The Bijou;
or Annual of Literature and the Arts
compiled by William Fraser
London: William Pickering,
1828
pp. pp. 81-88
1. | 1 |
AT length hath Scotland seen | 2 |
The presence long desired; | 3 |
The pomp of royalty | 4 |
Hath gladdened once again | 5 |
Her ancient palace, desolate how long! | 6 |
From all parts far and near, | 7 |
Highland and lowland, glen and fertile carse, | 8 |
The silent mountain lake, the busy port, | 9 |
Her populous cities and her pastoral hills, | 10 |
In generous joy convened | 11 |
By the free impulse of the loyal heart | 12 |
Her sons have gathered, and beheld their King. | 13 |
3. | 23 |
A more auspicious union never Earth | 24 |
From eldest days had seen, | 25 |
Than when, their mutual wrongs forgiven, | 26 |
And gallant enmity renounced | 27 |
With honour, as in honour fostered long, | 28 |
The ancient kingdoms formed | 29 |
Their everlasting league. | 30 |
4. | 31 |
Slowly by time matured | 32 |
A happier order then for Scotland rose; | 33 |
And where inhuman force, | 34 |
And rapine unrestrained | 35 |
Had lorded o'er the land, | 36 |
Peace came, and polity, | 37 |
And quiet industry, and frugal wealth; | 38 |
And there the household virtues fixed | 39 |
Their sojourn undisturbed. | 40 |
7. | 84 |
Him too may I attest for Scotland's praise, | 85 |
Who seized and wielded first | 86 |
The mightiest element | 87 |
That lies within the scope of man's control; | 88 |
Of evil and of good, | 89 |
Prolific spring, and dimly yet discern'd | 90 |
The immeasurable results. | 91 |
The mariner no longer seeks | 92 |
Wings from the wind; creating now the power | 93 |
Wherewith he wins his way, | 94 |
Right on, across the ocean-flood, he steers | 95 |
Against opposing skies; | 96 |
And reaching now the inmost continent, | 97 |
Up rapid streams, innavigable else, | 98 |
Ascends with steady progress, self-propell'd. | 99 |
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9. | 129 |
There nations yet unborn shall trace | 130 |
In Hume's perspicuous page, | 131 |
How Britain rose, and through what storms attain'd | 132 |
Her eminence of power. | 133 |
In other climates, youths and maidens there | 134 |
Shall learn from Thomson's verse in what attire | 135 |
The various seasons, bringing in their change | 136 |
Variety of good, | 137 |
Revisit their beloved English ground. | 138 |
There Beattie! in thy sweet and soothing strain | 139 |
Shall youthful poets read | 140 |
Their own emotions. There too, old and young, | 141 |
Gentle and simple, by Sir Walter's tales | 142 |
Spell-bound, shall feel | 143 |
Imaginary hopes and fears | 144 |
Strong as realities, | 145 |
And waking from the dream, regret its close. | 146 |
11. | 154 |
O House of Stuart, to thy memory still | 155 |
For this best Senefit | 156 |
Should British hearts in gratitude be bound! | 157 |
A deeper tragedy | 158 |
Than thine unhappy tale hath never fill'd | 159 |
The historic page, nor given | 160 |
Poet or moralist his mournful theme! | 161 |
O House severely tried, | 162 |
And in prosperity alone | 163 |
Found wanting, Time hath closed | 164 |
Thy tragic story now! | 165 |
Errors and virtues fatally betrayed, | 166 |
Magnanimous suffering, vice, | 167 |
Weakness, and head-strong zeal, sincere tho'blind, | 168 |
Wrongs, calumnies, heart-wounds, | 169 |
Religious resignation, earthly hopes | 170 |
Fears and affections, these have had their course, | 171 |
And over them in peace | 172 |
The all-engulphing stream of years hath closed. | 173 |
But this good work endures, | 174 |
'Stablish'd and perfected by length of days, | 175 |
The indissoluble union stands. | 176 |
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12. | 177 |
Nor hath the sceptre from that line | 178 |
Departed, though the name hath lost | 179 |
Its regal honours. Trunk and root have failed: | 180 |
A scion from the stock | 181 |
Liveth and flourisheth. It is the Tree | 182 |
Beneath whose sacred shade, | 183 |
In majesty and peaceful power serene, | 184 |
The Island Queen of Ocean hath her seat; | 185 |
Whose branches far and near | 186 |
Extend their sure protection; whose strong roots | 187 |
Are with the isle's foundations interknit; | 188 |
Whose stately summit when the storm careers | 189 |
Below, abides unmoved, | 190 |
Safe in the sunshine and the peace of Heaven! | 191 |