Page:A poetic survey round Birmingham - James Bisset - 1800.pdf/40

Then Buckles grac'd each shoe—then fancy reign'd,
And honors crown'd the laurels labor gain'd:
0! Birmingham then triumphd—Commerce smil'd,
And Vulcan's sons from morn till ev'ning toild:
Then whirling lathes, and stamps' tremendous sound,
With tinkling Hammers, were in concert found;
Illuminations, grand, burſt on the sight,
When workmens' lamps illum'd each shop at night.
Then children carol'd songs, devoid of guile,
Responsive to the sound of forge or file.
Then Art and Science, hand in hand were found,
And Vulcan seem'd to toil on magic ground.

O sad reverse—how many rue the day,
Aince fickle fashion wrought a trade's decay?
A Fancy trade—from whence the poor deriv'd
A constant bread—and thousands daily thriv’d.

Let not the great, who now in splendor roll,
On Arts fastidious gaze, with narrow soul;
O let not Av'rice sway the nobler mind!
To works of Art and Genius be not blind;
The poor look up, with confidence, to you,
Then grant to modest worth whate'er is due.

How many Men of Talents oft you'll meet,
With pensive looks, bare clothes and shoeleſs feet,
Who ne'er knew penury till trade grew dead,
Forlorn and wretched, pining now for bread:
How many Wives, alas, their Husbands mourn,
How many Children, pant their Sires' return;