Timothy Dwight

“ One voice, thro' ages, Jacob's pride controul,
Ourselves the clay, and he th' all-moving soul?
Perish the thought! t' oppose a tyrant's reign,
One patriot life shall flow from every vein;
In Israel's cause shall burst this fearless voice, [ 395]
And this bold arm avenge the free-born choice.
Rise, warriors, rise! desert this dreary plain. ”

“ Unreal ills foresaw, and fancied dangers fear'd.
Yet still those views a kind indulgence claim,
Your fame their glory, and your bliss their aim.
Should this bold course be doom'd to woe severe,
Pure is my warning voice, my conscience clear; [ 810]
On destin'd fight should friendly Conquest smile,
With joy, my soul shall welcome every toil;
In Israel's cause, to scenes of danger driven,
To war is transport, and to die is heaven.
The hero ceas'd: a faint applause was heard, [ 815]
And half-form'd smiles around the plain appear'd,
With startling sound the trump's deep voice began ”

“ Let foes befriend thee, and let Heaven succeed:
Then count thy gains; the mighty prize survey;
And straws, and bubbles, shall those gains outweigh. [ 600]
Wrought in gay looms, thy golden robes shall glare;
Rich banquets tempt, and luscious wines ensnare:
But to vile show shall Men their bliss confine?
Or sink to brutes, and only live to dine?
On these poor joys what dreadful ills attend? [ 605]
Fears ever rising! miseries ne'er to end!
Tho' whelm'd in floods one impious tyrant lies,
In the thron'd son shall all the father rise ”

“ These foes to aid, what countless throngs will join!
What peopled realms against our arms combine! [ 230]
From Gibeon's walls, and where tremendous powers
Surround imperial Hazor's hundred towers,
Or where proud shores the western main behold,
Or orient Gihon's haughty tides are roll'd,
I see to fearful combat millions rise, [ 235]
Chiefs mount the car, and point the fated prize;
See in the van-guard haughty Conquest ride
Lo, murder'd thousands pour the ruddy tide!
O'er Israel's camp the clouds of vengeance lower,
Fear wings our flight, and flames our race devour. ”

“ Our fearless hands exalt impatient sails;
Thro' sapphire floods the bark foresees its way, [ 455]
While wanton billows smoothly round it play,
Nor heeds the angry storm, that with dread power,
Climbs dark behind the hill, and hopes th' avenging hour,
Warn'd by my voice, such hidden dangers fly,
And each gay prospect scan with searching eye. [ 460]
In realms far distant spreads th' expected shore,
Hills rise between, and boiling oceans roar:
Two tiresome ways invite our wearied bands,
Thro' trackless deserts, or through hostile lands. ”

“ That bade o'er Bashan's walls destruction roll, [ 750]
O'er fields, o'er towers, shall Israel's standard bear,
Turn realms to flight, and wrest the prize of war;
Fill life with glory; Heaven's complacence gain,
And call fair Peace to cheer the crimson plain.
Then o'er wide lands, as blissful Eden bright, [ 755]
Type of the skies, and seats of pure delight,
Our sons, with prosperous course, shall stretch their sway,
And claim an empire, spread from sea to sea:
In one great whole th' harmonious tribes combine;
Trace Justice' path, and choose their chiefs divine ”

“ How soon would Power to trampled weakness grow? [ 340]
How soon base minds the feeble judge deride,
And beggar'd rulers quake at wealthy pride?
Nor the just doom can Avarice' self deny,
Who share the blessing must the tax supply. ”

“ Your generous tribes, by countless ills subdu'd;
Ills, these pain'd eyes foreboding, long beheld,
And this sad warning voice in vain reveal'd.
Those counsels, now by sure experience prov'd,
That voice, alone by Israel's welfare mov'd, [ 180]
Once more attend. Ye guardian powers, be near,
Enlarge their minds and give them hearts to hear!
Let base-born prejudice no more controul
The native candour of each generous soul;
Assert yourselves; your future conduct scan; [ 185]
Reason's the noblest privilege of man. ”

“ Or one vain prospect, rais'd for Israel's shame.
Disclose what dreaded toil this arm has fled;
On what dire plain this bosom fail'd to bleed:
Tell, if thou canst, when, lur'd by interest's call,
One nerve, one wish forgot the bliss of all. [ 570]
In virtue arm'd, while Conscience gayly smiles,
I mock thy fraud, and triumph o'er thy wiles:
Thy darts impoison'd peace and glory bring;
'Tis guilt alone gives slander strength to sting.
Blush, Hanniel, blush; to yonder tent depart; [ 575]
Let humbler wishes rule thy envious heart;
Calm the wide lust of power; contract thy pride ”

“ Consult yon chief; his voice again shall tell
Those dreary scenes, he painted now so well.
Or shall our feet, its dangers hid from view,
Thro' peopled realms, a nearer path pursue? [ 470]
I blush, when falsehood leads the chosen tribes,
Where folly dictates, and where fear prescribes.
One foe to shun, shall fiercer foes be tried? ”

“ But who the various ills can number o'er.
Or tell the sands that form the sea-beat shore?
Even now by slow degrees our thousands fall,
Till one wide, common grave involve us all. [ 220]
For see what woes surround our daring course,
That tempts the terrors of unmeasur'd force;
Safe in high walls, insulting foes deride,
Our boastful impotence, and banner'd pride;
On boundless wealth, with careless ease, rely, [ 225]
And hosts unnumber'd never taught to fly ”

“ A fairer doom awaits us from the skies.
Taught by our hated flight, the nation knows
How, join'd with ours, their vast dominion grows; [ 350]
Disjoin'd, how swift the weaken'd tribes decay,
To foes a triumph, and to schisms a prey. ”

“ Near the great Chief, in purple robes he stood;
Sense, from his tongue, and sweet persuasion flow'd;
Round the wide plain attentive silence hung,
And thus sage counsels sway'd the listening throng. [ 830]
My voice impels to arms ”

“ O'er the glad field a pleasing murmur ran; [ 780]
On Ai's high walls they cast a longing eye,
Resolv'd to conquer, or prepar'd to die.
So, when the northeast pours a deepening storm,
Night shades the world, and clouds the heaven deform,
Loud on some ship descends the driving rain, [ 785]
And winds imperious toss the surging main ”