Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: AN ADDRESS. Tan I Written by Mr. Thomas Wells. Spoken by Mr. James H. Caldwell, at the opening of the New 1824. American Theater, New Orleans. WHEN first, o'er Learning, Persecution trod, And fettered Letters felt his iron rod, Long, long in darkness bound, the Muses slept, Each haunt left bardless, and each harp unswept; 'Till, bursting through the gloom, dramatic fire Apollo darted o'er each slumbering lyre; Through clouds of dullness shot his attic light, And chased the shades of superstitious night; Loud paeans then broke forth from every tongue,— The Temples echoed, and the Chorus rung — Warm with new soul, young Music smote the strings, To Song gave life — to Inspiration wings ! Genius, by Freedom roused, shook off his yoke, And from his deep, oblivious dream awoke! Awoke, and saw the Drama's towering dome Swell its asylum arch, and call him home; Allured to higher worlds, he took his flight, And rose to realms of empyrean height, Explored the winding paths of Fiction's bowers, And gathered for the Stage his deathless flowers. Her ample page redeeming Learning spread, And o'er the night of Mind her radiance shed, Taste polished life—the arts refined the age — And Virtue triumphed as she reared the Stage. Patrons! this night our cause to you we trust, As Guardians of the Drama's rights — be just; Support from you the child of Thespis draws, Warms in your sun, and thrives on your applause; At your tribunal he expecting stands, And craves indulgent judgment at your hands; Your willing smiles then let his efforts share, And, to your shelter take the buskin's heir! O, let your presence, let your plaudits cheer Our Protean toil, and give us welcome here! And yet, no purchased favor we would ask; Unbiased and unbought fulfil your task. Before your critic-bench we humbl...