Have stoop'd with age,; the solid continents.
Have left their banks; and man's imperial works-1 The toil, pride, strength of kingdoms, which had flung Their haughty honors in the face of heaven, | As if immortal - have been swept away Shatter'd, and mould'ring, buried, and forgot. | But time has shed no dimness on thy front,
Nor touch'd the firmness of thy tread.: | youth, strength, And beauty still are thine as clear, as bright, | As when the Almighty Former sent thee forth, Beautiful offspring of his curious skill,
To watch earth's northern beacon, and proclaim The eternal chorus of Eternal Love. |
I wonder as I gaze. That stream of light, | Undimm'd, unquench'd,
just as I see thee now,— | Has issued from those dazzling points, thro' years That go back far into eternity. I
Exhaust less flood! | for ever spent, renew'd For ever! Yea, and those refulgent drops, | Which now descend upon my lifted eye, | Left their far fountain twice three years ago. | While those wing'd particles | whose speed outstrips The flight of thought, were on their way, the earth Compass'd its tedious circuit round, and round, | And in the extremes of annual change, beheld Six autumns fade, six springs renew their bloom, : | So far from earth those mighty orbs revolve! | So vast the void through which their beams descend! |
Yea, glorious lamps of God, he may have quench'd' Your ancient flames, and bid eternal night Rest on your spheres,; and yet no tidings reach This distant planet. Messengers still come, | Laden with your far fire, and we may seem To see your lights still burning; while their blaze! But hides the black wreck of extinguish'd realms, | Where anarchy, and darkness long have reign'd. |
Egi-håst'lės; not ègź-zást'lės. Re-fül'dent; not ré-fül'dèânt.
Yet what is this which to the astonish'd mind Seems measureless, and which the baffled though! Confounds? | A span, a point', in those domains Which the keen eye can traverse. | Seven stars Dwell in that brilliant cluster; and the sight Embraces all at once; yet each from each | Recedes as far as each of them from earth — | And ev'ry star from ev'ry other burns No less remote. I
From the profound of heaven, | Untravell'd e'en in thought, keen, piercing rays Dart through the void, | revealing to the sense Systems, and worlds unnumber'd. Take the glass, And search the skies. The opening skies pour down Upon your gaze, | thick showers of sparkling fire. - Stars, crowded, throng'd, in regions so remote, That their swift beams- the swiftest things that be- Have travell'd centuries on their flight to earth. | Earth, sun, and nearer constellations, what Are ye, amid this infinite extent,
And multitude of God's most infinite works! |
And these are suns.! vast, central, living fires,-| Lords of dependent systems,- kings of worlds'! That wait as satellites upon their power, 1
And flourish in their smile. Awake my soul, |
And meditate the wonder! | Countless suns
Blaze round thee, leading forth their countless worlds!. Worlds in whose bosoms living things rejoice, |
And drink the bliss of being from the fount
Of all-pervading Love. -|
What mind can know, I
What tongue can ut.ter, all their multitudes! | Thus numberless in numberless abodes! |
Known but to thee, bless'd Father! Thine they are,; Thy children, and thy care; and none o’erlook'd Of thee! no, not the humblest soul that dwells Upon the humblest globe which wheels its course
Amid the giant glories of the sky, | Like the mean mote that dances in the beam | Amongst the mirror'd lamps which fling Their wasteful splendor from the palace wall. None, none escape the kindness of thy care; | All compass'd underneath thy spacious wing,-! Each fed, and guided by thy powerful hand. |
Tell me, ye splendid orbs," as from your throne, | Ye mark the rolling provinces that own
what beings fill those bright abodes.? | how gift'ed what their powers
Their happiness their wisdom? Do they bear The stamp of human na'ture? Or has God Peopled those purer realms with lovelier forms, | And more celestial minds,? | Does Innocence Still wear her native, and untainted bloom' ? | Or has Sin breath'd his deadly blight abroad, | And sow'd corruption in those fairy bow.ers? | Has War trod o'er them with his foot of fire'; And Slavery forg'd his chains'; and Wrath, and Hate, | And sordid Selfishness, | and cruel Lust,
Leagued their base bands to tread out light, and truth, And scatter'd wo where Heaven had planted joy'? | Or are they yet all Paradise, unfallen,
And uncorrupt? existence one long joy,
Without disease upon the frame, or sin Upon the heart, or weariness of life. |
Hope never quench'd, and age unknown',
And death unfear'd; while fresh, and fadeless youth | Glows in the light from God's near throne of love,?¡
Open your lips', ye wonderful, and fair!!
Speak, speak! the mysteries of those living worlds Unfold! No lan'guage? Everlasting light,
Splendid orbs; not splendid dorbs. Eg-żist'êns; not èg-list'.
And everlasting silence? | Yet the eye
May read, and understand. The hand of God | Has written legibly what man may know, | The glory of the Maker. There it shines, Ineffable, unchangeable; and man, | Bound to the surface of this pigmy globe, | May know, and ask no more. |
In other days, When death shall give the encumber'd spirit wings,. shall be extended; it shall roam, Perchance, amongst those vast, mysterious spheres,— Shall pass from orb to orb, and dwell in each', | Familiar with its children, — ¦ learn their laws, | And share their state, and study, and adore | The infinite varieties of bliss,
And beauty, by the hand of Power Divine, Lavish'd on all its works. [
Shall thus roll on | with ever fresh delight; | No pause of pleasure, or improve.ment; world On world still opening to the instructed mind | An unexhausted universe, and time
But adding to its glories; while the soul, I Advancing ever to the Source of light, And all perfection, lives', adores', and reigns, | In cloudless knowledge, pu'rity, and bliss. [
The turf shall be my fragrant shrine. ; | My temple, Lord, that arch of thine; | My censer's breath, the mountain airs, | And silent thoughts, my only prayers. | My choir shall be the moonlight waves, When murmuring homeward to their caves;
Un-ég-håsted; not ån-ègź-zást ́èd.
Or when the stillness of the sea', I E'en more than music breathes of thee.. | I'll seek, by day, some glade unknown', All light, and silence, like thy throne.; | And the pale stars shall be, at night', The only eyes that watch my rite.
Thy heaven, on which 't is bliss to look', | Shall be my pure, and shining book, Where I shall read, in words of flame, | The glories of thy wondrous name.]
I'll read thy anger in the rack | That clouds awhile the day-beam's track; | Thy mercy, in the azure hue |
Of sunny brightness, breaking through.] There's nothing bright, above', below, From flowers that bloom', to stars that glow`, But in its light my soul can see | Some feature of thy Deity! |
There's nothing dark, below', above, | But in its gloom I trace thy love; | And meekly wait that moment, when | Thy touch shall turn all bright again. |
PIZARRO and DAVILLA in conversation.
Piz. How now, Gomez! what bring'est thou? | Gum. On yonder hill, among the palm-trees, we have surprised an old cacique: escape by flight he could not, and we seized him, and his attendant un
• Kâs-sek', a prince, or nobleman, among the Indians.
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