Classic Poem

SCENE FIFTH. — The H IGHWAY THROUGH THE F OREST ON THE R IVER T HAMES, NEAR THE M ORAVIAN T OWN .

Enter T ECUMSEH and his Chiefs , G ENERAL P ROCTOR , C OLONEL B ABY and other Officers, and P ROCTOR'S O RDERLY .

T ECUMSEH . I'll go no further.
P ROCTOR . A little further —
Toward the heights — 'twere well!
T ECUMSEH . No, not a step,
Were they the Alleghanies! Here we stand!
The enemy draws near, and we must fight.
P ROCTOR . Well, here we stand — here shall I lay my bones,
If so God wills it. Ha — I like the spot!
A river to protect us on our left;
Swamps to the north, and forest everywhere.
What a gigantic panoply of woods!
Why, here are maples scarce three men could girth
With their encircling arms. What trees!
T ECUMSEH . Yes, yes —
Would they were soldiers, brother; they are strong,
And, being rooted to their place, would ne'er
Give way as we have done. But to affairs —
P ROCTOR . Ay, to the proper ordering of our force.
Do you direct! What think you now is best?
T ECUMSEH . Two swamps are here o'ergrown with swollen trunks
Of black and moss-hung ash. Their underbrush,
Thick-set, and tangled with the blistering vine,
No cavalry can pass. Between them lies
A neck of open woods and turfy soil,
Where I shall plant my braves; but this straight path —
This highway by the river — is your ground.
Here place your cannon, and await attack,
Whilst I oppose it there.

Enter a S COUT .

S COUT . Make ready, sirs!
The enemy approaches — we can hear
His trumpet-calls resounding through the woods.
P ROCTOR . Then, briefly, my opinion sides with yours.
The trial hour is come — farewell, my friend!
We two shall stand or fall upon this field,
And fame it to all time.
T ECUMSEH . Keep a stouTheart,
I pray you, brother; all will thus be well.
B ABY . I think this disposition excellent.
P ROCTOR . It is, it is. Now let us fight it out!
There are occasions when the spirit mounts,
Uplifted by what threats it; this is one.
Go, gentlemen, and marshal up our force —
I shall await you here. Stay you with me,
( To his O RDERLY .)
I have instructions for you.
Come hither!
We may be beaten here —
O RDERLY . I think we shall.
P ROCTOR . What right have you to think?
O RDERLY . You said it, sir.
P ROCTOR . I said we may — ( aside ) tut! this is less than prudent.
Go, put my fleetest horses to my carriage;
Have others ready-saddled in our rear,
And, with some trusty fellows, stay by them —
They may be useful in emergency.
If there are seasons in the soul of man,
As in the year, it is my bleakest now.
How many rail at me, and call me coward,
Because with prudent outlook I foresee
What can be done and what can not be done!
One must endure! though to be misconceived;
To find one's actions and one's qualities
Framed in misapprehension; to be deemed
The thing that one is not, might well offend.
But that which guides my life enables me
To bear against the rub of false opinion;
So, prudence, miscalled cowardice by those
Who count their rashness virtue, tend me still!
Tecumseh foolishly resolves to die —
For who, against such odds, can hope to live?
And, if there be a virtue in mere death,
Then is he welcome to his grave and all
The honour and the glory death can give.
But those who have some business still on earth —
Something to do that cannot else be done —
Look on this matter with a different eye.
It is our trumpet call; my soldiers come.
In the adieu to death the quick resolve
Must spur calm judgment on to execution.