The Poetical Works of the late Mrs Mary Robinson ::

Offspring of Heav'n! from whose bland throne
Thou bend'st with salutary wing,
Bearing the olive branch divine,
To grace Britannia's lucid zone;
Where in calm majestic pride
Her conqu'ring Navies proudly ride!
While Art and Commerce smiling join,
And to the fav'ring skies exulting Pæans ring!

169

Oh! bend thy flight from pole to pole;
With balmy pinions swiftly sweep
O'er the dark and foaming deep,
Where the warring billows roll;
Where, in shadowy vestments clad,
Ghastly Visions, pale and sad,
Rising from their prison-wave,
Seem their destiny to brave;
Destiny severe and dire,
That spurn'd each tender hope away,
Each social gleam of mortal Day,
And gave their dauntless souls to War's insatiate Ire!

Now their dismal chorus sounds
E'en to earth's remotest bounds!
“Beware!” it says; “mankind, beware!
“Sheath the sword of Death, nor wage
“War with Heav'n's impending rage;
“Nor rouse the furious Fiend Despair!
“Already see, by Fate unfurl'd,
“His poison'd banner shades the world;
“All around him sad appears,
“Stain'd with Gore or drench'd in Tears;
“Where'er the Monster bends his eye,
“Beneath the fatal glance devoted millions die.”

170

O blest Humanity! 'tis thine
To shed consoling balm divine
Wide o'er the groaning race beneath;
And when fell Slaughter lifts her wreath,
Let the Laurel bough appear,
Gemm'd with Pity's holy tear;
Let it moisten every bud,
Glowing, hot with human blood!
And when no crimson tint remains,
When no foul blush its lustre stains,
Bathe with oblivious balm the dread record,
Grav'd on the page of Fame by Gallia's vengeful sword!

Mark, oh! mark the tented plains
Where exulting Discord reigns;
Flush'd with rage, her panting breast,
Her eye with ruthless lightnings stor'd,
She lifts her never-failing sword,
With wreaths of with'ring Laurel drest.
By her side, in proud array,
Ambition stalks, with restless soul;
Madd'ning Vengeance leads the way;
Her giant crest disdains control;
Triumphantly she waves her iron hand,
While her red Pinions sweep the desolated Land!

171

See! beneath her murd'rous wing,
Howling Famine seems to cling!
Feeding on the putrid breeze,
Her wither'd Heart begins to freeze!
With sullen eye she scowls around,
O'er the barren hostile ground;
Where once the golden Harvest wav'd;
Where the clust'ring Vineyard rose,
By many a lucid streamlet lav'd;
Now the purple Torrent flows!
She marks the direful change with curses deep,
While, o'er the scene forlorn, distracted legions weep!

Where the tow'ring City stands,
Once a polish'd Nation's pride,
See stern Death, with rapid stride,
Leads on his grisly bands!
The Infant's shriek, the Sire's despair,
Rend the sulphur-stagnant air!
Nought illumes the thick'ning shade,
Save the Poignard's glitt'ring blade;
All along the flinty way,
Streams of blood are seen to stray,
Foaming, blushing, as they flow,
While ev'ry dome resounds with agonizing woe!

172

Haste, Humanity! prepare
Chains to quell the fiend Despair;
Round pale Vengeance swiftly twine;
Discord bind in spells divine!
Now where Famine droops her head,
Reason's balmy banquet spread;
And where the blood-stain'd Laurel dies,
Oh! let the Olive bloom, the Fav'rite of the Skies!

University of Virginia Library

ODE TO HUMANITY.

Written during the Massacres at Paris, in September, 1792.