A Day in Spring and Other Poems Author:Richard Westall Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: A SHIPWRECK. I Away with sloth! for I would climb, With cautious steps, the rock sublime. What, though the snow hath all the night Been falling fast, and c... more »over'd light With a pale mantle, hill and plain Baffle the ploughshare of the swain, I know the path that leads on high, Where the bold Pilot's signals fly; While vent'rous, they with daring hand Launch their light vessels from the land, And change the distant ship's distress To safety, and to happiness. Tis in its wint'ry garb that most I love upon our rocky coast To stand, and from the mountain's height Muse on the vast the solemn sight. Deep at my feet, with sullen roar, The dark waves roll upon the shore; And far beyond the stretching eye The broad the boundless waters lie, Meeting with mighty line the bellied sky : Here thou, my country—thou, my pride, The God of battles on thy side, Insulting Europe hath defied A SHIPWRECK. 51 Full oft; and, fill'd with dire alarm, Europe hath fled thy lifted arm: Each struggle shall but fix thy reign, Sole empress of the circling main ; Till fell Ambition's rage shall cease, And the wide world repose in peace. When first I gain'd the mountain's brow One only vessel rode below; I saw her anchor rais'd, and heard Or seem'd to hear, the vows prefer'd By those whom int'rest, anxious care, Or love, more anxious, gather'd near. The sailor, long in battle tried, Call'd by his country, left his bride; " Farewell, my love! (he seem'd to say) " We'll meet again some happier day, " Wipe, oh! wipe, those tears away; " Farewell! farewell!"—the op'ning sails, Bending, caught the rising gales ; But oft, as gentler roll'd the swell, Methought I heard, " Farewell! farewell!" Slow from the shore, with heavy heart, I saw the kindred group depart. One fairest form, with head recl...« less