The poetical works of John Nicholson ... Carefully edited from the original editions, with additional notes and a sketch of his life and writings. By W. G. Hird |
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 | The poetical works of John Nicholson |  |
The river's course a thousand times has changed,
Since on its banks the ancient Druids ranged;
The fords, which once the Roman cohorts crossed,
Filled up with sand, are now for ever lost.
The course, now fields, where once the river ran—
Emblem of empires, and of changing man!
The streams of Science once through Egypt flowed,
When Thebes in all its ancient grandeur glowed;
Then left the margin of the fruitful Nile,
Crossed o'er to Greece, and made great Athens smile.
Athens and Corinth fell—and Rome appeared,
Stretched forth her empire, and no danger feared,
Till Gothic ignorance, with sable robe
Of darkest superstition, wrapt the globe.
Then bigot Fury reared its hydra head;
Then Science sunk, and all the Muses fled
To their own shades, and there for cent'ries mourned,
Nor to Parnassus have they yet returned:
At length on earth again they deigned to smile,
And fixed their residence on Albion's isle.
Since on its banks the ancient Druids ranged;
The fords, which once the Roman cohorts crossed,
Filled up with sand, are now for ever lost.
The course, now fields, where once the river ran—
Emblem of empires, and of changing man!
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When Thebes in all its ancient grandeur glowed;
Then left the margin of the fruitful Nile,
Crossed o'er to Greece, and made great Athens smile.
Athens and Corinth fell—and Rome appeared,
Stretched forth her empire, and no danger feared,
Till Gothic ignorance, with sable robe
Of darkest superstition, wrapt the globe.
Then bigot Fury reared its hydra head;
Then Science sunk, and all the Muses fled
To their own shades, and there for cent'ries mourned,
Nor to Parnassus have they yet returned:
At length on earth again they deigned to smile,
And fixed their residence on Albion's isle.
| The poetical works of John Nicholson | |