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49
CANTO IV.
Fervet avaritia, miseroque cupidine pectus?
Sunt verba et voces, quibus hunc lenire dolorem
Possis, et magnam morbi deponere partem.
HOR.
Sunt verba et voces, quibus hunc lenire dolorem
Possis, et magnam morbi deponere partem.
HOR.
O fairest of creation, last and best—
------ Creature in whom excells
Whatever can to sight or thought be form'd,
Holy, divine, good, amiable, or sweet,
How art thou lost! ------
Authority and reason on her wait,
As one intended first, not after made
Occasionally. ------
MILTON.
------ Creature in whom excells
Whatever can to sight or thought be form'd,
Holy, divine, good, amiable, or sweet,
How art thou lost! ------
Authority and reason on her wait,
As one intended first, not after made
Occasionally. ------
MILTON.
O vitæ Philosophia dux, virtutis indagatrix!
CICERO.
CICERO.
50
ARGUMENT.
The Conclave being now fully assembled, --- as Preses proceeds to develope the whole of his stupendous Scheme.—He first proposes to arouse and illuminate the Mechanic, the Mercantile, and other tribes, who have hitherto been the peculiar votaries of Ignorance and Avarice:—He pathetically deplores the melancholy and illiterate fate of his fair Country Women; he calls upon the Sages to go forth for their emancipation from nursery and culinary bondage, and anticipates the happy effects to result from instructing them in Science and Philosophy:— And, finally, he details, in regular order, the various Arts and Sciences to be treated of in their Annual Course of Lectures.—The Brethren, after a profound pause of admiration, arise to celebrate the Institute's felicitous Birth in mystic Song:—The Genius joins in the chorus, and from the College roof pours far and wide the heavenly strain;—Its wonderful progress and effects described.—Reflections on the weakness and absurdity of all former Philosophical Systems, with the true theory of the Universe, and of the Literary World.—L'Envoi.
51
Now, from the chair the Preses silence broke—
Thrice clear'd his throat, and cough'd—then thus he spoke:
“Illustrious benefactors of mankind,
“Ye polar stars of every daring mind,
“Vast is the object why we congregate,
“Deep as dark Hades—high as Heav'n elate!
“Sages, Philosophers, illumin'd Powers,
“Princes of Arts, the prostrate world is yours;
“Let your fraternal arms mankind embrace,
“Illuminate and rule the human race;—
“Awake those men from knowledge long restrain'd,
“Whose souls debasing Avarice hath stain'd;
“Call on those tribes to Science long averse—
“All Drapers, Grocers, Printers, Writers fierce:
“They'll hail you as the hopeless mariner
“Some island smiling o'er the deep afar;—
“Then they'll lament in Philosophic strains,
“How long they've labour'd after paltry gains,
“Without some Scientific art display'd,
“In giving what was sold, or taking what was paid.”
Thrice clear'd his throat, and cough'd—then thus he spoke:
“Illustrious benefactors of mankind,
“Ye polar stars of every daring mind,
“Vast is the object why we congregate,
“Deep as dark Hades—high as Heav'n elate!
52
“Princes of Arts, the prostrate world is yours;
“Let your fraternal arms mankind embrace,
“Illuminate and rule the human race;—
“Awake those men from knowledge long restrain'd,
“Whose souls debasing Avarice hath stain'd;
“Call on those tribes to Science long averse—
“All Drapers, Grocers, Printers, Writers fierce:
“They'll hail you as the hopeless mariner
“Some island smiling o'er the deep afar;—
“Then they'll lament in Philosophic strains,
“How long they've labour'd after paltry gains,
“Without some Scientific art display'd,
“In giving what was sold, or taking what was paid.”
With wonderment profound the brethren hear,
And utter their applause with ruff and cheer.—
And utter their applause with ruff and cheer.—
53
“And oh! how long,”—he added sad and slow—
Through stifled sighs his faltering accents flow—
“And oh! how long, in this barbaric Isle,
“Have men of manners rough and morals vile,
“Crush'd, with despotic arm, the female race,
“And doom'd them to unmerited disgrace!
“Have they not intellect?—Oh, Sages deep,
“'Tis not enough o'er Woman's wrongs to weep;
“'Tis yours to bid, with kindly soothing voice,
“The lovely, injured Fair-ones to rejoice!
“Fling wide your gates—invite them here to shine,
“And Beauty's rose with Wisdom's flower entwine!
Through stifled sighs his faltering accents flow—
“And oh! how long, in this barbaric Isle,
“Have men of manners rough and morals vile,
“Crush'd, with despotic arm, the female race,
“And doom'd them to unmerited disgrace!
“Have they not intellect?—Oh, Sages deep,
“'Tis not enough o'er Woman's wrongs to weep;
“'Tis yours to bid, with kindly soothing voice,
“The lovely, injured Fair-ones to rejoice!
“Fling wide your gates—invite them here to shine,
“And Beauty's rose with Wisdom's flower entwine!
“I see with holy fire their spirits burn,
“As leaning on our arms they home return;
“I see them meet Philosophy to talk,
“At sipping tea, or at a Sunday's walk;
“No more in deep discussions are they mute;
“Yea, even our infants lisp “The Institute!”
“As leaning on our arms they home return;
“I see them meet Philosophy to talk,
“At sipping tea, or at a Sunday's walk;
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“Yea, even our infants lisp “The Institute!”
Out burst their loud acclaim with mingled roar,
As raving surges lash the foaming shore;
He waves his hand to end their plaudits hoarse,
And thus unfolds the limits of their course:
As raving surges lash the foaming shore;
He waves his hand to end their plaudits hoarse,
And thus unfolds the limits of their course:
“We first the high Philosophy of heaven
“Shall teach—the mighty stars in radiance driven
“Along the depths of the cerulean sky,
“Their nature, names, and future destiny:—
“Then Rhetoric, and the long train of thought.
“From inward caves of cogitation brought:—
“Then Elocution, with its magic strain,
“A while our mental raptures shall detain:—
“Next Chymistry, and its mysterious hand,
“By which the wizard Nature is trepann'd!”
“Shall teach—the mighty stars in radiance driven
“Along the depths of the cerulean sky,
“Their nature, names, and future destiny:—
“Then Rhetoric, and the long train of thought.
“From inward caves of cogitation brought:—
“Then Elocution, with its magic strain,
“A while our mental raptures shall detain:—
“Next Chymistry, and its mysterious hand,
“By which the wizard Nature is trepann'd!”
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Then Morals, Law, and many another theme
The Sage pourtrays in Scientific scheme;
As the rapt traveller upon thy mount,
O high Ben Lomond, lingering, strives to count
The hills that rise in prospect to his eye,
Towering and towering till in heaven they die;
So he his piercing and prophetic glance
Far into future times did keen advance,
And saw the labours of the Institute,
In varied shade and figure, all upshoot.—
The Sage pourtrays in Scientific scheme;
As the rapt traveller upon thy mount,
O high Ben Lomond, lingering, strives to count
The hills that rise in prospect to his eye,
Towering and towering till in heaven they die;
So he his piercing and prophetic glance
Far into future times did keen advance,
And saw the labours of the Institute,
In varied shade and figure, all upshoot.—
He ceas'd:—Yet still each Sage's greedy ear
Incumbent seem'd the wondrous strain to hear!
Still, still on him each spirit-speaking eye
Was bent so keen, so long, so fixedly—
So gap'd the group, with shoulders forward thrown,
You would have sworn each figure changed to stone!
Incumbent seem'd the wondrous strain to hear!
Still, still on him each spirit-speaking eye
Was bent so keen, so long, so fixedly—
So gap'd the group, with shoulders forward thrown,
You would have sworn each figure changed to stone!
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At length, tho' not with sackbut, harp, or lute,
They rise to sing Dunedin's Institute:
First J--- struck the key, him W--- join'd,
Illustrious R--- did not lag behind;
Grave W---, deep historic R---,
And the two M*c's bass'd with a deeper tone;
And many a sage, with name unmeet for rhyme,
Join'd with sonorous throat the mighty chime:
They shout, and still the burden of their song,
“The Institute!” “The Institute!” the echoing roofs prolong.
They rise to sing Dunedin's Institute:
First J--- struck the key, him W--- join'd,
Illustrious R--- did not lag behind;
Grave W---, deep historic R---,
And the two M*c's bass'd with a deeper tone;
And many a sage, with name unmeet for rhyme,
Join'd with sonorous throat the mighty chime:
They shout, and still the burden of their song,
“The Institute!” “The Institute!” the echoing roofs prolong.
The Genius, listening on the chimney high
,
Took up the song with dread unearthly cry,
And from immortal bag-pipes pour'd the strain,
Till all the trembling turrets groan'd again!—
The sound, uprising from the College roof,
Floats o'er Dunedin's garrets far aloof;
Where lours the Castle grimly from his rocks;
And where high Arthur proudly overlooks
The wave of Duddinsgton's romantic lake,
Embower'd with fenny marge and tangled brake;
And thence along the deep-resounding shore,
To high Tantallan and to Stirling hoar,
Where Forth far winding waves his snaky tail,
As loath to leave that sweet enamell'd vale;
And where the Pentlands and the Lammermuir
Rear their bleak summits to the welkin pure,
The “Institute” is heard and repercuss'd,
Till far in distant echoings 'tis lost.—
Took up the song with dread unearthly cry,
57
Till all the trembling turrets groan'd again!—
The sound, uprising from the College roof,
Floats o'er Dunedin's garrets far aloof;
Where lours the Castle grimly from his rocks;
And where high Arthur proudly overlooks
The wave of Duddinsgton's romantic lake,
Embower'd with fenny marge and tangled brake;
And thence along the deep-resounding shore,
To high Tantallan and to Stirling hoar,
Where Forth far winding waves his snaky tail,
As loath to leave that sweet enamell'd vale;
And where the Pentlands and the Lammermuir
Rear their bleak summits to the welkin pure,
The “Institute” is heard and repercuss'd,
Till far in distant echoings 'tis lost.—
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Each caddie starts—each watchman from the ground
Leaps wildly—marvelling at the sacred sound;
The “Institute!” he mutters and repeats
To forlorn wanderer of the nightly streets:
Alone upon his early field, the hind
Feels unknown raptures in his simple mind:
Far in the depths of some sequester'd vale,
Where opening wild-flowers scent the morning gale,
The wandering cottage maiden faintly hears
The blissful sound fall sweetly on her ears:
Even the stern hunter, on his barren hill,
Amid the solitary wild is still,
Lists the new sound, unmindful of his game,
And, wondering, feels his savage heart grow tame;
His hounds prick up their ears and yelp forth their acclaim!—
Leaps wildly—marvelling at the sacred sound;
The “Institute!” he mutters and repeats
To forlorn wanderer of the nightly streets:
Alone upon his early field, the hind
Feels unknown raptures in his simple mind:
Far in the depths of some sequester'd vale,
Where opening wild-flowers scent the morning gale,
The wandering cottage maiden faintly hears
The blissful sound fall sweetly on her ears:
Even the stern hunter, on his barren hill,
Amid the solitary wild is still,
Lists the new sound, unmindful of his game,
And, wondering, feels his savage heart grow tame;
His hounds prick up their ears and yelp forth their acclaim!—
59
Ah! what a mystic universe is this,
How oft the genuine agences we miss,
Or, stumbling on the springs of least avail,
Think by our cobweb threads the heavens to scale!
For lo! to sapient Sire or ardent Youth,
This Tale will prove there's scarce a word of truth
In all Philosophers as yet have told,
In modern days, or in the days of old.—
While stars and planetary fires arise,
To shed their glories o'er the midnight skies,
While seasons roll in harmony complete,
While day and night vicissitudes repeat,
While tempests strew with wrecks th'infuriate sea,
Or calmness smiles upon the flowery lea;
Dream'st thou of mighty springs and giant powers,
Seen by the Sage in Nature's secret bowers?—
'Tis fable all—some little emmet cause
Suspends or guides the universal laws;
So nicely is this lofty fabric join'd,
Should but some buzzing fly thy taper blind,
Perchance the sun and stars would roll in gloom,
And man and nature hasten to their tomb!—
So in the story of the learned world,
Were all its secret chronicles unfurl'd,
'Tis not the mind by lofty genius fir'd,
That bodies forth the deeds by men admir'd,
But feebler souls, by time and chance evolv'd,
Perform what fate-born Nature hath resolv'd.
How oft the genuine agences we miss,
Or, stumbling on the springs of least avail,
Think by our cobweb threads the heavens to scale!
For lo! to sapient Sire or ardent Youth,
This Tale will prove there's scarce a word of truth
In all Philosophers as yet have told,
In modern days, or in the days of old.—
While stars and planetary fires arise,
To shed their glories o'er the midnight skies,
While seasons roll in harmony complete,
While day and night vicissitudes repeat,
While tempests strew with wrecks th'infuriate sea,
Or calmness smiles upon the flowery lea;
Dream'st thou of mighty springs and giant powers,
Seen by the Sage in Nature's secret bowers?—
60
Suspends or guides the universal laws;
So nicely is this lofty fabric join'd,
Should but some buzzing fly thy taper blind,
Perchance the sun and stars would roll in gloom,
And man and nature hasten to their tomb!—
So in the story of the learned world,
Were all its secret chronicles unfurl'd,
'Tis not the mind by lofty genius fir'd,
That bodies forth the deeds by men admir'd,
But feebler souls, by time and chance evolv'd,
Perform what fate-born Nature hath resolv'd.
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