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POETRY. 



ODE to the New Year.* By H. J. Pye, Esq. Poet Laureat. 

 Performed January 18, at St. James s. 



I. 



INCESSANT down the stream of Time, 

 And days, and years, and ages, roll, 

 Speeding through Error's iron clime 



To dark Oblivion's goal ; 

 Lost in the gulf of night profound, 

 No eye to mark their shadowy bound, 

 Unless the deed of high renown, 

 The warlike Chief's illustrious crown, 

 Shed o'er the darkling void a dubious fame. 

 And gild the passing hour with some immortal name. 



II, 



Yet, evanescent as the fleeting cloud, 



Driv'n by the wild winds o'er the varying skies, 

 Are all the glories of the great and proud. 



On Rumour's idle breath that faintly rise. 



A thousand garbs their forms assume, 



Woven in vain Conjecture's loom ; 



Their dyes a thousand hues display. 



Sporting in Fancy's fairy ray ; 



Changing with each uncertain blast, 



Till, melting from the eyes at last. 

 The shadowy vapours fly before the wind, 

 Sink into viewless air, " nor leave a rack behind." 



III. 

 But if the raptur'd train, whom Heaven inspires 



Of glory to record each deathless meed, 

 Tune to heroic worth their golden lyres. 



And give to memory each godlike deed, 



' The ab6ve stanzas are the first and concluding ones of Mr. Pye's Carmen 



Seculare 



