The poetical works of James Montgomery collected by himself |
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 | The poetical works of James Montgomery |  |
III. PART III.
The Wanderer continues his Narrative, and describes the Battle and Massacre of Underwalden.
“From the valley we descried,
As the Gauls approach'd our shores,
Keels that darken'd all the tide,
Tempesting the Lake with oars.
As the Gauls approach'd our shores,
Keels that darken'd all the tide,
Tempesting the Lake with oars.
Then the mountain-echoes rang
With the clangour of alarms:
Shrill the signal-trumpet sang;
All our warriors leap'd to arms.
With the clangour of alarms:
Shrill the signal-trumpet sang;
All our warriors leap'd to arms.
On the margin of the flood,
While the frantic foe drew nigh;
Grim as watching wolves we stood,
Prompt as eagles stretch'd to fly.
While the frantic foe drew nigh;
Grim as watching wolves we stood,
Prompt as eagles stretch'd to fly.
In a deluge upon land
Burst their overwhelming might;
Back we hurl'd them from the strand,
Oft returning to the fight.
Burst their overwhelming might;
Back we hurl'd them from the strand,
Oft returning to the fight.
Fierce and long the combat held;
—Till the waves were warm with blood,
Till the booming waters swell'd
As they sank beneath the flood.
—Till the waves were warm with blood,
Till the booming waters swell'd
As they sank beneath the flood.
For, on that triumphant day,
Underwalden's arms once more
Broke Oppression's black array,
Dash'd invasion from her shore.
Underwalden's arms once more
Broke Oppression's black array,
Dash'd invasion from her shore.
Gaul's surviving barks retired,
Muttering vengeance as they fled:
Hope in us, by Conquest fired,
Raised our spirits from the dead.
Muttering vengeance as they fled:
Hope in us, by Conquest fired,
Raised our spirits from the dead.
From the dead our spirits rose,
To the dead they soon return'd;
Bright, on its eternal close,
Underwalden's glory burn'd.
To the dead they soon return'd;
Bright, on its eternal close,
Underwalden's glory burn'd.
Star of Switzerland! whose rays
Shed such sweet expiring light,
Ere the Gallic comet's blaze
Swept thy beauty into night:—
Shed such sweet expiring light,
Ere the Gallic comet's blaze
Swept thy beauty into night:—
Star of Switzerland! thy fame
No recording Bard hath sung;
Yet be thine immortal name
Inspiration to my tongue!
No recording Bard hath sung;
Yet be thine immortal name
Inspiration to my tongue!
While the lingering moon delay'd
In the wilderness of night,
Ere the morn awoke the shade
Into loveliness and light;—
In the wilderness of night,
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Into loveliness and light;—
Gallia's tigers, wild for blood,
Darted on our sleeping fold;
Down the mountains, o'er the flood,
Dark as thunder-clouds they roll'd.
Darted on our sleeping fold;
Down the mountains, o'er the flood,
Dark as thunder-clouds they roll'd.
By the trumpet's voice alarm'd,
All the valley burst awake;
All were in a moment arm'd,
From the barriers to the lake.
All the valley burst awake;
All were in a moment arm'd,
From the barriers to the lake.
—In that valley, on that shore,
When the graves give up their dead,
At the trumpet's voice once more
Shall those slumberers quit their bed.
When the graves give up their dead,
At the trumpet's voice once more
Shall those slumberers quit their bed.
For the glen that gave them birth
Hides their ashes in its womb:
O! 'tis venerable earth,
Freedom's cradle, Freedom's tomb.
Hides their ashes in its womb:
O! 'tis venerable earth,
Freedom's cradle, Freedom's tomb.
Then on every side begun
That unutterable fight;
Never rose the astonish'd sun
On so horrible a sight.
That unutterable fight;
Never rose the astonish'd sun
On so horrible a sight.
Once an eagle of the rock
('Twas an omen of our fate)
Stoop'd, and from my scatter'd flock
Bore a lambkin to his mate.
('Twas an omen of our fate)
Stoop'd, and from my scatter'd flock
Bore a lambkin to his mate.
While the Parents fed their young,
Lo! a cloud of vultures lean,
By voracious famine stung,
Wildly screaming rush'd between.
Lo! a cloud of vultures lean,
By voracious famine stung,
Wildly screaming rush'd between.
Fiercely fought the eagle-twain,
Though by multitudes opprest,
Till their little ones were slain,
Till they perish'd on their nest.
Though by multitudes opprest,
Till their little ones were slain,
Till they perish'd on their nest.
More unequal was the fray
Which our band of brethren waged;
More insatiate o'er their prey
Gaul's remorseless vultures raged.
Which our band of brethren waged;
More insatiate o'er their prey
Gaul's remorseless vultures raged.
In innumerable waves,
Swoln with fury, grim with blood,
Headlong roll'd the hordes of slaves,
And ingulph'd us with a flood.
Swoln with fury, grim with blood,
Headlong roll'd the hordes of slaves,
And ingulph'd us with a flood.
In the whirlpool of that flood,
Firm in fortitude divine,
Like the eternal rocks we stood
In the cataract of the Rhine.
Firm in fortitude divine,
Like the eternal rocks we stood
In the cataract of the Rhine.
Till by tenfold force assail'd,
In a hurricane of fire,
When at length our phalanx fail'd,
Then our courage blazed the higher.
In a hurricane of fire,
When at length our phalanx fail'd,
Then our courage blazed the higher.
Broken into feeble bands,
Fighting in dissever'd parts,
Weak and weaker grew our hands,
Strong and stronger still our hearts.
Fighting in dissever'd parts,
Weak and weaker grew our hands,
Strong and stronger still our hearts.
Fierce amid the loud alarms,
Shouting in the foremost fray,
Children raised their little arms
In their country's evil day.
Shouting in the foremost fray,
Children raised their little arms
In their country's evil day.
On their country's dying bed,
Wives and husbands pour'd their breath;
Many a Youth and Maiden bled,
Married at thine altar, Death.
Wives and husbands pour'd their breath;
Many a Youth and Maiden bled,
Married at thine altar, Death.
Wildly scatter'd o'er the plain,
Bloodier still the battle grew:—
O ye Spirits of the slain,
Slain on those your prowess slew!
Bloodier still the battle grew:—
O ye Spirits of the slain,
Slain on those your prowess slew!
Who shall now your deeds relate?
Ye that fell unwept, unknown;
Mourning for your country's fate,
But rejoicing in your own!
Ye that fell unwept, unknown;
Mourning for your country's fate,
But rejoicing in your own!
Virtue, valour, nought avail'd
With so merciless a foe;
When the nerves of heroes fail'd,
Cowards then could strike a blow.
With so merciless a foe;
When the nerves of heroes fail'd,
Cowards then could strike a blow.
Cold and keen the assassin's blade
Smote the Father to the ground;
Through the infant's breast convey'd
To the mother's heart a wound.
Smote the Father to the ground;
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To the mother's heart a wound.
Underwalden thus expired;
But at her expiring flame,
With fraternal feeling fired,
Lo! a band of Switzers came.
But at her expiring flame,
With fraternal feeling fired,
Lo! a band of Switzers came.
From the steeps beyond the lake,
Like a Winter's weight of snow,
When the huge Lavanges break,
Devastating all below;
Like a Winter's weight of snow,
When the huge Lavanges break,
Devastating all below;
Down they rush'd with headlong might,
Swifter than the panting wind;
All before them fear and flight;
Death and silence all behind.
Swifter than the panting wind;
All before them fear and flight;
Death and silence all behind.
How the forest of the foe
Bow'd before their thunder strokes,
When they laid the cedars low,
When they overwhelm'd the oaks!
Bow'd before their thunder strokes,
When they laid the cedars low,
When they overwhelm'd the oaks!
Thus they hew'd their dreadful way;
Till, by numbers forced to yield,
Terrible in death they lay,
The Avengers of the Field.”
Till, by numbers forced to yield,
Terrible in death they lay,
The Avengers of the Field.”
| The poetical works of James Montgomery | |