I feel these eyes suffus'd by gushing tears, ΤΟ MR JOHN SALT, OF LICHFIELD,* ON HAVING READ SOME OF HIS COMPOSITIONS ON A RAINY EVENING, IN AUGUST, 1789. LATE on a sullen Summer night But, leaving metaphoric lays, Let me, ingenuous Youth, impart, Warm in the glow of honest praise, Fond, local hopes to see thy name Increase the claims to classic art, Philosophy and high desert, That raise thy LICHFIELD to the heights of Fame. * Since Dr Salt, of Birmingham. ON THE SUDDEN DEATH OF THE CELEBRATED MR NORRIS, OF OXFORD, BATCHELOR OF MUSIC. INSTANT the mortal stroke the warbler smote! Ah, NORRIS, thine! whom Albion heard so long * He died September the 3d, 1790, the week after he had conducted the Musical Festival, at Birmingham. He sung in the New Church in that town, "Thy rebuke hath broken his heart," from the MESSIAH, with great feeling, after he had been treated with cruel disrespect by a part of his audience the preceding evening, who hissed, on a mistaken supposition that he was intoxicated, when they saw him so much oppressed by a song of parental woe, in JEPTHA, that he was unable to finish it, High o'er the numerous band we saw him late, Saw choirs combin'd his graceful mandate wait; And heard the too, too applicable lay His drooping spirit's mild complaint convey Of that injurious, that ungrateful sound, Which the shock'd ear with ruthless force could wound, For that his trembling nerves, oppress'd with pain, Whelm'd in resistless tears one tender strain. Oh, when that powerful voice, in peals of praise, Led the loud chorus through the harmonic maze, Breath'd the pathetic song, that on the breast Religious awe, and contrite grief imprest, How little we divin'd, who heard ere while His full notes floating through the vaulted aisle, That death's dark clouds around the minstrel hung, That the sweet Swan his own sad requiem sung! ON MAJOR ANDRE. SERIOUS EPIGRAM TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH.* IN youth's gay bloom illustrious André died, Glory, in characters of living gold, Writes on his sacred shrine the patriot name, It is gratifying to see this tribute of generous eulogy paid to the memory of a gallant, unfortunate English officer, by a Frenchman, whose nation was at war with ours, at the period of Major André's death. |