When Xerxes, raving at his sire's disgrace, Pour'd his dark millions on the coast of Thrace, O'er groaning Hellespont his broad bridge hurl'd, Hew'd ponderous Athos from the trembling world, Still'd with his weight of ships the struggling main, And bound the billows in his boasted chain, Wide o'er proud Macedon he wheel'd his course, Thrace, Thebes, Thessalia join'd his furious force. Thro six torn states his hovering swarms increase, And hang tremendous on the skirts of Greece; Deep groan the shrines of all her guardian gods, Sad Pelion shakes, divine Olympus nods, Shock'd Ossa sheds his hundred hills of snow, And Tempe swells her murmuring brook below; Wild in her starts of rage the Pythian shrieks, Dodona's Oak the pangs of nature speaks, Eleusis quakes thro all her mystic caves, And black Trophonius gapes a thousand graves. But soon the freeborn Greeks to vengeance rise, Brave Sparta springs where first the danger lies, Her self-devoted Band, in one steel'd mass, Plunge in the gorge of death, and choke the Pass, Athenian youths, the unwieldy war to meet, Couch the stiff lance, or mount the well arm'd fleet; They sweep the incumber'd seas of their vast load, And fat their fields with lakes of Asian blood. So leapt our youths to meet the invading hordes, Fame fired their courage, freedom edged their swords. Gates in their van on high-hill'd Bemus rose, Waved his blue steel and dared the headlong foes; Undaunted Lincoln, laboring on his right, Urged every arm, and gave them hearts to fight; Starke, at the dexter flank, the onset claims, Indignant Herkimer the left inflames; He bounds exulting to commence the strife. And buy the victory with his barter'd life. And why, sweet Minstrel, from the harp of fame Withhold so long that once resounding name? The chief who, steering by the boreal star, O'er wild Canadia led our infant war, In desperate straits superior powers display'd, Burgoyne's dread scourge, Montgomery's ablest aid; Ridgefield and Compo saw his valorous might With ill-arm'd swains put veteran troops to flight. Tho treason foul hath since absorb'd his soul, Bade waves of dark oblivion round him roll, Sunk his proud heart abhorrent and abhorr'd, Effaced his memory and defiled his sword; Yet then untarnisht roll'd his conquering car; Then famed and foremost in the ranks of war Brave Arnold trod; high valor warm'd his breast, And beams of glory play'd around his crest. Here toils the chief; whole armies from his eye Resume their souls, and swift to combat fly.