POEMS.
29
Still I'll repeat,—"Fate gave me once to see
Malice herself to Virtue bend the knee:
Yes! Fox was mourned, as Fox deserved to be!"—
The Sovereign's power enjoined no public show;
The pomp was public, for the grief was so!
No Courtier here displayed his gilded wand,
And mourned obsequious at his King's command:
No pensioned Hireling showed his careless face
To please his Patron, and preserve his place:
Here thronged with swelling hearts and streaming eyes
The Good, the Great, the Learned, and the Wise.
Here met to grieve firm Faith and Love sincere,
And patriot Worth sustained the kindred bier.
Here Britain sighed o'er many a ruined plan,
Friends o'er the Friend, and Nature o'er the Man!
Malice herself to Virtue bend the knee:
Yes! Fox was mourned, as Fox deserved to be!"—
The Sovereign's power enjoined no public show;
The pomp was public, for the grief was so!
No Courtier here displayed his gilded wand,
And mourned obsequious at his King's command:
No pensioned Hireling showed his careless face
To please his Patron, and preserve his place:
Here thronged with swelling hearts and streaming eyes
The Good, the Great, the Learned, and the Wise.
Here met to grieve firm Faith and Love sincere,
And patriot Worth sustained the kindred bier.
Here Britain sighed o'er many a ruined plan,
Friends o'er the Friend, and Nature o'er the Man!
Nor did the Nobler ranks all tears engross;
A general anguish spoke a general loss.
As moved with measured pace the pomp along,
How reverent grief to statues turned the throng!
No smile of vacant pleasure shocked the eye;
No sound the ear, unless a stifled sigh.
A general anguish spoke a general loss.
As moved with measured pace the pomp along,
How reverent grief to statues turned the throng!
No smile of vacant pleasure shocked the eye;
No sound the ear, unless a stifled sigh.
