The Aonian Banquet, Or, a Selection of Poems of Acknowledged Merit (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: THE BARD; A PINDARIu BY THOMAS GRAY. [The following Ode is founded on a tradition current in Wales, that Edward the Fiist, when he completed the conquest of that country, orde;ed all the Baids that fell into his hands to be put to death.] THE BARD; A PINDARIC. seize thee, ruthless King! Confusion on thy banners wait; Tho' fann'd by Conquest's crimson wing, They mock the air with idle state 1 Helm, nor Hauberk's twisted mail, Nor even thy virtues, Tyrant! shall avail To save thy secret soul from nightly fears, From Cambria's curse, from Cambria's tearsl' Such were the sounds that o'er the crested pride Of the first Edward scatter'd wild dismay, As down the steep of Snowden's shaggy side He wound with toilsome march his long array. Stout Glo'ster stood aghast in speechless"rance; To arms! cried Mortimer, and couch'd his quiv'ring lance. On a rock, whose haughty brow Frowns o'er old Conway's foaming flood, Rob'd in the sable garb of woe, With haggard eyes the poet stood; (Loose his beard, and hoary hair Stream'd, like a meteor, to the troubled air;) And with a master's hand, and prophet's fire, Struck the deep sorrows of his lyre. 'Hark, how each giant eak, and desert cave, Sighs to the torrent's awful voice beneath ! O'erthee, oh King! their hundred arms they wave Revenge on thee in hoarser murmurs breathe; Vocal no more, since Cambria's fatal day, To high-born H-el's harp, or soft Llewellyn's lay. ' Cold is Cadwallo's tongue, That hush'd the stormy main: Brave Urien sleeps upon his craggy bed? Mountains ! ye mourn in vain, Modred, whose magic song Made huge Plinlimmon bow his cloud-topp'd head. On dreary Arvon's shore they lie, Smear'd with gore, and ghastly pale Far, far aloof th' affrighted ravens sail; The famish'd eagle screams, and pa...