Monody on the Death of the Right Hon. R. B. Sheridan, Spoken at Drury-Lane Theatre, London

1. 1When the last sunshine of expiring Day
2. 2In Summer's twilight weeps itself away,
3. 3Who hath not felt the softness of the hour
4. 4Sink on the heart, as dew along the flower?
5. 5With a pure feeling which absorbs and awes
6. 6While Nature makes that melancholy pause--
7. 7Her breathing moment on the bridge where Time
8. 8Of light and darkness forms an arch sublime--
9. 9Who hath not shared that calm, so still and deep,
10. 10The voiceless thought which would not speak but weep,
11. 11A holy concord, and a bright regret,
12. 12A glorious sympathy with suns that set?
13. 13'Tis not harsh sorrow, but a tenderer woe,
14. 14Nameless, but dear to gentle hearts below,
15. 15Felt without bitterness--but full and clear,
16. 16A sweet dejection--a transparent tear,
17. 17Unmixed with worldly grief or selfish stain--
18. 18Shed without shame, and secret without pain.
19. 19Even as the tenderness that hour instils
20. 20When Summer's day declines along the hills,
21. 21So feels the fulness of our heart and eyes
22. 22When all of Genius which can perish dies.
23. 23A mighty Spirit is eclipsed--a Power
24. 24Hath passed from day to darkness--to whose hour
25. 25Of light no likeness is bequeathed--no name,
26. 26Focus at once of all the rays of Fame!
27. 27The flash of Wit--the bright Intelligence,
28. 28The beam of Song--the blaze of Eloquence,
29. 29Set with their Sun, but still have left behind
30. 30The enduring produce of immortal Mind;
31. 31Fruits of a genial morn, and glorious noon,
32. 32A deathless part of him who died too soon.
33. 33But small that portion of the wondrous whole,
34. 34These sparkling segments of that circling Soul,
35. 35Which all embraced, and lightened over all,
36. 36To cheer--to pierce--to please--or to appal.
37. 37From the charmed council to the festive board,
38. 38Of human feelings the unbounded lord;
39. 39In whose acclaim the loftiest voices vied,
40. 40The praised--the proud--who made his praise their pride.
41. 41When the loud cry of trampled Hindostan
42. 42Arose to Heaven in her appeal from Man,
43. 43His was the thunder--his the avenging rod,
44. 44The wrath--the delegated voice of God!
45. 45Which shook the nations through his lips, and blazed
46. 46Till vanquished senates trembled as they praised.

1. 47And here, oh! here, where yet all young and warm,
2. 48The gay creations of his spirit charm,
3. 49The matchless dialogue--the deathless wit,
4. 50Which knew not what it was to intermit;
5. 51The glowing portraits, fresh from life, that bring
6. 52Home to our hearts the truth from which they spring;
7. 53These wondrous beings of his fancy, wrought
8. 54To fulness by the fiat of his thought,
9. 55Here in their first abode you still may meet,
10. 56Bright with the hues of his Promethean heat;
11. 57A Halo of the light of other days,
12. 58Which still the splendour of its orb betrays.
13. 59But should there be to whom the fatal blight
14. 60Of failing Wisdom yields a base delight,
15. 61Men who exult when minds of heavenly tone
16. 62Jar in the music which was born their own,
17. 63Still let them pause--ah! little do they know
18. 64That what to them seemed Vice might be but Woe.
19. 65Hard is his fate on whom the public gaze
20. 66Is fixed for ever to detract or praise;
21. 67Repose denies her requiem to his name,
22. 68And Folly loves the martyrdom of Fame.
23. 69The secret Enemy whose sleepless eye
24. 70Stands sentinel--accuser--judge--and spy.
25. 71The foe, the fool, the jealous, and the vain,
26. 72The envious who but breathe in other's pain--
27. 73Behold the host! delighting to deprave,
28. 74Who track the steps of Glory to the grave,
29. 75Watch every fault that daring Genius owes
30. 76Half to the ardour which its birth bestows,
31. 77Distort the truth, accumulate the lie,
32. 78And pile the Pyramid of Calumny!
33. 79These are his portion--but if joined to these
34. 80Gaunt Poverty should league with deep Disease,
35. 81If the high Spirit must forget to soar,
36. 82And stoop to strive with Misery at the door,
37. 83To soothe Indignity--and face to face
38. 84Meet sordid Rage, and wrestle with Disgrace,
39. 85To find in Hope but the renewed caress,
40. 86The serpent-fold of further Faithlessness:--
41. 87If such may be the Ills which men assail,
42. 88What marvel if at last the mightiest fail?
43. 89Breasts to whom all the strength of feeling given
44. 90Bear hearts electric-charged with fire from Heaven,
45. 91Black with the rude collision, inly torn,
46. 92By clouds surrounded, and on whirlwinds borne,
47. 93Driven o'er the lowering atmosphere that nurst
48. 94Thoughts which have turned to thunder--scorch, and burst.

1. 95But far from us and from our mimic scene
2. 96Such things should be--if such have ever been;
3. 97Ours be the gentler wish, the kinder task,
4. 98To give the tribute Glory need not ask,
5. 99To mourn the vanished beam, and add our mite
6. 100Of praise in payment of a long delight.
7. 101Ye Orators! whom yet our councils yield,
8. 102Mourn for the veteran Hero of your field!
9. 103The worthy rival of the wondrous Three!
10. 104Whose words were sparks of Immortality!
11. 105Ye Bards! to whom the Drama's Muse is dear,
12. 106He was your Master--emulate him here!
13. 107Ye men of wit and social eloquence!
14. 108He was your brother--bear his ashes hence!
15. 109While Powers of mind almost of boundless range,
16. 110Complete in kind, as various in their change,
17. 111While Eloquence--Wit--Poesy--and Mirth,
18. 112That humbler Harmonist of care on Earth,
19. 113Survive within our souls--while lives our sense
20. 114Of pride in Merit's proud pre-eminence,
21. 115Long shall we seek his likeness--long in vain,
22. 116And turn to all of him which may remain,
23. 117Sighing that Nature formed but one such man,
24. 118And broke the die--in moulding Sheridan!