The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1846-02-07

would receive anything but a single tribute to
his nobleness of heart. r.
The Honored of Fame.
a Tribute to the noble .4drocate Of Free School
Education.
ny MRS. LYDIA JANE PERSON.
High on n glorious cloud of dazzling white,
Adorn'd with fringe of gold and purple light,
Famc's mighty Manuscript lay wide unrolld,
Cross d by gIttcring pen ofpurest gold;
Wrcath'd with green olive leaves, and cluster
ing fowrs,
Gull d from the everything laurel of bow'rs.
Swillrr and brighter than the electric flame,
The Genius of the thousand echoes came:
She took her pen, and with thoughtful smile,
Turn'd the bright pages of her book the while.
First page of pure and dazzling white
Was written WAsHiNGTON! in lines of light:
Thou hast no match she said ,transccndcnt one!
Thou standcst, and wilt ever stand, alone.
She turu'd the leaf, ard with attentive eye,
Surveyed an ample page of crimson dye
On which in blazonry appear the name
Ofthosc whom deeds of blood had rais'd to
Fame;
From Nimrod, who first fll'd the regal throne,
Down to that sport of Fate, Napoleon.
| cannot write his name with these, she said;
They trod the earth like pcstlrncCs dread,
Till even in wcnrincss Death turn d away,
And the insatiatc Grave abhor d the prey.
That leaf she turn d, and there oppcar'd to
view,
Bright names upon page of sabl" hue
read Lycurgus, and from thence bchcv'd
That these were they whose laws the world
lie must not be enroll d with these, she cried;
They were self righteous men, of vengciul
pride,
Who wcgh'd and mcasurd out due punish
ment
For crimes they should have studied TO prevent
Another leaf of blue, with letters bright
As the rod lightnings track OF liquid light
Display d their names, whose mighty minds
had strivrn
To grasp the rolling spheres, and balance
She marx d her Ncwton's name with smile of
pride,
And yet | will not write him here, she cried.
Next DER an emerald page their names were
spread,
Who studied Nature and the carth we tread:
Bright characters and noble men are here,
Yet not amongst their names must has appear.
| Now on n motley page shonc many II name,
| Of such as handicrafts had rails d to Fame:
She look d them over with a bcamng face,
And said, these men were n blessing to their
race;
They took the grief and burden from the toll,
With which the ngriculturst tills the soil,
| And Mechanism smiles proudly DER his lot,
| While Manufactures labor is forgot,
| And the wide distance of the sea and land
Is now point by their vast genius spann d:
Industry blcsscs them, and tankcss pride
Is with her trnppings by their means supplied
! A moment as in musing mood she stood,
Then turn'd lcaftranslucent the flood,
Ger which Ike pearls upon the ocean : bed,
A few inestmable names were spread,
In various languages, of every cline,
From Cadmus down to the present time.
Fathers and Nurses these of Literature,
She said, whose names forever must crdurc;
And yet, not even with this august band
The name of Pennsy lvania's pride must stand
All those my favoritcs in days of old,
And these bright names at recent dates enroll d
Display'd the powers of the immortal mind
How it may soar, extend, and be REIN d;
How high, how wide, how deep their genius
went!
Strong to explore, to improve, and to invent
Each at the goal displayed his glttcrng priz
A dazzling sunbeam to admirlng eyes,
, And urg'd the ardent youth to follow on,
. Along the dazzling path in which they run.
Aud many look'd with eager longing eyes,
And heart and hand, that might have won tn
, prize,
Then turn'd with bitter feeling to their toll,
, To ply their trade, or farm the heavy soil
= For PERJURY s cold chain lay their breast,
And all the soul rich ardor supprest
Pull many n mind in utter darkness lies,
3 That might have ranked amongst the gre0
and wise:
For Learning's gate was lock'd, and woul
, unfold
To none but such as bought key of gold;
Even Native Genius, proudly suffering,
= Mourn'd an uncultur'd youth, with droopin
wing
He, whom honor now, beheld with pain,
: Amongst proud Pennsylvania aboring TRAN
The bright spark smouldering in the unopen
v mind,
i And the rich metal rusting unreind,
!, And knew how great his country's loss mu
be
In talent thus unwisely thrown away.
: He rose in might and nobly stem'd the tide
OF purblind Ignorance and preposterous prid
And Parsimony, whose low, earthen mind
! Was never by u ray from heaven refund;
Who'd rather have one glittering coin in sto
e Than all the wreaths my luurels ever bore.
II Firmly amidst opposing ranks he stood,
While DER his features play'd the genero'
e blood;
( And the clear eye burnt with an ardent fam
That from lips like holy incense came,
d Till those who gaz'd and listen'd caught Il
l. glow
q. And felt their spirits with the speakers flow
~ He won the day. and Learnings partial doc
Is open now alike to rich and poor;