 | Poems (1806) |  |
6
ODE ON THE ISLE OF MANN,
TO THE MEMORY OF BISHOP WILSON, WRITTEN AT THE REQUEST OF THE LATE Dr. WILSON, of BATH. 1781.
As musing erst I cross'd the glades
Where Mona, cloath'd with pendent shades,
O'erbrows the westering wave;
Sudden appear'd in faery maze
The pictur'd forms of other days,
And oft to memory's eye their transient colours gave.
Where Mona, cloath'd with pendent shades,
O'erbrows the westering wave;
Sudden appear'd in faery maze
The pictur'd forms of other days,
And oft to memory's eye their transient colours gave.
And “ah! ye fleeting shapes,” I cried,
“Amidst these glooms in pity glide!
“For here ye joy'd to rove
“In elder times, when mystic strains
“Echoed through consecrated fanes,
“And rites of magic charm'd the reverential grove.
“Amidst these glooms in pity glide!
“For here ye joy'd to rove
“In elder times, when mystic strains
“Echoed through consecrated fanes,
“And rites of magic charm'd the reverential grove.
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“O, by your wands of vervain blue,
“Of power to chase with lustrous dew
“The vapoury mists away;
“And by the dark incavern'd chest,
“Where sleeps Belinus' charmed vest;
“Again, ye Druid tribes! your awful forms display.
“Of power to chase with lustrous dew
“The vapoury mists away;
“And by the dark incavern'd chest,
“Where sleeps Belinus' charmed vest;
“Again, ye Druid tribes! your awful forms display.
“Who now, while memory views in tears
“The curtain'd scene of former years,
“Shall guard these magic rocks;
“Where Genii oft on sounding wings,
“Flutter'd at evening o'er the springs
“That lav'd the wreathing roots of yon fantastic oaks?
“The curtain'd scene of former years,
“Shall guard these magic rocks;
“Where Genii oft on sounding wings,
“Flutter'd at evening o'er the springs
“That lav'd the wreathing roots of yon fantastic oaks?
“Who now shall join the minstrel's lay,
“While glitter to the full moon's ray
“Their high-strung harps of gold?
“Or who survey the sweeping pall
“Of bards, amid the emblazon'd hall,
“The Druid's floating pomp, and hoary seers of old?
“While glitter to the full moon's ray
“Their high-strung harps of gold?
“Or who survey the sweeping pall
“Of bards, amid the emblazon'd hall,
“The Druid's floating pomp, and hoary seers of old?
“Who now, where stain'd with sacred blood
“The central oak o'ertops the wood,
“Shall see the victim laid
(“As midnight stills the spectred vale)
“On the red shrine aghast and pale,
“And pois'd aloft in air the lightning of the blade?
“The central oak o'ertops the wood,
“Shall see the victim laid
(“As midnight stills the spectred vale)
“On the red shrine aghast and pale,
“And pois'd aloft in air the lightning of the blade?
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“Ah! these, from Mona vanish'd long,
“Scarce live amid the flights of song,
“The Poet's breast to warm;
“And ev'n from fancy's eagle eye
“The soul-entrancing visions fly;
“Each Druid sinks away, and fades each faery form!
“Scarce live amid the flights of song,
“The Poet's breast to warm;
“And ev'n from fancy's eagle eye
“The soul-entrancing visions fly;
“Each Druid sinks away, and fades each faery form!
“Yet, where the lurid nightshade blooms,
“To some lone ruin's deep'ning glooms
“The pensive poet steals:
“Oft as he marks the Druid graves
“And crumbling piles, his bosom heaves
“With thoughts of ancient days, and pleasing horror feels!”
“To some lone ruin's deep'ning glooms
“The pensive poet steals:
“Oft as he marks the Druid graves
“And crumbling piles, his bosom heaves
“With thoughts of ancient days, and pleasing horror feels!”
Thus whilst the Muses taught to glow
The spirit of elegiac woe,
Soft-melting o'er my breast;
Instant along the shadowy way
Trembled a beam of brighter day,
And from an opening cloud a cherub shone confest.
The spirit of elegiac woe,
Soft-melting o'er my breast;
Instant along the shadowy way
Trembled a beam of brighter day,
And from an opening cloud a cherub shone confest.
“Suppress, fond youth, the unhallow'd strain,”
He cried, “nor rashly thus profane
“These groves with pagan sighs:
“Rejoice, that, crush'd to earth, the abodes
“Of Druids and their fabled gods,
“With superstition's frown affront no more the skies.
He cried, “nor rashly thus profane
“These groves with pagan sighs:
“Rejoice, that, crush'd to earth, the abodes
“Of Druids and their fabled gods,
“With superstition's frown affront no more the skies.
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“What! dost thou mourn the vanish'd rite
“That gave to horror the pale night,
“And shook the blasted wood;
“While, as each victim's dying cries
“Announc'd the human sacrifice,
“Scar'd at the infernal scene, the moon went down in blood?
“That gave to horror the pale night,
“And shook the blasted wood;
“While, as each victim's dying cries
“Announc'd the human sacrifice,
“Scar'd at the infernal scene, the moon went down in blood?
“No! let the Star, whose orient ray
“Those Druid orgies beam'd away,
“Thy holy reverence claim;
“And, purer than a poet's fire,
“The genuine oracles inspire
“Thine elevated soul with true religion's flame.
“Those Druid orgies beam'd away,
“Thy holy reverence claim;
“And, purer than a poet's fire,
“The genuine oracles inspire
“Thine elevated soul with true religion's flame.
“Call with new ardour to thy aid,
“O call a more auspicious shade,
“And bid thy raptur'd mind,
“Full of the blest idea, soar
“To brighter regions, and adore
“The gracious power that gave a Wilson to man-kind!
“O call a more auspicious shade,
“And bid thy raptur'd mind,
“Full of the blest idea, soar
“To brighter regions, and adore
“The gracious power that gave a Wilson to man-kind!
“With joy look round this little isle,
“And see the genial virtues smile
“The Christian planted here:
“Twas his, where pain had fix'd the dart,
“To heal with lenient balms the smart;
“From penury's pale eye 'twas his to wipe the tear!
“And see the genial virtues smile
“The Christian planted here:
“Twas his, where pain had fix'd the dart,
“To heal with lenient balms the smart;
“From penury's pale eye 'twas his to wipe the tear!
10
“With more than all a shepherd's care
“He rais'd the children of despair!
“By conscious guilt opprest:
“He bade (where weary sinners trod)
“Repentance, pointing to their God,
“Guide their reviving souls into the realms of rest.
“He rais'd the children of despair!
“By conscious guilt opprest:
“He bade (where weary sinners trod)
“Repentance, pointing to their God,
“Guide their reviving souls into the realms of rest.
“His flock with undissembled air
“Gather'd around, a smile to share
“Benevolently warm;
“And, as by miracle, they thought
“A portion of his worth they caught,
“If haply veil'd beneath the shadow of his form.
“Gather'd around, a smile to share
“Benevolently warm;
“And, as by miracle, they thought
“A portion of his worth they caught,
“If haply veil'd beneath the shadow of his form.
“Yet, where the rays of virtue shine,
“Malignant Envy! it is thine
“To bid her lustre faint:
“And lo! the Infernal, o'er the scene
“Dark-brooding, blots the bright serene;
“And bears to Rushin's walls the persecuted saint.
“Malignant Envy! it is thine
“To bid her lustre faint:
“And lo! the Infernal, o'er the scene
“Dark-brooding, blots the bright serene;
“And bears to Rushin's walls the persecuted saint.
“There, as immur'd the good man lay,
“Awhile to tyranny a prey,
“Sat Patience with calm eye:
“And there too Faith, who gives to flow,
“O Innocence! thy robe of snow,
“Op'd, through the vale of tears, a vista to the sky.
“Awhile to tyranny a prey,
“Sat Patience with calm eye:
“And there too Faith, who gives to flow,
“O Innocence! thy robe of snow,
“Op'd, through the vale of tears, a vista to the sky.
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“Yet, Wilson, like a shadow pass'd
“The storm which envy rais'd, to blast
“Thy unpolluted head:
“Soon thy fair orb resum'd its light,
“And grew more beautifully bright,
“As far dispell'd by truth, the murky darkness fled.
“The storm which envy rais'd, to blast
“Thy unpolluted head:
“Soon thy fair orb resum'd its light,
“And grew more beautifully bright,
“As far dispell'd by truth, the murky darkness fled.
“At length, thy radiant journey run,
“With placid close thy evening sun
“On friendship's trembling tear
“Glanc'd its last beams, and sunk away;
“But rose to everlasting day,
“And now in glory gilds the Seraph's happier sphere!”
“With placid close thy evening sun
“On friendship's trembling tear
“Glanc'd its last beams, and sunk away;
“But rose to everlasting day,
“And now in glory gilds the Seraph's happier sphere!”
P.
| Poems (1806) | |