 | The Collected Poems of Lord De Tabley |  |
NAPOLEON THE GREAT
While the happy fields repose
In a border of wild rose,
And the meadow mantle glows
Like a flower,
In a border of wild rose,
And the meadow mantle glows
Like a flower,
As I pace this woodland glade
Visions come and visions fade
Of the wars Napoleon made
And his power.
Visions come and visions fade
Of the wars Napoleon made
And his power.
FRANCE
How from mean estate he came,
On the splendid plumes of Fame
To the Sun's imperial flame
Soaring proud,
On the splendid plumes of Fame
To the Sun's imperial flame
Soaring proud,
As a champion of romance,
He has breathed his soul on France,
And she started from her trance
And her shroud.
He has breathed his soul on France,
And she started from her trance
And her shroud.
Soon the Consul's laurels fade
Into Cæsar's purple shade;
No such lord of battle blade
Came before.
Into Cæsar's purple shade;
No such lord of battle blade
Came before.
426
With his foot on Fortune's wheel
Europe whimpers at his heel,
By the right of blood and steel
Emperor.
Europe whimpers at his heel,
By the right of blood and steel
Emperor.
Scale o'er Alps and bridge the Rhine,
Burst thy barriers, Apennine!
Shall such puny bounds confine
His renown?
Burst thy barriers, Apennine!
Shall such puny bounds confine
His renown?
He has conquered south and east,
Kings attend him at his feast,
Of his Marshals yet the least
Wears a crown.
Kings attend him at his feast,
Of his Marshals yet the least
Wears a crown.
But the Ocean curbs his sail,
Tho' by land his sword prevail:
“Brine-ward let his glory fail!”
Fate decrees.
Tho' by land his sword prevail:
“Brine-ward let his glory fail!”
Fate decrees.
Useless fleets he builds in sight
Of the Forts on Dover's height,
Hated Albion rides in might
On the seas.
Of the Forts on Dover's height,
Hated Albion rides in might
On the seas.
Sullen in his icy lair,
Bides the yet unvanquished Bear,
And he mocks at Cæsar's chair,
Sown with bees.
Bides the yet unvanquished Bear,
And he mocks at Cæsar's chair,
Sown with bees.
Interlude
Here are lambs on frolic feet,
Here are miles of ripening wheat,
And the ploughboy carols sweet
To his team.
Here are miles of ripening wheat,
And the ploughboy carols sweet
To his team.
Safe inside our narrow seas,
Who invades our English peace?
But the foes of Britain cease
Like a dream.
Who invades our English peace?
But the foes of Britain cease
Like a dream.
427
MOSCOW
Let the roofs of Moscow burn,
Till the Czar of Moscow learn
Sheeted winter cannot turn
Back his fate.
Till the Czar of Moscow learn
Sheeted winter cannot turn
Back his fate.
Onward, on, the legions go;
Shall Napoleon dread the snow?
Let the chidden Cossack know
We are great.
Shall Napoleon dread the snow?
Let the chidden Cossack know
We are great.
Nay, but see the eagles there
Slow retreating in despair,
See the General, white with care,
Ride before.
Slow retreating in despair,
See the General, white with care,
Ride before.
Rime is on that rider bold,
Rime is on the eagle's gold,
Rime upon the standard's fold,
Crisp and hoar.
Rime is on the eagle's gold,
Rime upon the standard's fold,
Crisp and hoar.
Interlude
Miles of purple orchard fruit
Weigh the bough and strew the root.
From the mere one ringdove's lute
Wakes the shore.
Weigh the bough and strew the root.
From the mere one ringdove's lute
Wakes the shore.
Sheep bells tinkle far behind,
Like hushed echoes on the wind,
Breathing peace to human kind
Evermore.
Like hushed echoes on the wind,
Breathing peace to human kind
Evermore.
WATERLOO
Then there rise upon my view
Those gray flats of Waterloo,
Where the red men met the blue
Like a wall;
Those gray flats of Waterloo,
Where the red men met the blue
Like a wall;
Legions flashing in the sun,
Sabre clash, and vollied gun,
Till the world our Wellesley won
From the Gaul.
Sabre clash, and vollied gun,
Till the world our Wellesley won
From the Gaul.
428
Then the clarions gave their peal,
Then the wrestling squadrons reel,
Silent in their ranks of steel
Soldiers bled.
Then the wrestling squadrons reel,
Silent in their ranks of steel
Soldiers bled.
Then, as clouds of gathering night,
Blucher's morions massed the height,
And the tyrant at the sight
Turned and fled.
Blucher's morions massed the height,
And the tyrant at the sight
Turned and fled.
Over faces of the slain,
Through the cannon-cumbered plain,
Ah, he never turned again
To his dead!
Through the cannon-cumbered plain,
Ah, he never turned again
To his dead!
All his retinue of kings
Melt on panic-stricken wings,
While his dying trooper sings
Marseillaise.
Melt on panic-stricken wings,
While his dying trooper sings
Marseillaise.
Mighty Captain, King of Rome,
Mourn thine eagles stamped in loam,
Rifled barn and ruined home,
Ricks ablaze.
Mourn thine eagles stamped in loam,
Rifled barn and ruined home,
Ricks ablaze.
Fly by sacked and burning farms,
Fly by riddled windmills' arms,
In the nightmare and alarms,
Of thy pride.
Fly by riddled windmills' arms,
In the nightmare and alarms,
Of thy pride.
By the endless poplar lines,
By the trampled corn and vines,
In the crash of great designs
Let him ride.
By the trampled corn and vines,
In the crash of great designs
Let him ride.
Interlude
See, the hawkmoths in the wheat
Kiss the roses' faces sweet,
At the violet's sapphire feet,
Kneeling low.
Kiss the roses' faces sweet,
At the violet's sapphire feet,
Kneeling low.
Hark! the thirsty crickets cheep
To the poppy, queen of sleep,
Till the field mice peer and peep,
Soft as snow.
To the poppy, queen of sleep,
Till the field mice peer and peep,
Soft as snow.
429
ST. HELENA
He's thy captive, England, now!
Ah! undiadem his brow,
Chain him to thy galley prow
Like a thief.
Ah! undiadem his brow,
Chain him to thy galley prow
Like a thief.
Let thy warship cleave its way
To the far meridian day,
Let the wild Atlantic spray
Guard the chief.
To the far meridian day,
Let the wild Atlantic spray
Guard the chief.
Soon I see the barren rock
Where the island breakers shock.
Here with arms that interlock
He looks down;
Where the island breakers shock.
Here with arms that interlock
He looks down;
As a broken eagle torn
On the whirlwind of the morn,
Comes to die and dies in scorn
With a frown;
On the whirlwind of the morn,
Comes to die and dies in scorn
With a frown;
As that Titan, with the smart
Of the vulture at his heart,
Feels his limbs already part
Of the tomb,
Of the vulture at his heart,
Feels his limbs already part
Of the tomb,
Feels the slow sepulchral stain,
Inch by inch, on grinding pain,
March against his heart and brain,
In the gloom,
Inch by inch, on grinding pain,
March against his heart and brain,
In the gloom,
Scanned by grim and jealous foes,
Keen to chronicle his woes,
And to watch him as he goes
To his doom.
Keen to chronicle his woes,
And to watch him as he goes
To his doom.
Interlude
Merry school-girls thro' the woods
Scamper in their russet hoods,
Happy mothers watch their broods
In the nest.
Scamper in their russet hoods,
Happy mothers watch their broods
In the nest.
Comes a robin without dread,
Piping on a cart-house shed,
Where a rowan ripens, red
As his breast.
Piping on a cart-house shed,
Where a rowan ripens, red
As his breast.
430
THE INVALIDES
Last I see the pageant slow,
And all France in weeds of woe
Lays the laurel, bending low
To his car.
And all France in weeds of woe
Lays the laurel, bending low
To his car.
Now in death's imperial state
Once again this King is great
And beyond the reach of Fate
And of war.
Once again this King is great
And beyond the reach of Fate
And of war.
So he sleeps upon his bed,
With the great enduring dead,
And the cannon round his head
Peal him home;
With the great enduring dead,
And the cannon round his head
Peal him home;
As he heard them many a day
In his riding-coat of gray,
When the battle rolled away
Like the foam.
In his riding-coat of gray,
When the battle rolled away
Like the foam.
Conclusion
Thus I sat to meditate
And to muse upon the fate
Of Napoleon the Great
And his peers;
And to muse upon the fate
Of Napoleon the Great
And his peers;
Till I thought I heard the drum,
And the cannon seemed to come
With a long mysterious hum
Thro' the years.
And the cannon seemed to come
With a long mysterious hum
Thro' the years.
| The Collected Poems of Lord De Tabley | |