THE FIELD OF WATERLOO. I. FAIR Brussels, thou art far behind, From proud St. Michael's tower; Thy wood, dark Soignies, holds us now, Where the tall beeches' glossy bough For many a league around, With birch and darksome oak between, Spreads deep and far a pathless screen, Of tangled forest ground. Stems planted close by stems defy The adventurous foot-the curious eye For access seeks in vain ; And the brown tapestry of leaves, Strew'd on the blighted ground, receives Nor sun, nor air, nor rain. No opening glade dawns on our way, No streamlet, glancing to the ray, Our woodland path has cross'd; And the straight causeway which we tread, Prolongs a line of dull arcade, Unvarying through the unvaried shade Until in distance lost. 11. A brighter, livelier scene succeeds; But when these ears were green, Placed close within destruction's scope, Full little was that rustic's hope Their ripening to have seen! And, lo, a hamlet and its fane :Let not the gazer with disdain Their architecture view; For yonder rude ungraceful shrine, And disproportion'd spire, are thine, Immortal WATERLOO ! III. Fear not the heat, though full and high Looks on the field below, In easier curves can flow. Brief space from thence, the ground again Ascending slowly from the plain, Forms an opposing screen, Which, with its crest of upland ground, Shuts the horizon all around. The soften'd vale between Slopes smooth and fair for courser's tread; Not the most timid maid need dread Nor fosse nor fence are found, Save where, from out her shatter'd bowers, Rise Hougomont's dismantled towers. And yonder sable tracks remain As Teniers loved to draw; And where the earth seems scorch'd by flame, To dress the homely feast they came, And toil'd the kerchief'd village dame Around her fire of straw. V. So deem'st thou-so each mortal deems, Was gather'd in by sterner hands, With bayonet, blade, and spear. No vulgar crop was theirs to reap, No stinted harvest thin and cheap! Heroes before each fatal sweep Fell thick as ripen'd grain; And ere the darkening of the day, Piled high as autumn shocks, there lay The ghastly harvest of the fray, The corpses of the slain. VI. Ay, look again-that line, so black And close beside, the harden'd mud From yonder trenched mound? VII. Far other harvest-home and feast, Than claims the boor from scythe released, On these scorch'd fields were known! Death hover'd o'er the maddening rout, A summons of his own. Through rolling smoke the Demon's eye Could well each destined guest espy, Well could his ear in ecstasy Distinguish every tone That fill'd the chorus of the frayFrom cannon-roar and trumpet-bray, From charging squadrons' wild hurra, From the wild clang that mark'd their way, Down to the dying groan, When breath was all but flown. Feast on, stern foe of mortal life, Protracted space may last; Still peals that unremitted cry, Though now he stoops to night. For ten long hours of doubt and dread, Fresh succours from the extended head Of either hill the contest fed; Still down the slope they drew, The charge of columns paused not, Nor ceased the storm of shell and shot; For all that war could do Of skill and force was proved that day, And turn'd not yet the doubtful fray On bloody Waterloo. The wounded show'd their mangled plight In token of the unfinish'd fight, Points to his prey in vain, X. "On! On!" was still his stern exclaim; "Confront the battery's jaws of flame! Rush on the levell'd gun! My steel-clad cuirassiers, advance! Each Hulan forward with his lance, My Guard-my Chosen-charge for France, France and Napoleon!" Loud answer'd their acclaiming shout, Came like a beam of light, "England shall tell the fight!" XI. On came the whirlwind-like the last Like lightning through the rolling smoke; And from their throats, with flash and cloud, Their showers of iron threw. Beneath their fire, in full career, Rush'd on the ponderous cuirassier, The lancer couch'd his ruthless spear, And hurrying as to havoc near, The cohorts' eagles flew. In one dark torrent, broad and strong, Peal'd wildly the imperial name. XII. But on the British heart were lost Emerging from the smoke they see Then down went helm and lance, The English horsemen's foaming ranks Forced their resistless way. Then to the musket-knell succeeds As plies the smith his clanging trade, XIII. Then, WELLINGTON! thy piercing eye This crisis caught of destiny The British host had stood That morn 'gainst charge of sword and lance As their own ocean-rocks hold stance, But when thy voice had said, "Advance!" They were their ocean's flood. O Thou, whose inauspicious aim Hath wrought thy host this hour of shame, Think'st thou thy broken bands will bide The terrors of yon rushing tide? Or dost thou turn thine eye Is Blucher yet unknown? Or dwells not in thy memory still, (Heard frequent in thine hour of ill,) What notes of hate and vengeance thrill In Prussia's trumpet tone?— What yet remains ?-shall it be thine To head the relics of thy line In one dread effort more? The Roman lore thy leisure loved, For empire enterprised- Abhorr'd-but not despised. XIV. But if revolves thy fainter thought To gild the military fame Shall future ages tell this tale Or is thy soul like mountain-tide, Whose channel shows display'd The wrecks of its impetuous course, But not one symptom of the force By which these wrecks were made! XV. Spur on thy way!-since now thine ear Has brook'd thy veterans' wish to hear, Who, as thy flight they eyed, Exclaim'd,-while tears of anguish came, Wrung forth by pride, and rage, and shame, "O, that he had but died!" But yet, to sum this hour of ill, Look, ere thou leavest the fatal hill, Back on yon broken ranksUpon whose wild confusion gleams The moon, as on the troubled streams When rivers break their banks, And, to the ruin'd peasant's eye, Objects half seen roll swiftly by, Down the dread current hurl'dSo mingle banner, wain, and gun, Where the tumultuous flight rolls on Of warriors, who, when mom begun, Defied a banded world. XVI. ! List-frequent to the hurrying rout, The stern pursuers' vengeful shout Tells, that upon their broken rear Rages the Prussian's bloody spear. So fell a shriek was none, When Beresina's icy flood Redden'd and thaw'd with flame and blood, And, pressing on thy desperate way, Raised oft and long their wild hurra, The children of the Don.¿ Thine ear no yell of horror cleft Have felt the final stroke; XVII. Since live thou wilt-refuse not now Such homage hath been paid That "yet imperial hope;' We yield thee means or scope. No islet calls thee lord, From which we wrench'd the sword. XVIII. Yet, even in yon sequester'd spot, May worthier conquest by thy lot Than yet thy life has known; Conquest, unbought by blood or harm, That needs nor foreign aid nor arm, A triumph all thine own. Such waits thee when thou shalt control Those passions wild, that stubborn soul, That marr'd thy prosperous scene:— Hear this-from no unmoved heart, Which sighs, comparing what THOU ART With what thou MIGHT'ST HAVE BEEN! XIX. Thou, too, whose deeds of fame renew'd To thine own noble heart must owe Was ever drawn for public weal; XX. Look forth, once more, with soften'd heart, Ere from the field of fame we part; The son, whom, on his native shore, |