The Sun.
London, England, 1807-06-16 00:00:00

POETRY.

.=.'

TGIF fonowing Poem w as written by' Mr. HENRY
KitNigLE, son of STEPnu.s 17...E2.LLE, Esq. wh,,,e
theatrictil talents are well known. It was recited a
few days ;Igo by the Author, at, Hyde Abbey School,
Winche-:,..r, where he is a pupil, and it must be
cons;dered as a very promising effort of talents- in
a. youth of seventeen.

MARIUS SEEKING AN ASYLUM' AMIDST Tlitt RUINS 01'

CARTHAGL.

[ PRIZE POEMSI
EY H. KEMBLE, or HYDE ABBEY SCHOOL.

Hu R 1.'13 fr :o the summit of exalted state,
A prey to faction and a rival's hate,
The wietched, Marius, scar'd by fortune's frown,
His glories blasted and his hopes o'erthrowa,
Deserts that empire which he rul'd before.
And seeks a refuge in a friendly shore.
Alas ! how fall'n ! where now is all his 'pride.
HiS might triumphant, which the world defied P.
Where are those slaves that own'd him as their Lord,
And bent obsequious to his awful word,
While fortune stnil'd ? But fortune smiles no nose,
His friends desert him, and his name abhor.
like a wounded lion, mad with pain,
Bewiltler'd strays, and shelter seeks in vain.
Pride, envy, and revenge disturb his rest ;'
Remorse and anguish pierce his tortur'd breast.
No kind companions his distress beguile,
Or cheer his wand'rings with affeelion's smile.
In every wind rtis Sylla's voice he hears,
Th"assassin's form in every shadow fears.
Rack'd with despair, with constant terror wan,
His meagre image scarce resembles man.
Prom coast to coast the wretch pursues his flight,
Sad is his day, and sleepless is his night.
-Midst oozy flags he hides his hoary head ;
The sky his canopy, the marsh his bed:
In vain. al-s I through desert paths he ales,
In vain he shuts his toes" all-searching eyes.
Like hurivy wolves the trembling wretch they seize
In vain he begs,, in vain he clasps their knees.
O'er Isis pate cheek in vain the sorrows flow,
They scorn the exile and insult his woe.
They tear the vengeance of the koman State;
Minturnt's council ratifies his fate.
Deep deep immiar'd within a dungeon's gloom
jn dread suspenee the Chid awaits his doom.
Thtfierce assassin lifts the thirsty knife,
And stands prepar'd to snatch the warrior's life.
Amaz:d the hero tiaras, his frantic stare
Bespeaks his thoughts, his eyes like lightning glare.
With aspta stem, he thus. his foeaddrest,
While anger boil'd indignant in his breast :
Would'st thou, base traitor, Caius Marius slay V'
The villain shrinks, and startles with dismay.
At the great warrior's.nante aghast he stands,
The dagger drops from his uplifted hands.
His soul revolts, he shudders at the deed,
Nor by the ruffian dots the hero bleed.
His freedom gain'd, once more he tempts the deep,
The pliant oars once more the ocean sweep.
Scarce had the prow approach'd the Punic strand;
He springs with rapture on the welcome land.
sa dawn of comfort cheers his drooping mind; •
A refuge here at last he hopes to find.
Frern place to place with moving step he roams,
O'ettuin'd palaces and moss-grown domes.
Scarce can he trace where once were lifted high
Proud battlements that dat'd old Time defy.
Ii!-fated Carthage ! at whose trumpet's sound
War burst his chains, and nations shook around,
The distant world with wonder heard thy fame,
E'cn Rome's proud city trembled at thy name ;
But now a silent unfrequented spot,
Thy former grandeur and thy now'r forgot.
Triumphant Ruin frowns on every side,
And stalks gigantic with insulting pride :.
With eager eyes, and grinning with delight,
He views the havoc of that dreadful night,
W hen thousands sunk beneath the Roman ire,
And conquering Sci pits ivrapt the walls in fire.
Oh ! sad reverse Oppression's iron hand
Enslav'd the natives, and deapoil'd the land. • •
Its bulwarks moulder, and its glories fade,
Oblivion n"er them spreactsa dismal shade.
Here as he views the desolated plain,
No more his feelings can the Chief' restrain ;
The tear of pity trembles in his eye, - '
And his sworn bosom heaves a kindred sigh.
No busy tnurrnarsstri',:e his list'ising ear,
But awful silence thrills his soul with feat. '
His longing sight no stately temple greets,
No thrifty merchants throng the dreary streets.
With weeds o'ergrown half rutted' Walls remain,
And mould, ring pillars nodding roots sustain.
As when im,,risioa'al winds convulse, the ground,
And wond'ring nations tremble at tile sound ;
At last the earth ea paildS her gaping womb,
Men, towers, and cities meet one common tomb.;
Here on the plain a mass promiscuous lies,
There heaps on heaps in wild disorder rise.
So Carthage seems, unlikc_her former state,
Carthage that once to wealth pow'r was great;
Her prostrate pees affind no friendly shed .
To case his limbs, or rest his hoary head.,
The •Chief thus pond'ring weeps his fate forlorn,
From friends, from country, and from freedom torn.
ti hen la I th'unwelcorne messenger appears,
And speaks his mandate to the warrior's cars.
" lit-fated Man ! Sextiliusbids thee fly,
" Begone, and live ; or here remain and die.
• ,e dreads the vengeance of the Roman pow'r,
" A rni bkls.me drive thee from ;the k'unic shore.
" Then Marius, haste, and quit this desert strand,
"'haste, eck a refuge in ahappier land."
'Thus spoke the Messenger : the Chief replied,
While fear and rage his troubled mind divide :
" Go, tell Sextilius, on this craggy stow.,
" Midst ruin'd Carthage, friencliesi, and alone,
" ins an exile sits, perhaps ,itis eye
"- d.-4n to shed t ,c tear of sympathy,
" Is, I how transient are all ear:111", things!
• flie point. of cinquest, a d he pride or Kings

" Who now will aid me, or my cause defend.—
". Bereft of pow'r, ah r who will be my friend ?
".hut what is death, I so unmanly fear
" What ? an asylum from a world of care.
" Then why should I repine ? this rained wall
" Proclaims a heavier an a mightier fall
" Than e'er I felt ; nor Carrha.ze could withstand
" The storms of war and fate's relentless hand
66 Where are he; fleets, that wealth and commerce bore,
" And veaftedconqust to the farthest shore
W here ate the heroes who her arnaies led,
" Before whose name the trembling nations fled ?
" All, all are gone ; then why. should I repine ?
" For worsethe woes of Carthage are than mine,
" Ye, shades of Romans, by my fury slain,
" Rejoice, since thus th'offencied Gods ordain,
" That he, who in,jur'd most his country's weal,
" Should in Ms turn her direst vengeance feel
The fiend Ambition led my steps astray,
" And bade me ha2ard glory's slippery Nay ;
" Fortune awhile sustain'd my daring flight,
" And smil'd on rising Marius with delight.
" Fool that I was, no laoundsambition knew,
" Still brighter objeas opening to my view ;„
" Too-soon. alas ! her fowl delusions cease,
" And Marius falls from. Empire to disgrace,
" What boots it then, that thousands in the fight,
" The Gauls, the Cinibri, trembled at my sight ?
" The name of Marius struck their souls with fear,
" My
,very name a ,th-underbolt of war.
" Where are those triumphs? where those trophies now?
" Those wreaths of laurel, that adorned my brow ?
" Lost is their verdure, wither'd is their pride,
." They blooired with fortune, and with fortune died.
"‘ Fierce Afric's sons. and Lybia's swarthy lord
" Affrighted fled before my conquering sword, •
" With slaughter'd foes I strewed the reeking, plain;
" And led ugurthacaptive his chains.
" No toil, no danger, could my steps.iinpede,
" Oft in the battle didthis body bleed.
" When Romans triumph'd, I with raptuze glnved,
" Nor missed the blood thatfor my country flow Ni.
" Ungrateful Rome f is this a just return ;
" And can'st thou thus thy fate defender spurn ?
c. Oh dear Arpinum ! parent of delight f
*A Why did I thus thy peacefulcottage slight?'
1' How sappy had I been, If still with thee
" I liv'd, from tumult and ambition free ?
48 Oh had I never left thy Yetclant plain.
" Where friendship, innocence,and pbenty reign,
" To hum for glory is the fields of farce,, •
" To gala a statesman's and a warrior's name
6' Then had I all the storms of fate defied,
-41' And puce had smil'd benignant as I died.