TO THE HONORABLE WILLIAM KEPPEL, LIEUTENANT-GENERAL OF HIS MAJESTY’S FORCES, THIS POEM, TRANSLATED BY AN OFFICER AT HIS LEISURE HOURS, WHILE ENCAMPED UNDER HIS COMMAND AT COXHEATH, IN THE YEAR ONE THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-EIGHT, IS, WITH THE GREATEST RESPECT, ESTEEM, AND REGARD, DEDICATED.
Illustrious Prince mark’d out by partial Fate
To bear the burthen, and the pomp of state,
To reign of spacious realms the future lord,
To lift the balance, and to wield the sword,
O hear a Soldier train’d to War’s alarms,
Inur’d to danger, and grown old in arms,
With voice experienced shew the thorny road
Which leads through scenes of blood to Fame’s abode.
Nor arms, nor steeds, nor numerous troops, alone
Sustain the honor of the monarch’s throne;
Their use acquire, and every Art that leads
The Warrior’s skilful arm to glorious deeds;
My Muse shall here the various portrait trace,
And point the virtues which the Hero grace;
His talents gain’d by toil, his mind serene,
His active courage, and his foresight keen,
Whose powers united in the Warrior’s heart
O’erleap the bounded limits of his art.
Yet think me not, malignant bard, inclin’d
To sound pale Discord’s clarion to mankind,
That dazzled by false Glory’s dangerous fire
I seek Ambition’s fury to inspire,
Or wish to see your savage vengeance, hurl’d
With frantic boldness o’er a ravag’d world;
O may my Hero boast the honest fame
That waits Aurelius’, Titus’, Trajan’s name;
Then shine with noblest light triumphant kings,
When Virtue owns the crown that Valor brings,
Droops every trophy, withers every wreath,
That fell Injustice blasts with poisonous breath!
O lovely Peace! and thou thrice happy power,
Whose hands on Prussia’s realm each blessing shower,
Far from our fields and tranquil seats, be driven
A Victor King, the heaviest scourge of Heaven!
Could my low voice reach Heaven’s eternal throne,
Still should our fields thy blissful influence own,
Still should the labourer in our happy plains
Securely reap the produce of his pains,
And watchful Themis with impartial law
Protect the guiltless, and the vicious awe,
Our vessels give their canvas to the breeze,
And fear no dangers but from stormy feas,
And Pallas o’er our peaceful throne preside,
Her
(Henry James Pye)
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Based on Topics: World Poems, War & Peace Poems, Heaven Poems, Name Poems, Kings & Queens Poems, Art Poems, Power Poems, Literature Poems, Courage Poems, Future Poems, Poetry PoemsBased on Keywords: ravag, inur, titus, themis, aurelius, erleap, feas, seventy-eight, trajan, keppel, lieutenant-general