New-York tribune., 1841-12-08
For Tae Sew-York Tribune.
LAMENT FOR IcHABoD CRANE.
BY ). M'cREEsY, Ja.

Ye; though by Fancys hand inscribbled mere
We JOY to see thy name on Farne's old calendar
whs, though thy ca,e.distracted bro9 sustained
No gern. spansled toy, yclePt crown
n king ,hou vert Of absolute command
Sole monarch Of a Iittle realm-'hine Own
A more than regal scePsre gFaced thy hand
And peyer suprerne dselt in the ''itherlog iro'Tn
With which thou 4idst control tia, reckless band
And keep its spin, of rebellion down
There didst thou sit rnajestc-graud-aione--
A rod ,hv scepuc-and an oaken stool thy throne!
Upon that knife.scarred tripod, high en,hroned,
In all the pomp Of pedagosic s,ase.
see thee sit-while thy rude subjects round
In silent awe thy nigh behests await:
And though deep thoughts Of independence swell
Their breasts betirnes with ill-dissembled hate,
Thy sovereign power they know, alas TOO veil
Aud bow reluctant to their snunless fate
One galIan, flourish Of thy 6irchen rod
Becams at once their most ,umaltoous mood
Ny fancy pictnrcs to itself full well
Tha, hut wherein thy day, Of toll we're spent
To which, to learn 70 read and write. and spell,
The urcbius Of the neghborhood were sent;
Where, cabined cribbed, confined, mixed up pell
nell.
The hardships of their lot they underwent,
All crowded there within that oaken cell,
With thy stern eye FOR ever on them bent,
Forbid to give their mirthfuness the vent,
Awed and restrained by dread Of instant punishment
But noon-higL, glorious noon-was all their own
Blest hour Of freedou from that irksone ihrall
When their stern keeper to ms luncheon gone,
Left them TO hold their fsantic carnival
Alone, in their fierce, rainpan, glory free,
Comuringed close together great aud small,
They danced their high, tremendous jubilee,
To the wild music of one general squall
Wo 10 the benches, books, and windows, then,
Wrecked in the reyelry which shook tina, ook-ribbed
denl
In sooth, thoy were Wild, uproarious brood,
Those congregated imps tina, formed t.iy school
a yelpipg Heterogeneous multitude
OF elvish prank and antic grnacc full;
That, witess Of thy labor for their good,
And all.impatient Of thy just control,
Thy pedagogic counses still withsood
And vexed fron day to day thy patient soal
Aud only learned thy case, and tense. and mood,
By lessons due from the backconugatng rod.
It was thine for hours TO watch them sit and sigh
Der Dilworth's pictured you,h-enligh,ening
page
Whlome with tears from many an urchins eye,
Baptized the classic wonder Of the age
And no, alone on lucke.s Dilworth fell
The ulaledictons of their infant hate
Butln the lowest depth of neither hell, [sate
They wished both master, house and book, and
Ay, rnu,tered low each Psalter verse between,
On Israels bard lit many an impous curse, ween |!
Superior seated on thy stool of state,
OFT hast thou cas-, thy care bcclouded eye
Along those ranks. aud paused to speculate
On what might be their future destiny;
And asked, if this that rude boy shall climb,
In coming years, the shining steep of Fame
Or, by the touch of spirit.blighting crime,
Fall, leaving to the world warning name;
Or, lost in Earths premscuous reptile crowd,
Crawl toiling to the Grave along Lies dusty road
Or, sending forth Thy time unbounded thought
Beyond the shadcws DER the Future furled,
Hast thou questioned what may be his lot
In that unknown and spiritcrowded worldl
Which woos The soul to happiness and heaven,
Make Sin and Inamy his fatal choice
And unrepentan' pass and unforgiyen,
To that dread realm where erring angels fell,
And live for aye-a wofal denizen of hell
Or shall he with immortal nrdor climb
The everlasting hill, of heavenly light
And yet become but only less than Him
Whose fla, called the universe from night
A thing of glory and of nane!css might,
All strong TO hurl Arcturus from his throne
And lead the Virgin ON her pathway bright,
To loose the spangled Bel, of Orion
And quench the gushing beams of Pleades
And bid the star-bliad Mazzaroth his woudeyings
cease
AID where are ihey-,hat elfn company