Southey, Robert, "Scotland: an Ode, Written after the King's Visit to that Country." in The Bijou; (London: William Pickering , 1828) The Bijou; or Annual of Literature and the Arts compiled by William Fraser William Pickering London 1828 pp. 81-88 81 Scotland: an Ode, Written after the King's Visit to that Country By Robert Southey, Esq. Poet Laureat 1. AT length hath Scotland seen The presence long desired; The pomp of royalty Hath gladdened once again Her ancient palace, desolate how long! From all parts far and near, Highland and lowland, glen and fertile carse, The silent mountain lake, the busy port, Her populous cities and her pastoral hills, In generous joy convened By the free impulse of the loyal heart Her sons have gathered, and beheld their King. 2. Land of the loyal, as in happy hour Revisited, so was thy regal seat In happy hour for thee Forsaken, under favouring stars, when James 82 His valediction gave, And great Eliza's throne Received its rightful heir, The Peaceful and the Just. 3. A more auspicious union never Earth From eldest days had seen, Than when, their mutual wrongs forgiven, And gallant enmity renounced With honour, as in honour fostered long, The ancient kingdoms formed Their everlasting league. 4. Slowly by time matured A happier order then for Scotland rose; And where inhuman force, And rapine unrestrained Had lorded o'er the land, Peace came, and polity, And quiet industry, and frugal wealth; And there the household virtues fixed Their sojourn undisturbed. 5. Such blessings for her dowry Scotland drew From that benignant union; nor less large The portion that she brought. 83 She brought security and strength, True hearts, and strenuous hands, and noble minds. Say Ocean, from the shores of Camperdown, What Caledonia brought! Say thou, Egypt! Let India tell! And let tell Victory From her Brabantine field, The proudest field of fame! 6. Speak ye too, works of peace; For ye too have a voice Which shall be heard by ages! The proud bridge, Through whose broad arches, worthy of their name And place, his rising and his refluent tide Majestic Thames, the royal river rolls! And that which high in air, A bending line suspended, shall o'erhang Menai's straits, as if By Merlin's mighty magic there sustain'd! And Pont-Cyssylte, not less wonderous work; Where on gigantic columns raised Aloft, a dizzying height, The laden barge pursues its even way, While o'er his rocky channel the dark Dee Hurries below, a raging stream, scarce heard! And that huge mole, whose deep foundations, firm As if by Nature laid, 84 Repel the assailing billows, and protect The British fleet, securely riding there, Though southern storms possess the sea and sky, And from its depths commoved, Infuriate ocean raves. Ye stately monuments of Britain's power, Bear record ye what Scottish minds Have planned and perfected! With grateful wonder shall posterity See the stupendous works, and Rennie's name, And Telford's shall survive, till time Leave not a wreck of sublunary things.. 7. Him too may I attest for Scotland's praise, Who seized and wielded first The mightiest element That lies within the scope of man's control; Of evil and of good, Prolific spring, and dimly yet discern'd The immeasurable results. The mariner no longer seeks Wings from the wind; creating now the power Wherewith he wins his way, Right on, across the ocean-flood, he steers Against opposing skies; And reaching now the inmost continent, Up rapid streams, innavigable else, Ascends with steady progress, self-propell'd. 85 8. Nor hath the sister kingdon borne In science and in arms Alone, her noble part; There is an empire which survives The wreck of thrones, the overthrow of realms, The downfall, and decay, and death Of nations. Such an empire in the mind Of intellectual man Rome yet maintains, and elder Greece; and such By indefeasable right Hath Britain made her own. How fair a part doth Caledonia claim In that fair conquest! Whereso'er The British tongue may spread, (A goodly tree, whose leaf No winter e'er shall nip;) Earthly immortals, there, her sons of fame, Will have their heritage; In eastern and in occidental Ind; The new antarctic world, where sable swans Glide upon waters, call'd by British names, And plough'd by British keels; In vast America, through all its length And breadth, from Massachusett's populous coast To western Oregan; 86 And from the southern gulph, Where the great river with his turbid flood Stains the green ocean, to the polar sea. 9. There nations yet unborn shall trace In Hume's perspicuous page, How Britain rose, and through what storms attain'd Her eminence of power. In other climates, youths and maidens there Shall learn from Thomson's verse in what attire The various seasons, bringing in their change Variety of good, Revisit their beloved English ground. There Beattie! in thy sweet and soothing strain Shall youthful poets read Their own emotions. There too, old and young, Gentle and simple, by Sir Walter's tales Spell-bound, shall feel Imaginary hopes and fears Strong as realities, And waking from the dream, regret its close. 10. These Scotland are thy glories; and thy praise Is England's, even as her power And opulence of fame are thine. 87 So hath our happy union made Each in the other's weal participant, Enriching, strengthening, glorifying both. 11. O House of Stuart, to thy memory still For this best Senefit Should British hearts in gratitude be bound! A deeper tragedy Than thine unhappy tale hath never fill'd The historic page, nor given Poet or moralist his mournful theme! O House severely tried, And in prosperity alone Found wanting, Time hath closed Thy tragic story now! Errors and virtues fatally betrayed, Magnanimous suffering, vice, Weakness, and head-strong zeal, sincere tho'blind, Wrongs, calumnies, heart-wounds, Religious resignation, earthly hopes Fears and affections, these have had their course, And over them in peace The all-engulphing stream of years hath closed. But this good work endures, 'Stablish'd and perfected by length of days, The indissoluble union stands. 88 12. Nor hath the sceptre from that line Departed, though the name hath lost Its regal honours. Trunk and root have failed: A scion from the stock Liveth and flourisheth. It is the Tree Beneath whose sacred shade, In majesty and peaceful power serene, The Island Queen of Ocean hath her seat; Whose branches far and near Extend their sure protection; whose strong roots Are with the isle's foundations interknit; Whose stately summit when the storm careers Below, abides unmoved, Safe in the sunshine and the peace of Heaven!