THE PRAISES OF ISIS ; A POEM . WRITTEN MDCCLV . BY CHARLES EMILY , ESQ . CASTALIAN goddess , come ; nor slight the call Of simplest bard ; auspicious come , and prompt The flowing numbers ; so may Isis lend Attentive ear well-pleas'd , nor with disdain Reject the wreath of freshest flowrets cull'd From Pindus' hill to deck her lovely brow . — Begin ; what Muse to Isis shall deny The votive song ? for Isis loves the Muse . — Thee , fairest Naiad , oft at early dawn I meditate , till Evening , matron staid , Her tresses dripping with ambrosial dew Advance slow-pacing from the gilded West ; Nor cease I to reflect , how blest are they , To envy blest , that in thy peaceful haunts Hold pleasing dalliance with the Muses' train ; Yet tho' in other clime I rest remote , Ill-fated , that my wayward lot forbids To wander thy green verge beside , shalt thou Remain unsung ; while now the hoary Cam Hard by me rolls his slowly-winding wave . As where Apelles in accordance meet Weds light to shade ; and with Promethean art Teaches the breathing canvas to express A furtive life ; with wonder we behold Unnumbered beauties rush upon the sight , Gazing , while on the border of the lip Stands mute Suspence , yet doubtful which may first Demand , which last , the tribute of applause ; Thus , Isis , while for thee I string the lyre , The tongue of praise awhile forgets its purpose , In magic wonder bound ; nor knows the Muse Lost in the pleasing labyrinth , where to bend Her footstep first . — Say , shall I first rehearse , How thou , a virgin yet , wert whilom wont In Nereus' hall to join the festive dance Thy sister train among , the fairest thou Of all the Naiads , that with silver foot Skim the smooth surface of the glassy deep ? Say , rather shall I sing , how kingly Thame ( If holy bards in better ages born Have story'd true ) to share his watery bed Thee woo'd long loving ? nor in proud disdain Didst thou refuse with kingly Thame to mix Thy marriageable wave Vid. the marriage of the Thames and Medway in Spenser's Faery Queen . . To Neptune's court Upon that great solemnity repair'd The river gods : all that from crystal urn Enrichening moisture pour o'er British plains . There first advancing with imperial port Proud Humber came ; majestic as the god Whose mighty trident Neptune . shakes the trembling earth : Next Severn , conscious of Sabrina's Vid. Milton in Comus . fate , The king of floods ; in greenish mantle clad Bespangled here and there with costly gems And many a glistering pearl : there too was seen The Medway , and the hoarse-resounding Trent , The pleasant Medway , that with conscious pride Beholds the glorious race Scil . the men of Kent . , who long of yore Breathing stern-visag'd valour scorn'd to stoop The servile neck to William's William the conqueror . galling yoke , Unconquerable souls : the yellow Ouse There came , and Towy winding up and down His watry folds , and Deva Milton speaks of the river Dce or Deva , in this manner : — Where Deva spreads it's wizard stream . Lycidas . held of old A sacred current ; with the blue-rob'd Dove Alluding to the bluish colour of its waters . , And Derwent , sister streams ; and Avon Shakespear was buried , and has a monument erected to him at Stratford upon Avon . fair , The silver-sandal'd nymph : whose bank along At silent eve in pensive posture stretch'd , Calls raptur'd Fancy from Elysian bower Her darling Shakespear's ever hallow'd shade . There was the Tweed , the turret-crested Tyne , And Eden , famous stream ; who hath not heard Of Eden ? there the plowman as he turns With crooked share the bordering glebe , full oft Gauntlets and rust-worn spears and vizor'd helms , And pond'rous shields with quaint device pourtray'd , And bones enormous of gigantic size With gaping wonder sees ; then calls to mind The well known tale , how there by British knights Was many a bold exploit and bloody fight Atchiev'd of old . — But tedious 'twere to name All that with one accord to Neptune's hall Then came , when now the beauteous Isis gave To mix with royal Thame's uxorious flood Her virgin stream . Nor on that solemn day Was wanting ( then with rural chaplet crown'd , Tho' now adorn'd with many a glittering tower ) Thou , father Cam : that oft with kind attention Hast deign'd awhile to listen , as I tun'd The simple madrigal ; nor jealous he , That now his windings intricate I trace With musing gait ; and teach the mimic nymph , All as she sits his flowery bank along , To sound the praises of a sister flood : — And can I sing aught better , than thy praise , O lovely Isis ? lovelier in the eye Of Phoebus seen , than erst the silver stream Of fabled Castaly ; and fam'd as that Which flow'd Minerva's city Scil . Athens . fast beside , Ilissus , nurse of each ingenuous art . Should I rehearse , or those , whose bounty bad The liquid mirrour of thy glassy wave Yon towery mansions to reflect ; or those , Thy darling progeny , who burn'd to grasp Immortal fame , and with unwearied search Urg'd flying Science to its inmost maze ; Should I their names rehearse , the sun , that now His mattin beam wide scattering tips with gold The ragged skirt of yonder orient cloud , Wou'd drink the western wave , or ever ceas'd The lengthen'd song . — These structures Bodley plann'd ; Those Sheldon's bounty rear'd . That beauteous dome Radcliffe's library , Bids grateful Isis still adore the shade Of Radcliffe , honour'd name : him Paean taught ( For he was lov'd of Paean ) to explore The medicinal power of juicy shrub And healing plant , that o'er her verdant lap With free profusion parent Nature strews ; Nor thankless he ; for to the god he rear'd In pious gratitude a stately fane . Whence rose yon fabric Christ-church college . , that conspicuous lifts Its sky-topt dome with more majestic pride ? 'Twas Wolsey's glorious work : to Science rise No towers more lov'd ; for there the mitred sage The Bishop of Bristol , then dean of the above cathedral . , In wisdom's lore deep skill'd , with kindest eye Observes the budding Genius as it thrusts Its youthful blossoms ; or with conscious joy There oft in recollection sweet beholds Those , ( whom his honest nurture erst inform'd With all that's deem'd or excellent or fair ) O'er Britain's peaceful land their goodly beams Dispense abroad : names , that to latest time Shall shine distinguish'd in the rolls of Fame . Oft , as thou sat'st within thy pearl pav'd grot , With pleas'd attention , Isis , hast thou caught The dulcet sounds , when in yon sacred grove , To Phoebus sacred , woo'd the Latian Muse Sweet Addison : who like the sedulous bee Rifled each honey-bosom'd flower , that edg'd The fount of Helicon . — Why loves to bend His lonely step to yonder aged oak , Deep musing , while bright Cynthia silvers o'er The negro forehead of uncomely Night , Th' enraptur'd Bard ? and on the dew-sprent turf His temples pillowing , sees before him dance ( Or dreams he sees ) the Muses Nine , and glows With inspiration strange ? There Fame records Custom'd the merry Chaucer erst to frame His laughter-moving tale : nor , when his harp He tun'd to notes of louder pitch , and sung Of ladies passing fair , and bloody jousts , And warrior steeds , and valour-breathing knights For matchless prowess fam'd , deserv'd he not The laureat wreath ; for he , like Phoebus , knew To build in numbers apt the lofty song . — " Whence art thou , gracious Presence ? Art thou sent " From heaven , an angel minister , to bless " These favour'd seats ? for that excelling form " Bespeaks thee more than man ; " in wonder wrapt Thus Isis cry'd , while on her margent green In youthful grace how amiable ! stood Britannia's rising hope Edward the Black Prince . . With stedfast eye Long time she gaz'd unsatisfied , and mark'd Each godlike thought , that imag'd on his look With strong reflection shone , the undoubted pledge Of future deeds : tho' yet was Cressy's plain Unstain'd with slaughter : nor had Gallia's king John , king of France taken prisoner by Edward the Black Prince . His ravag'd crown yet mourn'd ; nor deem'd , that soon Wou'd dawn the luckless day , when he must drag The galling bond of sore captivity Alluding to the manner of a Roman triumph . , The gaze of clustering multitudes , and deck The glorious triumph of a British boy . — Nor , while yon fair aspiring domes adorn Thy verge , O Isis , shall unmention'd pass Alfred , auspicious name : say , goddess say , Bursts not thy breast with swelling raptures fraught , While Memory with her foregeful pencil paints The glorious portrait ? On the godlike form Advanc'd , not graceful less , than on the top Of Delian Cynthus , steps Latona's son , In mildest majesty : beside him went , As musing deep , an hoary-headed Sa , Of wonderous reverence ; on his broad smooth front Had Wisdom stampt its fair similitude . The laurel grac'd his temples : in his hand A golden harp , Apollo's gift , he bore ; And oft with cunning finger was he wont To rove along the sounding strings , and lift The ravish'd soul of statue-fixt Attention To the heaven of rapture — O how sweet thy charms , All-powerful Harmony ! in years indeed Advanc'd he seem'd ; yet on the cheek of age Hale vigour with unfading freshness bloom'd ; Upright he stept in stately mien , and breath'd Amiable dignity : such seem'd of yore The sire of Jove , what time on Latian plains He dwelt with Janus , hospitable king . Well knew , what was , what is , what is to come , The reverend Sage ; and wisely could he treat Of justice , truth , and universal love From man to man ; and mark the limits , when Virtue is virtue ; when its mad excess Strays headlong into vice : he too could tell How moves the planet in harmonious dance Its central sun around : whence Iris steals The bright variety of hues , that fringe Her humid bow ; how springs of night and day The due vicissitude ; why o'er the earth Circling the year with grateful interchange The wandering seasons roll ; of higher things Nor knew not he ; for of th' aetherial mind , That beams to day , to-morrow , and for ever , An unextinguish'd spark ; of nature's laws ; And nature's God full well could he discourse . Him gracious Heaven in pity to mankind Sent from its star-pav'd court ( so sung beneath His ivy'd oak of yore the Druid sage ) And nam'd him SCIENCE : first on Asian clime He settled , there where proud Euphrates rolls Amid Chaldaean plains , or on the bank Of Pharian Nile ; there he his favourite seat Long choosing , soften'd with refinements meet The savage genius of mankind , and taught With awful laws to curb licentious guilt , To build the wall girt city , and to frame The peaceful league of blest society With all the sweet civilities of life . Him Greece from thence with open arms embrac'd A welcome guest : but chief he lov'd to haunt The porch of Academe ; where mildly beam'd The modest wisdom of good Socrates ; Where wont the honey'd Alluding to the fable of the bees settling on the lips of Plato ; which was look'd on as an omen of the sweetness of his diction . eloquence to flow From Plato's sweet-distilling lip ; and where The letter'd Aristotle , who was born at Stagyra . Stagyrite from Nature's source His maxims drew . Nor on Ausonian coast Was Science honour'd less ; since there had come The Samian Pythagoras , born at Samos . sage , who smit with love of knowledge O'er many a distant realm had stretch'd his search , And climates warm'd beneath another sun . At length when now in more degenerate times Had exile Freedom loath'd the Hesperian shore , With crooked keel did heaven-born Science plow The swelling back of Ocean , till he gain'd Neptunian Albion's hospitable beech ; The nurse of Liberty ; for ill , I ween , Can Learning thrive , if Freedom shall deny To cherish with mild ray the rising flower ; To Albion isle he came , what time was sheath'd The sword of war ; and Alfred's arm had crush'd The might of Paynim foes : the gracious king With gladness hail'd his venerable guest ; And led him forth , where thro' the flowery meads The silver Isis winds her liquid maze . When thus the royal goodness spake benign : " Here deign , O heaven-descended Sage , to fix " Thy favourite mansion ; here to latest times " Instruct thy sons ( nor think that Britons bear " Such savage-hearted natures , but will melt " In soft humanity ) thy secret stores " To pierce with curious diligence , and snatch " Each fair perfection , each excelling art , " And all , that profits or delights mankind ; " Here ( as reclining on the peaceful lap " Of Leisure not inglorious , they delight " To muse in calm Retirement's lonely haunt ) " Instruct them to pursue the unerring print " Of Wisdom's step ; or with no lowly flight , " High borne on Contemplation's eagle wing , " To rise from nature up to nature's God . " How happy they ! whom thou shalt give to tread " The pleasant paths of knowledge , and to weave " The lawrel chaplet for their honour'd brows ! " He ceas'd , with look mild as when Phoebus sheds His soft effulgence on autumnal eve . The laurel'd seer in thankful guise bow'd low His hoary reverence : " With peculiar love " Sure heaven then looks ( he cry'd ) on mortals down , " When kings , like Alfred , rise ; whose patriot souls " Still center in a nation's good ; who live " By glorious works to make their country great : " Such well deserve to rule : Vid. the speech of Sarpedon to Glaucus in Homer . such heaven beholds " Well-pleas'd ; nor grudges , that to them it gave " Its high vicegerency . — In future time " Some one mayhap , the whilst he shall behold " With conscious pride , how far his native land " Transcends whatever vaunts historic fame " Of polish'd Athens , and imperial Rome " The seat of demi-gods , in holy rapture " Shall bless the name of Alfred ; and relate , " That he , still anxious for his Britain's weal , " Led Science there where thro' the flowery meads " Her liquid maze the silver Isis winds — " Nor shalt thou , hospitable flood , where now " I stay my wandering feet , a stranger guest , " Unhonour'd flow : for on thy grassy brim " Full oft shalt thou in silent joy behold , " Bards that shall know to bind the captiv'd soul " With energy of song ; and sages wise , " As whilom mus'd th' Athenian stream beside ; " And statesmen , patriot souls , with merit fraught " And virtue more than Roman . — Here shall rise " My best-lov'd progeny Mr. Locke , who was of Christ-church college . , that shall explore " ( Of Heaven how highly favour'd ) what till then " Stagger'd the pedant's pride , and slipt the grasp " Of baffled sophist : he with Truth's bright ray " The ten-fold gloom , which darkening logic spread , " Shall pierce ; and , like the golden-footed morn , " Scatter abroad the chearing beam of light . — " These are the glories , that with influence sweet " Shall gild thy shores , blest Isis : these are they , " With homage due that each revolving year " Shall visit Alfred's hallowed shrine , and bring " The pledge of gratitude and filial love . 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