ODE X

With aspect wild, in ranting strain

You bring the brilliant period near,

When monarchy will close her reign

And wars and warriors disappear;

The lion and the lamb will stray,

And, social, walk the woodland way.

I fear, with superficial view

You contemplate dame nature's plan:—

She various forms of being drew,

And made the common tryant — man:

She form'd them all with wise design,

Distinguish'd each, and drew the line.

Observe the lion's visage bold

His iron tooth, his murderous claw,

His aspect cast in anger's mould;

The strength of steel is in his paw:

Could he be meant with lambs to stray

Or feed along the woodland way?

Since first his race on earth began

War was his trade and war will be:

And when he quits that ancient plan

With milder natures to agree,

He will be changed to something new

And have some other part to do.

One system see through all this frame,

Apparent discord still prevails;

The forest yields to active flame,

The ocean swells with stormy gales;

No season did the God decree

When leagued in friendship these should be.

And do you think that human kind

Can shun the all-pervading law —

That passion's slave we ever find —

Who discord from their nature draw:—

Ere discord can from man depart

He must assume a different heart.

Yet in the slow advance of things

A time may come our race may rise,

By reason's aid to stretch their wings,

And see the light with other eyes;

And when the ancient mist is pass'd;

To find their nature changed at last,

The sun himself, the powers ordain,

Should in no perfect circle stray;

He shuns the equatorial plane,

Prefers an odd serpentine way,

And lessens yearly, sophists prove,

His angle in the voids above.

When moving in his ancient line,

And no oblique ecliptic near,

With some new influence he may shine

But you and I will not be here

To see the lion shed his teeth

Or kings forget the trade of death.