12
Who, mad with grief, have snatched from grandeur's store,
What grandeur's hand had snatched from them before.
Yet shall the vices of the great pass on,
Vices as glaring as the noon-day sun,
Shall rank corruption pass unheeded by,
Shall flattery's voice ascend the wearied sky;
And shall no patriot tear the veil away
Which hides these vices from the face of day?
Is public virtue dead?—is courage gone?
Bows its fair form at fell oppression's throne?
Yes! it's torn away—the crimes appear,
Expiring Freedom asks a parting tear,
A powerful hand unrolls the guilt-stain'd veil,
A powerful voice floats on the tainted gale,
Rising corruption's error from beneath,
A shape of glory checks the course of death;
It spreads its shield o'er freedom's prostrate form,
Its glance disperses envy's gathering storm;
No trophied bust need tell thy sainted name,
No herald blazon to the world thy fame,
What grandeur's hand had snatched from them before.
Yet shall the vices of the great pass on,
Vices as glaring as the noon-day sun,
Shall rank corruption pass unheeded by,
Shall flattery's voice ascend the wearied sky;
And shall no patriot tear the veil away
Which hides these vices from the face of day?
Is public virtue dead?—is courage gone?
Bows its fair form at fell oppression's throne?
Yes! it's torn away—the crimes appear,
Expiring Freedom asks a parting tear,
A powerful hand unrolls the guilt-stain'd veil,
A powerful voice floats on the tainted gale,
Rising corruption's error from beneath,
A shape of glory checks the course of death;
It spreads its shield o'er freedom's prostrate form,
Its glance disperses envy's gathering storm;
No trophied bust need tell thy sainted name,
No herald blazon to the world thy fame,
