Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-06-21


writing what might seem to some to be
poetry, / should hardly publish it, unless
sure of its being little above medi0criy,
remembering that Horace says:
naediocri5us esse poe;is.
Non homiHes non Di, non coRcessere coiumHd
JOHN HAMPDEN.
z0PYRUs THE FIRST, AND SECOND.
Long has it been proclaimed that History
Is Truths great helper, and a foe to Mystery;
That coming scenes. though sometimes overcast
With clouds. are yet depicted in the past
So plainly and distinctly, that there S no excuse
For not perceiving them, should we but choose
The light and darkness, in our chaos Joined.
What shall divide The God tcikin the mind.
10 time of ED, as some one doth inform US.
King Darius led an army most enormous
To Babylon, intending, could he once possess it
With Radical despetic rale to bless it,
Which meant and means, that all beneath the
throne
Should be at lbGy-to toll and groan
Their very souls out, nursing tyrants PRIDE
AID be by him and his all happiness denied
IL luAs Anb DdDg lOhAhllS htIt oHpOs6dB
And city gates on Darius promptly closed;
Which action on their part, though sensible and
right
Some Persian parasites denounced as impoiits.
AId so it may have been. for aught / know,
De gustibas non disputdna,tm, though.
/ deem it doubtful if the rules of Taste,
Demand Of men to wait It'll they're Chased.
In truth, this was no pleasant introduction
VI the then favOrite plan of reconstruction,
And seemed premOnitive of some delay
In the establishment Of Persian sway
Ger an unwilling people by mere cocrtioa.
people, too, who loathed both Mede and Per
sian,
And held the Magian creed in deep aversion.
Now was the siege of Babylon begun,
With ceremonial pomp; some valiant deed
were done
On Asiatie soil, beneath burning sun;
Blood flowed quite freely; vengeful was the
strife,
And small regard was shown for human life.
For many days and months the siege went on,
Proud and mistaken still lowered Babylon.
Her walls colossal, firm on every side.
All ingress to the Persian host denied.
Despair now agonized the monareh's breast,
Who frankly to a chosen few contest
The doubts and fears with which he was op
pressed.
He talked somewhat the accursed siege Of quit
ting,
And vending his way hOmeward Heaven per
hitting.
Of all the cOurtier clan who then surrounded
The Persian throne, no one was so astounded
As Zopy1Hs- a man of moderate ability.
But wOhdrOusly endowed with what we call Ja
eility
In trick and chicaae. Here he had no equal.
As will appear most plainly in the seq iel.
This BabylOnian war had been projected
By certain fnctionists whom he directed,
Who, following his command for years,
Enoountering, calmly, mingled scorn and sneers
Had still upheld their persevering chief
With a success almost beyond belief.
On this war theme twas said he'd been pro
phetic
On more than one occasion, and reused the APP
athletic,
Presaging glories which renowned Sesostris.
In maddest moment, would have deemed pre-
pOstrous.
Ifnow this war should end ingloriously,
Instead of being carried on VIGOROUSLY,
Much cause had he to fear his power would ter
inmate,
And his sage notions ne'er hereafter terminate
Indeed he dreaded much such foul disgrace
As all his future deeds could ne'er offace.
With meditations such as these harrassod,
He fell upon a scheme original and vast,
In its proportions and its promises, which, ill
then,
Had neer been whispered 'mong the sons Of
men.
What "a that scheme Behold sight most fear
full
Zopyrus. with nose and ears Topped of. yet
cheerful.
Asking from mortal eyes no tear of pity.
Whilst gravely telling Darius hoo to trte the
citU;
'Mongst other things. affirming he'd soon win
Abundance for himself; when he would bring
right in
King Darius and his army and thus would end
the struggle.
By process like that knowa as huanpfuggie.
Would you know more Then listen to the err
mined Chief
Justice Of Persia, VINO spoke this speech for Dl-
RUS relief
No fOeman did these bleeding wounds impose
Upon my smarting ears and sDutlling nose,
What you behold, charge 10 my honest zeal
For my dear monarch and our nations veal.
Accounted thus let me confront the foe. ...
Armed only with my tabled tale of woe;
Essay what wiley elOqnence can do,
With fools for listeners. III charge thee alone
With wounds meath which I shall affect to groan.
Proclaiming that naught earthly can atone
For such indignities. save vengeance swift and
sweeping,
Such as shall Gil all Persian lands with weep
ing
Thus let me prate to BabylOnian ears,
For the result pray thee. have no fears;
There's nothing which true genius can't achieve
When aided by the tulentto deceioe."
Such was the speech ofZOpyrus. such hisscheme
(The case occurred. believe me. Ills no dreamy.
On the arch-traitor 6ckle Fortune smiled,
And those who listened to him were beguiied
By cunning, hypocritical discourses.
SO that they trusted him with all their forces;
When he accomplished his most Gend-like mi4-
sion,
Opening the gates 'Bslidian and CssidH
To wicked Persian Radicals, who rushed like
thunder.
To take advantage Of this signal blunder.f
50 fcl4 great Babylon one altun,nal morning.
pray vou, Democrats take solemn earning
'The negro suffrage question and the green
back question.
A 6lundeT is worse than crime. says Tai
}eyraud but Qu.re