The Poetical Works of Thomas Tickell/An Imitation of the Prophecy of Nereus
AN IMITATION
OF
THE PROPHECY OF NEREUS,
FROM HOR. BOOK III. ODE XXV.
Dicam insigne, recens, adbuc
Indictum ore alio: non secus in jugis
Ex somnis stupet Evias
Hebrum prospiciens, et nive candidam
Thracen, ac pede barbaro
Lustratam Rhodopen.HOR.
Indictum ore alio: non secus in jugis
Ex somnis stupet Evias
Hebrum prospiciens, et nive candidam
Thracen, ac pede barbaro
Lustratam Rhodopen.HOR.
As Marr his round one morning took,
(Whom some call Earl and some call Duke)
And his new brethren of the blade
Shiv'ring with fear and frost survey'd,
On Perth's bleak hills he chanc'd to spy 5
An aged wizard six feet high,
With bristled hair and visage blighted,
Walley'd, barehaunch'd, and secondsighted,
The grisly sage in thought profounded
Beheld the chief with back so round, 10
Then roll'd his eyeballs to and fro
O'er his paternal hills of snow,
And into these tremendous speeches
Broke forth the prophet without breeches:
"Into what ills betray'd by thee 15
"This ancient kingdom do I see!
"Her realms unpeopled and forlorn;
"Wae's me that ever thou wert born!
"Proud English loons (our Clans o'ercome)
"On Scottish pads shall amble home; 20
"I see them drest in bonnets blue,
"(The spoils of thy rebellious crew)
"I see the target cast away,
"And checker'd plaid become their prey;
"The checker'd plaid, to make a gown 25
"For many a lass in London town.
"In vain thy hungry mountaineers
"Come forth in all thy warlike geers,
"The shield, the pistol, durk, and dagger,
"In which they daily wont to swagger, 30
"And oft' have sally'd out to pillage
"The henroosts of some peaceful village,
"Or while their neighbours were asleep
"Have carry'd off a lowland sheep.
"What boots thy highborn host of beggars, 35
"Macleans, Mackenzies, and Macgregors,
"With Popish cutthroats, perjur'd ruffians,
"And Forster's troop of ragamuffins?
"In vain thy lads around thee bandy,
"Inflam'd with bagpipe and with brandy. 40
"Doth not bold Sutherland the trusty,
With heart so true and voice so rusty,
"(A loyal soul!) thy troops affright,
"While hoarsely he demands the fight?"
"Doft thou not gen'rous llay dread, 45
"The bravest hand, the wisest head?
"Undaunted dost thou hear th' alarms
"Of hoary Athol sheath'd in arms?
"Douglas, who draws his lineage down
"From thanes and peers of high renown, 50
"Fiery and young, and uncontroll'd,
"With knights and squires, and barons bold,
(His noble household band) advances,
"And on the milkwhite courser prances
"Thee Forfar to the combat dares, 55
"Grown swarthy in Iberian wars;
"And Monro kindled into rage
"Sourly defies thee to engage;
"He'll rout thy foot tho' ne'er so many,
"And horse to boot—if thou hadst any. 60
"But see Argyle with watchful eyes
"Lodg'd in his deep entrenchments lies;
"Couch'd like a lion in thy way
"He waits to spring upon his prey,
"While like a herd of tim'rous deer 65
"Thy army shakes and pants with fear,
"Led by their doughty gen'ral's skill
"From frith to frith, from hill to hill.
"Is thus thy haughty promise paid
"That to the Chevalier was made, 70
"When thou didst oaths and duty barter
"For dukedom, gen'ralship, and garter?
"Three moons thy Jemmy shall command
"With Highland sceptre in his hand,
"Too good for his pretended birth,— 75
"Then down shall fall the King of Perth.
"'Tis so decreed; for George shall reign,
"And traitors be forsworn in vain;
"Heav'n shall for ever on him smile,
"And bless him still with an Argyle; 80
"While thou pursu'd by vengeful foes,
"Condemn'd to barren rocks and snows,
"And hinder'd passing Inverlocky,
"Shall burn thy clan and curse poor Jocky." 84
(Whom some call Earl and some call Duke)
And his new brethren of the blade
Shiv'ring with fear and frost survey'd,
On Perth's bleak hills he chanc'd to spy 5
An aged wizard six feet high,
With bristled hair and visage blighted,
Walley'd, barehaunch'd, and secondsighted,
The grisly sage in thought profounded
Beheld the chief with back so round, 10
Then roll'd his eyeballs to and fro
O'er his paternal hills of snow,
And into these tremendous speeches
Broke forth the prophet without breeches:
"Into what ills betray'd by thee 15
"This ancient kingdom do I see!
"Her realms unpeopled and forlorn;
"Wae's me that ever thou wert born!
"Proud English loons (our Clans o'ercome)
"On Scottish pads shall amble home; 20
"I see them drest in bonnets blue,
"(The spoils of thy rebellious crew)
"I see the target cast away,
"And checker'd plaid become their prey;
"The checker'd plaid, to make a gown 25
"For many a lass in London town.
"In vain thy hungry mountaineers
"Come forth in all thy warlike geers,
"The shield, the pistol, durk, and dagger,
"In which they daily wont to swagger, 30
"And oft' have sally'd out to pillage
"The henroosts of some peaceful village,
"Or while their neighbours were asleep
"Have carry'd off a lowland sheep.
"What boots thy highborn host of beggars, 35
"Macleans, Mackenzies, and Macgregors,
"With Popish cutthroats, perjur'd ruffians,
"And Forster's troop of ragamuffins?
"In vain thy lads around thee bandy,
"Inflam'd with bagpipe and with brandy. 40
"Doth not bold Sutherland the trusty,
With heart so true and voice so rusty,
"(A loyal soul!) thy troops affright,
"While hoarsely he demands the fight?"
"Doft thou not gen'rous llay dread, 45
"The bravest hand, the wisest head?
"Undaunted dost thou hear th' alarms
"Of hoary Athol sheath'd in arms?
"Douglas, who draws his lineage down
"From thanes and peers of high renown, 50
"Fiery and young, and uncontroll'd,
"With knights and squires, and barons bold,
(His noble household band) advances,
"And on the milkwhite courser prances
"Thee Forfar to the combat dares, 55
"Grown swarthy in Iberian wars;
"And Monro kindled into rage
"Sourly defies thee to engage;
"He'll rout thy foot tho' ne'er so many,
"And horse to boot—if thou hadst any. 60
"But see Argyle with watchful eyes
"Lodg'd in his deep entrenchments lies;
"Couch'd like a lion in thy way
"He waits to spring upon his prey,
"While like a herd of tim'rous deer 65
"Thy army shakes and pants with fear,
"Led by their doughty gen'ral's skill
"From frith to frith, from hill to hill.
"Is thus thy haughty promise paid
"That to the Chevalier was made, 70
"When thou didst oaths and duty barter
"For dukedom, gen'ralship, and garter?
"Three moons thy Jemmy shall command
"With Highland sceptre in his hand,
"Too good for his pretended birth,— 75
"Then down shall fall the King of Perth.
"'Tis so decreed; for George shall reign,
"And traitors be forsworn in vain;
"Heav'n shall for ever on him smile,
"And bless him still with an Argyle; 80
"While thou pursu'd by vengeful foes,
"Condemn'd to barren rocks and snows,
"And hinder'd passing Inverlocky,
"Shall burn thy clan and curse poor Jocky." 84