The Poetical Works of Caroline Bowles Southey Collected Edition |
 |
|
| 1. |
| 2. |
| 3. |
THE LANDING OF THE PRIMROSE. |
 | The Poetical Works of Caroline Bowles Southey |  |
THE LANDING OF THE PRIMROSE.
Australia's strand was swarming
With myriads, tier on tier;
Like bees, they clung and clustered
On wall and pile and pier.
With myriads, tier on tier;
Like bees, they clung and clustered
On wall and pile and pier.
The wanderer and the outcast—
Hope—Penitence—Despair—
The felon and the freeman
Were intermingling there.
Hope—Penitence—Despair—
The felon and the freeman
Were intermingling there.
There ran a restless murmur,
A murmur deep, not loud;
For every heart was thrilling
Through all that motley crowd;
A murmur deep, not loud;
For every heart was thrilling
Through all that motley crowd;
And every eye was straining
To where a good ship lay,
With England's red-cross waving
Above her decks that day.
To where a good ship lay,
With England's red-cross waving
Above her decks that day.
249
And comes she, deeply freighted
With human guilt and shame?
And wait those crowds expectant
To greet with loud acclaim?
With human guilt and shame?
And wait those crowds expectant
To greet with loud acclaim?
Or comes she treasure-laden,
And ache those anxious eyes
For sight of her rich cargo,
Her goodly merchandise?
And ache those anxious eyes
For sight of her rich cargo,
Her goodly merchandise?
See, see! they lower the long-boat,
And now they man the barge;
Tricked out and manned so bravely
For no ignoble charge.
And now they man the barge;
Tricked out and manned so bravely
For no ignoble charge.
Gold gleams on breast and shoulder
Of England's own true-blue;
That sure must be the captain
Salutes his gallant crew;
Of England's own true-blue;
That sure must be the captain
Salutes his gallant crew;
And that the captain's lady
They're handing down the side;
“Steady, my hearts, now, steady!”
Was that the coxswain cried.
They're handing down the side;
“Steady, my hearts, now, steady!”
Was that the coxswain cried.
“Hold on!”—she's safely seated;
“In oars!”—a sparkling splash;
“Hats off on deck!”—one cheer now;
“Pull hearties!”—off they dash.
“In oars!”—a sparkling splash;
“Hats off on deck!”—one cheer now;
“Pull hearties!”—off they dash.
And now the lines long stretching
Of earnest gazers strain,
Converging to one centre,
The landing-place to gain.
Of earnest gazers strain,
Converging to one centre,
The landing-place to gain.
250
“A guard! a guard!” in haste then
The governor calls out;
“Protect the lady's landing
From all that rabble rout.”
The governor calls out;
“Protect the lady's landing
From all that rabble rout.”
Her foot is on the gunwale,
Her eyes on that turmoil;
A moment so she lingers,
Then treads Australia's soil.
Her eyes on that turmoil;
A moment so she lingers,
Then treads Australia's soil.
With looks of humid wonder
She gazes all about;
And oh! her woman's nature
Calls that no “rabble rout.”
She gazes all about;
And oh! her woman's nature
Calls that no “rabble rout.”
For well she reads the feeling
Each face expressive wears;
And well she knows what wakes it—
That precious thing she bears.
Each face expressive wears;
And well she knows what wakes it—
That precious thing she bears.
That precious thing—oh, wondrous!
A spell of potent power
From English earth transported,
A little lowly flower.
A spell of potent power
From English earth transported,
A little lowly flower.
Be blessings on that lady,
Be blessings on that hand,
The first to plant the primrose
Upon the exile's land!
Be blessings on that hand,
The first to plant the primrose
Upon the exile's land!
The sound had gone before her,
No eye had closed that night;
So yearned they for the morrow,
So longed they for the light.
No eye had closed that night;
So yearned they for the morrow,
So longed they for the light.
251
She smiles while tears are dropping,
She holds the treasure high;
And land and sea resounding,
Ring out with one wild cry.
She holds the treasure high;
And land and sea resounding,
Ring out with one wild cry.
And sobs at its subsiding
From manly breasts are heard,
Stern natures, hearts guilt-hardened,
To woman's softness stirred.
From manly breasts are heard,
Stern natures, hearts guilt-hardened,
To woman's softness stirred.
One gazes all intentness—
That felon boy—and lo!
The bold bright eyes are glistening,
Long, long unmoistened so.
That felon boy—and lo!
The bold bright eyes are glistening,
Long, long unmoistened so.
The woman holds her child up:
“Look, little one!” cries she,
“I pulled such when as blithesome
And innocent as thee.”
“Look, little one!” cries she,
“I pulled such when as blithesome
And innocent as thee.”
No word the old man utters,
His earnest eyes grow dim;
One spot beyond the salt sea
Is present now to him.
His earnest eyes grow dim;
One spot beyond the salt sea
Is present now to him.
There blooms the earliest primrose,
His father's grave hard by;
There lieth all his kindred—
There he shall never lie.
His father's grave hard by;
There lieth all his kindred—
There he shall never lie.
The living mass moves onward,
The lady and her train;
They press upon her path still,
To look and look again.
The lady and her train;
They press upon her path still,
To look and look again.
252
Yet on she moves securely,
No guards are needed there;
Of her they hem so closely
They would not harm a hair.
No guards are needed there;
Of her they hem so closely
They would not harm a hair.
Be blessings on that lady!
Be blessings on that hand!
The first to plant the primrose
Upon the exile's land.
Be blessings on that hand!
The first to plant the primrose
Upon the exile's land.
| The Poetical Works of Caroline Bowles Southey | |