The Pen
AN ODE .
O For a muse of fire to sing
In numbers meet to hail the Pen!
It's charms innumerous to rehearse,
And bid its various value grace my verse;
Then would I tell the sons of men,
Whence all their greatness, blessings, virtues, spring.
Immortal theme! ev'n S HAKSPEARE , wild,
Nature and poesy's own child,
Who made thee most subservient to his sway,
Who wielded thee with magic grace,
And outrun all in fancy's race;
Ev'n he would sink beneath the important lay:
Yet shall the humble bard pursue the strain,
And trusts his efforts will not be in vain.
By thee, blest Pen! the mariner with ease
Directs his course thro' unknown distant seas;
Girdles the world, and, by thy happy aid,
Obtains the land again, from which he long has stray'd.
Aided by thee, our Newton soar'd on high,
Left earth-born cares, and sought his native sky;
Unfolded, wonderful! each planet's bound,
And pointed out the comet's blazing round,
Through worlds on worlds with matchless knowledge run,
And was himself, of intellect, the sun.
Through thee, immortal R OUSSEAU'S charming page
Shall teach simplicity to many an age;
Shall point out truth, and purity, and love,
And raise mankind each selfish view above;
Shall show them virtue's, nature's, Heaven's laws,
And make them live aright, or die in freedom's cause!
Aided by thee, in grand poetic lore,
D ARWIN each art and science see explore;
With nicest skill each mental grace impart,
And store the head, and meliorate the heart,
Then hail immortal Pen! and long
May'st thou to truth and virtue vigour give,
And never, never, may'st thou form the song
Where ignorance, and vice, and folly live.
Bright may'st thou blazon all that's good and wise,
But never sophists aid, and nonsense patronize,
Or deal in subterfuge, duplicity, and lies.
By thee, sweet poesy, on Albion's shore,
Excels the Grecian, or the Roman lore;
Witness that god-like bard, to whom 'twas given
To sing the wars the immortals fought in Heaven;
Whose rich romantic fancy never tired,
Whom every grace adorn'd, and all the muses fired.
By thee, our T HOMSON soar'd in lofty song,
Descriptive bard, harmonious, soft, and strong;
'Twas his, the country's various charms to sing,
The unfolding beauties of prolific spring;
The summer, fruitful autumn, too, he sung,
And all the horrors which on winter hung;
His thundering numbers like the winds appear,
When angry nature frowns, and storms deface the year.
And G RAY and G OLDSMITH , masters both of rhyme,
Through thee, shall reach the farthest bounds of time.
Immortal D RYDEN , too, whose deathless name,
Has most deserved, and reach'd the highest fame.
O could my muse but catch one spark of fire,
Which warm'd your breasts, and did your lays inspire;
Then should to future times
Thy glorious power be shown;
And my recording rhymes
To future days be known!...
Then should the P EN to distant ages live,
And have itself a fame, itself alone can give.
O For a muse of fire to sing
In numbers meet to hail the Pen!
It's charms innumerous to rehearse,
And bid its various value grace my verse;
Then would I tell the sons of men,
Whence all their greatness, blessings, virtues, spring.
Immortal theme! ev'n S HAKSPEARE , wild,
Nature and poesy's own child,
Who made thee most subservient to his sway,
Who wielded thee with magic grace,
And outrun all in fancy's race;
Ev'n he would sink beneath the important lay:
Yet shall the humble bard pursue the strain,
And trusts his efforts will not be in vain.
By thee, blest Pen! the mariner with ease
Directs his course thro' unknown distant seas;
Girdles the world, and, by thy happy aid,
Obtains the land again, from which he long has stray'd.
Aided by thee, our Newton soar'd on high,
Left earth-born cares, and sought his native sky;
Unfolded, wonderful! each planet's bound,
And pointed out the comet's blazing round,
Through worlds on worlds with matchless knowledge run,
And was himself, of intellect, the sun.
Through thee, immortal R OUSSEAU'S charming page
Shall teach simplicity to many an age;
Shall point out truth, and purity, and love,
And raise mankind each selfish view above;
Shall show them virtue's, nature's, Heaven's laws,
And make them live aright, or die in freedom's cause!
Aided by thee, in grand poetic lore,
D ARWIN each art and science see explore;
With nicest skill each mental grace impart,
And store the head, and meliorate the heart,
Then hail immortal Pen! and long
May'st thou to truth and virtue vigour give,
And never, never, may'st thou form the song
Where ignorance, and vice, and folly live.
Bright may'st thou blazon all that's good and wise,
But never sophists aid, and nonsense patronize,
Or deal in subterfuge, duplicity, and lies.
By thee, sweet poesy, on Albion's shore,
Excels the Grecian, or the Roman lore;
Witness that god-like bard, to whom 'twas given
To sing the wars the immortals fought in Heaven;
Whose rich romantic fancy never tired,
Whom every grace adorn'd, and all the muses fired.
By thee, our T HOMSON soar'd in lofty song,
Descriptive bard, harmonious, soft, and strong;
'Twas his, the country's various charms to sing,
The unfolding beauties of prolific spring;
The summer, fruitful autumn, too, he sung,
And all the horrors which on winter hung;
His thundering numbers like the winds appear,
When angry nature frowns, and storms deface the year.
And G RAY and G OLDSMITH , masters both of rhyme,
Through thee, shall reach the farthest bounds of time.
Immortal D RYDEN , too, whose deathless name,
Has most deserved, and reach'd the highest fame.
O could my muse but catch one spark of fire,
Which warm'd your breasts, and did your lays inspire;
Then should to future times
Thy glorious power be shown;
And my recording rhymes
To future days be known!...
Then should the P EN to distant ages live,
And have itself a fame, itself alone can give.
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