Caledonia—ABallad
caledonia—aballad
tune—“caledonianhunts'delight”ofmr.gow.
therewasonceaday,butoldtimewasythenyoung,
thatbravecaledonia,thechiefofherline,
fromsomeofyournortherndeitiessprung,
(whoknowsnotthatbravecaledonia'sdivine?)
fromtweedtotheorcadeswasherdomain,
tohunt,ortopasture,ordowhatshewould:
herheav'nlyrelationstherefixedherreign,
andpledg'dhertheirgodheadstowarrantitgood.
alambkininpeace,butalioninwar,
theprideofherkindred,theheroinegrew:
hergrandsire,oldodin,triumphantlyswore,—
“whoe'ershallprovokethee,th'encountershallrue!”
withtillageorpastureattimesshewouldsport,
tofeedherfairflocksbyhergreenrustlingcorn;
butchieflythewoodswereherfav'riteresort,
herdarlingamusement,thehoundsandthehorn.
longquietshereigned;tillthitherwardsteers
aflightofboldeaglesfromadria'sstrand:
repeated,essive,formanylongyears,
theydarken'dtheair,andtheyplunder'dtheland:
theirpouncesweremurder,andterrortheircry,
they'dconquer'dandruin'daworldbeside;
shetooktoherhills,andherarrowsletfly,
thedaringinvaderstheyfledortheydied.
thecameleon-savagedisturb'dherrepose,
withtumult,disquiet,rebellion,andstrife;
provok'dbeyondbearing,atlastshearose,
androbb'dhimatonceofhishopesandhislife:
theanglianlion,theterroroffrance,
oftprowling,ensanguin'dthetweed'ssilverflood;
but,taughtbythebrightcaledonianlance,
helearnedtofearinhisownnativewood.
thefellharpy-raventookwingfromthenorth,
thescourgeoftheseas,andthedreadoftheshore;
thewildscandinavianboarissuedforth
towantonincarnageandwallowingore:
o'ercountriesandkingdomstheirfuryprevail'd,
noartscouldappeasethem,noarmscouldrepel;
butbravecaledoniainvaintheyassail'd,
aslargswellcanwitness,andloncartietell.
thusbold,independent,unconquer'd,andfree,
herbrightcourseofgloryforevershallrun:
forbravecaledoniaimmortalmustbe;
i'llproveitfromeuclidasclearasthesun:
rectangle—triangle,thefigurewe'llchuse:
theuprightischance,andoldtimeisthebase;
butbravecaledonia'sthehypothenuse;
then,ergo,she'llmatchthem,andmatchthemalways.