Each thicket opes ten thousand eyes.
Before, beside us, and above,
The fire-fly lights his lamp of love,
Retreating, chasing, sinking, soaring,
The darkness of the copse exploring.
While to this cooler air confest,
The broad Dhatura bares her breast,
Of fragrant scent and virgin white,
A pearl around the locks of night!
Still as we pass in soften'd hum
Along the breezy alleys come
The village song, the horn, the drum.
Still as we pass, from bush and briar,
The shrill Cigala strikes his lyre;
And, what is she whose liquid strain
Thrills through yon copse of sugar-cane?
I know that soul-entrancing swell,
It is it must be-Philomel!
Enough, enough, the rustling trees
Announce a shower upon the breeze,
The flashes of the summer sky
Assume a deeper, ruddier dye;
Yon lamp that trembles on the stream,
From forth our cabin sheds its beam;
And we must early sleep to find
Betimes the morning's healthy wind.
But oh! with thankful hearts confess
E'en here there may be happiness;
And He, the bounteous Sire, has given
His peace on earth,—his hope of Heaven !
FELICES Britonum curas, atque addita vitæ Commoda, et inventas artes, bellique triumphos, Expediam: Vos, Angliacæ clarissima gentis Lumina, queis mundi rerumque arcana retexit Ipsa volens Natura; et vos, qui martia passi Vulnera, pro patria justis cecidistis in armis, Magnanimi heroes! vestras date floribus urnas Spargere, nec nostræ conamina temnite musæ !
Sit mihi fas audita loqui, sit facta referre, Tardaque bis denis volventia tempora lustris Respicere; humanæ licet æquora turbida vitæ Musa gemat circumspectans, secumque revolvat Mæsta hominum scelera, et parvo sub pectore fluctus Irarum ingentes, et corda oblita futuri.
Inde graves nasci luctus, et bella per orbem,
Et diræ passim cædes, et mille doloris,
Mille mali facies, fuso Discordia crine
Funeream accendens tædam, insatiata cruore
Vindicta, et desolatas bacchata per urbes
Ambitio, et Culpæ merito comes addita Pœna.
Nam Pater omnipotens ignotis legibus orbem Temperat, et denso noctis velatus amictu,
Sceptra tenet, nobis, credo, neque machina rerum
Tota patet, certive arcana volumnia fati.
Haud tamen, haud nostrum est rerum alte exquirere causas ; Tantum adeo aversamur opus, magis acta referre, Et patriam aggredimur laudem, vocat altior armis, Altior ingenio Britannia, sæcla parentum Exsuperans fama, et majoribus inclyta cœptis.
Depictas alii voces, Cadmeïa signa*;
Et Batavum† curas, calami quæ tædia primum,
Et scriptæ docuêre moras odisse tabellæ ;
Mirando ductas alii magnete carinas,
Nitratosque ignes celebrent, imitataque Divûm
Fulmina, vim quorum contra nihil ipsa valeret
Lorica Æacidæ, aut clypei septemplicis orbes;
At cœli docuisse vias, quo concita motu
Sydera agant certa nocturnas lege choreas ;
Qui cursus anni; quo sol moderamine flectat
Errantes stellas, medii ad prætoria mundi
Regius ipse sedens; coëundi quanta cupido,
Ordine quæque suo teneat ; quo turbidus æstu
Invadat terram fluctus, fugiatque vicissim,
Letters, which are generally believed to have been introduced into Europe by Cadmus.
†The discovery of printing (however the fraud of John Faustus may have transferred a part of the praise to Mentz) appears to belong to Holland.
Luna, tuum comitatus iter; quæ splendida lucis
Materies; septemque Iris trahat unde colores;
Laus erit hæc saltem, nostroque hæc gloria sæclo.
Quanquam etenim haud nostris illuxit prima diebus Vis animi, Newtone, tui, et felicior ætas Ingenii eximios jactet nascentis honores ; Sed vidisse tamen, sed et audivisse docentem Te, decus O patriæ! Naturæ magne sacerdos ! Contigit huic sæclo, et circumflevisse sepulchrum.
Nec vero, interea, nobis non utilis unda*,
Suppositis flammis modicoque accensa calore,
Mirum adeo tulit auxilium, stat turris ad auras,
Sulphurea nebula, et fumosis cincta tenebris;
Pendet abhinc vastamque extrudit in aëra molem
Ferratis trabibus centumque innexa catenis
Machina, quin subtus calefacta sævit aquæ vis
Alta petens, gelidam tecti de culmine nympham
Quæ simul accepit gremio, condensa residit,
Desertumque super spatium et vacua atria linquit,
Nec mora, præcipiti tendens in inania cursu,
Irruit, et portam obstantem circumfluus æther
Deprimit, hinc motu alterno surgitque caditque
Libra ingens, molesque graves impostaque temnit
Pondera; quin tali humentis penetralia terræ
Auxilio ingredimur qua divitis ima metalli
Vena latet, tali domitum molimine ferrum
In varias cogit formas, fingitque premendo
Malleus; at veniet tempus, cum viribus illis
Adverso tardas urgebit flumine cymbas
Navita, et obstantes scindet sine remige fluctus.
Sed neque nos ignota latent tua tenuia regna*,
Aura levis ! quantos ibi nostri mira triumphos
Vis tulit ingenii! lustratam navibus æthram,
Littoribus longe patriis terraque relicta,
Vidimus, et magni superantes monia mundi
Icarias homines ausos contemnere pœnas.
Quin et scire datur quo crebris ignibus aër† Innocuum micet, ardentem quo fulminis alam Ducat docta manus, certoque in tramite flammam Dirigat; agnosco hæc nostris concessa diebus Arcana, et longos proavis ignota per annos ! Nonne vides! nimborum inter coœlique tumultus, Præscripto celeres concurrunt ordine flammæ, Porrigit excelsum qua ferrea virga tridentem Servatrix; tutis assurgunt templa columnis Interea, regumque domus atque aurea tecta.
Hinc etiam variis aptat medicamina morbis ‡ Naturæ expertus sapiens, renovatque trementum Corpora fracta senum, et tristi languentia nocte
* Though the balloon itself be a French invention, yet the discoveries which gave rise to it are most of them British.
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