The seasons came and went, and went and came,
To teach men gratitude; and as they passed,
Gave warning of the lapse of time, that else
Had stolen unheeded by. The gentle flowers
Reared, and stooping o'er the wilderness,
Talked of humility and peace and love.
The dews came down unseen at evening-tide,
And silently their bounties shed, to teach
Mankind unostentatious charity.
With arm in arm, the forest rose on high
And lesson gave of brotherly regard.
And on the rugged mountain-brow exposed,
Bearing the blast alone, the ancient oak
Stood lifting his mighty arm, and still
To courage in distress exhorted loud.
[breeze,
The flocks, the herds, the birds, the streams, the
Attuned the heart to melody and love.
Mercy stood in the cloud with eye that wept
Essential love! and from her glorious bow
Bending to kiss the earth in token of peace,
With her own lips, her gracious lips, which God
Of sweetest accent made, she whispered still,
She whispered to Revenge, Forgive, forgive.
The sun rejoicing round the earth, announced
Daily the wisdom, power, and love of God.
The moon awoke, and from her maiden face,
Shedding her cloudy locks, looked meekly forth,
And with her virgin stars walked in the heavens,
Walked nightly there, conversing, as she walked,
Of purity and holiness and God.
In dreams and visions, sleep instructed much.
Day uttered speech to day, and night to night
Taught knowledge. Silence had a tongue; the grave,
The darkness, and the lonely waste, had each
A tongue, that ever said, Man! think of God!
Think of thyself! think of eternity!-
Fear God, the thunders said. Fear God, the waves.
Fear God, the lightning of the storm replied.
Fear God, deep loudly answered back to deep.
Oft have I seen the laughing Spring
Shed her rich blessings o'er the earth,
While born beneath her fragrant wing,
Spring Beauty forth, and Love, and Mirth.
But Spring soon fled, and Summer then,
Her genial heats diffused around,
And Nature's wildest, roughest glen
Was by her hand with verdure crown'd.
Sweet Summer, too, alas! was doom'd
To quit the rich and smiling plain:
For while in fruitfulness she bloom'd,
Autumn began her glorious reign.
But Autumn's sun soon ceased to burn,
And clouds which roll'd across the sky,
Declared that winter and his urn,
In viewless icy car was nigh.
When Winter came, the gorgeous sun
Turn'd pale, and seem'd to wait his doom,
And all that late so radiant shone,
Now sunk in Winter's joyless tomb.
Thus blooming is life's early spring,
For Nature on each path hath shed
Her smiles, and Pleasure seeks to fling
Her garlands round each youthful head.
My spring has fled, and summer now
Rich o'er my youthful cheek doth breathe,
And soon to deck this gladsome brow,
Autumn her holiest sweets will wreathe.
Yet ere dim winter's gloomy birth,
Or age destroy this cheek of bloom,
Oh! I
may press my mother earth,
And quit this vain world for the tomb.
Then let me, Lord, at whose command,
Summer, and spring, and winter roll,
Praise, while I've life, th' Almighty hand
That spans the world from pole to pole.
At morning's light, Lord of all space,
I'll praise thee; and at close of even;
Then lend me, Lord, some ray of grace
To light my trembling steps to Heaven.
Unfading Hope! when life's last embers burn,
When soul to soul, and dust to dust return !
Heaven to thy charge resigns the awful hour!
Oh! then, thy kingdom comes ! Immortal Power !
What though each spark of earth-born rapture fly,
The quivering lip, pale cheek, and closing eye!
Bright to the soul thy seraph hands convey
The morning dream of life's eternal day-
Then, then, the triumph and the trance begin !
And all the Phoenix spirit burns within!
Oh! deep enchanting prelude to repose,
The dawn of bliss, the twilight of our woes !
Yet half I hear the parting spirits sigh,
It is a dread and awful thing to die!
Mysterious worlds, untravell'd by the sun!
Where Time's far wandering tide has never run;
From your unfathom'd shades, and viewless spheres,
A warning comes, unheard by other ears.
'Tis Heaven's commanding trumpet long and loud,
Like Sinai's thunder, pealing from the cloud!
While Nature hears, with terror-mingled trust,
The shock that hurls her fabric to the dust;
And like the trembling Hebrew, when he trod
The roaring waves, and call'd upon his God,
With mortal terrors clouds immortal bliss,
And shrieks and hovers o'er the dark abyss !
Daughter of Faith! awake, arise, illume,
The dread unknown, the chaos of the tomb!
Melt and dispel ye spectre doubts that roll
Cimmerian darkness on the parting soul!
Fly like the moon-eyed herald of dismay,
Chased on his night steed by the star of day!
The strife is o'er-the pangs of nature close,
And life's last rupture triumphs o'er her woes.
Hark! as the spirit eyes, with eagle gaze,
The noon of Heav'n, undazzled by the blaze,
On heavenly winds that waft her to the sky,
Float the sweet tones of star-born melody;
Wild as that hallowed anthem sent to hail
Bethlehem's shepherds in the lonely vale,
When Jordan hush'd his waves and midnight still
Watch'd on the holy towers of Zion hill!
Soul of the just! companion of the dead!
Where is thy home, and whither art thou fled?
Back to its heavenly source thy being goes,
Swift as the comet wheels to whence he rose ;
Doom'd on his airy path awhile to burn,
And doom'd, like thee, to travel and return.
Hark! from the world's exploding centre driven,
With sounds that shook the firmament of heaven,
Careers the fiery giant, fast and far,
On bickering wheels and adamantine car,
From planet whirl'd to planet more remote,
He visits realms beyond the reach of thought;
But, wheeling homeward when the race is run,
Curbs the red yoke, and mingles with the sun!
So hath the traveller of earth unfurl'd
Her trembling wings, emerging from the world,
And o'er the path by mortal never trod,
Springs to her source, the bosom of her God!
Eternal Hope! when yonder spheres sublime
Peal'd their first notes to sound the march of time,
Thy joyous youth began-but not to fade-
When all the sister planets have decay'd;
When wrapt in fire the realms of ether glow,
And Heav'ns last thunder shakes the world below;
Thou undismay'd, shalt o'er the ruins smile,
And light thy torch at Nature's funeral pile!
In that sweet hour when morning bright
Pours o'er the world a flood of light,
And wood and mountain, tower and stream,
Are glittering in the golden beam.
Or when the gentle moonbeams rest
Upon the broad lake's peaceful breast,
When the light breeze is full of balm,
And all around is still and calm,
I love in solitude to roam,
And muse on thee my distant home.
My mother's gentle voice I hear,
Her tender smile I see;
That voice, that sinile, that seem more dear,
Than ever now to me.
With her through shady walks Irove,
Or tend her favourite flowers,
Or by the stream we used to love
Spend the bright summer hours.
Why did I cross the blue sea's foam,
Why leave my dear, my pleasant home!
If care or sorrow rend my heart,
Or agitate my breast,
Who now will seek, with tender art,
To sooth my griefs to rest?
Who when on pain's hard couch I lie
Will share my chamber's gloom.
And who will watch me when I die,
And lay me in my tomb?
It is enough-no more I'll roam,
I haste to thee, my long last home!
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