"Before the small Athenian band "Know ye the Romans of the North? The fearful race whose infant strength Stretches its arms of conquest forth, To grasp the world in breadth and length? They cry 'That ye and we are old, And worn with luxuries and cares, And they alone are fresh and bold, "Alas for you! alas for us! Alas for men that think and feel, If once beside this Bosphorus Shall stamp Sclavonia's frozen heel! Oh! place us boldly in the van, And ere we yield this narrow sea, The past shall hold within its span At least one more Thermopyla." OCCASIONAL POEMS. A MONUMENT FOR SCUTARI. “THE cypresses of Scutari In stern magnificence look down On the bright lake and stream of sea And glittering theatre of town ; Above the throng of rich kiosks, Above the towers in triple tire, Above the domes of loftiest mosques, Those pinnacles of death aspire." Thus, years ago, in grave descant, Of memory round the cypress glooms, And gladly he reviews the days He wandered 'mid those alien tombs. Now other passion rules the soul; Arouses thoughts beyond controul, A tangled web of pride and shame; No more shall that fair word recall The Moslem and his Asian rest, But the dear brothers of us all Rent from their mother's bleeding breast. Calmly our warriors moulder there, Are wept in homes their smiles shall bless No more, beyond the welte'ring deep, In cottages now fatherless On English mead or Highland steep, In palaces by common grief Made level with the meanest room, One agony, and one relief The conscience of a glorious doom! For there, too, is Thermopyla ;— The Spartan held his honour's meedAnd shall no pharos shed the light To future time of Britain's deed? Masters of Form !-if such be now- For which this might of manhood fell, Let, too, the old Miltonic Muse, Of this high altar of renown, Write in the tongues of West and East Who bore this cross, who wore this crown. Write that, as Britain's peaceful sons As each would guard his household door; So, in those ghastly halls of pain Where thousand hero-sufferers lay, Some smiled in thought to fight again, And most unmurmuring passed away. Write that, when pride of human skill And men prayed out for some strong will, The loving heart of woman rose And saved what man had left to die. Write every name-lowlier the birth, On this regenerated earth Rise races of ennobled men, They will remember-these were they ON THE PEACE, MAY, 1856. COME in wild Hopes! that towards the dawning East |