James Montgomery (b. 1771,d. 1854) was born in Irvine,Ayrshire,Scotland. His father,a Moravian preacher,sent him ta Moravian school at Fulneck,Yorkshire,England,tbe educated. In 1794 he started "The Sheffield Iris," a weekly paper,which he edited,with marked ability,till 1825. He was fined and imprisoned twice for publishing articles decided tbe seditious. His principal poetical works are "The World before the Flood," "Greenland," "The West Indies," "The Wanderer in Switzerland," "The Pelican Island," and "Original Hymns,for Public,Private,and Social Devotion." Mr. Montgomery’s style is generally todiffuse;but its smoothness and the evident sincerity of his emotions have made many of his hymns and minor poems very popular. A pension of ?300 a year was granted thim in 1833.
1."Make way for Liberty!" he cried;Made way for Liberty,and died!
2.In arms the Austrian phalanx1 stood,A living wall,a human wood!A wall,where every conscious2 stone.Seemed tits kindred3 thousands grown;A rampart4 all assaults tbear,Till time tdust their frames should wear A wood like that enchanted grove,1Phalanx,a body of troops formed in close array. 2 Conscious,sensible,knowing.3Kindred,those of like nature,relatives.4Rampart,that which defends from assault,a bulwark.In which,with fiends,Rinaldstrove,Where every silent tree possessedA spirit prisoned in its breast,Which the first stroke of coming strife Would startle inthideous life:Sdense,sstill,the Austrians stood,A living wall,a human wood!
3.Impregnable1 their front appears,All horrent2 with projected spears,Whose polished points before them shine,From flank tflank,one brilliant line,Bright as the breakersˊsplendors run Along the billows tthe sun.
4.Opposed tthese,a hovering band,Contending for their native laud;Peasants,whose new-found strength had broke From manly necks the ignoble yoke,And forged their fetters intswords,On equal terms tfight their lords;And what insurgent3 rage had gained,In many a mortal fray maintained: Marshaled once more at Freedom’s call,They came tconquer or tfall,Where he whconquered,he whfell. Was deemed a dead or living Tell!
1Impregnable,that can not be moved or shaken. 2Horrent,standing out like bristles.3 Insurgent,rising in opposition tauthority.5.And now the work of life and death Hung on the passing of a breath;The fire of conflict burned within;The battle trembled tbegin;Yet,while the Austrians held their ground,Point for attack was nowhere found;Where‘er the impatient Switzers gazed,The unbroken line of lances blazed;That line ’t were suicide tmeet,And perish at their tyrantsˊfeet;How could they rest within their graves,And leave their homes the home of slaves? Would they not feel their children tread With clanking chains above their head?
6.It must not be: this day,this hour,Annihilates1 the oppressor’s power All Switzerland is in the field,She will not fly,she can not yield;Few were the numbers she could boast,But every freeman was a host,And felt as though himself were he On whose sole arm hung victory.
7.It did depend on one,indeed: Behold him! Arnold Winkelried!There sounds not tthe trump of fame The echof a nobler name.Unmarked he stood amid the throng,In rumination2 deep and long,Till you might see with sudden grace,1Annihilates,destroys.2Rumination,the act of musing,meditation.The very thought come o‘er his face;And by the motion of his form: Anticipate the bursting storm;And by the uplifting of his brow,Tell where the bolt would strike,and how. But ’t was nsooner thought than done;The field was in a moment won.
8."Make way for Liberty!" he cried: Then ran,with arms extended wide,As if his dearest friend tclasp;Ten spears he swept within his grasp: "Make way for Liberty!" he cried,Their keen points met from side tside;He bowed among them like a tree,And thus made way for Liberty.
9.Swift tthe breach1his comrades fly;"Make way for Liberty!" they cry,And through the Austrian phalanx dart,As rushed the spears through Arnold‘s heart;While instantaneous as his fall,Rout,ruin,panic,scattered all.An earthquake could not overthrow A city with a surer blow.
10.Thus Switzerland again was free,Thus Death made way for Liberty!1Breach,a gap or opening made by breaking.