Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1902-05-09
And silent watch, on woodland heights around,

And silent watch on woodland heights around,
The village curfew it tolls profound.
In Libyan groves, where damned rites are done,
That battle the rocks in blood, and veil the sun,
Truth shall arrest the murderous arm proane,
Wild Obi hies-the veil is rent in twain
Where barbarous hordes on Scyhian mountains roam,
Truth, Mercy, Freedom, yet shall find a home
Whereer degraded Nature bleeds and pines,
From Guineas coast to Sbir's dreary mines,
Truth shall pervade tn unfathom'd darkness there,
And light the dreadful features of despair
Hark the stern captive spurns his heavy load,
And asks the image back that Heaven bestow,dl
Fierce in his eye the fire of valor burns
And, as the slave departs, the returns.
Oh sacred Truth thy triumph ceased a while,
And HOPE, thy sister, ceased with thee to smile,
When eagued Oppression pourd to Northern wars
Her whiskerd pandors and her fierce hussars,
Waved her dread standard to the breeze of morn,
Peald her loud drum, and twangd her trumpet horn;
Tumultuous horror brooded DER her van,
Presagng wrath to Poland-and to man
Warsaws last champion from her height surveyed,
Wide DER the fields, waste of ruin laid
Oh Heaven he cried, my bleeding country save -
Is there no hand on high to shield the brave?
Yet, though destruction sweep those lovely plains,
Rise fellow men our country yet remains
And swear for her to live - with her to die
He said, and on the rampart-heights arrayd
His trusty warriors few, but undismay'd
Firm-paced and slow, a horrid front they form,
Still as the breeze, but dreadful as the storm
Low murmurng sounds along their banners fly,
Revenge or death,-the watchword and reply;
Then peald the notes, omnipoent to charm,
And the loud tocsn tolld their last alarm =
In vain, alas in vain, we gallant few
From rank to rank your volleyd thunder flew -
Oh, boodest picture in the book of Time,
Sarmata fell, unwept, without a crime;
Found not generous friend, plying foe,
Strength in her arms, mercy in her woe
Droppd from her nerveless grasp the SHATTERED spear
Closed her bright eye and curbd her high career :
HOPE, for a season. babe the world farewell,
And Freedom shriekd as KoscIUsKo fell
The sun went down, nor ceased the carnage there,
Tumultuous Murder shook the midnight air
On Pragues proud arch the fires of ruin glow,
His bood-dyed waters murmuring far below;
The storm prevails, the rampant yields away,
Bursts the wild cry of horror and dsmay
Hark, as the smouderng piles with thunder fall,
thousand shrieks for hopeless mercy call
Earth shOok-red meteors flashed along the sky,
And conscious Nature shudderd at the cry
Oh righteous Heaven Freedom found grave,
Why slept the sword, omnipoent to save?
Where thine arm, O Vengeance? where thy rod
That smote the foes of Zion and OF God
That Crlsh'd proud AmmOn when his iron
Was yoked in wrath and thunder'd from afar?
Where the storm that slumber'd till the host
OF bloodstain'd Pharaoh left their trembling coast;
Then babe the deep in wild Commotion flow,
And heaved an ocean on their march below?
Departed spirits OF the mighty dead
Ye that at Marathon and Leuctra bled
Friends OF the world restore your swords to man,
Fight in his sacred cause, and lead the van
Yet for Sarmata's tears of blood atone,
And make her arm puissant as your own
Oh again to Freedoms return
The patriot TEII-the BRUCE OF BANNoCKBURN
Yes thy proud lords, unpitied land shall
That man hath yet a soul-and dare be free
A little while, along thy saddening plains,
The staress night of Desolation regns;
Truth shall restore the light by Nature given,
And, like Prometheus, bring the fire of Heaven.
Prone to the dust Oppression shall be hurld,
Her name, her nature, withered from the world
Ye that the rising morn invidious mark,
And hate the light-because your deeds dark;
Ye that expanding truth invidous view,
And think, or wish, the song of HOPE untrue;
Perhaps your little hands presume to span
The march of Genius and the powers of man;
Perhaps We watch at Prdes unhalow'd shrine,
Her victims, newly slain, and thus divine
Here shall thy triumph. Genius cease, and here
Truth, Science, Virtue, close your short career"
Tyrants in vain We trace the wizard ring
In vain We limit Minds unweared spring
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