[Page 131][Page 132]
PROLOGUE TO THE ENGLISHMAN AT BOURDEAUX.
Performed since the conclusion of the peace, with universal applause, at PARIS.
1 TOO long by some fatality misled,
2 From pride resulting, or from folly bred;
3 Each clime to all the virtues lays a claim,
4 And soars, self-flatter'd, to the top of fame;
5 Confines each merit to itself alone,
6 Or thinks no other equal to its own:
7 E'en the pale Russian shiv'ring as he lies,
8 Beneath the horror of his bitterest skies,
9 While the loud tempest rattles o'er his head,
10 Or bursts all dreadful on his tott'ring shed,
11 Hugs a soft something closely to his soul,
12 That soothes the cutting sharpness of the pole,
13 Elates his bosom with a conscious pride,
14 And smiles contempt on all the world beside.
15 'Tis your's, O France, the earliest to unbind
16 This more than Gordian manacle of mind!
17 To-night we bid your justice may be shewn
18 To foreign virtues equal with your own;
19 Think, nobly think, when nature first was born,
20 And fair creation kindled into morn,
21 The world was but one family, one band,
22 Which glow'd all grateful to the heavenly hand;
23 Thro' ev'ry breast a social impulse ran,
24 Link'd beast to beast, and fasten'd man to man,
25 And the sole diff'rence which he heard, or had,
26 Dwelt in the simple phrases, "good or bad."
27 Then scorn to give such partial feelings birth,
28 As claim but one poor competence of earth;
29 Be more than French; on ev'ry country call,
30 And rise, exalted, citizens of all.
About this text
Title (in Source Edition): PROLOGUE TO THE ENGLISHMAN AT BOURDEAUX. Performed since the conclusion of the peace, with universal applause, at PARIS.
Author: Anonymous
Themes:
war
Genres:
heroic couplet; prologue
References:
DMI 31248
Text view / Document view
Source edition
Mendez, Moses. A collection of the most esteemed pieces of poetry: that have appeared for several years. With variety of originals, by the late Moses Mendez, Esq; and other contributors to Dodsley's collection. To which this is intended as a supplement. London: printed for Richardson and Urquhart, 1767, pp. 131-132. [8],320p. ; 8⁰. (ESTC T124631; DMI 1073; OTA K099398.000) (Page images digitized from a copy in the Bodleian Library [Harding C 148].)
Editorial principles
The text has been typographically modernized, but without any silent modernization of spelling, capitalization, or punctuation. The source of the text is given and all editorial interventions have been recorded in textual notes. Based on the electronic text originally produced by the TCP project, this ECPA text has been edited to conform to the recommendations found in Level 5 of the Best Practices for TEI in Libraries version 4.0.0.
Other works by Anonymous
- EPILOGUE. ()