Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1832-11-13


Till time shall end. their merits you may scan;
Among them ere you find one honest man.
So far then from improvement, in the breed,
The scale has fallen since the poets days
For Charles Of Sweden, raving mad indeed,
Deserves at least, Of honesty the praise.
Taught Quintus CurtIus. when boy, to read,
Ii tir'd his brain, and madden'd all his days.
Till his fate led him to the {. barren strand,
The petty fortress, and the dubious hand"
You then who purpose to invoke the Muse.
Aud in the cause of virtue point the pen,
Need take no thought; your subjects when you
choose,
To look for heroes among honest men;
Stout hearts, fierce passions, lusts 70 shame the
stews,
And mercy, fitted for the tigers den;
These are your heroes Of the last disclosure;
Who blood and slaughter see with due composure.
But cen from these, the moral maxim draw
Strip of their aures and expose their lives:
Bound BY no tie OF liberty or law,
False to their county-traiors 10 their wives,
Strip to the skin, and hold them not IN awe
Bare to the bone; with lancets and with knives;
Ard teach the world, from Nimrod down to Nero,
w SuIt VI Shc'Ctou "ahS y hS'o'
The circumstance that Wexford was
sOf Abou's conquest the first destin'd prey
is fifty brought into view in connection with the
FAC. of this towns glorious prominence in the
late struggles for Irish independence:
First fruit of Erin's servitude accurst:
And now to hail her freedom, too, the first'
fling a,cay ambition is good advice in
Wolsey, referring to the ambition himself pos
sess.d. Yet that there is an ambition which de-
serves to be cherished, the commencement OF the
fourth canto suggests:
AMBITION (sath sage who FAR had ken'd
Into the willy windiuss OF the hearth
Ambition, when she seeks q certain end,
DeceIves herself with hyp"cEitc art:
That end obtained, her purposes 10 bend
Becomes means, another end to start.
Such of the plumeIess hiped IS the fashion:
Ambition is a never ending passion.
Ambition, therefore, virtue is, or vice;
Tms'd bv an nb,ec, OF the mans pursuit.;
A Jewel. richer than the ruby's price;
A Bohon Upas, bearing deadly fruit.
Ethereal fire, Impene,raD!e ice:
The good supreme: of every i'll the root!
A guardian angel, leading To the skies
A demon, with the worm that never dies.
Teach not your children then to shun ambition;
Nor quench the flame that must forever burn;
But, in the DAYS of infancy. their vision
To deeds Of virtue and Of glory turn:
or man, their mortal brother, the condition
To amend, improve. and elevate, to learn.
| Then, all the mrais they ever shall employ,
Will point to end ess biss. and 6Oundless JOY
The poem, Of upwards of 1000 lines, thus
clOses:-
And here hang my harp Upon the willow;
And will 10 longer imPh'une tn. Mase;
Nor WOO her nightly visits I" my pillow;
! Nor more i,nplore her favor az abuse,
Braye SONS Of Erin, DER the ttiaG'ic Olliow!
The harp is yours! will You 20 near retuses
Take, take it back-vnurselyes The strain pro-
| long; :,
And ,ve your Dermo,'s name 70 deaihless song.
| For oh. if ever on the roll OF TIME
! Since man has on ais blessed planet dwelt,
| A soul existed satuTate with { Hne.
Or the deep curse u after ages feif;
! You,s was MS country. Erin .y5S his cline;
| Nor vet. has justice with MS name been dealt
NV voice alas! - YEA. and cannot sing
/ Toucb. touch, Yourselves, tue never-dyiEg string.