Poems on Several Occasions :: :: University of Virginia Library

Oh, thou! my soul's supreme delight,
From night to morn, from morn to night,
Enchantress of the hour:
Celestial muse! descend confess'd,
And shed, in this expanding breast,
The sun-beams of thy pow'r.

II

Thee to no trivial theme I call;
'Tis patriotism, glory all,
Invokes thy sacred fire:
High as the subject lift the lay,
Through fortune's gloom, ope' fancy's day,
Support, impel, inspire.

III

'Tis done:—the hallow'd flame I feel,
Quick beats my heart with ardent zeal,
My glowing spirits rise.
Thus phœbus chears the pervious earth,
Bids genial nature wake to birth,
And animates the skies.

IV

Hark! from Ierne's sister shore,
How rumour wafts contention o'er;
Still fond to spread as hear!
Wide o'er the realm expands the cloud,
And truth compels, with clarion loud,
Belief to trust the ear.

V

And, lo, Hibernia's self in tears!
What fury on her right appears,
With up-lift poinard aim'd?
'Tis Discord, fiend of cursed arts,
Strife waits her mandate, peace departs,
And all the land's inflam'd.

VI

Aversive, from her baleful eyes,
The sun with langour, mounts the skies,
And nature droops below;
Her breath the vital air infects,
Her voice, with ceaseless din, directs
Detraction where to flow.

VII

Shall one so hideous, man, controul
Thy pride, thy fortitude of soul,
Inherently inspir'd?
Yes; jealous of its country's rights,
A spark the loyal mind inlights;
Allegiance quickly's fir'd.

VIII

“My sons!” the injur'd goddess cries,
“Shall fate on filial duty rise?
“Why with yourselves contend?
“Can you, who warm with patriot glow,
“Defend me with disunion?—No:
“The means pervert the end.”

IX

Her voice, with sympathetic ears,
The distant Lord of Nations hears,
And meditates redress:
He! who asserts heav'n's great design,
Administers the will divine,
And reigns, like Jove, to bless.

X

'Tis this that gives the Royal fame;
Hence rev'rence waits a Brunswick's name,
Far as the ocean's known;
To Britain's king all kings submit,
Oppression's prostrate at his feet,
And mercy fills his throne.

XI

A Vice-roy to appease the state,
He seeks among the truely Great,
For god-like worth approv'd;
Ierne, then thy genii, near,
In mem'ry's mirrour, made appear,
How Cavendish was lov'd.

XII

In life's calm winter, now resign'd,
Like Atticus, with healthful mind,
The patriot wears his day;
Content the race of honour's run;
Happy, to see a darling son
Ascend the glorious way.

XIII

His monarch views with equal eyes,
The blooming senator arise,
The Briton full exprest:
Him chosen from th'imperial train,
Whose wisdom guards or spreads domain,
The royal Sire addrest.

XIV

“My Hartington! for freedom born,
“Whom envy'd titles can't adorn,
“Whose worth no king requite:
“To me how dear thy loyal line!
“In thee how bright their virtues shine,
“In glory's fairest light!

XV

“Haste to Ierne's shaken land!
“Select thy pow'rs, the mental band,
“And silence party's roar;
“Bid discord fly, contention cease;
“Re-welcome amity and peace,
“And be Ourself in pow'r.

XVI

“Guide furious zeal in reason's way;
“Beam round th'unerring patriot ray,
“By gods and men belov'd;
“And, warming all with warmth like thine,
“While adverse tenets wond'ring join,
“Prove what thy Father prov'd.”

XVII

The sov'reign spoke, in goodness wise—
Thus He who governs earth and skies,
When passions peace controul;
Indulgent to the human breast,
Bids soothing reason reign confest,
The Vice-roy in the soul.

XVIII

Fir'd at the charge, as duty bids,
The royal delegate proceeds,
While Fame leads on before:
Her wings his filial haste beguile,
Her trump proclaims around the isle,
“A Cavendish comes o'er.”

XIX

The name itself has magic force;
Dissension runs a dubious course,
And discord's half withdrawn:
So fade the horrors of the night,
Soon as Aurora's orient light
Reveals the morning dawn.

XX

And now the conscious waves, that roll
From shore to shore, from pole to pole,
To waft a Brunswick's pow'r,
Resign their sacred charge to land;
While expectation crouds the strand,
And hails th'auspicious hour.

XXI

Now emulative Ios rise;
Th'exulting cannons tell the skies,
That Hartington's arriv'd:
The trumpet pours its silver sound;
The drums deep echoes doubling bound,
And gen'ral joy's reviv'd.

XXII

This pageantry, this pomp of state,
A Vice-roy less belov'd wou'd wait,
To patriotism blind:
Is no distinction then addrest?—
Yes; other music hails the best,
The music of the mind.

XXIII

Now 'mid the senatorian band,
Intent to prop their native land,
As innate warmth ordains,
Th'illustrious guest assumes his seat;
George-like, bids ev'ry bosom beat,
And all majestic reigns.

XXIV

The base whence Civil variance rose;
Why fathers of the State were foes,
The sov'reign peer explores;
Calls justice' lovely form to sight,
Dispels the clouds o'er patriot light,
And banish'd peace restores:

XXV

He pours the salutary balm,
Speaks future good in wisdom's calm,
And points dissension's end;
While whisper runs the senate o'er,
“This youthful Nestor we adore:
“Gods! we'll no more contend!”

XXVI

Pale Discord's poinard, rumour's voice,
Contention's sting, or party's noise,
None now can hear or feel:
Who calls it faction gives disgust;
Hibernia's sons are wise and just:
'Twas but excessive zeal.

XXVII

Intemp'rate ardour wings its flight,
The skies emit more chearful light,
And happiness returns;
The sun of loyalty refin'd,
Serenely beams from mind to mind,
And friendshi'ps censer burns.

XXVIII

Thus ere Sol blaz'd in primal day,
When matter in confusion lay,
As order to oppose,
Th'Almighty spake his great design,
The jarring atoms instant join,
And harmony arose.

XXIX

Oh, Hartington! transcendent friend!
Now the neglected Arts attend,
And follow conquest there;
Around thy genial influence shed,
'Till Science lift her sacred head,
All amiable and fair.

XXX

The god of nature in the mind,
Inserts the seeds of arts refin'd,
With all-paternal hand;
But leaves to Hartingtons the pow'r,
To call forth ev'ry budding flow'r,
And dignify the land.

XXXI

Too long, ev'n Albion, in thy isle,
Has custom clouded merit's smile,
And genius sunk to earth:
Genius, whose sky-directed flame,
Exalts the soul from whence it came,
And gives to wonder birth!

XXXII

Shall you, ye Britons! lords of all,
Whose mortal thunders shake the ball,
And mighty tyrants awe;
Shall you demean your gen'rous hearts,
And crown in foes those very arts,
Your own by nature's law?

XXXIII

Soon shall the happy æra come,
When Britain shall be glory's home,
And native genius soar;
Behold th'ennobling train arise!
They'll make it fashion to be wise,
And worth shall droop no more.

XXXIV

Ye patrons of your country, hail!
Already Science feels the gale,
And looks with bright'ning eye:
That shall immortalize your fame;
That shall with grandeur deck your name,
When pomp and titles die.

XXXV

Imperial Lord! let Ireland know,
Thou feelst the all-creative glow,
And like Mæcenas shine;
So shall the muses, round thy head,
Their wreaths of deathless laurel spread,
And crown thee all-divine!

XXXVI

To You, and such as you, 'tis giv'n,
Responsive to the call of heav'n,
Its blessings to diffuse:
Th'eternal lord of light and health
Entrusted you with pow'r and wealth,
Because you know their use.

XXXVII

Come, commerce, now thy pow'rs expand;
Rich industry, stretch forth thy hand,
And plenty, pour thy horn!
Prolific warmth shall glad your toil,
And favour chear Ierne's isle,
Bright as the summer's morn.

XXXVIII

Ye genii, delegates on high,
Extend to her the watchful eye,
Her future peace insure;
And may no more her sons divide,
Nor stem dissension's boist'rous tide,
To spread those ills they'd cure!

XXXIX

And now, my Lord, permit the muse
A truth to speak, some bards wou'd choose
To varnish, or disown;
She thinks not thus to raise your name
But courts the sanction of your fame,
As passport for her own,

XL

As nature sooth'd, as fancy'd fir'd,
She caught the theme, to sing aspir'd,
And glory was her aim:
If you but smile, the prize is won—
All know the smile of Hartington,
And glory is the same,

Alluding to a Society of noblemen, &c. held under the denomination of the Dilittanti; or, Lovers of Art, who have generously offer'd their assistance to a select number of Artists, toward establishing a royal Academy, for the encouragement of genius, and supporting Painting, Sculpture, Architecture, and the Arts in general depending on Design.