The Union: Or, Select Scots And English Poems Part 9

All but Lorenzo;--he with grief dismay'd; Nor heeding ought but FREDERIC'S hapless fate, Musing along the cloyster'd temple stray'd, Till lonely midnight clos'd th' impervious gate.

XI.

But when each lamp by slow degrees expir'd, And total night a.s.sumes her silent reign, Sudden he starts, with wild amazement fir'd, And big with horror traverses the fane.

XII.

The vaulted mansions of th' ill.u.s.trious dead Inspire his shudd'ring soul with ghastly fears, Dire shapes, and beck'ning shades around him tread, And hollow voices murmur in his ears.

XIII.

There, as around the monumental maze Darkling he wanders, a resplendent gleam Shoots o'er th' illumin'd isle a distant blaze, Pale as the glow-worm's fire, or Cynthia's beam.

XIV.

With glory clad, th' imperial shrines among, Four royal shapes on iv'ry thrones were plac'd, High o'er their heads four airy diadems hung, Which never yet their maiden brows had grac'd.

XV.

The first was he, whom CRESSY'S glorious plain Has fam'd for martial deeds and bold emprize; Nor less his praise in Virtue's milder strain, Just, humble, learned, merciful and wise.

XVI.

Next ARTHUR sat, at whose auspicious birth In one sweet flower the blended roses join'd; And HENRY next, fair plant of Scottish earth, The hope, the joy of ALBION and mankind.

XVII.

Yet green in death, the last majestic shade Wore gracious FREDERIC'S mild, endearing look; To him the rest obeysance courteous paid, And EDWARD thus the princely form bespoke:

XVIII.

"All hail! ill.u.s.trious partner of our fate, "For whom, as once for us, Britannia bleeds; "Hail! to the mansions of the good and great, "Where crowns immortal wait on virtuous deeds.

XIX.

"The same our fortune, as our worth the same, "(To worth like ours short date doth heav'n a.s.sign) "As one our fortune, one shall be our fame, "And long record our deathless names shall join.

XX.

"But oh! I tremble for Britannia's state, "May guardian pow'rs avert the dire presage!

"For well she knows, at our untimely fate "How heav'n's dread vengeance smote each sinful age.

XXI.

"The regal staff aspiring BOLINGBROKE "s.n.a.t.c.h'd with rude grasp from RICHARD'S princely hand; "Loos'd from h.e.l.l's confines, civil Discord shook "The dubious throne, and tore the bleeding land.

XXIII.

"When ARTHUR died, imperious HENRY'S thirst "Of subject's blood, nor heeded s.e.x nor age; "His wives a sacrifice to vagrant l.u.s.t, "His n.o.bles victims to tyrannic rage.

XXIV.

"When pious CHARLES in right fraternal reign'd, "Rebellion proudly stalk'd from sh.o.r.e to sh.o.r.e, "Her laws, her rights, her holy faith profan'd, "And dy'd the guilty land with royal gore.

XXV.

"Yet ah! may pity move relenting heav'n!

"Enough she groans beneath her present woe; "Enough to vengeance is already given; "Her FREDERIC'S dead;--there needs no other blow."

XXVI.

Scarce had he spoken, when the bird of day 'Gan morn's approach with clarion shrill declare, At once th' unbodied phantoms fade away, The fond illusion all dissolves in air.

ODE

ON THE

APPROACH OF SUMMER.

BY A GENTLEMAN FORMERLY OF THE UNIVERSITY

OF ABERDEEN.

_Te dea, te fugiunt venti, te nubila coeli, Adventumque tuum; tibi suaveis daedala tellus Submitt.i.t flores; tibi rident aequora ponti; Placatumque nitet diffuso lumine coelum._ LUCRETIUS.

Hence, iron-scepter'd WINTER, haste To bleak Siberian waste!

Haste to thy polar solitude; Mid cataracts of ice, Whose torrents dumb are stretch'd in fragments rude, From many an airy precipice, Where, ever beat by sleety show'rs, Thy gloomy Gothic castle tow'rs; Amid whose howling iles and halls, Where no gay sunbeam paints the walls, On ebon throne thou lov'st to shroud, Thy brows in many a murky cloud.

E'en now, before the vernal heat, Sullen I see thy train retreat: Thy ruthless host stern EURUS guides, That on a ravenous tiger rides, Dim-figur'd on whose robe are shewn s.h.i.+pwrecks, and villages o'erthrown: Grim AUSTER, dropping all with dew, In mantle clad of watchet hue: And COLD, like Zemblan savage seen, Still threatening with his arrows keen; And next, in furry coat embost With icicles, his brother FROST.

WINTER farewell! thy forests h.o.a.r, Thy frozen floods delight no more; Farewell the fields, so bare and wild!