^, ^^,^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 •" I.I u Hi 12.2 [J m^ ■■■ Photographic Sciences Corporation 4. r AN ELEGY ON CAPTAIN COOK. BORROWING, the Nine beneath yon blafted yew Shed the bright drops of Pity's holy dew ; Mute are their tuneful tongues, extinft their fires ; Yet not in filence fleep their filver lyres ; To the bleak gale they vibrate fad and flow, In deep accordance to a Nation's woe. Ye, who ere while for Cook's illuftrious brow Pluck'd the green laurel, and the oaken bough, Hung the gay garlands on the trophied oars. And pour'd his fame along a thoufmd fhores, Strike the flow death-bell ! — wca\e the flicred vcric, And ftrew the cyprefs o'er hi-: honor'd hearfc ; In (ad procefllon wander round the (hrine, And weep him mortal, whom yc fung divine ! A 2 Say I! [ 4 ] Say firfl:, what Pow'r infpir'd his dauntlefs breaft With icorn of danger, and inglorious reft, To quit imperial London's gorgeous plains, Where, rob'd in thouflmd tints, bright Pleafurc reigns ;. In cups of fummer-ice her ncdar pours, And t\v incs, 'mid vvint'ry fnows, her rofcate bow'rs ? Where Beauty moNCS with unjulating grace, Calls the fwcet blulli to wanton o'er her face> On each fond Youth her foft artillery tries. Aims her light finilc, and rolls her frolic eyes ? What Pow'r infpir'd his dauntlefs breaft to brave The fcorch'd Equator, and th' Antardic wave ? Climes, where fierce funs in cloudlefs ardors ftiine, And pour the dazzling deluge round the Line ; The realms of froft, where icy mountains rife, 'Mid the pale fummer of the polar ikies ? — It was Humanity !— on coafts unknown, The Ihiv'ring natives of the frozen zone, And the (wart Indian, as he faintly ftrays " Where Cancer reddens in the folar blaze," 3 She C 5 ] She bade him feck ; — on each inclement fliore Plant the rich feeds of her exhauftlefs ftore ; Unite the lavage hearts, and hoftlle hands, In the firm compaft of her gentle bands ; Strew licr (oft comforts o'er the barren plain, Sing her fwect lays, and confccrate her fane. M It was Humanity ! — O Nymph divine I I fee thy light ftep print the burning Line ! There thy bright eye the dubious pilot guides, The faint oar ftruggling with the fcalding tides.— On as thou lead'ft the bold, the glorious prow. Mild, and more mild, the f!*>ping (un-beams glow ; Now weak and pale the leflcn'd luftres play, As round th' horizon rolls the timid day j Barb'd with the fleeted fnow, the driving hail, Rulh the fierce arrows of the polar gale ; And thro' the dim, unvaried, lingVing hours, Wide o'er the waves incumbent horror low'rs. From [ 6 1 From the rude fummlt of yon frozen deep, Contraftlng Glory gilds the dreary deep ! Lo !— dcck'd with vermeil youth and beamy grace, Hope In her ftep, and gladnefs In her face, Llo^ht on the icy rock, with outftretch'd hands, The Goddefs of the new Columbus (lands. Round her bright head the plumy * Peterels foar, Blue as her robe, that fvveeps the frozen fhore ; Glows her foft cheek, as vernal mornings fair, And warm as flimmer-funs her golden hair ; O'er the hoar wafte her radiant glances ftream, And courage kindles in their magic beam. She points the fhip it's mazy path, to thread t The floating fragments of the frozen bed. * Peterels foor. — Tlie petcrel is Ji bird found in tlie frozen feas j its neck uiid tail are white, and it^ wings of a bright blue. f The Jlcc^tit:^ fragments.—''' In the com fc of tlie lad twenty-four hours, wc pafled ihiouoh fcvcral fields of broken ice \ they were in general narrow, but of confiderable extent. In one part the pieces of ice were fo clofe, that the (liip had much difficulty to thread them." While [ 7 ] While o'er the deep, in many a dreadful form, The giant Danger howls along the ftorm. Furling the * iron (ails with numbed hands, Firm on the deck the great Adventurer ftands ; Round glitt'ring mountains hears the billows rave, And thcf vaft ruin thunder on the wave.— Appaird he hears 1 — but checks the rifing figh, And turns on his firm band a glift'ning eye. — Not for himfelf the fighs unbidden break, Amid the terrors of the icy wreck ; Not for himfelf ftarts the impafTion'd tear, Congealing as it falls ; — nor pain, nor fear. Nor Death's dread darts, impede the great defign, Tillt Nature draws the circumfcribing line. * Furling the iron Jails. — " Our fails and rigging were fo frozen, that they feemcd plates of iron." t And the vajl ruin. — The breaking of one of thefe immenfe mountains of ice, and the prodigious noifc it made, is particularly defcribcd in Cook's fecond voyi^ge to the louih Pole. X 'Jill Nature, &c. — ** After running four leagues this courfe, with the ICC on our llatbo-ird fide, we found ourlclvcs quite embay'd, the ice ex- tending from norih-norih-eaft, round by the weft and fouth, to eaft, in one (Ompaiit body ; ihc weather was tolerably ckar,yet we could fee no end to it." Huge [ 8 ] Huge rocks of ice th' arretted fliip embay, And bar the gallant Wanderer's dangerous way. — His eye regretful marks the Goddefs turn Th' afTiduous prow from its relentlefs bourn. And now antarftic Zealand's drear domain Frowns, and o'erhangs th' inhofpitable main. On it's chill beach this dove of human-kind For his long-wand'ring foot Ihort reft fliall find, Bear to the coaft the * olive-branch in vain. And quit on wearied wing the hoftile plam — With jealous low'r the frowning natives view Tlic ftately veffcl, and th' advent'rous crew ; Nor fear the brave, nor emulate the good, But fcowl with favage thirft of human blood 1 And yet there were, who in this iron clime Soar'd o'er the herd on Virtue's wing fublime ; * The olrce-kanch.—'' To carry a green branch in the hand on landing, is a pacific fignai, univerfally underltood by all the iHanders in the South Seas." Rever'd [ 9 ] Rcver'd the ftrangcr-gueft, and fmlling drove To (bothe his ftay with hofpitable love ; Fann'd in full confidence the friendly flame, Join'd plighted hands, and * name exchang'd for name. To thefe the Hero leads f his living ftore, And pours new wonders on th' uncultured fliore ; The filky fleece, fair fruit, and golden grain ; And future herds and harvefts blefs the plain. O'er the green foil his Kids exulting play. And founds his clarion loud the Bird of day j The downy Goofe her ruffled bofom laves. Trims her white wing, and wantons in the waves ; Stern moves the Bull along th* aflFrighted fliores. And coundefs nations tremble as he roars. * ytfjJ tiame exchanged. — The exchange of names is a pledge of amity among thefe iflanders, and was frequently propofed by them to Captain Cook and his people; fo alfo is the joining nofes. + His living ftore. — Captain Cook left various kinds of animals upon this coaft, together with garden-feeds, &c. The Zealanders had hitherto lubfided upon fifli, and fuch coarfe vegetables as their climate produced -, and this want of bettf r provifion, ic is fuppofcd, induced them to the horrid pradice of eating human flclh. B So So when the Daughter of eternal Jove, And Ocean's God, to blcls their Athens ftrove, The mafly trident with gigantic force Cleaves the firm earth-— and gives the ftately Horfe ; He paws the ground, impatient of the rein, Shakes his high front, and thunders o'er the plain. Then Wifdom's Goddefs plants the embryon feed, And bids new foliage fliade the fultry mead ; 'Mid the pale green the tawny olives ihine. And famifli'd thoufands blefs the hand divine. Now the warm (blftice o'er the flilning bay. Darts from the north its mild meridian ray ; Again the Chief invokes the rifing gale. And fpreads again in dcfart feas the fail ; O'er dangerous flioals his fteady ftecrage keeps, O'er * walls of coral, ambuih'd in the deeps ; * iralls of (cral. — The coral rocks arc tlefcribcd as rifing perpendicularly from the greateO; depths of the ocean, infomuch that the founding-line could not reach their bottom •, and yet they were but juft covered with water.— Thcfe rocks are now found to be fabricated by fea-infct^. Strong • « t " ] Strong Labour*s hands the crackling cordage twine, And * fleeplefs Patience heaves the fbunding-llne. / On a lone beach af rock-built temple (lands, Stupendous pile I unwrought by mortal hands ; Sublime the ponderous turrets rife in air, And the wide roof bafiltic columns bear ; Thro' the long aifles the murm'ring tempefts blow, And Ocean chides his dalhing waves below. From this fair fane, along the filver fands, Two fifter- virgins wave their (howy hands; Firft t gentle Flora — round her fmiling brow Leaves of new forms, and flow'rs uncultur'd glow ; * Amlpepkfs Patience,'^''' We had now pailcd fcveral months with a man conftantly in the chains heaving tlie lead." 1 /I rock-built temple, — *' On one part of this illc there was a folitary rock, riling on the coaft with arched cavities, lii(i/lcu\i /tfv?.— Captain Cook obferves, in his recond voyage, that the women ul Otalicitc were grown more moiifll, and that the barbarous prac- ti(.f of ilcftroyinj^; their children was Icflencd, PIcrc*d [ 15 ] Picrc'd by their verjom*d points, your favorite bleeds, And on his limbs the luft of hunger feeds ! Thus when, of old, the Mufe-born Orpheus bore Fair Arts and V^irtues to the Thracian lliorc ; Struck with fweet energy the warbling wire, And pour'd perfiiafion from th' immortal lyre ; As foften'd brutes, the waving woods among, Bow'd their meek heads, and liften'd to the (bng ; Near, and more near, with rage and tumult loud, Round the bold bard th' inebriate maniacs crowd. — Red on th' ungrateful foil his life-blood fwims, And Fiends and Furies tear his quiv'ring limbs 1 Gay Eden of the fouth, thy tribute pay. And raife, in pomp of woe, thy Cook's * Morail • Morai. — The Morai is a kind of funeral altar, which the people of Otaheitc raife to the memory of their deceafed friends. They bring to it a daily tribute of fruits, llowers, and the plumap;e of birds. The chief mourner wanders around it in a (late of apparent diftradlion, fhrieking furioufly, and ftrikin[5 at intervals a fliarU's ruoth into her head. All people fly her, as flie aims at wounding nut only htrfelf, but others. 5 Bid [ I^ J Bid mild Omiah bring his choiceft ftores, The juicy fruits, and the luxuriant flow'rs ; Bring the bright plumes, that drink the torrid ray, Andftrew each laviih fpoil on Cook's Morail Come, Oberea, haplefs fair-one 1 come. With piercing (hrieks bewail thy Hero's doom 1— She comes !— Ihe gazes round with dire furvey !— Oh 1 fly the mourner on her frantic way. See 1 fee 1 the pointed ivory wounds that head, Where late the Loves impurpled rofes fpread ; Now ftain'd with gore, her raven-treffes flow. In ruthlefe negligence of mad'ning woe ; Loud ihe laments !-and long the Nymph (hall ftray With wild unequal ftep round Cook's Morai ! But ah 1— aloft on Albion's rocky fteep. That frowns incumbent o'er the boiling deep, Solicitous, and fad, a foftcr form Eyes the lone flood, and deprecates the ftorm. Ill-fated [ /7 3 Ill-fated matron I — for, alas ! in vain Thy eager glances wander o'er the main !— Tis the vex'd billows, that infurgent rave. Their white foam filvers yonder diftant wave, Tis not his fails !— thy hufband comes no more ! His bones now whiten an accurfed (hore ! Retire,~.for hark ! the fea-guU fhrieking foars, The lurid atmoiphere portentous low Vs ; Night's fullcn fplrit groans in ev'ry gale, And o'er the waters draws the darkJino- veil Sighs in thy hair, and chills thy throbbing brcaft— Go, wretched mourner !— weep thy griefs to reft ! Yet, tho' through life is loft each fond delio-ht. Tho' let thy earthly fun in dreary night, Oh ! raid- thy thoughts to jondcr (Inrry plain, AndownthylorroAfdtiih, weak, and vain ; Since, while ISritaniii;!, to his virtues juft, Tuiixs the briglu wrcuh, and rears th' immortal hull ; C V,hi!c [ i8 ] While on each wind of heav n his fame fliall rife. In endlefs incenfe to the fmiling Ikies ; The attendant Power, that bade his fails expand. And waft her bleffings to each barren land. Now raptur d bears him to th' immortal plains, Where Mercy hails him with congenial ftrains ; Where foars, on Joy's white plume, his fpirit free. And angels choir him, while he waits for Thee- tf ODE [ 19 ] ODE TO THE SUN. Prize Poem at Batheafton, April 1779. I. LO R D of the Planets 1 in their courfe Thro' the long trafts of never-ceafing day, Who to their orbs, with matchleS force, Bendeft their rapid, wild, reluftant way ; Tho' midft the vaft and glittering maze Of countlefs worlds, that round thee blaze, Small, dim, and cold, our little Earth appears, Thy life-enkindling light (he (hares : From the chill Pole's far-fliining mountains frore, To fandy Afric's fultry (hore. Wide o'er her plains thy living luftrcs ftrcam, In Lapland's long pale day, and fwart Numidia s beam. C z II. For L 20. ] 11! II. For her, with delegated right, Thy virgin-fiftcr in thy ab/l^nce fliines, «, Throws her foft robe of fnowy Hght O'er fullen Night's opake and ihadow y flirines ; Thy watchful centinel, flie reigns ControLiler of the watry plains, Onward her filver arm the Ocean guides, Or dalhes back the impetuous tides. But thou, on the green wave's capacious bed. Haft light, and life, and gladnefs /hed, ' ' Thro' liquid mountains, as they roll, ' * ' '' Darting the beauteous beam, the vivifying foul. . ' HI. - That paints the fhell's meand ring mould. Or fj^ots the twinklino; fin with ^old • That gives the diamond's eye to blaze With all thy bright and arrowy rays.— Low in the billowy hold, ! 'i ; /.; * 'f 1 ' • r I / »■;. 'n Where C 21 ] Where the mighty whales are rtra)'ing, And the burnllli'd dolphins playing, There, with tremulous light, thou charmeft Nations bafking in thy gleam ; And e en there thy earth thou warmeft With thy mild prolific beam : From the dwarf coral, with his vermeil horns. Or fea-mofs, matted round her briny caves, To the broad oak, that Albion's cliff adorns. And bears her Tons triumphant o'er the waves ; Each ftem, root, leaf, fair fruit, and flowret bright, Lufire and fragrance drink from thy all-chcaringlight. IV. Remov'd from its more ardent ray. In gvaiTy Albion's deep umbrageous vales. Thou bid'ft them bloom in foft array. And breathe fwect incenfe on her vernal gales. Thy red Morn bluftes on her Hiores, And liquid gems profufcly pours ; Thy [ 22 ] Thy gay Noon glows with unoppreflive beams, And glitters on her winding ftreams ; Thy modeft Evening draws the deep ning (hades O'er her green hills, and bowery glades, Till the fair Months, with faded charms. Shrink in the chilly grafp of Winter s icy arms. V. But this highly-favoured year. From thee with gifts peculiar fprung ; At thy command Autumna fair Her golden veft o'er (hiv ring Winter flung ; And bid him his pale lingVing hours Gaily deck with fragrant flow'rs ; For his hoar brow matur'd the Violet wreath. From his wan lip bid Pleafure breathe ; No more he blafts the plain, or warps the tide. But throws his iron rod afide, His foftcn d gale ferenely blows, Till with Italia s charms hybernal Albion glows. VI. Great c 23 VI. ] Great Sun ! like thee, with effluence bright. Rich (burce of intelledual light, Benign Humanity appears. From Sorrow ihielding, and from Cares, And Poverty's (ad blight. Genius hails thee, PowV propitious ! Ripening in thy finile aufpicious ; Light divine ! thy bounty ftreaming * Confecrates this deftin'd ground, On the vafe thy luftre beaming, " Infpiration breathes around.'* The nobler pleafures of the moral world From this internal radiance gently flow. As when, oh Sun ! thy fummcr-beams are hurl'd. And Air, Earth, Ocean, all exulting glow. — Great Sun 1 with plenty ever blefs thefe plains, Where Genius ftrikes the Lyre, and foft-cyed Mercy reigns ! * It mud be remembered, that this is a charitable as well as a poetic in- ilitution. F I N I S.