Ode on Friendship. 1758

Friendship, all hail! thou dearest tie, We Mortals here below can claim, To blend our else unhappy lives with joy; My breast inspire With thy true genuine fire, While to thy sacred name, I strike the golden lyre. Cloath'd in pure empyrean light, For vulgar eyes thou shin'st too bright; For while they gaze, Thy dazzling rays Dim their too feeble sight; But souls uncloy'd with sensual toys, Souls who seek true mental joys, May Phoenix-like sublimely soar, May all thy heav'nly charms explore, And wanton in the glorious blaze.

O G—*! if now no charming maid Waits thy pencil's pow'rful aid, That when her charms shall fade away, And her pleasing form decay; That when her eyes no more shall roll, Or heaving sighs betray her soul; Still by thy art. The stubborn heart To melt, and into love betray— Attend! I sing that pow'r divine, Whose heav'nly influence sways such souls as thine— Souls, by virtue made the same, FRIENDSHIP'S pow'rful ties may claim: And happy they, Without allay, Blest in the gen'rous flame,

Thus in his tent immur'd THETIS angry son, Forgot the laurels he had won; And whilst love's flames his bosom burn'd, His beauteous captive lost he mourn'd; And Ilium in his grief stood well secur'd: All Graecia's chiefs dismaid, Around him wait, And vainly supplicate his aid. Old Nestor's eloquence was vain, Ulysses cunning could not gain The chief to draw his sword. In angry state, He sullen sate, Nor deign'd to give a word.

But when PATROCLUS' much-lov'd shade, Pale, with blood and dust array'd, Appear'd unto his view; FRIENDSHIP fir'd his godlike breast, Conquer'd love the pow'r confest, And in a sigh withdrew. Thus, the Ghost— "Attend, attend my call! "Let not the vaunting Trojans boast; "But oh! revenge my fall. With rage the Hero's bosom glows, His blood in swifter current flows; See, how his eye-balls roll! And speak the anguish of his soul: Revenge, revenge PATROCLUS cry'd: Quick at the word, He seiz'd his sword, And clasp'd his seven-fold shield; Revenge, revenge, Pelides loud reply'd, And rush'd into the field.

Wild as the wind he went Thro' the astonish'd foe; While death his sad concomitant, Attends each fatal blow. With heaps of slain He strews the plain; As when rough Boreas loudly blows, Huge oaks and lofty pines around he throws. Cowards revive when he appears, And banish from their breasts their fears, Nor death can more affright; His presence ev'ry bosom warms, They clank with horrid din their arms; And with new courage fraught renew the fight, Now shouts around, And dying cries, A horrid sound! Assail the skies, And now the fainting Trojans yield The long disputed honours of the field.

Round the field Achilles flies, For Hector he cries, At length the Trojan chief espies, Horribly glorious midst the war; Upon his bloody shield the God of day, Darts pendant rays; The crimson mirror far Reflects the blaze; And all around him glories play. PATROCLUS' mantle loosely slung, The pledge of brave Achilles' love, And by the fair AEgina wove; Upon his manly shoulder hung.

The fatal spoil Achilles spies, And indignation lightn'd in his eyes, For friendship this, for friendship this, he said, And in his bosom drove the shining blade. Down the mighty Dardan fell, And in a groan exspires; Ill-fated Ilium gave a yell, And dreads her future fires. In vain all-beauteous Venus strove To ward the threatning blow; In vain she mov'd, In vain she lov'd Those raging fires, And wild desires, To Friendship's purer flame must bow. Tho' Love the sensual appetite, Tumultuous raise a while, Friendship yields a calm delight, And will for ever smile.