457 Heaven gives our years of fading strength Indemnifying fleetness; And those of youth, a seeming length, TO THE EVENING STAR GEM of the crimson-colour'd Even, So fair thy pensile beauty burns To Peace, to Pleasure, and to Love Thine is the breathing, blushing hour O! sacred to the fall of day Shine on her chosen green resort Shine on her sweetly scented road 458 Shine where my charmer's sweeter breath Where, winnow'd by the gentle air Thus, ever thus, at day's decline THE MAID OF NEIDPATH EARL March look'd on his dying child, She's at the window many an hour And he look'd up to Ellen's bower But ah! so pale, he knew her not, And am I then forgot-forgot? It broke the heart of Ellen. In vain he weeps, in vain he sighs, Nor love's own kiss shall wake those eyes 459 YE MARINERS OF ENGLAND YE Mariners of England That guard our native seas! Whose flag has braved, a thousand years, Your glorious standard launch again And sweep through the deep, While the stormy winds do blow; While the battle rages loud and long The spirits of your fathers For the deck it was their field of fame, Where Blake and mighty Nelson fell Britannia needs no bulwarks, No towers along the steep; Her march is o'er the mountain-waves, Her home is on the deep. With thunders from her native oak She quells the floods below As they roar on the shore, When the stormy winds do blow; When the battle rages loud and long, And the stormy winds do blow. The meteor flag of England Till danger's troubled night depart Then, then, ye ocean-warriors! When the storm has ceased to blow; 460 BATTLE OF THE BALTIC OF Nelson and the North Sing the glorious day's renown, When to battle fierce came forth All the might of Denmark's crown, And her arms along the deep proudly shone; By each gun the lighted brand In a bold determined hand, And the Prince of all the land Led them on. Like leviathans afloat Lay their bulwarks on the brine; On the lofty British line: It was ten of April morn by the chime: As they drifted on their path There was silence deep as death; But the might of England flush'd To anticipate the scene; And her van the fleeter rush'd O'er the deadly space between. 'Hearts of oak!' our captains cried, when each gun From its adamantine lips Spread a death-shade round the ships, Like the hurricane eclipse Of the sun. Again! again! again! And the havoc did not slack, Till a feeble cheer the Dane To our cheering sent us back ; Their shots along the deep slowly boom:- As they strike the shatter'd sail; Light the gloom. Out spoke the victor then As he hail'd them o'er the wave, So peace instead of death let us bring: With the crews, at England's feet, To our King.' Then Denmark bless'd our chief As death withdrew his shades from the day: O'er a wide and woeful sight, Where the fires of funeral light Died away. Now joy, old England, raise! Whilst the wine-cup shines in light; Full many a fathom deep By thy wild and stormy steep, |