Elegy, supposed to be written on a field of battle / [Anon].

  • Hancock, Thomas, 1783-1849
Date:
1818
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Elegy, supposed to be written on a field of battle / [Anon]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    (Here late with rural beauty nature smil’d, And sylvan Music charm’d the flowery mead ;)— Ah, where shall flee the shiv’ring houseless child ? What friendly covert shade its orphan’d head ? What u tender mercies” urg’d the ruffian band. To save the offspring of the slaughter’d sire; That fired the peaceful cot with impious hand, Nor spared the victim of unchaste desire ? Did aught their leader’s savage breast control ? Could human feelings melt that heart of steel ? Did Memory1 wake the scorpion of his soul, And pierce the only fibre that could feel ? But what avails one wretched fate to mourn— Of one sad stricken murd’rer to complain ? Thousands are left as wretched and forlorn— Thousands were murd’rers—tens of thousands slain