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.