Classic Poem

As late I stray'd, with careless step,
And raptur'd eye, o'er hills and plains;
Sudden a sylvan, cool retreat
A while my roving foot detains.

The trees, in scatter'd clusters, spread
Their green relief from summer's blaze!
The feather'd concourse throng'd the shade,
Chanting their wild and choral lays.

Sweet glades the leafy glooms divide
With pleasing intervals of light;
While the rich landscape's distant pride,
Thro' happiest inlets, reach'd the sight.

Each beauteous flower around me blew,
That e'er in Nature's garden blows:
No bush without its woodbine grew;
On every bramble blush'd the rose.

" Relic of ancient Paradise!
In mercy left! " entranc'd I said:
Here, here shall rest my wand'ring eyes;
And here my wand'ring limbs be laid.

Reclin'd, I gaze with transport round,
All to romantic thought resign'd!
Enchantment seems to bless the ground,
And sweet enthusiasm wraps my mind!

Soothing, Arcadian dreams arise,
Of nymphs, and swains, and love-carv'd trees,
And bowers and garlands, lutes and sighs,
And pastoral innocence and peace.

Now o'er fair Venus' vernal court,
Scene of delight, my fancy roves;
And sees the Loves and Graces sport
'Mong myrtle shades, and cassia groves.

Sudden, the flowery vision flies!
The Loves outspread their purple wings,
And speed their flight with piercing cries;
While Horror round his shadow flings!

In part conceal'd by yonder bough,
A form that raises musings drear,
Now strikes mine eye, that not till now
Had turn'd its glance attentive there.

Long to the shuddering trav'ller shown,
Lo! the black chain of infamy!
And lo! the last, dry, crumbling bone
Of him the laws condemn'd to die!

Say, what dire omens curs'd thy birth,
Oh born, unblest, to sad despair?
Say, for what crime, outcast from earth,
Thus grimly sepulchred in air?

Dark, dismal pictures now employ
My pensive breast, and thence expel
All lightsome forms of gentle joy;
Ye smiling images, farewel!

Dire scenes succeed: The tragic blade
Gleams horrible thro' night's dun gloom!
And Murder, shrouded in the shade,
Steals soft along th' invaded room!

And now I view the trembling steel,
While clos'd in sleep the victim's eye,
With hurried thrusts, deep gashes deal!
The wretch awakes! awakes to die!

Reveal'd by morn, the midnight deed
Suspends the pale discoverer's breath!
I hear the scream of horror spread!
I see the purple couch of death!

The murderer flies; but flies in vain;
Seiz'd by the outstretch'd arm of Law:
The sullen prisoner clanks his chain,
Laid hopeless on the scatter'd straw.

Oh, hateful close! sense-withering sight!
See God's scath'd image mould'ring there:
The seat of Reason's holy light
Debas'd the fowls of heaven to scare!

Oh, iron state of rude mankind!
Thou human thing, of man accurst,
What virtues would have warm'd thy mind,
Had scenes of kindlier influence nurst!

Society's deserted child!
From her neglect thine errors flowed:
She left thine heart untrain'd and wild,
Nor paid the Mother's cares she owed.

Heedless within thee to instil
Of just and right perceptions clear,
She but proclaim'd her lordly will,
And call'd no passion forth but fear.

Each rising scene of opening life
To thy deluded fancy showed,
For gold, one feverish, maddening strife,
As gold contain'd all human good.

The bloated sons of Luxury,
With costly fare, to surfeit fed,
Met, on each side, thine envious eye,
And fir'd thy wish for more than bread.

Thou saw'st Respect's uplifted eyes
The rich, whate'er their crimes, adore,
Thou saw'st the rich the poor despise,
And thee despise for being poor.

Thou saw'st the great ones of the globe
To their too much yet adding more;
Array'd in robes of honour rob,
And deluge fields with seas of gore.

Thou knew'st that, on their blood-stain'd plain,
In dying anguish MILLIONS groan!
And, thy more humble ends to gain,
Thine arm was rais'd to murder one .

Then they, whose ill tuition sowed,
(Too quick of growth) the baneful seed,
The plant with fierce intolerance mowed,
Because it prov'd a noxious weed!

And was it here, oh, heavy doom!
Thou bad'st the beauteous day adieu?
And wore the earth this gladsome bloom?
And wore the heav'ns this cloudless blue?

Oh Death! more gloomy look'd thy shade
To the sad exile from the light,
As in this scene the wretch survey'd
Whate'er can charm the ravish'd sight!

The first offender thus his eye
O'er Eden's forfeit beauties threw;
And, heaving sorrow's deepest sigh,
Breath'd to his bowers a long adieu.

Ye who direct the social state,
Which tauntingly ye civil call!
Who whip the crimes yourselves create,
Yourselves most criminal of all!

Irreverent of life's sacred flame,
Who, when a wretch your law has broke,
Without one effort to reclaim,
Reprove by stern destruction's stroke!

Cannot the city's ample room
Your polity's dark frowns confine,
That thus they spread their angry gloom,
Where loveliest Nature smiles benign?

And fail thy shades, sweet Solitude,
From social ills to screen my view?
Here must the odious forms intrude?
Hither my tortur'd eye pursue?

Oh, violation most profane!
That thus disfigures scenes like these;
And fills each gentler breast with pain,
Where all around conspires to please!

Hither, ye erring rulers, come;
O'er this bland picture roll your eyes;
Observe how soft the landscape's bloom!
The tender azure of these skies!

Instructed in this genial school,
Mellow your crude, inclement plan:
Copy mild Nature's gentle rule,
And learn, like her, to smile on man.