The Columbian lyre: or, Specimens of transatlantic poetry

Front matter

Book... g-k,^

•o

J

Part First, 5 Second, 14

Third, . 25

Fourth, 39

Fifth, 54

POEMS BY JAMES GODWIN BROOKS, ESQ.

To the Dying Year, 97

The Mermaid's Song, 101

" When this dark spirit shall have flown," . 105 " There is a hand which mine hath press'd, . 107

To . "When the bloom of thy cheek," &c. 108

Memory, 110

Return of the Epervier, Ill

The Stream of Hope, 112

The Self- Murderer, 113

To the Autumn Leaf, 115

Greece, 118

The Requiem, 123

" Thine eye of softened splendour," . . . 120

The Spell, 127

" Life hath its sunshine — but the ray," . . 128 " A blight has crossed my early years,' . 129

VI. CONTENTS.

Page.

" Like the red hues which morning throws," 131

To the Opening Year, 132

The Albion, 141

To the Turkish Crescent, ...... 14G

« A Man of Sorrows," 149

To an accomplished Coquette, 153

Freedom, 155

" I saw her in Life's morning bloom," . . 157 " There is a word that rends the heart, . . 158

The Mind's Midnight, 160

" When this feverish being shall slumber in

rest," ib.

Sketch, No. 1 164

No. II 165

No. Ill 167

Verses, written after viewing the Corpse of a

young Lady, 168

The Eagle, 171

The Last Song, 173

POEMS BY JAMES G. PERCIVAL, ESQ.

The Wreck— A Tale, 177

Night Watching, 215

Love at Evening, 218

" Silent she stood before me," 219

Star of the Tensive, 220

CONTENTS. vii.

Page.

O, there is a bliss in tears , 221

Light of Love, ib.

The Greek Emigrant's Song, 223

To the Houstonia Cerulea, 227

The Coral Grove, 229

" A Tulip blossomed, one morning in May," . 230

" The fairest rose is far awa'," 232

Often when at night delaying, 233

Song. — 4 < O pure is the wind," 235

The Land of the Blest, 237

Retrospection, 238

" Here the air is sweet," 240

Home, 241

Liberty to Athens, 243

Evening, 245

To the Moon, 246

To an Infant, 247

Female Loveliness, 248

" Now the setting Sun is glowing," . . . 251

Song of the Reim Kennar, 252

The Pirate Lover, 254

" There's a valley that lies, 256

" The dark cloud is o'er," 257

" They gazed upon each other," 258

" I saw, on the top of a mountain high," . . 259

" Again farewell," ib.

Sonnet—" Farewell, sad flowers," .... 260 " O ! had I the wings of a swallow," . . . ib. " Beneath the pensive willow's shade," . . 262 Farewell to my Lyre, 263

Vlii. CONTENTS.

Page.

THE POETICAL REMAINS OF THE LATE HENRY DENISON.

Biographical Sketch, 267

Why, Stranger, weep ! 271

Woodville, 272

The Christian's Reverie, 273

Imitation of Horace, 10th Ode, Book II. . 275 " I've fought and hied In honour's cause," . 276

To an ancient Elm, 277

The Miseries of Authors, 278

" Why should I leave my native soil," &c, . 280

Life, ib.

To a Friend, 281

Amaryllis' Complaint, ib.

Sonnet.— To Cecilia, 283

To Ianthe, 284

POEMS BY GEORGE ROBERTSON, JUN., OF SAVANNAH, GEORGIA.

The Soldier's Funeral, 287

A Fragment, 288

Farewell, ib.

Ode for St. Andrew's Day, ...... 289

To Mira, 290

To Eliza, 291

Serenade, 292

Love's first Sigh, 293

" I have lov'd thee," 294

The Fallen Brave, ib.

" Can the bosom find peace," 295

MISCELLANEOUS.

The King of the Bay, 297

Stanzas. — " My life is like the summer rose," 299 Answer.— (By a Lady of Baltimore,) . . 300

THE

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A POEM.

i<H j c< II parle ainsi au bruit de l'onde, et au milieu de toute la solitude."— Chateaubriand.

ADVERTISEMENT.

The following brtef extracts contain almost the only historical traces of that tribe of Indians, whose catastrophe suggested the principal incidents of OnTwa.

" About this time (16531 the Iroquois so effectually ex'ter* minated a nation called the Eries, that no traces of them now remain ; nor could it be known that they ever had existed, were it net for the great lake, on the borders of which they were situated, and which, for that reason, still bears their name. The Iroquois, at the beginning of the war, were worsted; but they pursued it with such unrelenting fury, as to effect the catastrophe we have mentioned." — Wynne's General History of the British Empire in America, V. I. p.SSJ-,

Both these accounts leave the residence of this tribe somewhat indeterminate. Charlevoix, in his maps, places it on the south side of Lake Erie — other old French maps place it on the north side, and even indicate the spot where the fatal battle was fought. The latter authority has been adopted in the following work— whether correctly cr not, it is presumed to be of little consequence.-— The apparent anachronism of deciding Its fats b;> one single battle, when, perhaps, a series of actions were fought, may probably be likewise thought as unimportant. Such a supposition better subserved the purposes of poetry ; and the obscurity of history seemed to admit of almost any latitude of conjecture.

At the period here alluded to, the French missi oneries commenced their bold and generous pilgrimages among the remote tribes of the American interior. It need scarcely be remarked, that it is one of those daring philanthropists, who is represented in the Introduction.

With respect to the composition of Ontwa, the same remark may be applied to it which Chateaubriand applies to Atala, that " it was written in the desert, and under the huts of the savages."— This circumstance, however, can give it no correspondent merit with that beautiful and pathetic little work, other than the chance of being equally faithful in the description of aboriginal manners and scenes. The tradition on which the story of Ontwa is founded, unavoidably led to an apparent adoption of one of the incidents of Atala. Without anticipating a charge of plagiarism, it may perhaps be confessed, that, in this instance, an attempt was made to imitate its eloquent author.

ONTWA.

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