pride, observe that, from the torch which Franklin kindled by means of his press, in the new world," sparks are already stolen which are lighting up the sacred flame of liberty, virtue, and wisdom, over the entire face of the globe." Be it your part to feed that torch by means of the press, until its divine flame reach the skies!

VERSES,'

SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, L.L. D.
&c. &c.

SINCE 'tis our lot upon this mortal stage,
To combat pain and sickness, grief and age,
Why should we murmur at approaching death?
Or why reluctantly resign our breath?
Our sighs, our anguish, reason disavows,
Since Franklin to the King of terrors bows.
Say, how shall I begin his various praise?
Truth led him through all nature's wond'rous maze. !
Earth! to the sage thy greenest wreaths allow,
Whose wisdom taught the swain to guide the plough.
By reason's laws-to turn the fruitful soil

By useful rules, and scientific toil;
Thy cultivated bosom to adorn

With cooling fruits, and life-sustaining corn;
And prov❜d, philosophy! to thy true friends,
The man, who pants for heav'n, to earth attends.
Ocean! his death thy waters should deplore,
Rolling thy plaintive billows to the shore,

The author unknown.

Where Franklin rests. Thy pow'rs he understood;
Fathom'd thy depths; and analys'd thy flood.
What, tho' he prov'd that earth thy waves restrains,
And rescues from thy reign her hills and plains ?
Still he deserves thy tribute of applause:
Thy properties he knew, and gave thee laws."

Air! in the praises of the sage unite,

Who saw thy paths with more than human sight.
Fair science taught her son the winds to know,
Whence they all come, and whither they must go,
O Electricity! from thee he draws

A large a glorious portion of applause.
Lightning! confess the glory of the sage
Who dar'd. with all thy terrors to engage.
Thy nature he explain'd; and bade us gaze,
Fearless, on thy wide-spreading, quiv'ring blaze.
Humanity! this proof of art applaud :

Ye sceptres! bow to Franklin's glorious rod,
Which draws the furious fluid from its course,
And bids it spend on earth its baffl'd force.

New England! glory in thy foremost son;
What though on earth his honor'd course be run?
Thy fame and his shall evermore endure:
He knew thy rights, and made those rights secure :
Nor thine alone; to him a nation owes

Conquest in war, and now a blest repose-
To him, whose wisdom wond'ring France obey'd,
Whilst Louis glow'd, great Washington to aid.
France! when the awful news shall reach thine ear,
Thy sons in sable garments should appear.
On Passy's plains, from vulgar eyes retir'd,
Lov'd by the good, and by the great admir'd,

Like Sicily's enlighten'd son, serene,

He grasp'd, O policy! thy nice machine,
And mov'd court, city, camps, and plains, to dare
In freedom's cause the glorious toils of war.
France! if to him thou owe that splendid light,
Which sav'd thee from oppression's dreary night,"
Record his name in thy historic page,
There let the statesman triumph with the sage;
And since thy sons philosophy adore,
His death with many a tender sigh deplore,
On whom with wonder all thy sagės gaz'd,

And whom Voltaire with justice oft has prais'd. !!
O Britain! to his memory be just:

A valiant people wars not with the dust.
In youth, to thee by sympathy allied,

He knew thy worth in age he scorn'd thy pride.
His various virtues thou should'st learn to prize;
Checking thy haughtiness, he made thee wise.

But why should partial praise be liis? The mind,
Which labor'd for the good of all mankind,
Due homage should receive, from pole to pole-
Theme of each tongue and pride of ev'ry soul.

Europe! the glories of the sage revere : Free from false pride, and unseduc'd by fear, Who stood, unaw'd, before the Gallic throne,hó, Propt by true worth, and grandeur all his own. O may his lessons spread o'er wond'ring lands, From frozen wilds, to Tagus' golden sands, Till e'en Byzantium shall his genius bless,' And bow at once to freedom and the press! What various blessings from one man may flow, Whom heav'n with sense and virtue taught to glow!

Asia! thy sons his precepts soon shall hear:
Thy tyrants in their turn shall learn to fear;
Whilst chains (so int'rest, join'd with zeal, demands)
Insensibly shall drop from Slav'ry's hands.

Nor be our praises to those arts confin'd

Which seem above its sphere to raise the mind.
Franklin was born life's various scenes to grace,
A bright example to man's erring race.
His splendid worth a willing land confest,
Whilst every gentler virtue warm'd his breast.
Ye, whom vile sophistry oft leads astray,
At Fancy's shrine unworthy vows to pay;
Who, while bold knaves admire, and fools applaud,
First rail at nature, and then sneer at God-

By Franklin taught, the husband's worth approve,
And the soft duties of parental love.

$

How great the merit, and the bliss how sweet,
When in fond union love and science meet!

Thou, Pennsylvania! o'er his ashes bend

Revere the mem❜ry of thy steady friend.
Thee he adopted with parental love;
Daily thy blessings to enhance he strove

True to religion, which detests control,

And guides to heav'n, through Freedom's paths, the soul,

He found religious liberty with thee,

And priz'd thy sons-for they are mild and free.

Then, Pennsylvania! ev'ry tribute pay;

Erect the sculptur'd marble o'er his clay;

Thus youth at equal praise shall boldly aim,

And catch at Franklin's tomb worth's hallow'd flame.

LINES

TO THE MEMORY OF

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.

(BY MR. LAMONT.)

THE nation grieves, surrounding kingdoms mourn,
Their mingling sighs enshrine their favʼrite's urn; ;
Columbia's sons their general loss deplore,

The friend of virtue-FRANKLIN is no more!
Cold lies that heart, which beat for all mankind;
Now lost to all that comprehensive mind:
No more shall age admire, no more the young
Receive the golden lessons from his tongue :
No more Poor Richard's annual tale afford
Instructive converse round the rustic board;
No more correct the proud, inform the gay,
No more the world's calm censor now display.

E'en he who soar'd to heaven, and dar'd to chain
The thunder's flash, and half its rage restrain;
Who saw the midnight sky in gorgeous glow,
And taught mankind the hidden cause to know;
E'en he whom science bade new worlds explore,
With philosophic eye unknown before,
Must yield, alas! to Death's relentless call,
And leave, for happier worlds, this earthly ball,
How poor the plaudit of the sorrowing Muse,
Yet, sacred shade! the generous wish excuse;
Far other praise is thine than poets give,

Through time's vast round thy works shall bid thee live.