Ode to Adversity

— — Ζῆνα ... τὸν ϕρονεῖν βροτοὺς ὁδώ — σαντα , τῷ πάθει μαθάν Θέντα κυρίως ἔχειν .

Aeschylus , in Agamemnone . Daughter of Jove , relentless power , Thou tamer of the human breast , Whose iron scourge and torturing hour , The bad affright , afflict the best ! Bound in thy adamantine chain The proud are taught to taste of pain , And purple tyrants vainly groan With pangs unfelt before , unpitied and alone . When first thy Sire to send on earth Virtue , his darling child , designed , To thee he gave the heavenly birth , And bade to form her infant mind . Stern rugged nurse ! thy rigid lore With patience many a year she bore : What sorrow was , thou bad'st her know , And from her own she learned to melt at others' woe . Scared at thy frown terrific , fly Self-pleasing Folly's idle brood , Wild Laughter , Noise , and thoughtless Joy , And leave us leisure to be good . Light they disperse , and with them go The summer friend , the flattering foe ; By vain Prosperity received , To her they vow their truth and are again believed . Wisdom in sable garb arrayed , Immersed in rapturous thought profound , And Melancholy , silent maid With leaden eye , that loves the ground , Still on thy solemn steps attend : Warm Charity , the general friend , With Justice to herself severe , And Pity , dropping soft the sadly-pleasing tear . Oh , gently on thy suppliant's head , Dread goddess , lay thy chastening hand ! Not in thy Gorgon terrors clad , Nor circled with the vengeful band ( As by the impious thou art seen ) With thundering voice and threatening mien , With screaming Horror's funeral cry , Despair , and fell Disease , and ghastly Poverty . Thy form benign , oh Goddess , wear , Thy milder influence impart , Thy philosophic train be there To soften , not to wound my heart , The generous spark extinct revive , Teach me to love and to forgive , Exact my own defects to scan , What others are , to feel , and know myself a man .