reminiscences of oxford.
27
And o'er the silent quad its shadows fling!
In its far-famed hall, with pride I have seen,
Bishops and Cardinals, with Kings and Deans,
Noble Knights, Chancellors, and British Queens.
Before the portrait of a handsome knight,
Truthful to nature and full of life,
My mother stood, her eyes suffused with tears,
Pale with emotion, and with heart-felt sigh
She pressed my hand, drew me to her side,—
With gentle accents, and voice so mild,
Whisper'd, "It is my Father,a my own dear child,
Would that he could speak—for a moment live,—
That I once more could hear his kindly voice,
And to my only child his blessing give:—
Oh! Canada, how short his sovereign rule o'er thee!
Beloved and honoured, regretted, mourned was he,
When far from his own fair land, alas!
Away from earth to Heaven's bliss he passed;
From Canada, thy faithful pine-clad shore,
A sad and cheerless burden 'The Warspite' bore,
Its governor, beneath whose too short sway
Thy faithful and rich verdant province lay;
The fatal sign, lowered o'er the main,
With swelling sails she sweeps once more again!"
We leave the hall, descend the steps with care,
To breathe once more the soft and balmy air:
In its far-famed hall, with pride I have seen,
Bishops and Cardinals, with Kings and Deans,
Noble Knights, Chancellors, and British Queens.
Before the portrait of a handsome knight,
Truthful to nature and full of life,
My mother stood, her eyes suffused with tears,
Pale with emotion, and with heart-felt sigh
She pressed my hand, drew me to her side,—
With gentle accents, and voice so mild,
Whisper'd, "It is my Father,a my own dear child,
Would that he could speak—for a moment live,—
That I once more could hear his kindly voice,
And to my only child his blessing give:—
Oh! Canada, how short his sovereign rule o'er thee!
Beloved and honoured, regretted, mourned was he,
When far from his own fair land, alas!
Away from earth to Heaven's bliss he passed;
From Canada, thy faithful pine-clad shore,
A sad and cheerless burden 'The Warspite' bore,
Its governor, beneath whose too short sway
Thy faithful and rich verdant province lay;
The fatal sign, lowered o'er the main,
With swelling sails she sweeps once more again!"
We leave the hall, descend the steps with care,
To breathe once more the soft and balmy air:
