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 GREEK METRES 
 
 THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. 
 
 Price Four Shillings. 
 
 j^f=Jr=Jr=ir=Jf=JP=Jf=if=ir^ir=Jr=nr=iP=iir=J 
 
 i!i 
 
SPECIMENS 
 
 GREEK METRES 
 
 IN THE 
 
 ENGLISH LANGUAGE. 
 
SPECIMENS 
 
 OF 
 
 GREEK METRES 
 
 IN 
 
 THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, 
 
 AS PRACTISED IN 
 
 I 
 
 A SERIES OF ODES. 
 
 OXFORD, 
 
 PRINTED AND SOLD BY MUNDAY AND SLATTER ; 
 SOLD ALSO BY G. AND W. B. WHITTAKER, LONDON ; AND DEIGHTON AND SONS, CAMBRIDGE. 
 
 1821. 
 
^t^ 
 
 V 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Preface - - 
 
 Introduction. Aristophanic Tetrameter 
 
 Ode I. Alcaic — " O sacred England !" 
 
 II. Systematic Anapaestics — " Ye that look upon" 
 
 III. Anacreontic — " Hither come, O pleasant air !" 
 
 IV. Alcaic — " They rise ! the mountains rise" 
 
 V. Anacreontic — " When thy vision'd presence comes" 
 
 VI. Dimeter Trochaics — " Thou spreading cloud" 
 
 VII. Alcaic — " Thou whom the tempest" 
 
 VIII. Pindaric — " Ye tender and ardent measures !" 
 
 IX. Translation from Sappho - 
 
 X. Anacreontic — " Now on flowing zephyrs borne !" 
 
 XI. Dimeter Trochaics—" Ah ! glowing love !" 
 
 XII. Alcaic— " They whom the faithful" 
 
 XIII. Anacreontic — " The pleasant zephyrs" - - 
 
 XIV. Dimeter Trochaics — " Waterloo" 
 XV. Sapphics— « Ah ! pleasant land !" 
 
 XVI. Anacreontic — " When thy bosom's glowing thought" 
 
 XVII. Alcaic.—" Ah ! from the mountains" 
 
 Vll 
 
 from page 1 to 3 
 4—5 
 5—7 
 7—8 
 8— 
 —9 
 9—10 
 11—12 
 13—20 
 20—21 
 21— 
 22—24. 
 24—27 
 27—28 
 28—32 
 32—33 
 —33 
 33—34 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 To vindicate, or only to declare all the rules under which the following 
 Odes have been composed, would require an essay upon Greek versification, 
 which demands a longer time for consideration than the practice of them. 
 
 They have not been adopted hastily : and, though new, will not be found 
 inconsistent. Immediate agreement cannot be expected, when the author 
 has found difficulty in convincing himself ; nor does he conceive that any 
 benefit would arise from a hasty judgment. 
 
 If any one approve of these endeavours without consideration, he may 
 presently find their defence encompassed with difficulties that will induce 
 him to deny the truth of the whole system ; while he, who at first opposes 
 from belief to the contrary, is rather more likely to perceive its real ad- 
 vantages. 
 
 The most prominent and general rules, which govern the ensuing pages, 
 will now be shortly stated ; arguments in their defence would not suit the 
 brevity of a Preface. The identity of emphasis and accent is assumed, and 
 the deep-read scholar will not be disposed to deny it. 
 
 1. No authority of Latin or Greek Prosody can make a syllable in derived 
 words long, if its usual pronunciation be short, and vice versd. 
 
 2. No spelling which militates against usual pronunciation can have any 
 influence on syllabic quantity. 
 
 3. No accent can alter or fix the quantity of any syllable, except where 
 the syllable may be common, i. e. either long or short by nature. The metre, 
 therefore, except in those cases, is independent of accent. 
 
VlH PREFACE. 
 
 4. There is no gradation or intermediate quality between absolutely long, 
 and absolutely short syllables. All appearances against this rule may be 
 considered as corresponding in speech to quick or slow playing in music. 
 
 5. The W and the Y make the syllable before them long. 
 
 6. The soft sound of N G before a vowel, does not prolong the syllable 
 before it. 
 
 There is a two-fold cause of long quantity. The same syllable may be 
 long, both because its vowel or diphthong is before a certain number of con- 
 sonants, and because that vowel or diphthong is long by nature. And it is 
 found, that either of these causes without the other can make it as long as 
 both concurring together. The tongue seems to make the broad distinction 
 of long and short syllables, by quicker pronunciation of each letter in one 
 case than the other. But, whatever be the manner of its existence, it is a 
 property of language that we should rather examine than dispute; the 
 Greeks having decided the question before us, and the result appearing to 
 be truth. 
 
 Some have supposed accent always to follow the long syllables. In that case, 
 
 where is it in the Tribrach v o « ; or where is it in the Molossus ? 
 
 Others, again, suppose that there was no accent at all ; but this French 
 Greek may safely be left to the admiration of its inventors. 
 
 It is also said, that the modern Greeks have lost all notion of the ancient 
 language ; and that their way of reading classic poetry destroys its essence, 
 oecause they read with accents. This is an opinion that involves contra- 
 dictions too numerous to remain long undetected. I therefore simply notice it, 
 and remark upon it, not having time or space to attempt its refutation. 
 
 There seem to be two powers, by one or other of which poetry must be 
 governed — accent and quantity. It is not to be desired that any poetry 
 should preserve regularity in both. Which, therefore, is it best to follow ? 
 
PREFACE. ix 
 
 The classic poet says, quantity, as length, because that affords greater 
 regularity, therefore greater beauty, and the variation of- the accent will 
 prevent monotony. 
 
 The romantic poet says, accent, as strength, because it is less intricate, 
 therefore more pleasing, and the variation of the quantity will prevent 
 sameness. 
 
 The two systems, as explained with equal clearness by their respective 
 advocates, appear to gain the same end by different methods ; therefore, we 
 must look to their effects, to the state into which they have brought their 
 languages, and take our choice accordingly. 
 
 Under the classic poets, language has expanded into a beauty and a 
 sweetness, which no choice of subject, however dreadful, can destroy, and 
 no disguise of modern pronunciation, however disgusting, quite conceal. It 
 exhibits also a cheerfulness not less worthy of admiration, as beaming 
 through the gloom of Idolatry. 
 
 Under the romantic poets, language, in struggling to get free, involves 
 herself more hopelessly in the fetters of harshness and insipid slowness, and 
 in a melancholy which must alarm the philosopher, as being most adverse to 
 Christianity. 
 
 The cheerfulness of the classic, and the melancholy of the romantic 
 poetry, is admitted by all. The question is, whether cheerfulness ought to 
 be the peculiar distinction of a pagan mind, and melancholy that of a 
 christian. As I can perceive nothing that really justifies the continuance of 
 this extraordinary distinction, I venture to suppose, that if the language 
 admit them, the introduction of the Greek measures, however laborious, may 
 be of service ; since, from their active spirit, they express nothing so frequently 
 as gladness or enjoyment. Firmly convinced that error has prevailed, and 
 that my opinion has changed to the classic side, upon rational grounds, I see 
 
 b 
 
X PREFACE. 
 
 the talents and research of Schlegel, the judgment of the most consummate 
 critic enlisted against me, with regret indeed, but not with fear. The temper 
 J n which that author has considered the subject is hostile to the social dili- 
 gence which we are taught to cultivate. If the account he gives of the 
 Greeks, and their situation, be correct, they at least needed no Redeemer ; 
 and if the account given of the present world be justified, the light of truth 
 has rendered us restless and discontented. 
 
 Had Protestant England boasted of that man, such opinions could hardly 
 have appeared in his pages. He is not now alive to qualify them ; the errors 
 contained in them, therefore, obtain all the sanction of his learning and 
 authority. 
 
 The Greeks are said very truly by Schlegel to have invented the poetry 
 of gladness. He means by this expression, that they always keep the mind 
 on a certain level, never suffering it to flag, or become listless, although passing 
 from dreadful to joyful themes, with a greater extent of power than the 
 romantic measures. This gladness, or cheerfulness, is produced by the 
 activity in which the faculties of the poet must be while writing them. His 
 ear is as much employed as his mind, and he works upon scientific rules, not 
 less intricate than those which guide composers of music. Hence the Greek 
 measures are rightly considered as the music of language. 
 
 While these Odes were in the press, the poem called, '■' A Vision of 
 " Judgment" appeared. In regarding this extraordinary work, I feel too 
 much veneration for the character and the genius of its author, to treat 
 lightly endeavours, which the English language has always encouraged. 
 But, considering that an important cause may be injured by the misdirected 
 powers of its defenders, I must not shrink from declaring, that his ideas, as to 
 our language not admitting quantity, seem wholly unjustified. Latin versi- 
 fication is appealed to instead of Greek, the Hexameter only is imitated ; but 
 
PREFACE. XI 
 
 the admission of Trochees, and the declaration of the absence of Spondees 
 in English, are indeed alarming doctrines. Let us abjure the Greek improve- 
 ments if we cannot introduce them without mutilation ; let us follow the steps 
 of our romantic predecessors, if the Greek system cannot be developed here, 
 and elevate the language at once to its full powers. But if quantity is to be 
 disregarded, and accent or emphasis govern the measure, then I own the 
 learned and the unlearned will find a difficulty in perceiving the rythm of the 
 language. The laws of syllabic quantity apply to all languages, although 
 followed strictly by the Greeks alone ; the languages, which cannot follow 
 them strictly, abound in magnificent rhymes ; and those, which can follow 
 them, fail in rhymes. Ours is of the latter kind : but if the accentual system 
 usurp the place of the syllabic, in those very measures created by the syllabic, 
 the result will be complete confusion. I speak here of accent as permanently 
 ruling the verse, not of that varying accent which adorns the Greek measures. 
 These Odes are laid, from a feeling of duty, first before the eyes of the 
 University ; that from this place, if approved, they may be said to have 
 proceeded; by this place to have been patronized; although from the 
 absence of classical allusion, and a choice of subjects within the reach of all, 
 they are intended as much for the general reader as the scholar. And the 
 author forebodes, that his undertaking will be discouraged by the latter ; 
 while those who never studied Greek versification will more readily admit 
 the powers, which the practice of it furnishes to language. Nor is it enough, 
 that the gradual toil and labour of past ages appears ill-spent, if it do not 
 conduct the present to something of this kind : the metrician has employed 
 himself in abstract studies, whose ultimate object must be the improvement 
 of his native language ; yet I turn with a more assured hope to those whose 
 labours have been directed elsewhere, knowing that, although the subject is 
 new, they will view it with impartiality. Those, who may consider themselves 
 
xii PREFACE. 
 
 qualified to judge the present work, are entreated to beware of committing 
 themselves by opinions, which they may hereafter be desirous of retracting. 
 And those, who determine upon resisting the whole purpose, are advised to 
 crush these first endeavours ; for the tree is as yet only in bud, and summer 
 is to come before the autumn. 
 
 With regard to the subjects employed in these Odes, I assume a right of 
 displaying any state of mind, which I can describe, whether I experience it 
 myself or not : and of placing myself rather in the situation of the dramatic 
 poet, who cannot be expected to take to himself all the crimes, and the 
 virtues, and the feelings of his characters. 
 
SPECIMENS 
 
 OF 
 
 GREEK MEASURES IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. 
 
 INTRODUCTION. TheAristophanic Tetrameter. 
 
 HOW can we regard with a silent scorn the present age,, fruitful of authors. 
 
 And the knowledge thriving around, that sheds the pleasures of thought upon England! 
 
 We do not scorn ; but amidst our praise we dare to desire this amendment. 
 
 We read many books ; many pages gleam in learned glory before us : 
 
 We meditate fondly ; the careful thought survives, though health be departed. 
 
 If power of thought and evident strength of mind extremely delight us, 
 
 Let not study confine our labours, but awake us more to the purpose. 
 
 We see that study, that patient thought can change to the mood of inactive 
 
 Slumbers ; many that once were ardent, are, alas ! too quickly satisfied.* 
 
 * In this place I shall only observe that I wish the usual pronunciation of this word " satisfied" to be preserved. When 
 more instances of the same kind have occurred, I shall defend them more at length. I hope these notes, wherever they appear, will 
 be attended to, for in an attempt of this nature explanation is continually needed, and a defence of practice which can only be 
 conveyed through prose. It should here be remarked, that this verse, the longest that was ever invented, is yet of a comic 
 nature, and was used by Aristophanes in comedy, but generally with a serious meaning. It has, therefore, been deemed most 
 proper for an introduction to the present work, especially as, from its length, it has the greatest power of proving the 
 truth of those rules upon which the Odes are composed. By what means can I guarantee to the reader's ear an uniformity of 
 length in this verse, although the number of syllables may greatly vary ? For twenty-two might be employed, although a 
 smaller number occurs where there are spondees. Twelve syllables in the English Alexandrine render the verse tiresome, yet 
 here are forty-one verges, most of them consisting of nineteen. This remark is made for the purpose of showing that the intro- 
 duction of the classic system gives at once a rapidity to language which otherwise it cannot possess, and also a degree of 
 strength, which otherwise it could not reach, by establishing a certainty of length in particular parts of its measures. Hence, 
 
 B 
 
2 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Yet a bolder trial of strength is nigh ; the triumph is beaming around us : 
 
 We flourish in power of breathing verse ; the perils are past ; they are over ! 
 
 Forgive us, if daring thus to reveal the measures of glorious ages — 
 
 Forgive us, if daring to covet these, we awake their voice amid England. 
 
 As the pleasant odours wafted around lull sweetly the breezes of April, 
 
 And the bosom feels the delightful thought rapid and as light as a sunbeam ; 
 
 Thus delicate hope is alive within us ; thus an expectation arises, 
 
 Which, alas ! may quickly wither through blight, and the satire pointed against us. 
 
 O let us obtain that mercy which all have alike implor'd to be granted. 
 
 All are alike in the preface ; the poets, the novels of glorious authors, 
 
 Bend a reluctant knee to the judgment of a public worthy to judge them. 
 
 To the public we now therefore bend ; to the public voice for a sentence 
 
 Whether of praise or condemnation, the diviners hardly can answer. 
 
 But, lo ! the departed poetry's form and graceful strength yet is extant ; 
 
 We copy that form, we copy that strength, and imitate their mechanic laws. 
 
 Nor shall we be found, though novel in thought, of a doubtful wavering aspect, 
 
 Or doing and saying any widely remote things, hoping thus to deceive you. 
 
 If the present only demanded care, we might now dare to be thoughtless ; 
 
 But a future age, and the coming days, — these merit a regard which is awful. 
 
 We will not fear any more, nor shrink to declare our fondly cherish'd hope, 
 
 But the resolute heart shall now abide in a firmness lasting unalter'd — 
 
 For it is not a wish, that fading away shall scarcely revive to the fancy, 
 
 Nor a transient labour of art or thought that can set aside any custom ; 
 
 But the bosom first must feel a desire that is indeed firm as a mountain, 
 
 And patient spirit and grievous toil must not be deplor'd or avoided. 
 
 with a more sustained ardor, greater tranquillity and order prevail under the classic system. The classic measures will sus- 
 tain the poet : the romantic measures must be sustained by him. Under the former, language may obtain a healthy develope- 
 ment ; under the latter, may I renture to say it must always be in bondage ? If the English language will bear the Aris- 
 tophanic Tetrameter, it has gone to the very extreme of the powers of the Greek language, for this Terse is one-fourth longer 
 than the heroic Hexameter, and appears to be the last and most brilliant invention of Greek poetry. Of course, although I 
 speak only of length, I include the comic liveliness which is to a certain degree inherent in this measure. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 3 
 
 The trial must not be the work of a day ; the powers are slowly created. 
 
 And the rapid verses rolling along, take time to be taught such a movement. 
 
 Though Rome, despotic in power, is more despotic in ruling a language, 
 
 And lords it around e'en after death to prevent all else being esteem'd,* 
 
 We must consider and wisely resist that most injurious empire. 
 
 For language flourishes not from thence ; nor is art's high glory triumphant 
 
 If Athens and Greece be regarded less, while Rome is ador'd as unequall'd. 
 
 * The reader need hardly be reminded that the emphasis on the last syllable of this word, as in all similar cases, must not 
 be altered. 
 
 B2 
 
ODES. 
 
 ODE I. Alcaic. 
 
 O ! sacred England ! mourn for a just Monarch, 
 Whose lofty virtues made thee a prosperous 
 And glorious nation ; lament him ! 
 O ! meditate upon him., Britannia ! 
 Upright, rever'd, and worthy to rule this Isle, 
 When shall the kingdom see such a lord again ? 
 He dies, but his grateful remembrance 
 Will flourish and be regarded always. 
 He truly foster'd thy piety's honour, 
 And shed majestic thought upon Albion ; 
 And under his contented empire 
 
 Prosperous arts have adorn'd this Island. 
 Thy fleets on ocean gain'd the solemn triumph, 
 Whose glory shall not fade, or in age decay ; 
 And stern Trafalgar's gory surges 
 Bore the British lion unto conquest. 
 Then did the soul of thy dying Admiral 
 Cast one rejoicing glance to the ships around ; 
 And soaring in war-clouds above them 
 Fondly bequeath'd a triumph to England. 
 
ODES. 5 
 
 At his death awful Victory wept aloud. 
 Yet lo ! the hostile fleets lying in ruins 
 Confess the deeds of Great Britannia 
 Too manifest, when awake to vengeance. 
 Yet glory left us not ; the severe trial 
 Came on ; the proof of strength to resist the world, 
 And all the combin'd arms of Europe 
 Endeavouring to prevail against us. 
 Although the nations bow'd to the Corsican's 
 Empire, Britannia's throne did alone remain 
 Unstain'd, giving rest, and a royal 
 Sanctuary's generous retirement. 
 Then came the contest, proving as on the sea, 
 So on the land, what strength is in Albion ; 
 Her fleets before had sail'd to conquest, 
 Now did arise the prevailing armies. 
 Last in the train of glory, but in merit 
 Equal to all, that strife rushes into view 
 When deadly Waterloo beheld us 
 Give to ruin the detested empire. 
 
 II. CHORAL ODE. Syttematic Anapcestics. 
 
 After the final declaration of war against Edward I. by Llewelyn Prince of North Wales, a chorus of Bards 
 is supposed to address the Welch nation, exhorting them to a brave resistance. The systems are not under 
 the strictest regulations, except of course as to syllabic quantity. 
 
 Ye that look upon the glowing mountain> 
 Ye that abide in shadow of the forest, 
 Bold of spirit, and fierce in danger^ 
 
 Come forth, come forth ! 
 
 Ye foes to the rule of a tyrant ! 
 
ODES. 
 
 For look, what a dreadful cloud is cast 
 Upon all our land ; unavailing grief 
 Need not be cherish'd ; but peril is abroad, 
 The power, the presence of a ruthless foe 
 
 Claim to be dealt with ; 
 
 Let us henceforth dare to be dauntless. 
 Ye that flourish in towns and the cities 
 Planted in ancient vales, where coiling 
 Streams are flowing in the level pastures, 
 Who love the delight of the rapid verse, 
 Who meditate song, while evening rays 
 Light amid air the refulgent mountain, 
 
 Come forth, come forth ! 
 
 Ye foes to the rule of a tyrant ! 
 Ye, whom power and glories elevate, 
 Chieftains ! be present ! lead our armies, 
 Each one his own most faithful soldiers, 
 
 Llewelyn ruling, chief above all ! 
 Come to the wars that in early springtime 
 Shall not fail to alarm these mountains, 
 For you of old, in festive gladness, 
 Yielded honours to the Bard who furnish'd 
 
 The majestic songs of the triumph : 
 When rapid as a wave, that rolls from above 
 Down to the pastures' enamell'd heritage 
 The resounding voice of warlike song 
 
 Shed military temper upon you. 
 O thou ! whose footstep elastic as air 
 Boundeth along to the guarded mountain ; 
 Whose form, and colour, and spirit are bright, 
 
ODES. / 
 
 Whose glorious eyes are fraught with love, 
 Yet flash amid war's patriotic rage ; 
 Hark to the voice of sounding trumpets, 
 
 And rush to the field, 
 
 Where many shall burn to defend thee ! 
 And you, the belov'd Bards ! you, our kinsmen, 
 You, whom we must call our brethren ! 
 Use your sacred power of music 
 To delight, or awake, or amaze, or alarm, 
 Till such an anger blaze amid all hearts, 
 
 As a nation feels at an insult. 
 
 And the flashing sword 
 
 Shall furnish a path to the conquest. 
 
 ODE III. Anacreontic. 
 
 * Hither come, O pleasant air ! 
 Hither fly, O tepid breeze ! 
 Pure is the vaulted azure, 
 Bright is the grass around us, 
 Varied flowers glowing there 
 Inlay the mazy pasture ; 
 Each plant awakes to fragrance, 
 To bask amid the sunbeams ; 
 And wherever the pleas'd eye 
 
 * This Ode requires an avowal of opinions which I dread to utter ; so opposite are they to those of almost all who have 
 studied Greek measures. Reader, if I undertake to write those measures, am not I also bound to follow the habits of our language ? 
 Do not sacrifice the fine emphasis, which yet remains in it, to what you falsely conceive to be the measure of the verse. Read 
 these Odes, therefore, as if you were reading prose : I engage to prevent your making false quantities, so long as your pronun- 
 ciation is correct. In these Odes, quantity is always considered as length, and accent as the strength of pronunciation to which 
 any syllable is subject. Here, therefore, emphasis and accent are supposed to be the same. The distinction just mentioned, although 
 I believe it will not bear the very strictest investigation, is yet amply sufficient to prevent error in the practice of Greek mea- 
 sures. Perhaps, indeed, the Greeks themselves went no further ; but I am inclined to think, that the distinction is not exactly 
 what I have stated. 
 
8 ODES. 
 
 Gazes, pleasant colours rise. 
 O from cities let us flee, 
 Let us flee insipid streets ; 
 Let us look on richer dyes 
 Than art creates to charm us ! 
 Then shall the temper of joy 
 Teach us the luminous thought ; 
 Then shall measures, gay and soft, 
 Invite us into language. 
 
 ODE IV. Alcaic. 
 
 They rise ! the mountains rise to the vaulted air ! 
 Their pointed heads glow brightly ; the faint shadows 
 Roll over and then cease ; the sunbeams 
 Quickly return ; many cliffs receive them. 
 There lonely glens, and airy meadows awake 
 Fancy's delightful wonder ; a new spirit 
 Glows in the fervent soul ; a temper 
 That nourishes poetic majesty. 
 I walk the painted vale ; eminent flowers 
 Unclose around their various affluence 
 Of grateful odours, and the brilliant 
 Hues gratify the rejoicing eyesight. 
 High on the pointed rocks, high above the vale, 
 Thron'd in the clouds, and planted in arduous 
 Regions, beyond man's wary footstep, 
 Unvisited, glowing unregarded, 
 Secret flowers rise., of delicate petals, 
 And lay the blooming carpet upon the rocks ; 
 And lo ! the fruitless crags are ardent 
 With flowerets blushing in the sunbeams. 
 
ODES. 
 
 ODE V. Anacreontic. 
 
 When thy vision'd presence comes, 
 Fond and glowing wishes rise ; 
 The flame of inspiration 
 Rushes now in rapid strength. 
 Speak not thou of rigid fate. 
 That parts the lov'd asunder ; 
 Speak not thou of cruel bars, 
 That seem to mock the meeting. 
 Breathe but the wish, the faithful 
 Vows of loving remembrance, 
 And through the vaulted azure 
 They shall securely reach me. 
 Nor shall the gale of evening 
 Pass by without an answer ; 
 Nor shall zephyr's feather'd wing 
 Convey the sigh beyond thee. 
 
 ODE VI. Dimeter Trochaks. 
 
 Wales, viewed from the Mountain ; the invasion of Edward ; present state of the Country ; celebration of the 
 
 line of Tudor. 
 
 Thou spreading cloud of solemn gloom, 
 O shadow these envelop'd rocks, 
 Throw the grateful shade around us, 
 
 O sublime tenant of air ! 
 Wales, reveal'd in light beneath us, 
 Wales, the lovely realm of elder 
 Genius, and of inspiration, 
 
 Seems to bathe amid the sea. 
 There meadows are laid below mounts ; 
 
 C 
 
10 
 
 ODES. 
 
 There the rocks arise beyond them ; 
 
 There pleasant groves and shadow'd boughs 
 
 Wave amid playful zephyr. 
 Lo ! the land, the land that Edward, 
 Leading on the mail-clad army, 
 Vanquishing these hoary mountains, 
 
 Erst became the master of ! 
 Think ye, all these lonely regions 
 Could gather strength for such a strife ; 
 Think ye, all this wild seclusion 
 
 Could repeat war's loud echoes ? 
 Yet credit those historic tales, 
 That record warlike honours haunt : 
 Here of old the princely chieftains 
 
 RuPd with establish'd power. 
 Yet, the Tudor's graceful aspect 
 Won the captive Queen of England, 
 Whence a line of royal offspring, 
 
 Fill'd the globe with high renown. 
 Had not Henry's lofty vengeance 
 Laid Richard's demon-spirit low, 
 Blood, the gore of youthful Edward, 
 
 Had remained upon the crown. 
 Had not unconquer'd Eliza 
 Put to shame the naval army, 
 Spain had overcome Britannia, 
 
 Rome had enslav'd her spirit. 
 Let then our majestic island 
 Cease to disregard the mountains 
 Whence amidst her days of uproar, 
 
 Glorious defence arose. 
 
ODES. 1 J 
 
 ODE VII. Alcaic. 
 
 Thou whom the tempest fears, the rapid flashes 
 Of lightning obey thee ; let us offer up 
 Our praises in thankful remembrance, 
 Thou giver of benefits to mankind ! * 
 Who shall behold thee, veiling in holy light, 
 Thy secret awful throne ? the gather'd shadows 
 Of glory-clouds protect the faithful 
 From the presence of a dread Creator. 
 They kneel before thee ; their gratitude never 
 Ceases ; the grateful songs never are finished ; 
 Nor fails the voice of sacred anthems 
 Unanimous, flowing on to praise thee. 
 They call thee always glorious and highest, 
 Almighty Father ! Saviour of all the world ! 
 Consoler of mankind ! the tender 
 
 Guardian of all thy elect ! The painted 
 Valleys around them yield the sublime echoes, 
 While pealing answers flow to divine measures. 
 " For thou remainest faithful always, 
 Thy promises they abide unalter'd. 
 All hell regards thy glory ; the lord of it 
 Shrinks back before thee, thy manifest power 
 Destroying all their deadly purpose, 
 Astonishes the rebellious armies. 
 O thou redeeming Saviour ! awake, arise ! 
 Thy lowly-servants wait upon earth to see 
 
 * I need hardly remind the reader that the accent is of course to be retained upon the last syllable of this word, " Man- 
 kind;" nor does my ear at all dislike occasional variations of this nature, which are essential to a system in other respects so 
 rigorously exact as the classic. In no instance do I wish the accent alter'd. 
 
 C2 
 
12 ODES. 
 
 Thy bright presence come down to restore 
 True paradise to the souls that own thee." 
 They cease ; an equal number awake the song, 
 In sacred order ; come, the desire of earth ! 
 O come to disconcert the godless, 
 And separate thy elect with angels 
 From their punishment. Say to the multitude 
 Of these around thee, make ready my power. 
 Thy will be done, gracious Redeemer, 
 Though the rebel power of the darkness 
 Come forth against it. Lo ! the divine presence 
 Advances out ! Hail ! glorious and highest ! 
 Angels ! prepare your banded armies, 
 
 Come, come away to behold the judgment ! 
 Lo ! now the secret shall be declared aloud ; 
 And ev'ry doubtful thought for ever perish ; 
 And flaming earth shall yield her offspring 
 With readiness to receive the sentence. 
 Now shall the sounding trumpet awake the dead, 
 And call to life their quickly-renew'd bodies, 
 Out of the graves gnawing seclusion 
 Like the tepid chrysalis reviving. 
 Wake, wake, elected children of Abraham, 
 Ye souls redeemed ! ye glorious undefiled ! 
 Wake ! ye pious ! your merciful God 
 Comes amid air to redeem the faithful. 
 
ODES. 13 
 
 ODE VIII. Pindaric. 
 
 Strophe 1. Address to the Classic Measures. — Antistrophe 1. Invocation of Fancy. — Epode 1. Power of 
 the Mountains in creating Poetic Temper. — Str. 2. Revolt of Wales from Edward I. — Antistr. 1. 
 Defeat of the Welsh Army. — Ep. 2. Situation of the Welch before the last engagement. Str. 3. Their 
 Complaint, and Lamentation. — Antistr. 3. Appearance of the Earl of Warwick's Forces. — Ep. 3. 
 Speech of a Welch Chieftain. — Str. 4. Effect of it upon his Army. — Antistr. 4. The Engagement. 
 Ep. 4. The Defeat ; Captivity of the Bards. — Str. 5. The Desolation of Wales. — Antistr. 5. Revival 
 of Welch Poetry. — Ep. 5. Its beneficial Effect upon England. 
 
 STROPHE I. 
 
 Ye tender and ardent measures ! 
 That breathe upon the soul the grateful affluence 
 Of poetry's magic artifice ; 
 Ye, whom solitude's awful mountains, 
 And the shadow'd grove, and the vivid light, 
 And silver clouds flowing all beneath us, 
 
 Have nurtur'd ; now awake the song, 
 Now arise to delightful amazement '. 
 Lo, my spirit rushes forth 
 To the voice of airy numbers, 
 And fancy's glowing eyes adorn them. 
 
 ANTISTROPHE t 
 
 Ah ! say, because thou art present, 
 And thy presence can charm the desponding bosom, 
 
 Displaying all the majestic art's 
 Most lively power ; shall thy footstep 
 Guide me along this path to the contest,* 
 
 * The classic scholar will remark an hiatus in this verse, which I have either admitted as a very rare license, or for cause* 
 which may hereafter lead me to defend their occasional introduction. But at present I abstain from the question. No classic 
 rule can be safely dispensed with, unless very strong arguments can be brought against its intrinsic propriety. The vowels long 
 by nature are of course excepted ; as the classic poets use them frequently before others. 
 
14 ODES. 
 
 And furnish now the rapid, the deepfelt 
 Enjoyment of a lofty theme, 
 The poet's unavoided emotions ? 
 Come then, let each flashing thought 
 Be present within the language, 
 And float on the zephyrs of evening. 
 
 EPODE I. 
 
 If the red cloud that shadows 
 Yonder sacred mountain, that adorns 
 "With a crown of glory the fearful steep, 
 
 Float around our feet, revealing 
 
 Lambent flames ; and the chambers 
 Of the glowing cloud shall fold upon us 
 Their blazing doors ; poetic rapture 
 Shall nourish exulting language thence. 
 
 There, when wild hyacinth of alpine 
 Fragrance enamels the meadows, where crags 
 Frown above each rose-embroider'd glen ;* 
 
 Let us offer song to the mountains ! 
 
 STROPHE II. 
 
 I see the past ages revive ! 
 I see the chieftains leading on the multitudes 
 Marching along to the deadly fight. 
 Silent the gathered armies round them, 
 Wait the cruel strife, and the solemn voice 
 That calls on Wales to defend the mountains ; 
 On mountains to defend the land. 
 
 * The word " above," is accented upon the last syllable ; or else, (as it might in this instance,) receives no accent at all. 
 
ODES. 
 
 15 
 
 The powers going on crush around them, 
 Aromatic shrub and heath, 
 Giving out a grateful odour, 
 Embalming many ghastly corpses. 
 
 ANTISTROPHE II. 
 
 For death prevails, death in triumph 
 Rides on the pointed lances, and couch'd in quivers 
 He meditates ruining the brave. 
 Where victory shines in bloodstain'd pride, 
 There the revengeful demon wanders ; 
 Destroying life with a rage of envy 
 
 More keen than tropical venom. 
 The freshest flower of the dying youth 
 Feels his livid presence now ; 
 The rapid spirit now is gone, 
 Her graceful residence abandon'd. 
 
 * EPODE II. 
 Morn's long expected coming 
 Disclos'd impending death to the band, 
 
 * This kind of Ode, composed of three parts, repeated in the same order, and when the individual verses need not come 
 under any peculiar denomination, as in stanzas, is most fitly called Pindaric. It is the most adapted to a continued strain of 
 music. The overtures of Handel are good specimens of the style to which this high species of Lyric poetry corresponds ; and 
 the music which ought to accompany it, should be of that nature. First, we have the Strophe, which is a kind of Thema, upon 
 which the subsequent variations are conducted ; those variations, let us remember, depending mainly, upon the alteration of 
 accents : without which no language that we are acquainted with, could ever follow strict regulations as to syllabic quantity. 
 Next comes the Antistrophe ; the music of which ought to have the same resemblance to that of the first Strophe, as the second 
 part of an air has to the first. These two portions of the Ode are equal in the number of their verses, and each verse has a corres- 
 ponding one in the same place of the other Strophe. Their only difference therefore should be in the music : and even that 
 difference may not be essential to the poem. Then comes the Epode ; consisting of verses unlike those of the Strophes, and 
 either more or less in number, although sometimes equal. This is in fact a different movement, and a second invention of the 
 poet, who after this is contented with repeating these in the same order, as it is found that sufficient variety is produced by 
 
16 
 
 ODES. 
 
 That arose in strength to resist Edward. 
 
 All around the foes await them, 
 
 Guarded close with flashing spears. 
 On the tepid gale secretly coming 
 These deep wailings agitate warriors, 
 Already disturbed with dreadful grief. 
 
 O ! Edward ! the cruel, the bloodstain'd ! 
 Why should the resort of an injur'd race 
 Thus be demanded from them ! has not 
 
 Level England room for an empire ? 
 
 STROPHE III. 
 
 We see thy enslaving towers 
 Uplifted on the rocks with exalted presence, 
 Intimidate the meadows beneath ! 
 Now deep solitudes meet thy vengeance, 
 And the flowing voice of the pious bard 
 Inspires thy stern power of revenging. 
 
 We, vanquished, giving up the life 
 That, alas ! now is wholly profitless, 
 Will not beseech God in vain 
 To give out lavish recompense, 
 Nor shall we perish unregarded. 
 
 this method, and regularity thus pervades a form of composition less subject than any other to artificial restraint. In the 
 present instance five of each part have been executed ; and as the word Epode means nothing more than an addition to the Ode 
 formed by the preceding Strophes, and is in fact of itself a Strophe ; this may be called an Ode of fifteen Strophes, the Strophe 
 and Antistrophe containing each eleven, and the Epode twelve verses. The Epodes are to each other just as the Strophes are. An 
 Ode in Strophes is the highest effort of Lyric poetry, and puts the powers of a language to a severer trial than any other ; from 
 this trial the Latin shrinks ; with respect to English, I have found no difficulty ; this language appearing to me to enter with 
 equal readiness into every kind of classic measure. Will the learned reader excuse me for hazarding opinions upon a subject, 
 concerning which so much fruitless inquiry has been spent ? the occasion demands a declaration of opinion : the strength of what 
 is here said, lies not in the speaker, but in the truth of the cause which he advocates. 
 
ODES. 
 ANTISTROPHE III. 
 
 Such voices of grievous lament 
 Came on the chieftain's ear, as in silence viewing 
 Their perilous residence around, 
 Enclos'd upon all sides ; woods and groves, 
 And the level plain, and the solid rocks 
 Display'd fearlessly Warwick's triumphant 
 Forces ; their enemies prevail. 
 The device of a foe now arises 
 To their sad astonishment. 
 Peril is before, behind them ; 
 No path, no power of retreating. 
 
 EPODE III. 
 
 Lo, the deep woodland bowers 
 Enclose their host, encamping upon 
 The secluded plain : the shadow'd mountain 
 
 Rises up remote beyond them. 
 
 Their chief then call'd around him 
 Those that ever display'd manly courage, 
 And said " Kinsmen ! valiant soldiers ! 
 Worthy to save our freedom ! daylight 
 
 Unveils these enemies on all sides. 
 If then the valour that abounded once 
 Yet flourish in those undaunted souls; 
 
 Let us offer death to the conquest. 
 
 strophe rv. 
 O quell the too painful regret 
 Which hardly ventures now to raise itself in us, 
 Lest the cruel miseries prevail." 
 D 
 
 17 
 
18 ODES. 
 
 He spoke. They amid silent anguish 
 Felt the rushing thoughts, that families left 
 Unguarded, soon to perish defenceless, 
 Must wake in the pious bosom. 
 They arise to the fight ! they abandon 
 The sad, the keen remembrance ; 
 They awake the foe to madness ; 
 They come forth as a wave against them. 
 
 ANTISTROPHE IV. 
 
 Now, now the fierce contest revels 
 Amid lavish gore, and dying cries, and triumph 
 Quenching alas the remains of hope. 
 Awful ruin is glancing round them 
 With manifest rage ; they perish in death ! 
 Thou vengeful sword ! going on to bloodshed 
 Stay thyself, that a true spirit 
 May avail to defend a ruin'd land ; 
 Lest ev'ry lofty feeling 
 Perish at the voice of anger, 
 And crouch at the rebuke of armies. 
 
 EPODE IV. 
 
 They perish, tried unto death ! 
 Conquest gives their death-blow to powers 
 That abandon life to defend their land. 
 Sadly now the strains of anguish 
 Weep their fall, and the mountains 
 And the rapid streams pour forth elegies 
 Mourning for them ; the poet's ardent 
 
., 
 
 ODES. 19 
 
 Fancy deserts him ; chains and bondage 
 
 Confine his power of lamenting. 
 But let not a voice or a sigh from thee 
 Mourn for a nation's hapless downfall, 
 Or awake thy mournful emotions. 
 
 STROPHE V: 
 
 For now the wild mountains' echo 
 Shall not repeat the mazes of graceful measures. 
 All spirit of melodies departs ; 
 Leaving the shadow'd pastures voiceless : 
 And the pleasant art of joyful verse 
 Is lost, is lost, amid ev'ry mountain. 
 
 Yet shall those miseries remain ? 
 The revolving of ages again brings 
 Fancy's glowing spirit there ; 
 The rapidly discover'd thoughts 
 And soft harps animate the breezes. 
 
 ANTISTROPHE V. 
 
 Ah ! sweetly does gladness return 
 Of beaming aspect, furnishing man with pleasure, 
 And meriting the desire of all. 
 Sparkling flashes of cheerful radiance 
 Cast a delightful charm on his eyelids, 
 And breathe softest elegance around him. 
 His voice like delicate zephyr 
 Touches ev'ry bosom with emotion. 
 The flowing the dulcet accents 
 Elevate the soul that hears them, 
 As listing to the voice of angels. 
 D2 
 
\ 
 
 20 ODES. 
 
 EPODE V. 
 
 Lo, the once mournful poet 
 Bears exulting thought into measures 
 Of a daring mood, amid ancient vales 
 
 Where of old the verse resounded ; 
 
 Tuneful songs were not absent ; 
 And the vivid thought would not be banish'd 
 From those raptures ; now again secret 
 Vales re-echo ; their farthest windings 
 
 List ardently the lofty music. 
 Hail, morning of art ! whose delicate rays 
 Darting upon these blooming mountains, 
 
 Can awake yon plains to the daylight ! 
 
 ODE IX. Sapphic. 
 * TRANSLATION FROM SAPPHO. 
 
 He does indeed seem to be like the joyful 
 Gods that is near thee ; who as he beholds thee 
 Lends a raptur'd ear to the voice, resounding 
 
 Sweetly beside him ; 
 And to thy smile of pleasure ; O ! to see that ! 
 Steals away my discretion and present thought ; 
 For when I view thee, not a word can henceforth 
 Come to relieve me. 
 
 * This Ode has frequently met with a translator. Catullus inserts it amongst his, with an additional stanza, appropriating 
 the meaning of the others to himself. There is a French translation, and an English one by Phillips, not the only one I belieTe 
 that has appeared in our language : these are mentioned in the Spectator. I request the reader in this Ode to forget, if he can, 
 the usual pronunciation of a Sapphic stanza, and to lay the emphasis wherever it appears to suit the sense, as in the word 
 " that," which closes the first verse of the second Stanza, and elsewhere. The modern Way of reading Sapphics is really so full 
 of pertness, formal stiffness, and vulgarity ; so thoroughly destitute of that flexibility, which belongs to Greek measures, that I 
 have sufficient excuse for entreating that this Ode at least may be exempt from it. 
 
/ 
 
 ODES. 21 
 
 But the tongue breaks with wishes, and a piercing 
 
 Fire is in secret rushing oyer all my 
 
 Frame, for I can see nothing, and the drown'd ears 
 
 Ring with amazement. 
 Trembling invades my bosom, and the painful 
 Drops visit my cold forehead, and a paleness 
 Like wither'd grass ; my body, faint as in death, 
 
 Seems to be breathless. 
 
 ODE X. Anacreontic. 
 
 Now on flowing zephyrs borne 
 Songs of delight awake us. 
 Behold ! behold the mountains ! 
 Let my spirit thither fly ; 
 There on pleasant flowers laid 
 Let us look on sterile rocks. 
 There let the rill be sounding, 
 Torrents rush in rapid noise, 
 And on the breeze a thousand 
 Odours prevail around us : 
 And there delightful azure 
 Shall deck the vaulted ether. 
 Then, if glowing measures rise ; 
 If endeavours, not in vain, 
 Have set the voice of England 
 To more rapid-measur'd notes — 
 Wales ! unto thee the grateful 
 Measures rejoice to lead us. 
 Let us look on thee in joy ; 
 Let thy spirit flourish now, 
 And ornament Britannia. 
 
22 
 
 / 
 
 ODES. 
 
 ODE XI. Dimeter Trochaiet. 
 
 Ah ! glowing love ! canst thou indeed 
 Rest on earth and make the secret 
 Vale of humbler life the favour'd 
 
 Haunt of unfeigning lovers ? 
 Their spirits were tender of thought ; 
 Their wishes pure ; but the dreadful 
 Thunder and flames of the lightning 
 
 Gave a death-bridal to them.* 
 
 Wild flowers grace each arid field ; 
 Embower'd elms give pleasant shade ; 
 Noonday is past, and the reapers 
 
 Turn to their labours again. 
 Lo ! the maid betrothed, the faithful 
 Youth with ardent love regarded : 
 Soon the church, and sacred altar 
 
 Shall behold their vows declar'd. 
 What shadows are these, which invade 
 Each meadow with unpleasant gloom ? 
 Whence arose that cloud ? the sunbeams 
 
 Fade at its livid presence. 
 Will the voice of love, the tender 
 Voice of her belov'd repress those 
 Anxious and extreme emotions 
 
 Rising in strange misgiving 
 Hard it is to quench the secret 
 
 / 
 
 ? 
 
 * The event recorded in this Ode, occurred at Stanton Harcourt, near Oxford, rather more than a century ago. The account 
 of it is extant in a letter of Gay, who resided there at that time. A mock epitaph was sent by Lady M. W. Montague to Pope, 
 which greatly diminishes our respect for the judgment of that celebrated authoress. The grave of the lovers is yet to be seen 
 in the Church Yard of Stanton Harcourt, nearly opposite the centre of the Church, on the south side. 
 
 I remark here, that emphasis laid too regularly has nearly as bad an effect on this verse as it has on the Sapphic. 
 
ODES. 23 
 
 Omen of the mind ; the trembler 
 Fainted on the sheaves, presaging 
 
 Death's unexpected coming. 
 All the rest have sought the shelter 
 Of the trees, but they remaining 
 In the field beheld the darkness 
 
 Not without silent alarm. 
 What flash of deep and rapid voice 
 Darts upon the blinded eyesight ? 
 Call aloud ! they call, they answer, 
 
 Every one remains alive. 
 Save, that when those names resounded 
 Through the darkness of the tempest, 
 No reply, no thankful answer 
 
 Came upon the wings of air. 
 Turn to see their life departed ; 
 Fiery clouds break forth around them ; 
 Lo ! behold the bridal altar, 
 
 There behold the sacrifice ! 
 Gently kneels that youth towards her ; 
 His paralyz'd arm yet shadows her ; 
 Blasted into deadly blackness, 
 
 Dead, but as though yet living. 
 Her livid neck is yet embrac'd ; 
 Her lover's hand met the fierce bolt ; 
 Mute remains the corpse, a lifeless 
 
 Guardian of the dead belov'd. 
 Ah ! the light returns ; the cheerful 
 Vault of azure throws beneath it 
 Ev'ry charm that lively sunbeams 
 
 Can shed on trees and flowers. 
 
24 ODES. 
 
 But look on their cheeks ; they are pale ; 
 They behold no more the daylight ; 
 Their dying pang, their dying thoughts 
 Have now in stillness perish'd. 
 
 Yet let us not mourn them in vain. 
 Though death indeed has triumph there. 
 No lamenting o'er the tombstone 
 
 Rent the survivor's bosom. 
 Sweet then is their fate, that awful 
 Death's coming, though quick, though instant, 
 Could not in destroying of life 
 
 Part from each other's presence. 
 
 ODE XII. Alcaic. 
 
 They whom the faithful Saviour of all redeems 
 Enjoy with angels his cherishing presence. 
 "What mortal eye, what foot can enter 
 Their palaces ? the delights awaiting 
 Sincere believers fancy desires to tell, 
 Yet sinks below them ; no ruin or peril 
 Can touch them, or destroy the gladness 
 Which dedicates the bosom to rapture. 
 Novelty does not spoil the divine pleasures, 
 Nor use prevent their charming ; a full delight 
 Eternal, and untainted always 
 Flows to reward the pious. The glories 
 Of Heav'n amaze all, though never altering, 
 Where lofty trees of life give a cool shadow, 
 And rills of unfailing meanders 
 
 Glide refreshing the celestial odours. 
 
ODES. 25 
 
 How beautiful those vales are, iu whose bowers 
 Angels reside, and holy delight remains. 
 How sweetly they charm all the senses, 
 Granting a new power of rejoicing ! 
 There hell's dread angel dares not alarm the soul ; 
 And there the tempter's art never entereth : 
 Sacred quiet reigns there without woe ; 
 Sacred honours are abounding always. 
 Those, those residing there, the glowing spirits 
 Enthron'd among them, shine to the wond'ring eye, 
 Untainted of soul, and of aspect 
 
 Bright above all vision of the painter. 
 One of such angels view'd upon earth of old 
 By gifted eye seem'd worthy divine honours, 
 Yet quickly said, " forbear the worship, 
 Am not I also a lowly servant 
 Of him that is most glorious, of the Lord 
 Our great Creator ?" Thus the belov'd prophet 
 "Witness'd. The sacred friendship of saints 
 Glows among all the celestial armies. 
 And all the faithful truly love each other. 
 United always in generous wishes, 
 All breathe alike their lofty praises, 
 All celebrate the melodious anthem. 
 In friendly converse they meditate the measures 
 Of thankful ardour ; they meditate the songs 
 Of glory, that flow like the waters 
 Rolling along the meadows of April, 
 When ev'ry pasture bears delicate lilies, 
 And lively sunbeams wake the glowing petals. 
 
 E 
 
26 
 
 ODES. 
 
 Their voices overspread the regions 
 Of the pious. The zephyrs around them 
 Wafting delight, waft also a soft echo 
 Through vales retiring widely, the bright abodes 
 Of glorified saints, whom unending 
 Health ever owns, defying diseases. 
 Theirs is the life of love, Seraphic loving ; 
 Their sacred eyelids view the divine presence, 
 They bow before awful Jehovah 
 With reverence for ever, declaring 
 His worthy praises. Their diligent honours 
 Are yielded always, nor can a weariness 
 Invade the verse where holy language 
 Flows to voluntary songs of Angels.* 
 They praise the Lord, who sheds upon every one 
 Graces beyond all thought ; they awake the voice 
 Of thanksgiving, they say, " Let us praise 
 With gratitude the divine Majesty, 
 Who robes us all with glorious ornament. 
 We praise thee, O God ! and ever acknowledge 
 Thee for the Lord ; all earth adores thee, 
 Father of all, for ever triumphant. 
 
 * "Voluntary," " Seraphic," " Majesty." These words are conspicuous in proving quantity to be independent of accent 
 The exact time of the verse remains unimpaired ; no inaccuracy ensues : the character only and the expression of the measure 
 are changed. As far as regards the first of the above instances, suppose the word " Voluntary," to be resolved into two dis- 
 syllables, Volun-tary, and as it will be then more evident, that the u cannot be otherwise than long by position, the difficulty 
 in conceiving the measure preserved will perhaps vanish ; but this is not a convincing argument, nor the only one that might be 
 brought forward. Although it may be supposed that the system of accentual variation is admitted here only in order to suit the 
 Greek system to the English language, which otherwise would not enter into these measures, the reader is assured that there 
 is no difficulty in writing them without that variation, but no power of imagination can compensate for the formal monotony 
 which ensues. I have composed many Odes without varying the accents, but I never shall publish any without altering them 
 greatly. As to the authority of the Greek accents, were it less than it really is, it would not alter my opinion ; they cannot be 
 universally wrong, and it is the principle which I contend for, not the individual instances. 
 
ODES. 2 7 
 
 The faithful Angels all cry aloud to thee, 
 The heav'ns around and all the solemn powers, 
 And unto thy glories cherub-quires 
 And seraphim dedicate the praises. 
 O holy, holiest Father of all spirits ! 
 Awful, tremendous ! let the devout ever 
 Call thee, King of kings, Lord of all lords, 
 Who punishest the rebellious angels." 
 
 ODE XIII. Anacreontic. 
 
 The pleasant zephyrs flourish now, 
 The meadows glow in vivid light. 
 It is eve. The rosy mountain 
 Celebrates the sun's departure. 
 Now it is the time ; be joyous, 
 Lover of the mazy landscape ! 
 The shadows glow in precious dyes, 
 The sun is rich in tepid rays ; 
 Now amid the freshly-painted 
 Meadow and the breezy mountain, 
 Amid yonder awful azure 
 Liveth endless inspiration. 
 
 Wou'd a vale, replete with odours, 
 Banish ev'ry thought of anguish ? 
 Wou'd a tranquil and a silent 
 A secluded haunt relieve thee ? 
 Let others visit foreign skies. 
 Flower-hills of unregarded 
 Elegance adorn the pastures, 
 Which, as if to keep uninjur'd 
 E2 
 
28 ODES. 
 
 By a footstep of the careless, 
 Arid heights of awful aspect 
 Separate the rest of earth from. 
 There in many flower'd meads 
 Flow along the rills, that ancient 
 Solitudes of airy mountains 
 Propagate among solemn rocks, 
 The delightful and rapid floods 
 Animate the vale around them. 
 
 *ODE XIV. Trochaic. 
 
 WATERLOO. 
 
 Hark ! the trumpet, breathing anger, 
 Sounds along the banded armies ! 
 Bravely fight, ye sons of England, 
 
 Give the deadly blow to France. 
 France again desires to vanquish 
 All the kingdoms of the nations — 
 Ye ! that own the sacred island, 
 
 Say, that it shall not be done ! 
 Say that, although each beside thee 
 Fall again destroy'd before her, 
 
 Thy spirit, thine empower'd hand 
 Shall defend the destitute. 
 
 France ! the realm devoid of wisdom, 
 
 France ! the land of hateful outrage, 
 
 Lo ! Britannia's worthy vengeance 
 
 * The expressions used against France in this Ode must of course be considered as applying rather to France, encamped 
 upon the plains of Waterloo, than to the whole nation. The conduct of the French lancers, according to the best accounts, was 
 exactly what is described in the latter stanzas of this Ode. I do not believe that any patriotic feelings have made me deviate 
 from the truth. The metre may perhaps be thought rather too short for so grand a subject. Hereafter perhaps I may take the 
 same theme for an Alcaic or Pindaric Ode. 
 
ODES. 
 
 Comes to destroy thy power ! 
 Eighty thousand faithful English 
 Past along the plain to southward : 
 Eighty thousand came to join them, 
 
 German and Prussian valour. 
 Deadly Waterloo beholds them, 
 Their spirits are breathing of war, 
 Leaving ev'ry light amusement, 
 
 Leaving all Brussels behind. 
 From the festive ball, the mazy 
 Dance, at once in haste departing, 
 Ev'ry chieftain leapt on horseback, 
 
 Arming himself with courage. 
 Now gather'd in their solid strength, 
 Each bosom glows with rapid thought. 
 Thus did England's awful army 
 
 Stand before adverse powers. 
 
 With pleasant light, and level rays 
 Morn return'd ; the wavy harvest 
 Bent before the gale ; the noon-day 
 
 Shall see it laid in ruins. 
 Quickly rose the gay, the careless 
 Frenchman, on the day's awaking. 
 His bosom does not nourish thought 
 
 Save what is light and pleasant. 
 Plunder is before his eyelid : 
 Victory's gay and vision'd hope : 
 And cities laid in ruin'd heaps 
 
 Charm his unquiet spirit. 
 
 29 
 
30 ODES. 
 
 Turn aside, and view the graceful 
 
 Offspring of sublime Britannia. 
 
 Lo ! rushing thoughts of cruel doubt 
 
 Reign in his panting bosom ! 
 Think not in the deadly contest 
 Thy spirit shall fail to lead thee., 
 Borne along to the war, to bloodshed, 
 
 There, alas ! well justified. 
 In that eye the soul of England 
 Breathes around majestic ardor ; 
 In that heart a lofty nation's 
 
 Anger is devoutly felt. 
 He rushes through danger unmov'd ; 
 I see him now plunge amid foes ; 
 His flashing sword is red in gore ; 
 
 His courage defies peril. 
 Smoke around of dreadful aspect 
 Hides awhile that youthful hero ; 
 Rolling off, it shows the warrior 
 
 Once again bursting to light : 
 Day declin'd ; the rosy morning 
 Beam'd upon contending armies ; 
 Night return'd ; and still the morning 
 Saw the fight again renew'd. 
 * Let the shout arise ! 
 Let the brave rush on ! 
 Still the swords arise aloft. 
 Still the loud echoes resound. 
 
 * These verses, shorter than the rest, consist each of a trochaic and a cretic foot ; the trochaic is resolved into a tribrach in 
 the two last verses. The two longer ones placed among them are, like the fourth of every stanza, catalectic trochaic dimeters. 
 
ODES. 31 
 
 Scarlet is the grass. 
 Red the soil beneath, 
 Bloody the lance on high, 
 Bloody the lifted arm. 
 O ! the slaughter and the carnage 
 Glow before my burning eyelids ! 
 Frenchmen ! you provok'd the contest, 
 
 Let the guilt belong to you. 
 Saw ye not the troops of England 
 Turn aside to spare the vanquish'd ? 
 You the while with panting horses 
 
 Trampling on the lives beneath ! 
 Aye, to you ferocious insult 
 Seem'd beyond all else delightful ; 
 Wounding e'en the scarcely breathing 
 
 Soldier on the miry ground. 
 Lo ! the Frenchman proudly riding 
 Through the parted host of England ! 
 They cry in loud and foreign voice, 
 
 " Yield, or else ye love to die !" 
 Yet though at thy side the dear friend 
 Shall perish ; though aim'd against thee 
 Dart the pistol flash ; retire not, 
 
 Thou son of warlike Britain ! 
 They remain unmov'd ; a dreadful 
 Pause prevails amid Britannia's 
 Army, nor can France behold them 
 
 Thus without silent alarm. 
 Lo ! the time, that is to grant them 
 Full triumph, is come ; the signal 
 
32 ODES. 
 
 Flies along the joyful army. 
 
 Now does ev'ry man rush on. 
 Now British valour ! 
 Strike the proud spirits ; 
 Death belongs to them, 
 Just revenge to you. 
 They perish, they flee, they are slain ! 
 Quick ruin seizes the soldier, 
 And courage dies ; their rapid flight 
 
 Chokes the roads with dead bodies. 
 Now the soul, so late remorseless, 
 Turns an abject eye to mercy ; 
 Now the merciless with anguish 
 
 Gaze upon valour's triumph. 
 Lo ! sublime belov'd Britannia ! 
 Ev'ry wish fulfill'd, the bloodstain'd 
 Bow before the fierce avenger ; 
 Bow before thy displeasure. 
 
 V I feel it expedient in the course of this undertaking to describe some peculiarities respecting it, that I may save myself 
 from the imputation of deceit or presumption. The faculty of writing Greek measures, however cherished by reading Greek 
 poetry, is of itself distinct and separate. It is indeed confirmed by a consideration of the Greek system, but it arises indepen- 
 dently from a conscious feeling of the wants of our native language. I have seen that language endeavouring vainly to extri- 
 cate itself from romantic fetters : I have seen its energies cramped and enervated by laws of the most enslaving nature. There- 
 fore I spared neither time nor labour, nor patience, in endeavours to give it freedom. If to these unripe and incomplete produc- 
 tions any such name can be granted, th -se are the fruits of those endeavours. Before even these could be executed, the labour 
 of years, and the most abstract investigations were essential to the purpose, and a species of toil which at first appeared to des- 
 troy imagination ; but there are some, to labour for whose advantage is a delight, and to elevate whose ideas I could sacrifice 
 life itself. 
 
 ODE XV. Sapphic. 
 
 Ah ! pleasant land ! sweet bower of rapid song, 
 Thy glowing vales are flourishing but in vain — 
 Thy spirit lost, and perishing without help 
 Seems to lament there. 
 
ODES. 33 
 
 Yet from each mountain solitude the ghost of 
 Long-departed glory desires to call us, 
 Floating on vapours glowing in the sunbeam 
 
 Like precious amber. 
 There flowers rise., and hyacinth growing there 
 Drinks the noonday dew that a cloud can offer, 
 There the cascade's wild echo is resounding 
 
 With flowing uproar. 
 
 ODE XVI. Anacreontic: 
 
 When thy bosom's glowing thought 
 Shall view the days departed, 
 Some sweet record nourish'd there 
 Shall not perhaps be wanting. 
 Thou shalt remember ev'ning 
 Bright and rich in pleasant rays, 
 Verdant meadows, much endear'd 
 By joyful hours among them. 
 Shall no loving wishes rise, 
 Though scarce avow'd, yet ardent, 
 Though secret and without voice, 
 Yet sacred and unalter'd ? — 
 Elsewhere they are cherish'd yet ; 
 Nor shall the vow be faithless, 
 Though it be of death and blood ; 
 Nor basely disregarded, 
 Though life depart before it. 
 
 ODE XVII. Alcaic. 
 
 Ah ! from the mountains truly^sublime echoes 
 Invade the raptur'd soul ; then awake, awake ! 
 
 F 
 
34 ODES. 
 
 Soft pipe, that in thoughtful seclusion 
 Hast gratified the desirous artist ! 
 There in the sunbeam's plentiful affluence, 
 Amid the fragrance of delicate flowers, 
 With rocks around, I sat regarding 
 Wild solitude lying all before me, 
 In childhood ; underneath many hills arose ; 
 And vales below them, lake, precipice, river, 
 And ocean, and islands of ancient 
 
 Glory met each other in the landscape. 
 I rise in azure skies to the loftier 
 Daylight ; the clouds are wafted afar beneath ; 
 I shall not henceforth die without love, 
 My spirit is not among the careless. 
 Some shall remember me, when a grave covers 
 My corpse, because I lov'd the majestic isle. 
 And that rapid voice, which Britannia 
 Shall deliver to the last of ages. 
 
 Having now completed a work, the difficulty of which has cast much anxiety over 
 the mind of its author, I come to entreat indulgence for the many failures and imper- 
 fections that appear throughout, and to plead excuse for any presumptuous expressions 
 that may have escaped me, in defending a system, the novelty of which is not its least 
 misfortune. The candid and gracious reader will perhaps allow that they arise from 
 human infirmity rather than from any love of being singular ; a motive which I indeed 
 abhor. And now, could I feel assured of the success of my endeavours, and remain un- 
 discovered without prejudice to the cause ; the shade of retirement, or of death, were 
 pleasing : yet I fear that opposition will demand continued efforts, and that the present 
 publication will be a mere frontispiece to those ensuing. It is true, my readers can 
 
ODES. 
 
 35 
 
 hardly form an estimate of the intense toil required in introducing the classic system ; at 
 first apparently so hopeless ; at all times requiring such patience as I cannot remember 
 without surprise : but great sacrifices are justified, if through them the language is in- 
 vested with powers which otherwise it could not possess, and if the accurate mecha- 
 nism of poetic art is placed within the reach of many. What advantage would a name 
 unknown, and an avowal by one who is careless as to fame, contribute to such a purpose ? 
 O you ! for whose benefit and enjoyment, health, time, and scholastic honours have 
 been perhaps too lightly esteemed ; value that purpose, cherish that undertaking, which 
 is founded on the practice and ackowledgment of truth : and forget not, that he, whose 
 faculties have been so long employed in your service, will esteem nothing more truly than 
 cautious and silent acquiescence. 
 
 THE END. 
 
 Munday and Slatter, Printers, Oxford. 
 


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