Massachusetts spy and Worcester advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1823-1825, 1823-12-31
FoR THE MASSACHUSETTS sPY.
THE YEAR THAT HAS GONE.

Whose soul but thrills whose cheek but feels
the tear?
Here let US pause, and backward turn the
In truths own light, upon the year gone by; 1
With faithful pencil, sketch the scenes that
Their varying shadows on the vanished past.
Full oft has love impressed the hallow'd kiss,
In parting anguish now, and now in bliss
And oft has friendships voice, in accents sweet,
Pronounced the last adeu-or joyous greet.
Gay pleasure now unfurls its spangled wing,
In skies, where youth and joy are lowering;
Those skies are clouded now-and griefs dark
pail,
Dims their frail beauty and envelopes all.
But such is life-and such has ever been;
A wayward pilgrmage-a feetng scene
It's lights and shades, each changing season
brings;
Then leave them now for nations and for kings.
EUROPE! to thee, the patriot long has turn'd,
To thy bright affairs, where the fire first burn'd,
BY freedom lighted, where the world awoke
From its long sleep of administrator the
~ tyfants fasten'd on the necks of men,
Was broken, and in peerless light again,
immortal science beamed upon thy shore,
In glory bright as it had shone before
Long had the world in cherries darkness
wept,
When bold ambition his high revels kept;
When ssihe dark ages" hung their awful veil
On all the earth-a bark without sail
When Rapine wav'd his banner red in fight.
And all was wrapt in intellectual night;
When slaughter strech'd his arm from pole to
pole;
In that dread hour--that chaos of the soul,
On thy own shores, the light of freedom fell,
That light that silenc'd murders savage yell,
And gave to man renovated life,
With glory teemiug and with honour rife.
Auspicious era great Eternal One
Bright with the beams of truths unfading sun,
Revolving ages long shall turn &c thee,
And man, in worship, bend the lo&ly knee.
The muses. then-a gay and joyous throng,
Awoke once more the long neglected song,
Triumphant Virtue, and Religion smil'd,
And Hope LOOKED out upon the desart wild.
Since then, though dark at times has been
thy path,
And wars grim vultures, with their cry Of
wrath,
Have valid o'cr thee-though tyrant power
has rcar'd
Its crimson banner, hated, shun'd and fear'd-
Though these have been-still has thy lofty
flight,
Been crown'd with wisdom's and with elory's
light;
Mans rights have stood-a firm mistaken
rock
The wles of intrigue and the despot's shock;
Learning's deep fountain, sparkling, pure and
Chaste,
Has thrown its living waters on The waste, 1
And in its limpid spring, the ia,mortal mind
OF man, been soften'd, dignifed, refund.
Blu; darker prospects cloud thy dcstinies,--
A threat'ning tempest gathers in thy skies
And soon, the troubled elements of life
Shall roll with conflict, and with angry strife.
Well might the bard lash in indignant rage,
The royal vices Of this Brasen 4ge.*-
See the proud Autocrat OF all the North,
League his fell tribes, and call his egions forth,
With kindred souls in hellish bond unite,
Against the world and liberty to light n
Imperial despot thou arch hypocrite 4
For rugged bears and wolves associate fit,
With mind uncultur'd as thy frozen cline,
Well vers'd in guilt, in murder and in crime,
Go on thy way-throw down each sacred pile,
That freedom builds-then mock with savage
smile 2H ist asl3 g9ua' u
Its crumbling ruins; but know, monster know,
Keen Retribution's guit-pursuing blow
Shall find thee yet, and bring, with burning
brand,
To earth, thy guilty brow and bloody hand.
A kindling spirit is abroad--its word
Is " death or freedom''-and it shall be heard.
A muttering vengeance rages--and its voice,
Ere long, shall BIZ the waking realms rejoice;
BY kings, though it he stihed aud be pent,
Its shout, ere long, shall shake the armament,
Its bright victorious sheet shall soon unroll, :
And throw its brilliant light on either pole;
Despotc power shall wither at the shock,
And thrones Imperial on their bases rock.
How are the mighty fallen what stain
Marks the dark annals of degraded Spain! =
The days of high born chivalry are gone. p
Gone the proud spirit of her glory's dawn.
Times there have been-but ah! those times
are fed, H@
When Spanish greatness rear,d its princely
head,
When Spanish valour gave the insulting foe
Fate in each stroke, and death in every blow.
Degenerate slaves can you forget the hour,
When great Napoleon, mad with lust of pow
err,
Led on his armed myrmidons. and thought
TO bind the wreath with poison'd bondage
wrought,
Round Spanish brows '--how did his palsied
arm 44
Fselths torpedo shock, when Spain, tn alarm,
Sent through her hills, and, at the chilling
peal, fsg, .1 eess
Each hand was raised, each scabbard show,d
its steel. 3a
Then, in that day, the Corsican's high car.
That long had roll'd, invincible in war,
Stood still, dismay'd-while proud and haugh.
ty Gaul, n. .,.,,. ~
Astonish'd, saw her conquered standard fall
HO'o are the mighty fallen !. Albion, thou
Whose sceptred hand, whose starry circled
brow ,kse ge.ef
Has worn 50 long the palm Of empire-must
Be humhlad now and rrr.rai r., az a.aA w.