The Sun.
London, England, 1808-05-04 00:00:00

VERSES,

. ,
WRITTEN BY CHARLES SYMIWONS, D. D.
When X,dcee fled front Sparta's/lifted spear;
And, taut in Susa, deem'd the foe too near:
Itemovid by conquest far from war's alarms;
Creece, heauteoes queen of science, arts, and arms,
With conscious pride, her matchless suns beheld
Contend for glory on Olympia's field.
There the light racer, with aerial soul,
This moment starts—this moment gains the goal.
There the strong wrestler vaunts his limbs, and there
Herculean muscles launch the disk in air.
The noble strife applauding crowds survey'd.
And haird the perfeit work which Nature mado.
But when, advancing for his lot of fame,
tvith musing mien the sage Historian came;
Display'd the golden records of Isis page,
Where chiefs and patriots live front age to age :
When, seateal high amid the gazing throng,
The !hard harmonious rol I'd his flood of song,
Putt of the Gorl, whom all his strains coasect : --
Unwonted rapture awell'al iu ev'ry tote= :
Each eye was tasten'd on the wonirrous men ;
And Asia's viAors were unheeded then.
The crown was to the brow of Wit assignid ;
And allallow"ti the triumph of the Mind. ti
W he re* Society's ripe forth has spread,
The sweetest flowers have circled Learning's head.
Ail that iii life consoles, sublimes, or charm's
The adormegs of fair Peace, the pride of arms—
Spring train the stettiotte power by that untaught,
Man's force were brutal, and his labourti nought..
The flame may glow without a masters hand :
But,soon it dies, or wildly wastes the land. ..*
Fostoria ,and train'd, it lastingly supplies
Health to the heart, and incense to the skies. •
In their birth. place, as the Muies sing,
Their harmonies delight-the Eternal King.
But oft to man, in mercy, front his throne
He sends the bright intelligences down.
Bids them reside on earth, celestial guests,
And live and kindle io some finer breasts.
There with creative infltience to inspire
The radiant end the thought of fire:
-°And thence, in light atel power, to emanate;
To glaridell nations, and to make them great.
"1 But thoughtless nations ill these giftstepay
• With airy praises, and a shadciwy bat :'
To Ear'll.4joW sons the feast of lite assien ;
• And •leave the Muae illumined race to pine.
To those, like Jacob, corn and wino are giv'n
To these, like Esau —but the dews of Heaven f
Ungrateful Britain t that thy lustre glows,
The centre gem on Europe's regal browse
Is riot because thy reaching arms are spread
From the sun's orient to lug western bed :
Is not because the waves obey thy power ;
And Commerce floats thee with a golden shower:--
No t--'tis because, when first, py licaven's decree,
Thy white cliffs glimmer'd o'er the subjed sea,
The assembled Muses thee for their own ;
And sovereign Genius Made thy land his throne,
There, to partake the power that each supplied,
Freedom he wooed, and won her far his bride.
Then with bright energy. and eye sublime.
He shot his hurtling spirit though thy clinic.
From mind to mind the etherist essence How'd :
-Here spread in judgment; there in tancr glow'd;
And, 'as through all the faculties it ran,
It open'd and matured diviner man. . •
Some with disse6ling intelleet, it taught
To trace the fine anatomy of thought :
Some to explore the force, ..oppoeed to force,
That holds the circling planets' in their course :
Some to pursue the comet's devious flight :
Some to untie the colottrid threads of light ;
And some to pierce to fife's conceard retreat,
. Deep in the mystic eells of air and heat.
•One pewit tipped with magic to coot roul
At will each passion of the conquerd soul:
Nature in all her various tints to draw
And image worlds which only fancy saw.
One mind it lifted on a wing of tire,
Where never mortal durst before aspire,
-. To view the secrets of the diced abyss ;
And range the sapphire fields of deathless bliss.
Pleasid with the Suns olSobi, from fante's high shrine,
Their Sovereign gave them crowns dist richly :shine :
CrOwns, which their filial love, with homage meet,
!Tea 'd in resplendent order at thy feet
A glorious trophy there, through endless days
To tower, and gild thee with refieeted rays.
Their Monarch smil'd, and gave them what he could.
Wealth was, not. his—he made them great and good ;
And, Britain I then, thy generous soul ;ore
Freve,
He fondly left them 'to thy guardian love.
Wow speak their fortunes from thy grateful band.
Of teeming earth was theirs some wide command ?
Was 'heir's the sumptuous board einbroideed vest
With noblet seated, and by kingi caress'd
No ! ---in yon lane their cold requital ,trace,
_ Where weeping marbles their pale ashes grace.
Present the-worth was starved; —adored whet, gone;
It ask'd.for bread, and has received a—stops,

Ungrateful lldtair. !
—but +tiy Marrie -Oast -
Thy tprpitilustice warms and wakes at last.
Urged by the few. 'wit°, nobly, lancierSttiod
That inters lionour'd were their Country's good;
The Virtue walks abroad, with. Pity near ;
, One stirs retlcaiun, undone draws the tear.
tiful to Science and her stirring train,
Thl: pleads the claim, and this int p.irts the path :
'rill. by the associate energies subdued,
I:lend in our ranks the Great.'the Wise. the Goixf.;
TO, wit)) the spacious heart and affluent hand,
The Kingdom's Heir avows our patriot band:
Shews that, undazzled by the lures of state,
He knows the genuine secret to be great ;
And tells his Britain, that with Learning's smile
Expand the pride and blessing of her. isle. •
Yes ! Britain owns us as our powers dilate,
Though her proud eye o'erlook'd our infant state.
Not ottedround the sun has whecliti this earth,
Since a dim embryo point disclosed vur birth.
The germ of being, with a parent's breast
Our Founder nurs'd, and, brooding, wanted,the nest.
Fed by his Care the downy feathers Spring; • ' -
And now to Heaven expands the vigorous wing. •
From every plume distill ambrusial deWs,
Grateful to man as fostering to the Muse.
On Carmel's summit when the Prophet sate, -
His boiom ncating for the birth of Fate,
A sky of brass in tiamy hardness spread,.
Glared on his eyes, and smote his hoary head :
Till a small cloud, arising'froin the main,
Cheer'd his sick heart, and spoke his faith not vain.
With gradual shade the aerial blessing stole'
On the fierce day, and veil'd the burning pole. •
Then prone and rushing, the prolific Power •
Whelm'd thirsty Tudah with a vital shov.,er.
Exhausted realms the liquid vigour quall"d,.
And on kr hills and vales exulting Nature laugli'd.