The National Register.
London, England, 1814-01-02 00:00:00

TILE NATIONAL• REGISTER.

RETROSPECTION.

'Midst seas of ice and Alps of snow,
Beneath the polar dome,
Where the chill blasts for ever blow,
And deirkness lends its gloom;
There winter sits in stormy state,
• 'Till gol's retiring cay
No loner Ws the tyrant wait,
lint yields us to his sway :
Now lio‘%i:ng winds and driving rain
The wenirrous ,-liaoge proclaim ;
From hoary frost gay nature shrini.,
And dormant lies in icy bands entl.rall'd.

Titus the circling seasons glide,
From spring to winter drear,
Thus time, on its uneelsing tole,
Has borne another year :
A year, whose glories will remain,
'Grav'd on tie historic page,
Not doom'd to evanescent fame,
But brigtining with its age!
Nations whose voice's yet unheard,
In distant regions unes.plor'd,
Shall view the deeds by this short year unfurl'd,
Emblazoned on the annals of the world.

Late with gigantic strides a power
Oppression own'd her fiiend,
Did Europe's fertile plains deilow'r,—
And caus'd her sons to bend;
What horrors cf the deep'st dye,
Marled the fell fiend's attack ;
How stain'd with floods of misery,
The comperor's bloody track:
The Court,—the Cottage were assaird,
Triumphant Tyranny prevaird ;
O'er Lisbon's tow'rs the Gallic banner wav'd,
And higli Iberia saw her son's enslav'd.
ifopeless the northern nations writhed,
Beneath a despots sway,
In vain to burst their chains they striv'd,
And thrust their yoke away ;
These efforts saw thew fate !
In deeper slav'ry hurrd,
And France, stupendous France, assum'd
The empire of the world :
911 C rear'd an alien to her throne,
A chieftain to a despot grow n,
grasp'd dominion with an iron hand,
Mid mighty kingdoms how'd at hiS command.
Thus did a desolating rage
In frenzied current roll,
Swecpi*g whatever could engage,
The powers of the soul ;
Religion saw her peacetid
By impious legions trod ;
A sacrilegious band invade,
The temples of our God !
The priests because the atheist's scotn,
The cross was from the altars torn !
Anarehial lust subverted order's base,
Aud Owned in Woe the Continental race! •
Fair liberty to Britain fled,
Where she her standard rear'd ;
The'nations saw her banners ;plead,
And panted, whil4t they
1:110' wide as the celesthl scope.
And boundless too their grid,
Here was the beacon of their hope,
The source of their relief:
For Britain, from her seagirt tow'r,
Proudly secure from fiireign pow'r,
• Watt-lid the taunt throes of those who would be free,
And lent her suns to fight for liberty.
grand efforts of our arm.,
Saw squinting Frenchmen yield.;
Lisbfm was freed from war's alarms
tho Vinicria's tick; !

In those who for a goad cause fipt,
What ardent feelings glow ;
A courage emanates from right,
The venal never•know
This led our valiant heroes on,
When Talavera's wreath Vra4 Won ;
Busaeo's heights, llarrosa's splendid feat,
Almeida's triumph saw the toes retreat.
Still the inviveiMes of Gaul,
Fitchr boasted threats proclaim ;
Yet did their crested honours fall,
On Salamanca's plain!
What vast results—what grand event,
Crown'tl proud Vittoria's day
shores—torsaLen tents.,
Announce the foe's dismay.
Fortress after tiwtress
The fear•struck eagles quit the walk,
From Pyrenean heights just vengencc pools,
O'cr Gallia's the British Thunder mars.
Late did the Tyrant-chief's command,
His vassal armies urge,
To change the Sceptre of a Land,
For his detested scourge.
Russians' anid their frightful clime,
Still held its horrors dear,
And rousing with a zeal divine,
A Land in arms appear ;
Ambition rushing to its prise
By Russian valour prostrate lies;
A sacred flame envelopes Moscow's domes,
And baffled legions find deserved tombs.
The course the relic armies fly,
• See death fraught clouds o'ercast ;
Their only shroud the northern sky,
Their knell the northern blast.
Like the electric spark, the glow
Of patriot feeling flies,
Freemen dart vengeance on the foe.
Who dares their rights desei e ;
• And tho' the brazen column tail,
The deed shall over time prevail ;
The glorious act shall be the freeman's boast.
How fierce destruction mild the invading host.
Nor finish'd yet the bright career,
Nor sheatli'd the sanguin'd sword,
.Again the Tyrant's bands appear,
Subservient t• his word,
The World involv'd in awful gloom,
• Views th• embattl'd
Where it expectant waits its doom,
Its freedom or its chains:
Math sits couch:int-ma eadi spear,
The Pitriot Armies know no tear!
Leipsic's how battle seals the Despot's fate,
ticrotania soars .ups for to his hate.
As the propelling finsutain's stream,
The baseless air ascends;
The height.attaiu'd—the wat'ry beam
In shatteed forms descends;
S. air'-borer mad Ambition rides,
By guilty p_ow'r upheld,
'Till weal:vied by. extended strides,
• Its terrors are dispell'd :
lie who late urg'd the woeful flood.
isolated with groaning nation's blood,
Feels the returning torrent in course,
destrnetion on its cursed sons-et,
Thus the might of empire falls,
Thus ambition sinks,
Thus the world for freedom calls,
And bursts the vassal links :
Thus people after people
Ain! States the chain r tiottnee;
1101141td, tdioittittl, to the .kie.;.
Awl
,just reveAcc dcuott:tec.—
Will France still own th' reign
And eternize livr recent .luintr
Or ritikr frolli Tier record. Not the lace,
That Tared h r ebaius b.!r: t .'Le thsgrace