Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1826-09-08
POETRY.
TRIUMplls OF GENIUS.


1879.
Genus, all hail peculiar gift of Heaven!
Creative Power, for mans direction given.
New worlds, new wonders by thine influence
rise,
The mind expands, and scars, and gains the
skies;
Thy Breath is power like that omniiick word,
Amid the gloom of Night and Chaos heard,
Which said, "Let there be light" and 10 !!
twas done;
Each planet beaming round the blazing sun.
,ris thine, o Genius with thy potent spell,
The Muse to waken, and her song to swell;
To bid bold thought on airy wings to tower
With new creations of thy plastic power
,Tis thine to wake the wild harp's trembling
tnne,
With thrills, and sweIls, and murmers all thine
own;
The Bard's warm pen to dip in Fancy's hues,
And ;nsniration through his soul iniuse.
,T';s thine to bid the Sculptor's hand to trace
Fair Venus form or proud .ppollo's grace;
70 mould the hinty rocks to forms divine,
It'll Gods or Heroes breathe in everv line;
The Painters laboring pencil thine to ply,
And catch the life, the lightnings of the eve;
And bid each feature on the canvass bloom,
And snatch the friend from cold oblivion's
tomb.
sMd scenes historic, in one group to blend
The patriot, sage, the hero, and the friend;
Thine was Raphael's, thine titian's art,
To natur true, and faithful to the heart;
Thou bad'st West, with skillful hand, to
Our sayiour's features, in his beaming face,
While round him throng the sick, on couch,
or cruch.
To hear his word. or share his healing touch.
,Twas thine old Homer's Epic song to inspire,
And Troy to rescue from the Grecan fire;
While the blind Minstrel sung, in strains d.
vine,
To the bold music of his mighty line,
While sappho's harp, and Pindar's golden
lvre,
Kindled with love, or warm'd with nobler fire,
Thou taughtst blind Milton how &c sing so
well,
Things done on earth, in air, in heaven, and
hell
Thine too is Erip's Bard, and long shall Fame
Delight to Irvine fresh Iaures round his name.
And thine was Shakespeare, "Fancy's tavorite
child,
Warbling alone his native wood notes wild"
See. at his tonch, each powerful passion move,
Revenge or hatred, jealousy or love.
Thou led'st Napoleon, on his Giant way,
From boyhood's morn, TO manhood's noon OF
day,
Der PROSTATE kings to drive his laundering
car
And vanquish nations, where he waged the
war;
Taught'st him to mount in council or in fight,
Fame's dazzling summit, TO its giddy heights
Till Wellington arose, to Britain true,
And stopt his conquering march-at Water
loo;
Still Pity weeps the splendid exile's doom,
And Glorv's halo lights the warriors tomb.
Thine is the chieftain too, when Heaven or
To free country from its tyrant's chains.
Thou bad'st Washington unsheath his blade,
Tin every Freeman was Hero made
Till tyrant power withdrew his whitening
hand,
And Independence crowned our infant land.
Put did ambition fill his Godlke soul
Did direfll passions DER his breast controls
Did tears by widows and by orphans shed,
Fall hourly down as curses on his head
Did plundered towns and ravsged countries
come,
To rack his soul in midnight's silent gloom I
oh, no he fought our dearest rights to save,
To free his country. or to find grave.
Such is Columbia, Genius 'twas thine own
Great power that made her Freedoms happy
throne;
'Twas thou that bad'st her wealthy cities rise,
Her bounds the ocean and the vaulted skies;
Her daring barks, with proudly swelling sails,
Launch on the deep, and WOO the western
gales,
Tracing undaunted Oceans trackless path,
Braving the fury of the tempest's wrath
Thou taught'st her Clinton, too. with powerful
hand,
To scatter plenty through his dear-loved