Classic Poem

CALLED GIDEON .

I.

Let other poets poorly sing
Their flatt'ries to the vulgar great,
Her airy flight let wand'ring Fancy wing,
And rival Nature's most luxuriant store
To swell some monster's pride, who shames a state,
Or form a wreath to crown tyrannic pow'r;
Thou, who inform'dst this clay with active fire,
Do thou, supreme of Pow'r! my thoughts refine,
And with thy purest heat my soul inspire,
That with Hillarius worth my verse may shine:
As thy lov'd Gideon once set Israel free,
So he with sweet seraphic lays
“Redeems the use of captive poetry,”
Which first was form'd to speak thy glorious praise.

II.

Moses, with an enchanting tongue,
Pharaoh's just overthrow sublimely sung.
When Saul and Jonathan in death were laid,
Surviving David felt the soft'ning fire,
And by the great Almighty's tuneful aid
Wak'd into endless life his mournful lyre.
Their diff'rent thoughts met in Hallarius' song,
Roll in one channel more divinely strong:
With Pindar's fire his verse's spirit flies.
“Watted in charmful music thro' the air:”
Unstopp'd by clouds, it reaches to the skies,
And joins with angels halleluiahs there,
Flows mix'd, and sweetly strikes th'Almighty's ear.

III.

Rebels should blush when they his Gideon see,
That Gideon born to set his country free.
O that such heroes in each age might rise,
Bright'ning thro' vapours like the morning star,
Gen'rous in triumph, and in council wise,
Gentle in peace, but terrible in war!

IV.

When Gideon, Oreb, Hyram, Shimron, shine
Fierce in the blaze of war as they engage,
Great Bard! what energy but thine
Could reach the vast description of their rage?
Or when, to cruel foes betray'd,
Sareph and Hamar call for aid,
Lost and bewilder'd in despair,
How piercing are the hapless lover's cries!
What tender strokes in melting accents rise!
Oh! what a master-piece of pity's there?
Nor goodly Joash shows thy sweetness less
When, like kind Heav'n, he frees them from distress!

V.

Hail Thou! whose verse a living image shines:
In Gideon's character your own you drew;
As there the graceful patriot shines,
We in that image bright Hillarius view,
Let the low crowd, who love unwholesome fare,
When in thy words the breath of angels flows,
Like gross-fed spirits sick in purer air,
Their earthy souls by their dull taste disclose.
Thy dazzling genius shines too bright,
And they, like spectres, shun the streams of light;
But while in shades of ignorance they stray,
Round thee rays of knowledge play,
“And shew thee glitt'ring in abstracted day.”