LVI.—LOVE OF COUNTRY AND OF HOME.

LVI.—LOVE OF COUNTRY AND OF HOME.MONTGOMERY.

MONTGOMERY.

1. There is a land, of every land the pride,Beloved by heaven o’er all the world beside;Where brighter suns dispense[421]serener[422]light,And milder moons imparadise[423]the night:A land of beauty, virtue, valor, truth,Time-tutored age, and love-exalted youth.2. The wandering mariner, whose eye exploresThe wealthiest isles, the most enchanting shores,Views not a realm so bountiful and fair,Nor breathes the spirit of a purer air;In every clime, the magnet[424]of his soul,Touched by remembrance, trembles to that pole:3. For in this land of heaven’s peculiar grace,The heritage[425]of nature’s noblest race,There is a spot of earth supremely[426]blest,A dearer, sweeter pot than all the rest,Where man, creation’s tyrant, casts asideHis sword and scepter, pageantry and pride,While, in his softened looks, benignly[427]blendThe sire, the son, the husband, father, friend.4. Here woman reigns; the mother, daughter, wife,Strews with fresh flowers the narrow way of life;In the clear heaven of her delightful eye,An angel guard of loves and graces lie;Around her knees domestic duties meet,And fireside pleasures gambol[428]at her feet.Where shall that land, that spot of earth be found?Art thou a man? a patriot?[429]look around;Oh! thou shalt find, howe’er thy footsteps roam,That landthycountry, and that spotthyhome.

1. There is a land, of every land the pride,

Beloved by heaven o’er all the world beside;

Where brighter suns dispense[421]serener[422]light,

And milder moons imparadise[423]the night:

A land of beauty, virtue, valor, truth,

Time-tutored age, and love-exalted youth.

2. The wandering mariner, whose eye exploresThe wealthiest isles, the most enchanting shores,Views not a realm so bountiful and fair,Nor breathes the spirit of a purer air;In every clime, the magnet[424]of his soul,Touched by remembrance, trembles to that pole:

2. The wandering mariner, whose eye explores

The wealthiest isles, the most enchanting shores,

Views not a realm so bountiful and fair,

Nor breathes the spirit of a purer air;

In every clime, the magnet[424]of his soul,

Touched by remembrance, trembles to that pole:

3. For in this land of heaven’s peculiar grace,The heritage[425]of nature’s noblest race,There is a spot of earth supremely[426]blest,A dearer, sweeter pot than all the rest,Where man, creation’s tyrant, casts asideHis sword and scepter, pageantry and pride,While, in his softened looks, benignly[427]blendThe sire, the son, the husband, father, friend.

3. For in this land of heaven’s peculiar grace,

The heritage[425]of nature’s noblest race,

There is a spot of earth supremely[426]blest,

A dearer, sweeter pot than all the rest,

Where man, creation’s tyrant, casts aside

His sword and scepter, pageantry and pride,

While, in his softened looks, benignly[427]blend

The sire, the son, the husband, father, friend.

4. Here woman reigns; the mother, daughter, wife,Strews with fresh flowers the narrow way of life;In the clear heaven of her delightful eye,An angel guard of loves and graces lie;Around her knees domestic duties meet,And fireside pleasures gambol[428]at her feet.Where shall that land, that spot of earth be found?Art thou a man? a patriot?[429]look around;Oh! thou shalt find, howe’er thy footsteps roam,That landthycountry, and that spotthyhome.

4. Here woman reigns; the mother, daughter, wife,

Strews with fresh flowers the narrow way of life;

In the clear heaven of her delightful eye,

An angel guard of loves and graces lie;

Around her knees domestic duties meet,

And fireside pleasures gambol[428]at her feet.

Where shall that land, that spot of earth be found?

Art thou a man? a patriot?[429]look around;

Oh! thou shalt find, howe’er thy footsteps roam,

That landthycountry, and that spotthyhome.

[421]Dis-penseˊ, deal or divide out in portions or parts; distribute.[422]Se-renˊ-er, clearer; more soothing.[423]Im-parˊ-a-dise, make very happy; render like Paradise.[424]Magˊ-net, the loadstone; that which attracts.[425]Herˊ-it-age, inheritance; portion; an estate devolved by succession.[426]Su-premeˊ-ly, in the highest degree.[427]Beˊ-nignˊ-ly, graciously; kindly.[428]Gamˊ-bol, dance and skip about in sport; play in frolic, like boys and lambs.[429]Paˊ-tri-ot, a person who loves his country, and zealously supports and defends it and its interests.

[421]Dis-penseˊ, deal or divide out in portions or parts; distribute.

[422]Se-renˊ-er, clearer; more soothing.

[423]Im-parˊ-a-dise, make very happy; render like Paradise.

[424]Magˊ-net, the loadstone; that which attracts.

[425]Herˊ-it-age, inheritance; portion; an estate devolved by succession.

[426]Su-premeˊ-ly, in the highest degree.

[427]Beˊ-nignˊ-ly, graciously; kindly.

[428]Gamˊ-bol, dance and skip about in sport; play in frolic, like boys and lambs.

[429]Paˊ-tri-ot, a person who loves his country, and zealously supports and defends it and its interests.

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