The poetic reciter; or, Beauties of the British poets adapted for reading and recitation, in public and private seminaries. Com piled by H. Marlen - Softcover

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1838 Excerpt: ... TO INDEPENDENCE. Thy spirit, Independence, let me share, Lord of the lion heart and eagle eye, Thy steps I follow with my bosom bare, Nor heed the storm that howls along the sky. Thou, guardian genius, thou didst teach my youth Pomp and her tinsel livery to despise: My lips, by thee chastised to early truth, Ne'er paid that homage which the heart denies. Those sculptured halls my feet shall never tread, Where varnished Vice and Vanity, combined To dazzle and seduce, their banners spread, And forge vile shackles for the free-born mind: Where Insolence his wrinkled front uprears, And all the flowers of spurious fancy blow, And Title his ill-woven chaplet wears, Full often wreathed around the miscreant's brow: Where ever dimpling Falsehood, pert and vain, Presents her cup of stale profession's froth, And pale Disease with all his bloated train, Torments the sons of gluttony and sloth. In Fortune's car behold the minion ride, With either India's glittering spoils oppressed: So moves the sumpter-mule in harnessed pride That bears the treasure which he cannot taste. For him let venal bards disgrace the bay, And hireling minstrels wake the tinkling string; Her sensual snares let faithless Pleasure lay, And all her gingling bells fantastic Folly ring; Disquiet, doubt, and dread shall intervene, And Nature, still to all her feelings just, In vengeance hang a damp on every sjene, Shook from the baneful pinions of Hpgust. Nature I'll court in her sequestered haunts, By mountain, meadow, streamlet, groveor cell, Where the poised lark his evening ditty chaunts, And health, and peace, and contemplation dwell. There Study shall with Solitude recline, And Friendship pledge me to his fellow swains, And Toil and Temperance sedately twine The slender cord that fluttering lif...