O France, that mockest Heaven, adulterous, blind, And patriot only in pernicious toils,
Are these thy boasts, Champion of human kind? To mix with Kings in the low lust of sway, Yell in the hunt, and share the murderous prey; To insult the shrine of Liberty with spoils From freemen torn; to tempt and to betray?
The Sensual and the Dark rebel in vain, Slaves by their own compulsion! In mad game They burst their manacles and wear the name Of Freedom, graven on a heavier chain! O Liberty! with profitless endeavour Have I pursued thee, many a weary hour;
But thou nor swell'st the victor's strain, nor ever Didst breathe thy soul in forms of human power. Alike from all, howe'er they praise thee, (Nor prayer, nor boastful name delays thee) Alike from Priestcraft's harpy minions, And factious Blasphemy's obscener slaves, Thou speedest on thy subtle pinions,
The guide of homeless winds, and playmate of the waves! And there I felt thee !-on that sea-cliff's verge,
Whose pines, scarce travelled by the breeze above, Had made one murmur with the distant surge! Yes, while I stood and gazed, my temples bare, And shot my being through earth, sea and air, Possessing all things with intensest love,
O Liberty! my spirit felt thee there.
WRITTEN IN APRIL, 1798, DURING THE ALARM OF AN INVASION,
A GREEN and silent spot, amid the hills,
A small and silent dell!
No singing sky-lark ever poised himself. The hills are heathy, save that swelling slope, Which hath a gay and gorgeous covering on, All golden with the never-bloomless furze, Which now blooms most profusely: but the dell, Bathed by the mist, is fresh and delicate As vernal corn-field, or the unripe flax, When, through its half-transparent stalks, at eve, The level sunshine glimmers with green light. Oh! 'tis a quiet spirit-healing nook!
Which all, methinks, would love; but chiefly he, The humble man, who, in his youthful years, Knew just so much of folly, as had made His early manhood more securely wise! Here he might lie on fern or withered heath, While from the singing-lark (that sings unseen The minstrelsy that solitude loves best,) And from the sun, and from the breezy air, Sweet influences trembled o'er his frame; And he, with many feelings, many thoughts, Made up a meditative joy, and found Religious meanings in the forms of nature! And so, his senses gradually wrapt
In a half sleep, he dreams of better worlds, And dreaming hears thee still, O singing-lark; That singest like an angel in the clouds!
My God! it is a melancholy thing
For such a man, who would full fain preserve His soul in calmness, yet perforce must feel For all his human brethren-O my God! It weighs upon the heart, that he must think What uproar and what strife may now be stirring This way or that way o'er these silent hills— Invasion, and the thunder and the shout, And all the crash of onset; fear and rage, And undetermined conflict-even now, Even now, perchance, and in his native isle : Carnage and groans beneath this blessed sun! We have offended, Oh! my countrymen! We have offended very grievously,
And been most tyrannous. From east to west A groan of accusation pierces Heaven! The wretched plead against us; multitudes Countless and vehement, the sons of God, Our brethren! Like a cloud that travels on, Steamed up from Cairo's swamps of pestilence, Even so, my countrymen! have we gone forth And borne to distant tribes slavery and pangs, And, deadlier far, our vices, whose deep taint With slow perdition murders the whole man, His body and his soul! Meanwhile, at home, All individual dignity and power
Engulfed in courts, committees, institutions, Associations and societies,
A vain, speech-mouthing, speech-reporting guild, One benefit-club for mutual flattery,
We have drunk up, demure as at a grace, Pollutions from the brimming cup of wealth; Contemptuous of all honourable rule
Yet bartering freedom and the poor man's life For gold, as at a market! The sweet words Of Christian promise, words that even yet
Might stem destruction, were they wisely preached, Are muttered o'er by men, whose tones proclaim How flat and wearisome they feel their trade : Rank scoffers some, but most too indolent
To deem them falsehoods or to know their truth. Oh! blasphemous! the book of life is made A superstitious instrument, on which
We gabble o'er the oaths we mean to break; For all must swear-all and in every place, College and wharf, council and justice-court; All, all must swear, the briber and the bribed, Merchant and lawyer, senator and priest, The rich, the poor, the old man and the young; All, all make up one scheme of perjury, That faith doth reel; the very name of God Sounds like a juggler's charm; and, bold with joy, Forth from his dark and lonely hiding-place, (Portentous sight!) the owlet Atheism, Sailing on obscene wings athwart the noon, Drops his blue-fringed lids, and holds them close, And hooting at the glorious sun in Heaven,
Cries out, "Where is it ?"
(Peace long preserved by fleets and perilous seas) Secure from actual warfare, we have loved
To swell the war-whoop, passionate for war! Alas! for ages ignorant of all
Its ghastlier workings, (famine or blue plague, Battle, or siege, or flight through wintry snows,)
With many an unimaginable groan
Thou storied'st thy sad hours! Silence ensued, Deep silence o'er the ethereal multitude, Whose locks with wreaths, whose wreaths with glories shone.
Then, his eye wild ardours glancing, From the choired gods advancing,
The Spirit of the Earth made reverence meet, And stood up, beautiful, before the cloudy seat.
Throughout the blissful throng, Hushed were harp and song:
Till wheeling round the throne the Lampads seven, (The mystic Words of Heaven)
The fervent Spirit bowed, then spread his wings and spake!
"Thou in stormy blackness throning Love and uncreated Light,
By the Earth's unsolaced groaning, Seize thy terrors, Arm of might! By peace with proffered insult scared, Masked hate and envying scorn! By years of havoc yet unborn!
And hunger's bosom to the frost-winds bared! But chief by Afric's wrongs,
Strange, horrible, and foul!
By what deep guilt belongs
To the deaf Synod, 'full of gifts and lies!' By wealth's insensate laugh! by torture's howl' Avenger, rise!
For ever shall the thankless Island scowl,
« ПредыдущаяПродолжить » |