Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-02-10

fFrom the Kmrkrr5geser for Ftkraarg.l
THE ANTIQUITY OF FREEDOM.
sy WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT.

Here are old trees, tall oaks and gnared pines
Thu, stream with creygreen mos;es 1T re- Tue crohnu
Was never ,renced By spades, and flowers spring up
unsown aud die unea,heref. II i sweet
To lnger here, among The fitting birds
And lcaping squirrels, wanderin. brooke, and winds
That shake the leaves, and scatter rs the. pass
fragrance from the csdars thichEsst
With pale blue berries In these psart'ui sha1es-
Peaceful unpruned, immcasurabiy old
NV thoughts 70 up the long, am pain oil years,
Back to the earliest days OF l."eity.
Oh Freedom. thou ar, no. as pnels cream,
fair Young girl, with light and delicate i!iibs,
And wayy iresscs gushing from The cap
with which the Roman master crowned Mss
When he took oil the gives. a bearded man,
Armed 10 the teeth ART thou: one mailed mana
Crasps the broad shield and one The sword; tuy ofoW'
Glorious in beauty though Il be, j. SCARED
With tnkens of old wars; Thy massive limbs
Arc strong with struggling. Power NJ thcr mas iaueheu
His bolts, and with his lllhtnings Sm't'eh l''eei
They could not quench the life thou hast from Heaven
aIerciless Power has dug thy dungeon deep,
And his swa.t arnorers, by Il thousand hrcs,
Have forged thy chain; yet while he deems thee bouhu
The links are shiveted, and the prison walls
Fall outward; terribly thon sprlngest form,
As springs the fame above burning PIE,
And shouiest TO the nations who return
Thy shoutlngs, while the pale oppressof HES
Thy birth-,isht was not given by homan hands:
Thou vert twin. horn with man. In pleasant helds,
While vet our was few, that sat WIN iiiir
To tend the auiel flock aud watch thr STATS,
And teach tie reed 70 utter simple as
Thou bv his side amid the tangled wood
Did'st war upon the panther ana the Won.
Your only foes; an. tnou with linn didst diaw
Soft with the Deluse. Tyranny himself,
Thy enemy, although Of reverend look;
lioary with many years, and far ODE, ca,
Ia later born Than thou; and rs he meets
The grave defiance of thine elder eye,
The usuIper trem5eS IN his Businesses.
Thou shalt stronger with the lapse oi years,
But ne shalt fade into o irebler age;
Feebler, yet subilcr, he shall weave his snares,
And snrng them on thy careless steps, and clap
His witherrd hands, and from their ambush call
His horLes 10 fall upon thee. lie shall send
Quaint maskers. forms Of fair and gallant men,
TO catch thy gaze, and uticrins graceful words
To charm Thy ear; while his sy imps, BY stealth,
Irvine round thee threads OF see light thread on thfeau
That grow to letters; or bind down thy arms
With chains concealed in eltples. on mol yet
na,'st thou embrace thy rorSlet, or iay by
This sword, nor yer, o. freedom! close thy nus
In slumber; for thine enemy never sleeps
And thou must watch and combat, Till The dly
OF the new Earth and Heaven. But wouldst thou rest
Awhile from tumut and the frauds oil men,
These old and friendly soudes inrite
Thy visit They, while YET the forest trees
Were young upon the inviolaed EaFih,
And vet the rloss-sians on The rock were new,
Beheld thy glorious Childhood, and rejoiced