Unslated by the blast)
The watchfire, like a sullen star, Twinkles to many a dozing tar
Rude cradled on the mast.
Even there-beneath that light-house tower— In the tumultuous evil hour
Ere Peace with Sara came,
Time was, I should have thought it sweet To count the echoings of my feet,
And watch the storm-vexed flame.
And there in black soul-jaundiced fit A sad gloom-pampered Man to sit, And listen to the roar:
When mountain surges bellowing deep With an uncouth monster leap Plunged foaming on the shore.
Then by the lightning's blaze to mark Some toiling tempest-shattered bark; Her vain distress-guns hear; And when a second sheet of light Flashed o'er the blackness of the night- To see no vessel there!
But Fancy now more gaily sings; Or if awhile she droop her wings,
As sky-larks 'mid the corn,
On summer fields she grounds her breast: The oblivious poppy o'er her nest
Nods, till returning morn
O mark those smiling tears, that swell The opened rose! From heaven they fell, And with the sun-beam blend.
Blest visitations from above,
Such are the tender woes of Love Fostering the heart they bend!
When stormy Midnight howling round Beats on our roof with clattering sound,
To me your arms you'll stretch: Great God! you'll say-To us so kind, O shelter from this loud bleak wind The houseless, friendless wretch !
The tears that tremble down your cheek, Shall bathe my kisses chaste and meek
In Pity's dew divine;
And from your heart the sighs that steal Shall make your rising bosom feel
The answering swell of mine!
How oft, my Love! with shapings sweet I paint the moment we shall meet! With eager speed I dart-
I seize you in the vacant air, And fancy, with a husband's care I press you to my heart!
'Tis said, in Summer's evening hour Flashes the golden-colored flower A fair electric flame:
And so shall flash my love-charged eye When all the heart's big ecstasy
Shoots rapid through the frame !
TO A FRIEND IN ANSWER TO A MELANCHOLY LETTER.
AWAY, those cloudy looks, that laboring sigh, The peevish offspring of a sickly hour! Nor meanly thus complain of Fortune's power, When the blind gamester throws a luckless die.
Yon setting sun flashes a mournful gleam Behind those broken clouds, his stormy train: 'To-morrow shall the many-colored main In brightness roll beneath his orient beam! Wild, as the autumnal gust, the hand of Time Flies o'er his mystic lyre in shadowy dance
The alternate groups of Joy and Grief advance Responsive to his varying strains sublime!
Bears on its wing each hour a load of Fate;
The swain, who, lulled by Seine's mild murmurs, led His weary oxen to their nightly shed,
To-day may rule a tempest-troubled State.
Nor shall not Fortune with a vengeful smile Survey the sanguinary despot's might, And haply hurl the pageant from his height Unwept to wander in some savage isle.
There shiv'ring sad beneath the tempest's frown Round his tired limbs to wrap the purple vest; And mixed with nails and beads, an equal jest! Barter for food the jewels of his crown..
A DESULTORY POEM, WRITTEN ON THE CHRISTMAS EVE OF 1794
THIS is the time, when most divine to hear,
The voice of adoration rouses me,
As with a Cherub's trump and high upborne, Yea, mingling with the choir, I seem to view
The vision of the heavenly multitude,
Who hymned the song of peace o'er Bethlehem's fields.
Yet thou more bright than all the angel blaze,
That harbingered thy birth, Thou, Man of Woes!
Despised Galilean! For the great
Invisible (by symbols only seen)
With a peculiar and surpassing light
Shines from the visage of the oppressed good man, When heedless of himself the scourged Saint Mourns for the oppressor. Fair the vernal mead, Fair the high grove, the sea, the sun, the stars; True impress each of their creating Sire! Yet nor high grove, nor many-colored mead, Nor the green Ocean with his thousand isles, Nor the starred azure, nor the sovran sun,
E'er with such majesty of portraiture
Imaged the supreme beauty uncreate,
As thou, meek Saviour! at the fearful hour When thy insulted anguish winged the prayer Harped by Archangels, when they sing of mercy
Which when the Almighty heard from forth his throne Diviner light filled Heaven with ecstasy!
Heaven's hymnings paused and Hell her yawning mouth Closed a brief moment.
Of Him whose life was Love! Holy with power He on the thought-benighted Skeptic beamed Manifest Godhead, melting into day
What floating mists of dark idolatry
Broke and misshaped the omnipresent Sire: And first by Fear uncharmed the drowsed Soul. Till of its nobler nature it 'gan feel Dim recollections; and thence soared to Hope, Strong to believe whate'er of mystic good The Eternal dooms for his immortal sons. From Hope and firmer Faith to perfect Love Attracted and absorbed; and centered there God only to behold, and know, and feel, Till by exclusive consciousness of God All self-annihilated it shall make God its identity; God all in all!
Who in this fleshly World, the elect of Heaven,
Their strong eye darting through the deeds of men, Adore with steadfast unpresuming gaze
Him Nature's essence, mind, and energy! And gazing, trembling, patiently ascend Treading beneath their feet all visible things As steps, that upward to their Father's throne Lead gradual-else nor glorified nor loved. They nor contempt embosom nor revenge:
For they dare know of what may seem deform
The Supreme Fair sole operant: in whose sight
All things are pure, his strong controlling Love Alike from all educing perfect good.
Their's too celestial courage, inly armed—
Dwarfing Earth's giant brood, what time they muse On their great Father, great beyond compare! And marching onwards view high o'er their heads His waving banners of Omnipotence.
Who the Creator love, created might
Dread not within their tents no terrors walk.
For they are holy things before the Lord
Aye unprofaned, though Earth should league with Hell; God's altar grasping with an eager hand
Fear, the wild-visaged, pale, eye-starting wretch, Sure-refuged hears his hot pursuing fiends
Yell at vain distance. Soon refreshed from Heaven He calms the throb and tempest of his heart. His countenance settles; a soft solemn bliss Swims in his eye-his swimming eye upraised; And Faith's whole armor glitters on his limbs! And thus transfigured with a dreadless awe, A solemn hush of soul, meek he beholds All things of terrible seeming: yea, unmoved Views e'en the immitigable ministers
That shower down vengeance on these latter days.
For kindling with intenser Deity
From the celestial Mercy-seat they come,
And at the renovating wells of Love
Have filled their vials with salutary wrath,
To sickly Nature more medicinal
Than what soft balm the weeping good man pours Into the lone despoiled traveller's wounds!
Thus from the Elect, regenerate through' faith, Pass the dark Passions and what thirsty Cares Drink up the Spirit, and the dim regards Self-centre. Lo they vanish! or acquire New names, new features-by supernal grace Enrobed with Light, and naturalized in Heaven. As when a shepherd on a vernal morn
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