And many a jewel brave, of brilliant ray, Dug in the far obscure Cathay Of meditation deep With flowers, of such as keep Their fragrant tissues and their heavenly hues The violet with her low-drooped eye, For learned modesty, The student snow-drop, that doth hang and pore And underneath the clod doth grope and grope,- That watches heaven with a constant eye, The daring crocus, unafraid to try (When Nature calls) the February snows,— And patience' perfect rose. Thus sped with helps of love and toil and thought, Nay, why regard The passing of the years? Nor made, nor marr'd, O'er this fair growth Time had no mastery: So quick she bloomed, she seemed to bloom at birth, As Eve from Adam, or as he from earth. Superb o'er slow increase of day on day, Complete as Pallas she began her way; Yet not from Jove's unwrinkled forehead sprung, And here, O finer Pallas, long remain, Sit on these Maryland hills, and fix thy reign, And frame a fairer Athens than of yore In these blest bounds of Baltimore,— Here, where the climates meet That each may make the other's lack complete,— The nipping North,-where nature's powers smile,— Through nobler cycles round a richer sun O blest Minerva of these larger days! Yea, make all ages native to our time, Till thou the freedom of the city grant To each most antique habitant Of Fame, Bring Shakspere back, a man and not a name,— Of old romance,-bring Milton, no more blind,- Bring all gold hearts and high resolvèd wills To be with us about these happy hills,— Bring old Renown To walk familiar citizen of the town, Bring Tolerance, that can kiss and disagree,- And many peoples call from shore to shore, BALTIMORE, 1880. TO DR. THOMAS SHEARER. PRESENTING A PORTRAIT-BUST OF THE AUTHOR. SINCE you, rare friend! have tied my living tongue With thanks more large than man e'er said or sung, So let the dumbness of this image be My eloquence, and still interpret me. BALTIMORE, 1880. MARTHA WASHINGTON. 6% WRITTEN FOR THE MARTHA WASHINGTON COURT JOURNAL." Down cold snow-stretches of our bitter time, Of Trade have cased us in such icy rime Thy fame, O Lady of the lofty eyes, Doth fall along the age, like as a lane Of Spring, in whose most generous boundaries And flush with stirrings of new strength divine, BALTIMORE, February 22d, 1875. |