| |
| FAM’D Relic of the Ancient Time, as on thy form I gaze, | |
| My mind reverts to former scenes, to spirit-stirring days: | |
| Guarding their sacred memories, as ashes in an urn, | |
| I muse upon those good old times, and sigh for their return. | |
| |
| The scenes by which thou’rt compass’d now, have little charm for me; | 5 |
| They speak not of the ancient time, as thou, time-honoured tree; | |
| I, therefore, close my eyes against these forms of brick and stone; | |
| Then, boldly, to my mental eye, thou loomest up alone. | |
| |
| And far and wide, on ev’ry side, as on some knoll I stand, | |
| I view a beautiful expanse of rich productive land, | 10 |
| Dotted or margin’d pleasantly with shady tree or grove, | |
| Enliven’d by the songs of birds, which ’mid their branches rove. | |
| |
| From yonder dustless mansion comes its lord, whose heart is seen | |
| Portray’d upon his countenance; of firm, majestic mien; | |
| Laden with Nature’s precious gifts, he scans each orchard tree, | 15 |
| And slowly treads the well-worn path that leads direct to thee. | |
| |
| With joyous eye, while grateful thoughts his noble heart expand, | |
| He looks on thee, his favourite tree, brought from the Fatherland | |
| And lives again in former scenes, when life was in its prime, | |
| And finds the memories of his youth still undestroy’d by time. | 20 |
| |
| Anon, a group of happy youth, from school restraint set free, | |
| Comes shouting round him merrily, in wild and joyous glee; | |
| One, by consent, thy trunk ascends, thy burden’d boughs to shake, | |
| While all of thy delicious fruit most eagerly partake. | |
| |
| Hoboocken now, their tutor, comes devoid of frown and rod, | 25 |
| And with the Governor reclines upon the velvet sod; | |
| Together they enjoy the sport, again are young in heart, | |
| Till, warn’d by day’s decline, they each for happy home depart: | |
| |
| For in a gorgeous couch the sun has calmly sunk to rest, | |
| Behind Wiehacken’s tree-crowned hills, with gemm’d and crimson crest! | 30 |
| And night, o’er forest, glade and stream, her dusky mantel throws, | |
| While silence, beckoning to Fatigue, invites to sweet repose. | |
| |
| Thou saw’st when the Usurper came, the nation to despoil, | |
| Of the dominion exercised upon her rightful soil: | |
| Thou saw’st the throng that gather’d round to carry to the grave, | 35 |
| Thy lord, the last Dutch Governor—the honest and the brave: | |
| |
| When Leisler ruled, who died by fraud—when Kidd the Rover sail’d; | |
| And when the Negroes at the stake in direful accents wail’d; | |
| When infant Liberty assay’d to seek her just redress, | |
| And Zenger gain’d for aftertimes the Freedom of the Press: | 40 |
| |
| When the bold Sons of Liberty the people’s cause espous’d, | |
| Destroy’d the tea, contemned the stamps, and patriot zeal arous’d; | |
| When Tories fled clandestinely, suspicious of the day; | |
| And laurels crown’d the Hundred on the shores of Deutel Bay. | |
| |
| Perchance thou saw’st the patriot band, with dauntless Captain Sears, | 45 |
| Who, with his lead, triumphant rode, among the people’s cheers; | |
| Or gav’st thy fruit to please the taste of Clinton and his corps, | |
| Who ruled, where British power will rule triumphant never more. | |
| |
| For ’twas thy glory to behold (the conflict nobly won), | |
| The entry of that noble band, led on by Washington; | 50 |
| When the sad sighs from Wallabout were hush’d by the applause | |
| Which fill’d the sky above the land where triumphed Freedom’s cause. | |
| |
| Thus to thy shrine, thou ancient tree, will Knickerbockers hie; | |
| And standing on their native soil, beneath their native sky, | |
| In contemplative mood recall, those Names of sterling worth, | 55 |
| Through whom they trace their ancestry—the Noble Men of earth. | |
| |
| O! may thy boughs with blossoms white and living fruit be grac’d, | |
| While Knickerbocker blood can be by Knickerbockers trac’d; | |
| Yea, may’st thou from thy mother earth by time nor man be torn, | |
| Till light no more shall bless the land where Liberty was born. | 60 |
| |
