Page:The West Indies, and Other Poems.djvu/72
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In Glory's circling arms the hero bled,
While Victory bound the laurel on his head:
At once immortal, in both worlds, became
His soaring spirit and abiding name:
—She thought of Pitt, heart-broken, on his bier;
And 'O, my Country!' echoed in her ear;
—She thought of Fox;—she heard him faintly speak,
His parting breath grew cold upon her cheek,
His dying accents trembled into air;
'Spare injured Africa! the Negro spare!'
While Victory bound the laurel on his head:
At once immortal, in both worlds, became
His soaring spirit and abiding name:
—She thought of Pitt, heart-broken, on his bier;
And 'O, my Country!' echoed in her ear;
—She thought of Fox;—she heard him faintly speak,
His parting breath grew cold upon her cheek,
His dying accents trembled into air;
'Spare injured Africa! the Negro spare!'
She started from her trance!—and round the shore,
Beheld her supplicating sons once more
Pleading the suit so long, so vainly tried,
Renew'd, resisted, promised, pledged, denied,
The Negro's claim to all his Maker gave,
And all the tyrant ravish'd from the slave.
Her yielding heart confess'd the righteous claim,
Sorrow had soften'd it, and love o'ercame;
Beheld her supplicating sons once more
Pleading the suit so long, so vainly tried,
Renew'd, resisted, promised, pledged, denied,
The Negro's claim to all his Maker gave,
And all the tyrant ravish'd from the slave.
Her yielding heart confess'd the righteous claim,
Sorrow had soften'd it, and love o'ercame;