The Poems of Philip Freneau Volume II Part 57

"Returning to this rural reign The Indians welcom'd him with joy; The council took him home again, And bless'd the copper-colour'd boy."

THE MAN OF NINETY

"To yonder boughs that spread so wide, Beneath whose shade soft waters glide, Once more I take the well known way; With feeble step and tottering knee I sigh to reach my white-oak tree, Where rosy health was wont to play.

If to the shades, consuming slow, The shadow of myself, I go, When I am gone, wilt thou remain!-- From dust you rose, and grew like me; I man became, and you a tree, Both natives of one gra.s.sy plain.

How much alike; yet not the same!-- You could no kind protector claim; Alone you stood, to chance resigned: When winter came, with bl.u.s.tering sky, You feared its blasts--and so did I, And for warm suns in secret pined.

When vernal suns began to glow You felt returning vigour flow; Which once a year new leaves supplied; Like you, fine days I wished to see, And May was a sweet month to me, But when November came--I sighed!

If through your bark some ruffian arm A mark impressed, you took the alarm, And tears awhile I saw descend; Till Nature's kind maternal aid A plaister on your bruises laid, And bade your trickling sorrows end.

Like you, I feared the lightning's stroke, Whose flame dissolves the strength of oak, And ends at once this mortal dream;-- You saw, with grief, the soil decay That from your roots was torn away; You sighed--and cursed the stream.

With borrowed earth, and busy spade, Around your roots new life I laid, While joy revived in every vein; (The care of man shall life impart)-- Though Nature owns the aid of art, No art, immortal, makes their reign.

How much alike our fortune--say-- Yet, why must I so soon decay When thou hast scarcely reached thy prime-- Erect and tall, you joyous stand; The staff of age has found my hand, That guides me to the grave of time.

Could I, fair tree, like you, resign, And banish all those fears of mine, Grey hairs would be no cause of grief; Your blossoms die, but you remain, Your fruit lies scattered o'er the plain-- Learn wisdom from the falling leaf.

As you survive, by heaven's decree, Let withered flowers be thrown on me Sad compensation for my doom, While winter greens and withering pines And cedars dark, and barren vines, Point out the lonely tomb.

The enlivening sun, that burns so bright, Ne'er had a noon without a night, So Life and Death agree; The joys of man by years are broke"-- 'Twas thus the man of ninety spoke, Then rose, and left his tree.

ALCINA'S ENCHANTED ISLAND[367]

In These fair fields unfading flowers abound, Here purple roses cloathe the enchanted ground; Here, to the sun expand the lillies pale Fann'd by the sweet breath of the western gale:

Here, fearless hares through dark recesses stray, And troops of leverets take the woodland way, Here stately stags, with branching horns, appear, And rove unsought for, una.s.sail'd by fear:

Unknown the snare, the huntsman's fatal dart That wings the death of torture to the heart, In social bands they trace their sylvan reign, Chew the rich cud, or graze along the plain.

In these gay shades the nimble deer delight, While herds of goats ascend the rocky height, Browse on the shrubs that shade the vale below, And crop the plants, that there profusely grow.

[367] Published in the 1788 edition under the t.i.tle "Ariosto's Description of the Gardens in Alcina's Inchanted Island. From the Italian." Text from the edition of 1795.

HORACE, LIB. I. ODE 15[368]

Nereus prophesies the destruction of Troy[369]

As 'cross the deep to Priam's sh.o.r.e The Trojan prince bright Helen bore, Old Nereus hushed each noisy breeze And calmed the tumults of the seas.

Then, musing on the traitor's doom, Thus he foretold the woes to come; "Ah why remove, mistaken swain, "The prize that Greece shall seize[370] again!

"With omens sad, you sail along; "And Europe shall resent the wrong, "Conspire to seize your bride away, "And Priam's town in ashes lay.

"Alas! what toils and deaths combined!

"What hosts of men and horses joined!-- "Bold Pallas now prepares her shield, "And arms her chariot for the field.

"Can you with heavenly forms engage, "A G.o.ddess kindling into rage; "Who ne'er have dared a mortal foe "And wars, alone, of Venus, know.

"In vain you dress your flowing hair, "And songs, to aid the harp, prepare; "The harp, that sung to female ears, "Shall fail when Mars and Greece appears.

"In vain will you bewail your bride, "And meanly in her chamber hide, "In hopes to shun, when lingering there, "The ma.s.sy dart, and Cretan spear.

"In vain will you, with quickening pace, "Avoid fierce Ajax in the chace; "For late those locks, that please the eye, "In dust and death must scattered lie.

"Do you not see Ulysses, too, "The sage that brings your nation low: "And Nestor from the land of Pyle-- "Chiefs skilled in arms and martial toil.

"Dost thou not see bold Teucer here, "And him--no tardy chariotteer; "Who both pursue with eager force, "And both controul the thundering horse.

"Thou, to thy grief, shalt Merion know, "And Tydeus' son shall prove thy foe, "Who wastes your realms with sword and fire; "Tydides, greater than his sire.

"Like timorous deer, prepared to fly "When hungry wolves are pa.s.sing by, "No more the herbs their steps detain, "They quit their pastures, and the plain:

"So you from his triumphant arms "Will fly, with all your female charms; "Can deeds, like these, your valour prove, "Was this your promise to your love?

"Achilles' wrath shall but delay "Your ruin to a later day-- "The Trojan matrons then may mourn, "And Troy by Grecian vengeance burn."

[368] First found in the 1788 edition; text from the 1809 edition.

[369] The 1788 edition had the following line after the t.i.tle: "_Pastor quum traheret per freta navibus_, etc."

[370] "Fetch."--_Ed. 1788._

A SUBSCRIPTION PRAYER[371]

For defraying the burial expences of an Old Soldier