Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, STANZAS WRITTEN AFTER THE FUNERAL OF ADMIRAL SIR DAVID MILNE, by DAVID MACBETH MOIR


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

STANZAS WRITTEN AFTER THE FUNERAL OF ADMIRAL SIR DAVID MILNE, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Another, yet another! Year by year
Last Line: The name of milne shall be an honour'd name.
Alternate Author Name(s): Delta
Subject(s): Death; Funerals; Graves; Milne, Admiral Sir David (1763-1845); Dead, The; Burials; Tombs; Tombstones


I.

ANOTHER, yet another! year by year
As time progresses with resistless sweep,
Sever'd from life, the patriots disappear,
Who bore St George's standards o'er the deep:

II.

Heroic men, whose decks were Britain's trust,
When banded Europe scowl'd around in gloom;
Nor least, though latest Thou, whose honour'd dust
Our steps this day have follow'd to the tomb.

III.

Yet, gallant Milne, what more could'st thou desire,
Replete in fame, in years, and honour, save
To wrap thy sea-cloak round thee, and expire,
Where thou had'st lived in glory, on the wave?

IV.

From boyhood to thy death-day, 'mid the scenes
Where love is garner'd, or the brave have striven,
With scarce a breathing-time that intervenes,
Thy life was to our country's service given.

V.

A British sailor! 'twas thy proud delight
Up glory's rugged pathway to aspire;
Ready in council, resolute in fight,
And Spartan coolness temper'd Roman fire!

VI.

Yes; sixty years have pass'd, since, in thy prime,
Plunging from off the shatter'd Blanche, o'erboard
Amid the moonlight waves, 'twas thine to climb
La Pique's torn side, and take the Frenchman's sword.

VII.

And scarcely less remote that midnight dread,
Or venturous less that daring, when La Seine
Dismay'd, dismasted, cumber'd with her dead,
Struck to the ship she fled—and fought in vain.

VIII.

And veterans now are all, who, young in heart,
Burn'd as they heard, how o'er the watery way,
Compell'd to fight, yet eager to depart,
The Vengeance battled through the livelong day—

IX.

Battled with thee, who, steadfast on her track,
Not to be shaken off, untiring bent;
And how awhile the fire from each grew slack,
The shatter'd masts to splice, and riggings rent;

X.

And how, at dawn, the conflict was renewed,
Muzzle to muzzle, almost hand to hand,
Till useless on the wave, and carnage-strew'd,
The foe lay wreck'd on St Domingo's strand;

XI.

And how huzza'd his brave triumphant crew,
And how the hero burn'd within his eye,
When Milne beheld upon the staff, where flew
The tricolor, the flag of Britain fly!

XII.

And yet once more thy country calls!—beneath
The towers and demi-lune of dark Algiers
The Impregnable is anchor'd, in the teeth
Of bomb-proof batteries, frowning, tiers on tiers.

XIII.

Another day of triumph for the right—
Of laurels fresh for Exmouth and for thee—
When Afric's Demon, palsied at the sight
Of Europe's Angel, bade the slave go free!

XIV.

But when away War's fiery storms had burn'd,
And Peace regladden'd Earth with skies of blue,
Thy sword into the pruning-hook was turn'd,
And Cæsar into Cincinnatus grew.

XV.

The poor's protector, the unbiass'd judge,
'Twas thine with warm unwearied zeal to lend
Time to each duty's call, without a grudge—
The Christian, and the Patriot, and the Friend.

XVI.

Farewell! 'tis dust to dust within the grave;
But while one heart beats high to Scotland's fame,
Best of the good, and bravest of the brave,
The name of Milne shall be an honour'd name.





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