by Samuel Whyte] |
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 | A collection of poems on various subjects |  |
With flimsy petulance and captious pride,
Nearly, I ween, to ignorance allied,
How cavalierly some folks will decide!
And with a specious temporizing spirit,
On fortune lavish what they strip from merit.
Patterns of taste, and prodigies of learning,
On every subject equally discerning,
They talk at large about it and about it,
Clear as the light; 'twere heresy to doubt it;
And as the ignis fatuus, fashion, burns,
Are this and that, and every thing by turns.
But as extremes are seldom lasting found,
One folly's quickly in another drown'd;
And what this minute is so flush and current,
The next supplanted proves to all abhorrent.
Nearly, I ween, to ignorance allied,
How cavalierly some folks will decide!
And with a specious temporizing spirit,
On fortune lavish what they strip from merit.
Patterns of taste, and prodigies of learning,
On every subject equally discerning,
They talk at large about it and about it,
Clear as the light; 'twere heresy to doubt it;
And as the ignis fatuus, fashion, burns,
Are this and that, and every thing by turns.
But as extremes are seldom lasting found,
One folly's quickly in another drown'd;
And what this minute is so flush and current,
The next supplanted proves to all abhorrent.
The topic now that every tongue engages,
The foil of past and theme of future ages,
Art's proudest boast, and crown of speculation,
Is that phenomenon clep'd Aërostation.
Each feeble amateur, believe his tale,
Can ride the welkin and elude the gale;
And like the finny tribes that range the ocean,
Direct or retrogade, impel his motion.
But why so long the experiment delay?
Perhaps, by compact, Crosbie show'd the way.
The enterprize procured him many a shout,
But soon the storm of favour veer'd about;
He thought 'twould last, oh! simple and absurd!
Even in the breath of praise he blame incurr'd.
Would it not make a very stoic fret,
The world should benefits so soon forget?—
Let them snarl on, or they with envy burst;
Tho' hardly treated, thou art not the first.
Scarcely an hour without example passes,
Those who rely on public fame are asses;
Fate unprovok'd our dearest aims may frustrate,
A case in point the axiom may illustrate.
The foil of past and theme of future ages,
Art's proudest boast, and crown of speculation,
Is that phenomenon clep'd Aërostation.
199
Can ride the welkin and elude the gale;
And like the finny tribes that range the ocean,
Direct or retrogade, impel his motion.
But why so long the experiment delay?
Perhaps, by compact, Crosbie show'd the way.
The enterprize procured him many a shout,
But soon the storm of favour veer'd about;
He thought 'twould last, oh! simple and absurd!
Even in the breath of praise he blame incurr'd.
Would it not make a very stoic fret,
The world should benefits so soon forget?—
Let them snarl on, or they with envy burst;
Tho' hardly treated, thou art not the first.
Scarcely an hour without example passes,
Those who rely on public fame are asses;
Fate unprovok'd our dearest aims may frustrate,
A case in point the axiom may illustrate.
Some centuries ago, a genius rose,
His name on record every school-boy knows,
A navigator from his cradle bred,
Who took a strange vagary in his head
To search for worlds, and of his skill persuaded,
With much remonstrance, Spain his project aided.
The slights, obstructions, vain delays surmounted,
Need not, as things are managed, be recounted.
Consign'd to heaven, the destin'd bark he enter'd,
And shap'd a course none e'er before adventur'd.
The Celtic shores receding far behind,
With swelling sails he scuds before the wind;
His stout-ribb'd keels untravers'd billows plow,
Hope at the helm, and courage at the bow;
The voyage long, and great was his distress,
But perseverance crown'd him with success.
A world obtain'd, now trim in glory ride
His argosies safe on their native tide.
Fame, almost breathless, flew with the report,
And soon in person he arrives at court;
Was graciously receiv'd—the people stare!
To see plain dealing so respected there.
He show'd his charts, describ'd the courses run,
The realms discover'd, and the trophies won;
The battles, sieges, hair-breadth scapes narrated;
But little in his own behalf dilated;
And to repay a tyrant's scanty aid,
Crowns at his feet, and mighty empires laid;
Nor was the homage scorn'd; for at that time
Princes were sometimes just, and worth no crime.
But genuine worth, conspicuous near a crown,
Tho' rarely seen, is quickly jostled down.
Had he been read in men and manners more,
He might have kept some snug douceurs in store.
Thro' all degrees, in every age and nation,
Smiles dwell on hope, and friends on expectation;
But signal services themselves defeat,
And prove, tho' good, the agent indiscreet.
In triple ratio as the debt encreases,
Expectance grows and obligation ceases;
Assert your claims, 'tis plain to every dunce,
That damns your fame and cancels them at once:
And not unfrequently among the great,
The path of honour is the road to hate;
This he experienced, but was wise too late.
His name on record every school-boy knows,
A navigator from his cradle bred,
Who took a strange vagary in his head
To search for worlds, and of his skill persuaded,
With much remonstrance, Spain his project aided.
The slights, obstructions, vain delays surmounted,
Need not, as things are managed, be recounted.
200
And shap'd a course none e'er before adventur'd.
The Celtic shores receding far behind,
With swelling sails he scuds before the wind;
His stout-ribb'd keels untravers'd billows plow,
Hope at the helm, and courage at the bow;
The voyage long, and great was his distress,
But perseverance crown'd him with success.
A world obtain'd, now trim in glory ride
His argosies safe on their native tide.
Fame, almost breathless, flew with the report,
And soon in person he arrives at court;
Was graciously receiv'd—the people stare!
To see plain dealing so respected there.
He show'd his charts, describ'd the courses run,
The realms discover'd, and the trophies won;
The battles, sieges, hair-breadth scapes narrated;
But little in his own behalf dilated;
And to repay a tyrant's scanty aid,
Crowns at his feet, and mighty empires laid;
Nor was the homage scorn'd; for at that time
Princes were sometimes just, and worth no crime.
But genuine worth, conspicuous near a crown,
Tho' rarely seen, is quickly jostled down.
Had he been read in men and manners more,
He might have kept some snug douceurs in store.
201
Smiles dwell on hope, and friends on expectation;
But signal services themselves defeat,
And prove, tho' good, the agent indiscreet.
In triple ratio as the debt encreases,
Expectance grows and obligation ceases;
Assert your claims, 'tis plain to every dunce,
That damns your fame and cancels them at once:
And not unfrequently among the great,
The path of honour is the road to hate;
This he experienced, but was wise too late.
'Twas now the work of enmity began,
And for his merit all detest the man;
Some thought he might speak true, and others doubted;
Some gave the lie direct, and numbers flouted;
Some construed it a personal affront,
And swore, if not prevented, they had don't;
The thing was plain; they knew it to a peg—
On this the man, prepar'd, produc'd an egg;
He had of envy and detraction heard,
And opportunely stood upon his guard.
‘My lords! great latitude of self-defence
‘Appears not in the log-book of my sense;
‘How should an uncouth tar, bred up in storms,
‘Frame his rude speech by your scholastic forms?
‘Exposed to shoals, from which no craft's exempt,
‘I soon should founder in the vain attempt;
‘Suppose then, serious business we suspend,
‘And set the egg, a far-fetch'd game, on end.’
At his request each took it into hand,
But not a Don of them could make it stand;
Oft and again alternately they toil'd,
Tried every way, and every way were foil'd;
Then in a peevish, supercilious tone
Declare unanimous, 'twas not to be done:—
He smil'd, and taking it, the end he crack'd,
And so to their confusion prov'd the fact.
And for his merit all detest the man;
Some thought he might speak true, and others doubted;
Some gave the lie direct, and numbers flouted;
Some construed it a personal affront,
And swore, if not prevented, they had don't;
The thing was plain; they knew it to a peg—
On this the man, prepar'd, produc'd an egg;
He had of envy and detraction heard,
And opportunely stood upon his guard.
‘My lords! great latitude of self-defence
‘Appears not in the log-book of my sense;
‘How should an uncouth tar, bred up in storms,
‘Frame his rude speech by your scholastic forms?
202
‘I soon should founder in the vain attempt;
‘Suppose then, serious business we suspend,
‘And set the egg, a far-fetch'd game, on end.’
At his request each took it into hand,
But not a Don of them could make it stand;
Oft and again alternately they toil'd,
Tried every way, and every way were foil'd;
Then in a peevish, supercilious tone
Declare unanimous, 'twas not to be done:—
He smil'd, and taking it, the end he crack'd,
And so to their confusion prov'd the fact.
Shrewd was the bait, and credit thus maintain'd;
But secret malice is not so restrain'd:
His destiny to work his fall conspires,
And for his foes accomplish'd their desires.
A rival started in the great design,
Of same ambitious, born a Florentine;
The way prepar'd, with happier omens fraught,
He stemm'd the flood, and proud advantage caught.
The king in honour's seat the minion plac'd,
And sovereign beauty with her favour grac'd;
His recent deeds obscur'd the other's fame,
And one keen hit immortaliz'd his name.
But hard indeed the first adventurer's lot,
Rack'd with the wounds of man remembering not.
But secret malice is not so restrain'd:
His destiny to work his fall conspires,
And for his foes accomplish'd their desires.
A rival started in the great design,
Of same ambitious, born a Florentine;
The way prepar'd, with happier omens fraught,
He stemm'd the flood, and proud advantage caught.
The king in honour's seat the minion plac'd,
And sovereign beauty with her favour grac'd;
His recent deeds obscur'd the other's fame,
And one keen hit immortaliz'd his name.
But hard indeed the first adventurer's lot,
Rack'd with the wounds of man remembering not.
203
Ye connoiseurs! who boast mechanic skill,
Artists! or amateurs! or what you will!
Who furnish fuel just to feed contention,
And, lacking genius, thrive by circumvention;
You! who, all talents but your own decrying,
Are such adepts, in theory, at flying!
No doubt, if fortune favour, a balloon
Constructed properly might scale the moon;
The journey certes would enhance your glory,
Maugre friend Wilkins who went there before ye:
Yet, in the name of justice, let me beg,
Since you've been told the secret of the egg,
With modesty your high pretensions veil,
And, ere you rashly judge, apply the tale;
To merit ever give the credit due,
And honour truth, lest truth dishonour you.
Artists! or amateurs! or what you will!
Who furnish fuel just to feed contention,
And, lacking genius, thrive by circumvention;
You! who, all talents but your own decrying,
Are such adepts, in theory, at flying!
No doubt, if fortune favour, a balloon
Constructed properly might scale the moon;
The journey certes would enhance your glory,
Maugre friend Wilkins who went there before ye:
Yet, in the name of justice, let me beg,
Since you've been told the secret of the egg,
With modesty your high pretensions veil,
And, ere you rashly judge, apply the tale;
To merit ever give the credit due,
And honour truth, lest truth dishonour you.
| A collection of poems on various subjects | |