ODE To SILENCE, alias UNANIMITY. Thou then art come to Albion's sea-girt shore, The swart Egyptian bow'd the knee ! Whose lip-laid finger motions quietness; And lifting in thine hand the iron rod, To Albion thou art come, Silence! tremendous God. Demon of sullen brow, No child of Isis thou; No God infus'd thy being, dreadful power! Thee to Oppression Terror bore. All When on the shuddering maid agony she felt his brute embrace. And when the tedious term was gone, Mid many a pang and many a groan, When thou wert born, the offspring of disgrace, She cast a loathing look upon her boy, Child of no mother's joy. Is there a voice that dares profane The stillness of thy reign? Lo! where, built by British hands, Dreadful Power, thy temple stands ! There where the damp surrounding stone Echoes sick Misery's groan; There where no voice of friendship may intrude On the long solitude; There shall he lie who dares profane The stillness of thy reign. But what on earth endures for ever? That Liberty, with long endeavour, Not thy Gallic temple stood Where never voice of friendship could intrude On the long solitude. Not always in Dalilah's lap reclin'd Did Sampson let his crafty foes Around his sleeping limbs their fetters bind : He felt, he woke, he rose ; Who then could save The fierce Philistines from their waken'd slave? The GALLINIPPER. I. A Hunting party once there met So mix'd a group was never seen before: The day was hot, they made good cheer, And should my reader ask me where, I'll say on the Musquito shore. II. The dinner o'er, the wines abound, On ancient metaphysics roll'd. III. A learned traveller took the lead, He swore that what the world call'd pain And never yet was felt by Stoic. IV. And added, I am ready, since An hour in yonder swamp to lie; Both those that crawl, and those that fly. V. Each one was anxious when he heard And 'mongst them all it made a bustle : And now a rump and dozen is the bet Which he must forfeit to this merry set Should he but speak or move a muscle. |