No. VIII.

Jan. 1, 1798.

A correspondent has adapted the beautiful poem of theBattle of Sabla, in “Carlyle’s Specimens of Arabian Poetry,” to the circumstances of the present moment. We shall always be happy to see the poetry of other times and nations so successfully engaged in the service of our country, and of the present order of society.

I.Hast thou not seen th’ insulting foeIn fancied triumphs crown’d?And heard their frantic rulers throwThese empty threats around?“Make nowYOUR CHOICE! The terms we give,Desponding Britons, hear!These fetters on your hands receive,Or in your hearts the spear.”Can we forget our old renown;Resign the empire of the sea;And yield at once our sovereign’s crown,Our ancient laws and liberty?Shall thus the fierce destroyer’s handPass unresisted o’er our native land?Our country sink, to barb’rous force a prey,Andransom’dEnglandbow toGallicsway?II.“Is then the contest o’er?” we cried,“And lie we at your feet?And dare you vauntingly decideThe fortune we shall meet?A brighter day we soon shall see;No more the prospect lours;And Conquest, Peace, and LibertyShall gild our future hours.”Yes! we will guard our old renown;Assert our empire o’er the sea;And keep untouch’d our sovereign’s crown,Our ancient laws and liberty.Not thus the fierce destroyer’s handShall scatter ruin o’er this smiling land;No barb’rous force shall here divide its prey;Norransom’dEnglandbow toGallicsway.III.The foe advance. In firm arrayWe’ll rush o’er Albion’s sands—Till the red sabre marks our wayAmid their yielding bands!Then as they lie in death’s cold grasp,We’ll cry, “Our choice is made!These hands the sabre’s hilt shall clasp,Your hearts shall feel the blade”.Thus Britons guard their ancient fame,Assert their empire o’er the sea,And to the envying world proclaim,One nation still is brave and free—Resolv’d to conquer or to die,True to theirKing, theirLaws, theirLiberty:No barb’rous foe finds here an easy prey—Un-ransom’dEnglandspurns all foreign sway.[25]

Hast thou not seen th’ insulting foeIn fancied triumphs crown’d?And heard their frantic rulers throwThese empty threats around?“Make nowYOUR CHOICE! The terms we give,Desponding Britons, hear!These fetters on your hands receive,Or in your hearts the spear.”

Hast thou not seen th’ insulting foe

In fancied triumphs crown’d?

And heard their frantic rulers throw

These empty threats around?

“Make nowYOUR CHOICE! The terms we give,

Desponding Britons, hear!

These fetters on your hands receive,

Or in your hearts the spear.”

Can we forget our old renown;Resign the empire of the sea;And yield at once our sovereign’s crown,Our ancient laws and liberty?

Can we forget our old renown;

Resign the empire of the sea;

And yield at once our sovereign’s crown,

Our ancient laws and liberty?

Shall thus the fierce destroyer’s handPass unresisted o’er our native land?Our country sink, to barb’rous force a prey,Andransom’dEnglandbow toGallicsway?

Shall thus the fierce destroyer’s hand

Pass unresisted o’er our native land?

Our country sink, to barb’rous force a prey,

Andransom’dEnglandbow toGallicsway?

II.

“Is then the contest o’er?” we cried,“And lie we at your feet?And dare you vauntingly decideThe fortune we shall meet?A brighter day we soon shall see;No more the prospect lours;And Conquest, Peace, and LibertyShall gild our future hours.”

“Is then the contest o’er?” we cried,

“And lie we at your feet?

And dare you vauntingly decide

The fortune we shall meet?

A brighter day we soon shall see;

No more the prospect lours;

And Conquest, Peace, and Liberty

Shall gild our future hours.”

Yes! we will guard our old renown;Assert our empire o’er the sea;And keep untouch’d our sovereign’s crown,Our ancient laws and liberty.

Yes! we will guard our old renown;

Assert our empire o’er the sea;

And keep untouch’d our sovereign’s crown,

Our ancient laws and liberty.

Not thus the fierce destroyer’s handShall scatter ruin o’er this smiling land;No barb’rous force shall here divide its prey;Norransom’dEnglandbow toGallicsway.

Not thus the fierce destroyer’s hand

Shall scatter ruin o’er this smiling land;

No barb’rous force shall here divide its prey;

Norransom’dEnglandbow toGallicsway.

III.

The foe advance. In firm arrayWe’ll rush o’er Albion’s sands—Till the red sabre marks our wayAmid their yielding bands!Then as they lie in death’s cold grasp,We’ll cry, “Our choice is made!These hands the sabre’s hilt shall clasp,Your hearts shall feel the blade”.

The foe advance. In firm array

We’ll rush o’er Albion’s sands—

Till the red sabre marks our way

Amid their yielding bands!

Then as they lie in death’s cold grasp,

We’ll cry, “Our choice is made!

These hands the sabre’s hilt shall clasp,

Your hearts shall feel the blade”.

Thus Britons guard their ancient fame,Assert their empire o’er the sea,And to the envying world proclaim,One nation still is brave and free—

Thus Britons guard their ancient fame,

Assert their empire o’er the sea,

And to the envying world proclaim,

One nation still is brave and free—

Resolv’d to conquer or to die,True to theirKing, theirLaws, theirLiberty:No barb’rous foe finds here an easy prey—Un-ransom’dEnglandspurns all foreign sway.[25]

Resolv’d to conquer or to die,

True to theirKing, theirLaws, theirLiberty:

No barb’rous foe finds here an easy prey—

Un-ransom’dEnglandspurns all foreign sway.[25]

The following poem has been transmitted to us, without preface or introduction, by a gentleman of the name ofIreland.[26]We apprehend from the peculiarities of the style, that it must be the production of a remote period. We are likewise inclined to imagine, that it may contain allusions to some former event in English history. What that event may have been, we must submit to the better judgment and superior information of our readers, from whom we impatiently expect a solution of this interesting question. The editor has been influenced solely by a sense of its poetical merit.

[Ja’far son of ’Ulbah, of the Banu-l-Hârith.

The Poet, with two companions, went forth to plunder the herds of ’Ukail, a neighbour-tribe, and was beset on his way back by detached parties of that tribe in the valley of Sahbal, whom he overcame and reached home safely.

That even when under Sahbal’s twin peaks upon us dravethe horsemen troop after troop, and the foemen pressed us sore—They said to us—“Two things lie before you: now must ye choose—the points of the spears couched at you, or, if ye will not, chains”.We answered them—“Yea, this thing may fall to you after fight,when men shall be left on ground, and none shall arise again;But we know not, if we quail before the assault of Death,how much may be left of life: the goal is too dim to see”.We strode to the strait of battle: there cleared us a space aroundthe white swords in our right hands which the smiths had furbished fair.To them fell the edge of my blade on that day of Sahbal dale,and mine was the share thereof whereover my fingers closed.Ed.]

That even when under Sahbal’s twin peaks upon us drave

the horsemen troop after troop, and the foemen pressed us sore—

They said to us—“Two things lie before you: now must ye choose—

the points of the spears couched at you, or, if ye will not, chains”.

We answered them—“Yea, this thing may fall to you after fight,

when men shall be left on ground, and none shall arise again;

But we know not, if we quail before the assault of Death,

how much may be left of life: the goal is too dim to see”.

We strode to the strait of battle: there cleared us a space around

the white swords in our right hands which the smiths had furbished fair.

To them fell the edge of my blade on that day of Sahbal dale,

and mine was the share thereof whereover my fingers closed.

Ed.]

THE DUKE AND THE TAXING-MAN.[27]

Whilome there liv’d in fair EnglondeA Duke of peerless wealth,And mickle care he took of herOld Constitution’s health.Full fifty thousand pounds and moreTo him his vassals paid,But ne to King, ne Countree, heWould yield th’ assessment made.The taxing-man, with grim viságeCame pricking on the way;The taxing-man, with wrothful words,Thus to the Duke did say:“Lord Duke, Lord Duke, thou’st hid from me,As sure as I’m alive,Of goodly palfreysseventeen,Of varletstwenty-five”.Then out he drew his gray goose quill,Ydipp’d in ink so black,And sorely toSURCHARGEthe Duke,I trowe, he was ne slack.Then ’gan the Duke to looken pale,And stared as one astound,Twaie coneynge Clerks[28]eftsoons he spiesSitting their board around.“O woe is me,” then cried the Duke,“Ne mortal wight but errs!I’ll hie to yon twaie coneynge Clerks,Yclept Commissioners.”The Duke he hied him to the board,And straight ’gan for to say,“A seely[29]wight I am, God wot,Ne ken I the right way.“These varlets twenty-five were ne’erLiveried in white and red;Withouten this, what signifieWages, and board, and bed?“And by St. George, that stout horseman,My palfreysseventeen,For two years, or perchance for three,I had forgotten clean.”“Naie,” quoth the Clerk, “both horse and footTo hide was thine intent,Ne seely wight be ye, but didstWith good advisament.[30]“Surcharge, surcharge, good Taxing-man,Anon our seals we fix,Of sterling pounds, Lord Duke, you payThree hundred thirty-six.”[31]

Whilome there liv’d in fair Englonde

A Duke of peerless wealth,

And mickle care he took of her

Old Constitution’s health.

Full fifty thousand pounds and more

To him his vassals paid,

But ne to King, ne Countree, he

Would yield th’ assessment made.

The taxing-man, with grim viságe

Came pricking on the way;

The taxing-man, with wrothful words,

Thus to the Duke did say:

“Lord Duke, Lord Duke, thou’st hid from me,

As sure as I’m alive,

Of goodly palfreysseventeen,

Of varletstwenty-five”.

Then out he drew his gray goose quill,

Ydipp’d in ink so black,

And sorely toSURCHARGEthe Duke,

I trowe, he was ne slack.

Then ’gan the Duke to looken pale,

And stared as one astound,

Twaie coneynge Clerks[28]eftsoons he spies

Sitting their board around.

“O woe is me,” then cried the Duke,

“Ne mortal wight but errs!

I’ll hie to yon twaie coneynge Clerks,

Yclept Commissioners.”

The Duke he hied him to the board,

And straight ’gan for to say,

“A seely[29]wight I am, God wot,

Ne ken I the right way.

“These varlets twenty-five were ne’er

Liveried in white and red;

Withouten this, what signifie

Wages, and board, and bed?

“And by St. George, that stout horseman,

My palfreysseventeen,

For two years, or perchance for three,

I had forgotten clean.”

“Naie,” quoth the Clerk, “both horse and foot

To hide was thine intent,

Ne seely wight be ye, but didst

With good advisament.[30]

“Surcharge, surcharge, good Taxing-man,

Anon our seals we fix,

Of sterling pounds, Lord Duke, you pay

Three hundred thirty-six.”[31]

EPIGRAM ON THE PARIS LOAN,[32]CALLEDTHE LOAN UPON ENGLAND.

The Paris cits, a patriotic band,Advance their cash on British freehold land.But let the speculating rogues beware—They’ve bought theskin, but who’s to killthe bear?

The Paris cits, a patriotic band,

Advance their cash on British freehold land.

But let the speculating rogues beware—

They’ve bought theskin, but who’s to killthe bear?

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