The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1827-05-31
THE WESTERN COUNTRY,
A POEM.
BY ALYAN BARNABY.
INTR DUCTION

Nv ~ ~ ~ - Z 4 oV.
Twas in land remote and far,
Beneath the evenings twilight star,
Where mountains roar their summts high,
And the last beams Of PhDbus' eye
Glance DER their heads at close of day,
Or greet them with ner earliest ray;
Where meath the brns that grace her side
Conhocton rolls her bcauteOus tide;
Or ranging thro' the dark wild wood
She careless drives hor rapid llood,
While the wild willows stoop 10 lave
Their brarches in her silver wavc---
Or where thro fields aud mcadows gay
She slowly winds her devious way;
Or where tho Thrush tho folds among,
Carols her oft repeated song;
Where. scrccnd from heat Of sultry sky,
Or careful ken of huntsnan's eye,
The Pheasant leads hor collow brood
In search Of shelter and of food
Where the wild Panther socks his den,
Far from the busy haunts Of men;
Whero tho Hcot docr at leisure roam,
And find in every grove a home;
Or sake their thirst from mountains clear,
And crop their food from mountains drcar,
There, far FROM scenes Of earlier days,
The bard once lived who pens these lays
untuught IN scientific school,
To tame the muse, aAd sing by rule
Dut WIN INC Stfdll anu WlIu INC illrc,
And wilder still the theme | choose
Hail, boauteous scenes, 9enoto and rude,
Delightful scenes of soltduc,
What tho no Bards extatick fire
To thee cor tuned his warbling Tyre,
Yct be II mine the task to sing
BE mine TO wake the tunctul string,
Nor thee alone thou lovely s,roam,
Shall wake the soft poetic themc,
Nor yet thy brns aud meadows gay
Alone shall tune the pleasing lay;
But other scenes unknown To song,
With thee shall trombc on my tongue.
Let Eastern bards in pompous lays,
Chant forth their lofty songs Of praise
To purse. proud sycophnuts of state,
by knaving grown Ignobly great,
And tune the Tyre on Iludson's plain,
Till Catskil echoes back the strain;
Or sing in soft harmonious ditty,
Tho pleasures that attend tie city;
Where bellies well taught in fashions school,
Can sigh by nrt or glance by rule,
Or where mid hosts ofboauy they move,
With all their magazine olive,
On cvry side thoy pour their sghs,
Or dart destruction from their eyes
A moro delightful thomo | choose,
All conscious of the rural muse
sing the loves and Joys that sport,
Where Nature holds her fairy court,
Or whore beneath the aXman's strokes
Tho gloomy forest hurls her oaks
While bursting from tho passing gloom,
The primrose sheds sweet perfume;
Or whore tho daisy's slender form,
Bows before the sweeping storm.
Or whcrc the vilcts azure eye,
Borrows fresh beauty from the sky,
Where contemplation swecty rude,
Joined with her sister solitude,
Attends the farmer at his toll
And all the lazy hours begulle---
And ~ ho parts the Welding clud,
Ills soul expands to bless his God;
Or ranging in some green retreat,
She haunts the muses. lonely seat;
Or far beneath tho forest gloom,
She fingers round the heroes tomb,
Where some rude mound Of earth appears
That's bravod the shock Of wasting years;
Yet faithful to its ancient trust,
Ii hold, its long secluded dust -
Or ranging on some lakes lone shore,
She hears the billnws su,ging roar;
Or when the storm has ceased TO rave,
Surveys tho slow retiring wave;
Or whom tho day rotircs tn rest,
Or fingers in the rosy west,
And evening spreads hor brownest shade,
Dark DER tie forest con tired glade,
She viows with philosophic eye,
The sparkling portals of the sky;
Or sinking in tho western gloom,
Surveys tho slowly waxing moon;
Or when full orbed her splondcrs rise,
Traces her progress thro' the skies;
Or thro the fields of ethor born,
She ponsive marks her waning horn,
Or sees dispersed in paler dies,
The dim galaxy streak the skies.