Satires—Imitations—AND Sonnets.

by Cornwall Bayley

ODE, On the death of JAMES BEATTIE, L.L.D. Author of the Minstrel, Etc. Etc. Etc.——Written in imitation of and chiefly collected from that Poem. 1.
HIGH on a rock that frown’d o’er Eden’s wave, A youthful Minstrel stood in wild despair; Loose flow’d his vest, and carelefs sorrow gave, His auburn ringlets to th’ unconscious air! Rude were his features and his bosom bare;	5
Tears quench’d his eyes that glisten’d erst with fire; And as he tun’d the echoing notes of care, Grief seem’d herself to animate his lyre, To rouse the feeling strain, and ev’ry verse inspire!
2.
“Mourn, Edwin, mourn thy rev’rend guardian dead,	10
“He who thy breast from false desires redeem’d; “Cold is the hand which then thy footsteps led, “Clos’d are those eyes whence heavenly pity beam’d, “Silent the heart which in his features gleam’d! “And mute, for ever mute his genial tongue	15
“That tongue which inspiration’s image seem’d; “Whilst on his lips celestial doctrines hung. “And Revelation will’d the music that he sung! [Page 23]*
3.
“The warbling groves—the garniture of fields “The solemn night—the blaze of perfect day;	20
“All that the healthful dew of morning yields, “And all that echoes to the evening lay; “No more their Beattie’s rural charms display;— “For me, whose wand’ring heart his maxims drew, “From Fancy’s paths to reason’s purer way,	25
“Here on his recent tomb I fix my view, “And pour my endless tears—and weep my soul’s adieu!
4.
“Yet no!—hark! ’tis his voice!—“let those their doom “Deplore, whose hope is still this dark sojourn; “But lofty souls who look beyond the tomb,	30
“Can smile at Fate—and wonder how they mourn; “Shall endless darkness shroud the strangers bourne? “Shall man be born to vegetate in vain? “No! Heaven’s immortal spring shall yet return, “And man’s majestic beauty bloom again,	35
“Bright thro’ the eternal years of Love’s triumphant reign!” [Page 24]
* See his evidences of Christianity, 2 Vol. duodecimo [back]