Once more Bellona, forc'd upon the stage, Inspires new fury, and awakes her rage, From North to South her thun'dring trumpet spreads Tumults, and war and death, and daring deeds. What breast but kindles at the martial sound? What heart but bleeds to feel its country's wound? For thee, blest freedom, to protect thy sway, We rush undaunted to the bloody fray; For thee, each province arms its vig'rous host, Content to die, e'er freedom shall be lost. Kind watchful power, on whose supreme command The fate of monarchs, empires, worlds depend, Grant, in a cause thy wisdom must approve, Undaunted valour kindled from above, Let not our souls descend to dastard fear, Be valour, prudence both united here, Now as of old thy mighty arm display; Relieve the opprest, and saving power convey. 'Tis done, and see th' omnipotent befriends, The sword of Gideon, and of God descends. Ah, see with grief fair Massachusetts' plains, The seat of war, and death's terrific scenes; Where darling peace with smiling aspect stood, Lo! the grim soldier stalks in quest of blood: What madness, heaven, has made Britannia frown? Who plans our schemes to pull Columbia[A] down? See Boston groan beneath the strong blockade, Her freedom vanish'd, and destroy'd her trade; Injur'd, opprest, no tyrant could exceed The cruel vengeance of so base a deed. New Albion's[B] sons whom honest freedom moves, (My heart admires them, and my verse approves), Tir'd of oppression in a Stuart's reign, A Popish faction, ministerial train; Bravely resolv'd to leave their native shore And some new world, they knew not where, explore, Far in the West, beyond where Poets said, The Sun retir'd, and Cynthia went to bed. Few then had seen the scarce discover'd Bourne, From whence like death yet fewer did return: Dire truths from thence the wand'ring sailor brought, Enlarg'd by terror, and the power of thought, With all the forms that pict'ring fancy gives, With all the dread that in idea lives; Fierce Cannibals that sought the blood of man, Vast cruel tribes that through the desart ran, Giants whose height transcends the tow'ring oak, Brutes with whose screams the trembling forest shook,-- All these and more they held no cause of fear, Since naught but slavery, dreadful could appear. Ah, see the day, distressful to the view, Wives, husbands, fathers, bid a long adieu. Dear native land, how heav'd the heavy sigh, When thy last mountains vanish'd on the eye; Then their frail barks, just enter'd on the sea, Pursu'd the long, uncomfortable way: But pitying heav'n the just design surveys, Sends prosp'rous gales, and wafts them o'er the seas. Behold the shore; no rising cities there, To hail them welcome from the sea appear, In the wild woods the exil'd host were spread, The heavens their covering, and the earth their bed: What expectations but a life of woe?