415 Cinctured with gold while ten fond brothers
stand,
And
guard the beauty on her native land,
Soft
breathes the gale, the current gently moves,
And
bears to Norway’s coasts her infant-loves.
—So
the sad mother at the noon of night
420 From bloody Memphis stole her silent flight;
Wrapp’d
her dear babe beneath her folded vest,
And
clasp’d the treasure to her throbbing breast,
With
soothing whispers hushed its feeble cry,
Pressed
the soft kiss, and breathed the secret sigh.—
425 —With dauntless step she seeks the
winding shore,
Hears
unappall’d the glimmering torrents roar;
With
Paper-flags a floating cradle weaves,
And
hides the smiling boy in Lotus-leaves;
Gives
her white bosom to his eager lips,
430 The salt tears mingling with the milk he sips;
Waits
on the reed-crown’d brink with pious guile,
And
trusts the scaly monsters of the Nile.—
—Erewhile
majestic from his lone abode,
Embassador
of Heaven, the Prophet trod;
435 Wrench’d the red Scourge from proud Oppression’s
hands,
And
broke, curst Slavery! thy iron bands.
Hark!
heard ye not that piercing cry,
Which
shook the waves and rent the sky!—
E’en
now, e’en now, on yonder Western shores
440 Weeps pale Despair, and writhing Anguish roars:
E’en
now in Afric’s groves with hideous yell
Fierce
SLAVERY stalks, and slips the dogs of hell;
From
vale to vale the gathering cries rebound,
And
sable nations tremble at the sound!—
445 —YE BANDS OF SENATORS! whose suffrage
sways
Britannia’s
realms, whom either Ind obeys;
Who
right the injured, and reward the brave,
Stretch
your strong arm, for ye have power to save!
Throned
in the vaulted heart, his dread resort,