The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-05-30 00:00:00

HENRY BROUGHAM.

BORN AT EDINBURGH, SEpriniatit 19, 1773,
DIED AT CANNL,I, MAT 7, I,;S.

A Cram! old tree has fallen Can it lte,
That a ith so little stir it lani rose duSTII
That in the forest scarce a gap we see
For loss of that gredt trunk and overeat! crown!
Gaunt, grey, with vicelike roots and gnarled knees,
A green leaf here toni there in some tough limb,
That once had griovth and girth for in-lily trees,
lie stood no passer-by bat ...tett hint,
Wondiring to gauge his wreck, and learn his age.
Anti hear how broad was °nee the Shads he cast ;
Willi that datiatit port he laced the rri.it
Of storms, when weaker growths gave to the blast.
Ile lived tool lived . . . from hot youthti hoar eld.
From flush of leaf to bareness of green bough
A giant in docay, that still lip held
A shrunken streagth, and aright of furrowed brow.
rntil at last we heard he was laid low :
Nut by the stro e it ~ritt iir I Nil spit.
la still Provencal eight. ale! May 100 e!!.,
When none ea:, lip, Ito bowed his ancient Ingot
Tile idiath tilt tOo r.-tlho't tie,
Ihte ,titiet et, to cubit Ills st,riny ay !
Such idioulti be the surcease from nolde strife,
Su should a welbspent being ebb away.
As he lies thus, . . . ere earth to earth is given,
We trace Intel: his long life, and nod it knit
With all It herein our century has striven,
Stirred, spoken, reared, oserthrown, fought, wrought,
or writ.

The ninety-year-old Mall Wits part of all,
Ureat part of most that's worthiest and be ,t
Thlough that long roe,- the oar he scaree let fall,
Scarce through thu I ug day's work pau,ed once to rest.
It was A time of tempest anil of toil,
Mn age of battle n all all forms if ill.
11l that lamight stlengt, to Crush, and fraud to foil.
Delay to sieken, and contempt to chill.
Bias of honour, place, wealth, worldly good.
Drew all tarry; he WOlll.l Tilt or, he drawn.
Truth and itigints soldier from the first he stood,
And in the thickest darkaess looked for dawn.
Count all the triumphs in these fifty years
By Right attn Trath f,'er rong net riti,elloollll'olll ;
Of the Good tuuse's raludins iii I Peers.
A faithtuller than Henry brougham is none.
lie lived through all those rghts, :urn! ,c,•121,1 to grow
Tenser and tougher with Owl!. wcar tint, I le.rr;
And when the strife was done. and Ow son low,
And " age brow6ht honour aini the silt-, hair,”
Ile could look o'er his life, and say, at last.—
oNo cause h.ir which tnanglrlrrnuwernirnr Ito foe:
No goal I inade for Ma is reached and past ;
. .

No ill I atoned a bboi at but lies low."
A fighter Iv do, with lighter's ir..rk iii hand.
Ile had the fighter's weak points will. the strong ;
Hot, vehement to rashness, nev, bland,
In hates, as loves, too sudden oft amt wrong;
Vain, quidi of temper, proud of all lie knew,
As who, that knew so much, lmt might Inc proud.
By all he had done, awl all he hoped to do—
Lifted, his great head's height, above the crowd ;
Why note what flaws may be iu such a tune?
Freer of flaws than his the fames 11113 few;
Sum up the gains to which he linked his name ;--
W bat nobler work did ever statesman do?
The senate purged ; charity's stream strained pure;
Slaves freed; chicane and bigotry put down ;
Knowledge on ignorance gaining, slow lait sure ;
This was his life's work, is his memory's crown !—Plincli.