Days of my youth, ye have glided away ;
Hairs of my youth, ye are frosted and gray ;
Eyes of my youth, your keen sight is no more ;
Cheeks of my youth, ye are furrowed all o’er ;
Strength of my youth, all your vigor is gone ;
Thoughts of my youth, your gay visions are flown.
Days of my youth, I wish not your recall ;
Hairs of my youth, I’m content ye should fall ;
Eyes of my youth, ye much evil have seen ;
Cheeks of my youth, bathed in tears have ye been ;
Thoughts of my youth, ye have led me astray ;
Strength of my youth, why lament your decay ?
Days of my age, ye will shortly be past ;
Pains of my age, yet a while can ye last ;
Joys of my age, in true wisdom delight ;
Eyes of my age, be religion your light ;
Thoughts of my age, dread ye not the cold sod ;
Hopes of my age, be ye fixed on your God.
This poem is from a newspaper clipping dated December 8, 1893, pasted into The Bradt Family Hair Album in the Brock University Archives. The Bradt family were United Empire Loyalists who settled in Niagara-on-the-Lake and the St. Catharines area.
Above the poem is written:
“A Relic of 1812
The following beautiful lines were among the relics left by Mrs. Susan Dunn, (wife of William Dunn, J.P., late of the township of Wainfleet, and county of Welland, Ont.) and second eldest daughter of the late David Price, who for many years held the position of secretary of the government stores at Fort George, Niagara.”
Beneath the poem is written:
“James Melloy,
Conductor of King’s Stores, &c., &c., &c.
This is for the amiable the Misses Price to learn by heart, which will give great pleasure and joy to their devoted and very humble servant,
James Melloy,
Fort George, at Head Quarters, Oct. 29th, 1812”
Queenstown [i.e. Queenston], Upper Canada on the Niagara by Edward Walsh, c1805 Image courtesy of the Library of Congress
The sun had sunk beneath the western main, ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡And with a parting ray ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡Bid adieu unto the day: ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡ Twilight drew nigh, ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡And purpled o’er the sky, ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡While, smiling in the East, ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡The Queen of night arose, ‡‡‡‡Full orb’d;—in modest majesty ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡Above the hills’ high head ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡She her silver lustre shed, ‡‡‡‡Mild as the evening taper’s blaze. ‡‡‡‡Sweet contemplative hour! ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡Now let me stray,
Unseen by the observing eye of day, ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡For mediation dear, ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡Where the purling rill
Its music breaks upon the listening ear.
Thoughtful I wandered o’er a blooming mead; ‡‡‡‡Reclined beneath a spreading tree, ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡And cast my eyes around. ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡ Full in my face ‡‡‡‡Fair Cynthia pour’d her silver beams, ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡And e’er I was aware ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡The downy hand of sleep ‡‡‡‡Seal’d fast my eyes in pleasing slumbers; — ‡‡‡‡And something fell upon my soul ‡‡‡‡Which o’er my spirit seem’d to meet ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡ Sublimely soothing! ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡And mellow down my feelings, ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡O’er which the tremulous chords
Of plaintive sensibility were strung. ‡‡‡‡Then rose the visions of the night,
And, undisturb’d, their free dominion kept ‡‡‡‡Within the province of any brain. ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡Methought the trump of war ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡Was heard to sound no more; ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡The soldier’s shining blade ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡Was in his scabbard laid;
The cannon with reverberating roar,
Deep-sounding, shook the vaults of heaven no more;
No more it vomited destructive ire,
Or belch’d out death at each convulsive fire! ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡ The bleeding warrior’s sighs ‡‡‡‡No more to Heaven did arise; ‡‡‡‡The widow’s tears had ceas’d to flow, ‡‡‡‡The orphan had forgot his woe,
And Peace, sweet goddess of celestial birth, ‡‡‡‡Reassumed her reign on earth. ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡Joy dwelt in every look; ‡‡‡‡Gladness sat on every face; ‡‡‡‡Thankful man the blessings took ‡‡‡‡As a reward for past distress. ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡QUEENSTON appeared to rise ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡At once before my eyes, ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡And wave full fields of grain ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡Luxuriant o’er the plain.
The battery strong, where, late the cannon’s mouth,
Just pointing thro’ stood threat’ning — charg’d with fate,
Ready to hurl destruction on the foe,
And rival thunder with its dreadful voice,
Disgorging death’s commission! — these same mounds ‡‡‡‡Where mouldering down to common earth, ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡And, crown’d with grassy tops,
They spread their vests of Nature’s carpet green ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡Besprent with op’ning flowers, ‡‡‡‡And the soft notes of warbling birds ‡‡‡‡Succeeded to the roar of arms. ‡‡‡‡Methought a train of youths I saw, ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡Each with a garland crown’d, ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡And on each breast was bound ‡‡‡‡A golden plate, on which engrav’d
Britannia sat, reclining on her spear. ‡‡‡‡At her right hand appear’d an urn ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡Of gold beset with pearls, ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡Transmuted from her tears, ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡With the inscription on it:
“Here are inclos’d the ashes of my BROCK.” ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡With solemn silent step, ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡In order they advanc’d ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡Towards a new-raised pile: — ‡‡‡‡It was a marble monument, — ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡A tribute to the chief, ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡Who fell upon the spot: —
‘Twas built in memory of our hero BROCK. — ‡‡‡‡And here these youths repair’d to pay ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡The debt of gratitude ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡Due from a generous mind, ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡Due from the virtuous brave,— ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡Due to superior merit. ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡A youth whose graceful mien ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡Was pleasing to behold,
When they were gather’d round the monument, ‡‡‡‡In words like these began to speak : — ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡“War was our country’s lot : — ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡The enemy advanc’d, ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡And with unhallowed step ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡Defil’d our peaceful shores. ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡Our hero took the field, ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡And with him march’d a band ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡Of generous hearted youths ‡‡‡‡Who, prompted by their country’s good, ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡The shock of war withstood. ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡BROCK led these heroes on; ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡And, e’er they left the field,
The song of triumph flow’d from every tongue! ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡Brave youths! can we forget ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡Your efforts generous while ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡Our hearts shall beat? — Ah no! —
Cold be those hearts in death that can forget you, —
That can forget your patriotic deeds! ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡“But ah! the fatal day ‡‡‡‡Which saw our country’s enemy ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡Advance on Queenston Heights: — ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‘Twas then the hand of death ‡‡‡‡Fixt on our hero’s mortal part, ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡With his cold gathering grasp, ‡‡‡‡And snapt the brittle thread of life! ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡He rush’d to meet the foe — ‡‡‡‡His bosom caught the shaft of death — ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡He fell — he soon expir’d! — ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡The saddening news was heard, ‡‡‡‡“Since heaven hath given our country peace, ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡And still’d the storm of war, ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡And granted us the means ‡‡‡‡This pile of gratitude to rear; ‡‡‡‡Let us return our thanks to Heaven ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡For all these mercies given, ‡‡‡‡And then the tribute of a tear ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡Pay to him whose dust lies buried here.
“Almighty God! supremely good and just,
To whom we look for help, in whom we trust,
Vouchsafe to hear the thanks our hearts would pay
To thine Eternal Majesty this day.
We own the power of thine extended hand,
Which drove invasion from our native land,
And bade contending powers from conflict cease,
And join their hands in mutual love and peace.
May peace continue, and concord abound,
Thou Sire of being! all the world around.” ‡‡‡‡He paus’d respectfully, — then broke ‡‡‡‡The solemn silence, and thus spoke: — ‡‡‡‡Each soldier’s bosom felt the stroke, ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡And heaved in speechless woe! — ‡‡‡‡But gathering like a cloud the foe ‡‡‡‡Advanc’d and thicken’d on the field. ‡‡‡‡Ready for combat our brave band ‡‡‡‡Like lions rush’d amidst the fight, ‡‡‡‡Then ghastly death stalk’d hideous round ‡‡‡‡And fell’d his victims to the ground; ‡‡‡‡Amidst the rage of carnage stood ‡‡‡‡Grimly majestic, smear’d with blood! — ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡But e’er the rolling sun ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡Sunk down the steep of night, ‡‡‡‡The deaf’ning cannon ceas’d to roar, ‡‡‡‡The clank of arms was heard no more, ‡‡‡‡The joyful tidings flew around, — ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‘The victory is ours!’ ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡“But sadness damp’d the joy in every breast; — ‡‡Sorrow sat heavy at each heart; — ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡’‡‡‡‡‡‡‡Alas, our chief was slain! — ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡’‡‡‡‡‡‡‡No more the generous smile — ‡‡No more commanding dignity ‡‡Shone in his countenance, — cold death — ‡‡Cold, icy death sat silent there! — ‡‡Yet still his memory blooms afresh, ‡‡The fragrance of his virtues rises ‡‡In grateful odours to the soul ‡‡That knows to value worth and merit, ‡‡Which he in measure large possess’d.
“When duty call’d him to the helm of th’ state,
He found our country on the brink of fate.
A treas’nous faction burning to display
Rebellion’s ensigns, in her bosom lay:
Without, a numerous and insulting foe,
Threat’ning to strike th’exterminating blow.
He saw the danger — mark’d — pursu’d his plan,
And magic influence with his measures ran:
O’er discord’s strings his master hand he threw;
Faction was silent, and her friends withdrew:
The undetermined bosom he inspir’d;
The lukewarm heart with patriot ardour fir’d;
He taught us conquest in th’unequal strife,
And seal’d us victory with his valu’d life.
“His mind was noble, — all his actions great;
Fitly he held the guiding reins of state;
Compassion, pity, justice moved his soul,
Nor e’er he swerved from their divine control.”
Thus spoke the youth, and with a melting heart
Each stander by sustain’d an equal part;
Tears following tears the soul’d emotions spoke,
While sighs responsive from each bosom broke.
In weeping charms the virgin band appear’d,
Which struck my soul with softness as I heard:
Involuntary tears began to flow;
I join’d in concert in the scene of woe,
‘Till, quite absorb’d in the heart melting theme,
Sudden I woke, and found it all a dream: —
Yet such our Brock, and such the patriot band
Who fought and conquered under his command.
Adam Hood Burwell published poems under the pen name Erieus, the “Pioneer Poet of Upper Canada.” Read about Burwell
Source: MacDonald, Mary Lu. “New” Poems of Adam Hood Burwell. canadianpoetry.org/volumes/vol18/macdonald.html, 5/12/2020. Originally published in the Canadian Review and Literary and Historical Journal, No. III (March 1825)
Daredevils have been at the Falls
1812 brought us cannon balls
Laura Secord was dear
Warned British the U.S. was near
Now we fight to get parked at the mall
