not chuse but mourn;
Yet soon by Christian faith is grief subdued, 1815.

[3] C. and 1838.

And joy attends upon her fortitude. 1815.

Or joy returns to brighten fortitude. 1837.

FEELINGS OF A NOBLE BISCAYAN AT ONE OF THOSE FUNERALS, 1810

Composed 1810.--Published 1815

Yet, yet, Biscayans! we must meet our Foes
With firmer soul, yet labour to regain
Our ancient freedom; else 'twere worse than vain
To gather round the bier these festal shows.
A garland fashioned of the pure white rose 5
Becomes not one whose father is a slave:
Oh, bear the infant covered to his grave!
These venerable mountains now enclose
A people sunk in apathy and fear.
If this endure, farewell, for us, all good! 10
The awful light of heavenly innocence
Will fail to illuminate the infant's bier;
And guilt and shame, from which is no defence,
Descend on all that issues from our blood.

ON A CELEBRATED EVENT IN ANCIENT HISTORY

Composed 1810.--Published 1815

A Roman Master stands on Grecian ground,
And to the people at the Isthmian Games
Assembled, He, by a herald's voice, proclaims[1]
THE LIBERTY OF GREECE:--the words rebound
Until all voices in one voice are drowned; 5
Glad acclamation by which air was[2] rent!
And birds, high flying in the element,
Dropped[3] to the earth, astonished at the sound!
Yet were the thoughtful grieved; and still that voice
Haunts, with sad echoes, musing Fancy's ear:[4] 10
Ah! that a _Conqueror's_ words[5] should be so dear:
Ah! that a _boon_ could shed such rapturous joys!
A gift of that which is not to be given
By all the blended powers of Earth and Heaven.

This "Roman Master" "on Grecian ground" was T. Quintius Flamininus, one
of the ablest and noblest of the Roman generals (230-174 B.C.). He was
successful against Philip of Macedon, overran Thessaly in 198, and
conquered the Macedonian army in 197, defeating Philip at Cynoscephalae.
He concluded a peace with the vanquished. "In the spring of 196, the
Roman commission arrived in Greece to arrange, conjointly with
Flamininus, the affairs of the country: they also brought with them the
terms on which a definite peace was to be concluded with Philip.... The
Aetolians exerted themselves to excite suspicions amon