The Emblem Poem by Josias Homely

Written in allusion to Mr. Bulteel's recommendation, that the Rose be adopted as the 'emblem' of her Majesty's Government, and respectfully dedicated to Lady Elizabeth Bulteel.


In Sharon's green plains Freedom's red rose once grew,
While the chosen of God raised the song of their bliss,
Aiul she smiled as unfettered the breeze round her flew,
And gave her sweet breath in exchange for his kiss.
But the land grew enslaved—and the bigot had power,
And the dust of the desert fell thick on her bloom ;
O the hand of the free had first nurtured the flower,
And the land of the shackled to her was a tomb.
When the foot of the fettered her beauty had brus'd
In death the fair flower of Sharon lay crush'd.

In the gardens of Gull, when the rose was in bloom,
And the nightino-ale sans; to her all the night long,
Young Zorab, fair Persia's sultana, came down
To breathe the sweet zephyr and hear the bird's song.
Thus a slave she address'd—'Go pluck that sweet flower,
Bear it hence to my lord as an emblem of me,
Be the star of his garden the pride of his bower,
Or his ensiiffn of war Zorab's red rose shall be.'
But 'twas emblem alone for the free and the brave,
And it DIED in the pestilent breath of a slave.

In Albion, the pride and the hope of the earth,
Two roses, twin-sisters, long strife did maintain ;
One blush'd like the sky where the morning has birth,
One rival'd the snow-flake which lies on the plain ;
Fierce war march'd before them, and famine pursued,
And carnage and discord around them were spread.
The patriot's zeal turn'd to partizan's feud,
The slave paid them homage, and liberty fled ;
The tear of the widow oft watered their pride—
Wlien the blood of tlie subject fell on them, they died.

But now, England, for thee, fairer pi'ospects disclose—
Hajipy land ofthe bold, of the fearless, the free;
For Lihcriifs tree will be prop for the rose,
Thy rose the chief ornament plac'd on that tree ;
Here no fetter'd foot treads on the soil of thy land,
No slave shall e'er brefithe on our roval rose here,
Our Isle of the ocean, with loyalty mann'd,
Offers love to its sovereign untarnished by fear.
Our 'emblem' of peace, and our war cry, shall be
Victoria I the rose of the loyal but free.