Swanlinbar, a Poem. 1787

Thy lawns, sweet village, and thy shady hills, Thy stately fir groves, whose condensing leaves Shade sultry Summer from the blooming maid; Thy airy mountains, tow'ring towards the Heaven, Adorned by Nature with rude majesty, Adown whose sloping sides the bleating lamb And skipping goat the with'ring herbage crop; Thy prospects, beautiful and picturesque, Invite the Muse; the willing Muse attends, And in thy praise she strikes the warbling lyre.

Health and contentment, prime of earthly bliss, In thee, O Village, dwell, and love to dwell. Health in thy potent vivifying springs, Or in thy balmy soft refreshing gales; Content in all the blessings thou bestow'st: Here, wither'd beauty oft reviv'd its bloom, And age decay'd its pristine strength regain'd, You graceful form emaciated once By the consuming burning fever's flame, By luxury, and ev'ry perilous pleasure, Long courted Physic's aiding power in vain; How oft in vain prescrib'd thy deep learn'd sons, O, Aesculapius; in vain apply'd Th' afflicted youth to medicinal skill: But now he walks robust, and more robust Each passing day, and plainly in his visage Sits rosy health, and lo! the florid cheek Late wan and pale, sad spectacle of woe! He lives restor'd by thy salubrious air, Or by thy ever efficacious spas.

But languid flows the inharmonious verse, Till fir'd by Gresson's soft endearing smile, The Muse inspir'd pursues the pleasing task, And tunes to thee one tributary line; To thee, fair blooming daughter of the day! Who mov'st majestic, like Idalia's queen, Attended by the dimpled smiles and loves.

Led by thy impulse, Curiosity! To see bright Nature smiling all around I've climb'd Binnaughlin's difficult ascent, From whence I've often seen, and joy'd to see Delightful Florence-Court, th' enchanting seat Of female Beauty, and each softer grace That e'er adorn'd the fair, endearing sex: The seat of Virtue, heaven-descended Virtue, In ENNISKILLEN's gentle self she lives.

Behold th' industrious cottagers around, (My guide, informing said, and stretch'd his hand) The children once of hapless Poverty! By thy benevolence assisted all. O, ENNISKILLEN, affable and good, And stimulated by thy bright example, They from their dormant souls shook drowsy sloth, And while the sun illumes the golden day, In wholesome labour are they all employ'd, And in the evening bless thy gen'rous name.

Unnumber'd beauties strike th' admiring eye, Binnaughlin, from thy airy eminence; There Quilea rears its cloud cap'd head aloft; In gloomy majesty the sides appear, Clad with the fable horror of the heath: From thence the noble Shannon takes its source: Gently and soft at first it glides along, Soon with collected strength the waters rush, And rapid sweep the wasting banks away.

Yon ofiers bending with the western blast, Direct the wond'ring eye to that gay vale Where silver Arney in meanders flows; And where Lake Erne shews its num'rous isles, Adorn'd with all the pomp of Sylvan pride, 'Mid which appears an island small and brave, Fam'd Enniskillen, in historic page Glory commemorates thy valiant sons, Immortalized with martial panegyric, They live the lustre of thy lasting name!

From mighty Quilea's bleak cerulean height, What seem huge mountains from the plains below, Now shew quite level with the vast expanse; Here even the warm poetic blood is chill'd, What colds, what killing colds! and to the west, In horrid sterile gloominess appear Unpleasing sight, dull Leitrim's dreary plains; Unlike thy lawns, O Cavan, where Ceres smiles, And at her smile comes with a copious horn, Auspicious Plenty, round her golden head, A wreath of peaceful olive's intertwin'd.

Ill it befits Ierne's meanest son To soar aloft. Illustrious HAYLEY's pen, He whose immortal character is fix'd On the firm basis of establish'd fame, Alone cou'd cope with this descriptive theme.

To please the ear of Beauty have I sung, Nor vainly sung, if Margaret gives the sprig Of odorous myrtle as the fair reward; "Here as the light-wing'd moments glide serene," In sweet Seclusion's bower I woo the Muse, Salubrious village, to resound thy praise; May'st thou increase and ever flourish fair, Deck'd by thy GRESSON's still improving hand.