Cen'lin, Prince Of Mercia Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABCDDEE FFGGHHIHJJKKLL MMEENNOOPPQRSSTTUUVV WWKK SSXXHBCCYYDDZZA2A2UU B2B2SSIIJJ C2C2DDD2E2EEF2F2GGG2 G2H2H2MI2J2J2UUMMVVK 2K2L2L2GGM2M2L2L2N2N 2EENNO2O2P2P2Q2R2L2L 2 S2S2S2S2T2T2BHSSL2L2 B2B2L2L2U2U2JJS2S2V2 V2TTW2W2VABBHHB2B2S2 S2 AATTX2X2AASABBHHMMS2 S2L2L2S2S2L2L2AAY2Y2 AAAAXXZ2A3S2S2SSI2I2 B3B3U2U2TTAAS2S2L2L2 AAAAIIB3BG2G2AAAAAAS 2S2J2J2B2B2S2S2S2S2U UU2IL2L2S2S2AA AAAAAAUUAAJ2J2CCS2S2 AAS2S2 B3| When Britain many chiefs obey'd | A |
| And seven Saxon princes sway'd | A |
| The Mercian monarch fam'd afar | B |
| In peace respected fear'd in war | C |
| Favour'd by heav'n above the rest | D |
| In his brave son was fully blest | D |
| For none like Cen'lin did arise | E |
| So virtuous elegant and wise | E |
| - | |
| Of partial Mercian eyes the joy | F |
| His parents idoliz'd the boy | F |
| Saw with just pride each op'ning grace | G |
| His charms of mind of form and face | G |
| And as he oft with modest air | H |
| His thoughts and feelings did declare | H |
| His father would delighted hear | I |
| Would fondly drop the grateful tear | H |
| And proudly cast his eyes around | J |
| But not an equal could be found | J |
| Warm from each lip applauses broke | K |
| And every tongue his praises spoke | K |
| The list'ning courtiers spread his fame | L |
| And blessings follow'd Cen'lins name | L |
| - | |
| Now twenty summer's suns had flown | M |
| And Mercia's hopes were fully blown | M |
| When ah conceal'd in coarse disguise | E |
| To Selred's court their darling flies | E |
| Selred his father's scorn and hate | N |
| Became the ruler of his fate | N |
| There flatter'd lov'd the youth remain'd | O |
| Till Cenulph's threats his heir regain'd | O |
| But ah no more the son of mirth | P |
| His pensive eye now sought the earth | P |
| No more within the dance to move | Q |
| Or list to sages did he love | R |
| But from surrounding friends would fly | S |
| To pour in solitude the sigh | S |
| And soon again the youth withdrew | T |
| Again to th' Eastern Saxons flew | T |
| His father heard opprest with woe | U |
| His aged heart forgot to glow | U |
| He learnt his foes an army led | V |
| With youthful Cen'lin at their head | V |
| He call'd his warriors forth to meet | W |
| And stretch the rebel at hit feet | W |
| Tears from his eyes in anguish broke | K |
| As thus the aged monarch spoke | K |
| - | |
| Ye Mercians let your banners fly | S |
| The graceless youth this day shall die | S |
| For since he dares an army bring | X |
| Against his father and his king | X |
| Though dear as life I will not spare | H |
| Nor listen to affection's pray'r | B |
| If all my people should implore | C |
| I'll pardon the rash boy no more | C |
| His harden'd heart to duty blind | Y |
| No ties of gratitude can bind | Y |
| This hoary head would else have rest | D |
| And pleasure warm this aching breast | D |
| Ah cruel youth thy wrongs I feel | Z |
| More deep than wounds of pointed steel | Z |
| For if forlorn the parent's doom | A2 |
| Who bears his offspring to the tomb | A2 |
| Some comfort still his breast may know | U |
| Some soothing thought may calm his woe | U |
| And when he gives a loose to pain | B2 |
| He feels not that he mourns in vain | B2 |
| But fancies still his darling nigh | S |
| And grateful for each bursting sigh | S |
| Still bending o'er with list'ning ear | I |
| Each weeping fond complaint to hear | I |
| The dear lov'd phantom hovers round | J |
| And pours a balm in every wound | J |
| - | |
| How doubly poignant is my smart | C2 |
| Bereaved of my Cen'lin's heart | C2 |
| Exil'd from that deluded breast | D |
| Where I had fondly hop'd to rest | D |
| With faith undoubting sweet repose | D2 |
| Till Death should bid my eye lids close | E2 |
| And sometimes yet will hope arise | E |
| Till now he ever scorn'd disguise | E |
| Some cursed fiend might taint his youth | F2 |
| And warp a temper form'd for truth | F2 |
| When late he humbly knelt for grace | G |
| And clasp'd my knees in close embrace | G |
| Upon his lips a secret hung | G2 |
| But something seem'd to stay his tongue | G2 |
| I prest not for my anger slept | H2 |
| And fondness only saw he wept | H2 |
| Ah fatal haste then had I known | M |
| The serpent I had sav'd my son | I2 |
| Yet surely pardon frank as mine | J2 |
| A noble heart would more confine | J2 |
| When leaguing with my bitter foe | U |
| To strike some grand decisive blow | U |
| Perhaps to rob me of my throne | M |
| And make it ere the time his own | M |
| Or should wan guilt a danger dread | V |
| To humble this devoted head | V |
| Each throbbing pang of conscience drown | K2 |
| And seize with bloody hands the crown | K2 |
| O'er this offence I cast a veil | L2 |
| And fondly hush'd the whisper'd tale | L2 |
| Ah fool deluded by the grace | G |
| Of that fine form and perfect face | G |
| I thought his bosom free from sin | M2 |
| Nor dreamt a demon lurk'd within | M2 |
| His voice which ever could controul | L2 |
| Each passion of the hearer's soul | L2 |
| With ease my partial heart beguil'd | N2 |
| Who knew no sorrows when he smil'd | N2 |
| And ah my friends your downcast eyes | E |
| Your pensive air and smother'd sighs | E |
| All tell me you lament the fate | N |
| Of him whom yet you cannot hate | N |
| And shall I bear then to behold | O2 |
| That form inanimate and cold | O2 |
| His smiling lips depriv'd of breath | P2 |
| His eyes for ever clos'd in death | P2 |
| Ah no my heart with anguish swells | Q2 |
| And every throbbing vein rebels | R2 |
| Let sorrow weep or anger thrill | L2 |
| Yet all the parent triumphs still | L2 |
| - | |
| Oh Father who in mercy reigns | S2 |
| If thy all ruling will ordains | S2 |
| That my unhappy Cen'lin dies | S2 |
| Remove the picture from my eyes | S2 |
| At the same moment set us free | T2 |
| Both rebel sons my God to thee | T2 |
| Thus did the king pour forth his pray'r | B |
| With all the wildness of despair | H |
| Then stilling every rising sigh | S |
| He calm'd the anguish of his eye | S |
| And though within the burthen lay | L2 |
| He wip'd the falling tears away | L2 |
| - | |
| When lo there comes a youthful train | B2 |
| Descending swiftly to the plain | B2 |
| Drest like the fairest sons of day | L2 |
| In floating robes and colours gay | L2 |
| No crested helmets there appear | U2 |
| No glittering shield or pointed spear | U2 |
| But youths with honey suckles crown'd | J |
| Or their fair locks with fillets bound | J |
| Whose circling ranks and varied dyes | S2 |
| Shew'd like the bow that gilds the skies | S2 |
| Whilst in the van a pair were seen | V2 |
| Of peerless charms and graceful mien | V2 |
| One lovely form the Mercians knew | T |
| And gladden'd at the pleasing view | T |
| Who with the glow of youthful prime | W2 |
| Had all the majesty of time | W2 |
| And beauteous was the fair he led | V |
| As any fabled Grecian maid | A |
| The nymphs who tend Aurora's car | B |
| And usher in the morning star | B |
| Though made inhabitants of air | H |
| Were not more elegant and fair | H |
| Nor Dian's ever healthful train | B2 |
| When skimming o'er the spacious plain | B2 |
| Had not more pure more lively dyes | S2 |
| Or brighter lustre in their eyes | S2 |
| - | |
| The king so late by woe deprest | A |
| Felt hope reanimate his breast | A |
| And as his Cen'lin nearer drew | T |
| His waking hopes more vivid grew | T |
| My friends he cried will you believe | X2 |
| That open mien can e'er deceive | X2 |
| That blooming form can e'er unfold | A |
| A heart ungenerous and cold | A |
| That melting softness of the eye | S |
| Can harbour direst cruelty | A |
| Ah no a poison's baleful pow'r | B |
| Lurks not beneath so fair a flow'r | B |
| Nor are those youths with amber hair | H |
| Such as fell treason would prepare | H |
| An aged monarch to dethrone | M |
| And hear unmov'd a father's groan | M |
| Gay are their looks no dark disguise | S2 |
| Dims the mild radiance of their eyes | S2 |
| No murderous thoughts their souls employ | L2 |
| But heralds of transporting joy | L2 |
| They come to bid suspicion cease | S2 |
| And sooth my sorrow into peace | S2 |
| Caution could scarce awhile controul | L2 |
| The strong delights of Cenulph's soul | L2 |
| When Cen'lin knelt and by his side | A |
| Half kneeling bent his lovely bride | A |
| But when he first essay'd to speak | Y2 |
| A hasty blush pass'd o'er his cheek | Y2 |
| He hung awhile his graceful head | A |
| Till thus with air confus'd he said | A |
| I come by love with honours crown'd | A |
| Yet sorrow casts a shade around | A |
| That when my consort here I bring | X |
| The heiress of a potent king | X |
| The Mercians clad in armour come | Z2 |
| To lead their princess to her home | A3 |
| No joyful hail our nuptial greets | S2 |
| No proof of love my Ela meets | S2 |
| But scarlet banners waving high | S |
| The bridal knot and wreath supply | S |
| Alas I see mistrust has won | I2 |
| E'en Cenulph's fondness from his son | I2 |
| Or could my ever honour'd sire | B3 |
| A proof of Cen'lin's faith require | B3 |
| Can force so needful now appear | U2 |
| To aid a pow'r which I revere | U2 |
| When eager beauty's form to view | T |
| I first to Selred's court withdrew | T |
| A single wish thy pow'r maintain'd | A |
| A single wish thy son regain'd | A |
| I left the maid whose matchless charms | S2 |
| Each rooted prejudice disarms | S2 |
| Who rul'd my heart with sovereign sway | L2 |
| And taught a Mercian to obey | L2 |
| Laws that East Saxons can impart | A |
| When wit and beauty string the dart | A |
| Left her when hope my doubts beguil'd | A |
| And on our love her father smil'd | A |
| Oft have I tried to win thine ear | I |
| The fond romantic tale to hear | I |
| But when I found a lonely hour | B3 |
| My coward soul has lost the pow'r | B |
| As on my lips the accents hung | G2 |
| Thy hate to Selred check'd my tongue | G2 |
| Yet flattering hopes my passion fed | A |
| And from thy court again I fled | A |
| I thought when you my fair beheld | A |
| And knew how greatly she excell'd | A |
| In every charm each art refin'd | A |
| And virtue of the female mind | A |
| Thy judgment would approve my choice | S2 |
| And bless it with a cheerful voice | S2 |
| And ah though fortune did combine | J2 |
| With love in making Ela mine | J2 |
| I cannot from a grief refrain | B2 |
| Remembering that I gave thee pain | B2 |
| Yet if thy Cen'lin e'er could please | S2 |
| If e'er my cares could give thee ease | S2 |
| Let mild affection now arise | S2 |
| And beam forgiveness from thine eyes | S2 |
| No more thy son shall make thee know | U |
| A pain or give thee cause of woe | U |
| No nights the Mercians have to fear | U2 |
| For all I love is center'd here | I |
| He spoke and o'er his father's soul | L2 |
| A stream of healing comfort stole | L2 |
| He rose with slow majestic grace | S2 |
| Tears of delight adorn'd his face | S2 |
| His pious heart with rapture glow'd | A |
| And joy a second youth bestow'd | A |
| - | |
| To meet thee thus my son he cried | A |
| This peerless maiden for your bride | A |
| Bids each distressing thought depart | A |
| And joy again possess my heart | A |
| Fair princess thine the happy fate | A |
| To heal the wounds of mutual hate | A |
| No longer shall this bosom know | U |
| An Eastern Saxon as my foe | U |
| And she who bids that passion rest | A |
| Doubt not shall be supremely blest | A |
| The part is holy and benign | J2 |
| Befitting such a form as thine | J2 |
| This day far dearer than before | C |
| Kind heav'n does twice my son restore | C |
| For by those speaking looks I see | S2 |
| Another valued child in thee | S2 |
| - | |
| As then he raised them to his breast | A |
| Around the joyful Mercians prest | A |
| And made their shouts of triumph rise | S2 |
| To the fair concave of the skies | S2 |
| - | |
| - | |
| OCTOBER | B3 |
Matilda Betham
(1)
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Cen'lin, Prince Of Mercia is a poem by Matilda Betham. This page includes the poem text, poet information, related topics, comments, and similar poems.
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