*

a

to

25 Take all the pleasures * of all the spheres, All the pleasure, &c., And multiply each through endless years,

one moment's happi.

ness in heaven is One minute of heaven is worth them all!” worth an eternity of The glorious angel who was keeping

earthly pleasures. The gates of light beheld her weeping; 30 And, as he nearer drew and listened

To her sad song, a tear-drop glistened
Within his eyelids, like the spray

From Eden's fountain, when it lies
On the blue flower,* which, Bramins * say, Blue flower, the Bra-

mins believe that the 35 Blooms nowhere but in Paradise.

blue Campac flowers “Nymph * of a fair but erring * line,"

only in Paradise. Gently he said,—“One hope is thine :

Bramin, an Indian

priest. 'Tis written in the Book of Fate,

Nymph, a fabled feThe Peri yet may be forgiven

male being inhabit

ing the earth and the 40 Who brings to this Eternal Gate

waters. The Gift that is most dear to Heaven.

Erring, going wrong. Go, seek it, and redeem * thy sin

Redeem, make

atonement for. 'Tis sweet to let the pardoned in!”

Cheered by this hope, she bends her thither;45 Still laughs the radiant eye of heaven

Nor have the golden bowers of Eden
In the rich west begun to wither,
When, o'er the vale of Balbec * winging Balbec, a ruined city
Slowly, she sees a child at play,

of Syria, north of

Damascus, in the val. 50 Among the rosy wild-flowers singing,

ley of the Lebanon, As rosy

and as wild as theyChasing, with eager hands and eyes, The beautiful blue damsel-flies

Damsel-flies, a species That fluttered round the jasmine stems,

whose graceful and 55 Like winged flowers or flying gems.

elegant appearance And near the boy, who, tired with play,

has procured for them

the name of Damsels. Now nestling 'mid the roses lay, She saw a wearied man dismount

From his hot steed, and on the brink 60 Of a small imaret's rustic fount

Imaret, a place where

pilgrims are lodged Impatient fling him down to drink.

and nourished for Then swift his haggard * brow he turned three days without To the fair child, who fearless sat,

charge.

Haggard, careworn. Though never yet hath day-beam burned 65 Upon a brow more fierce than that*

U pon a brow, &c., his Sullenly fierce; a mis ure dire,

countenance showed

that he had led a very Like thunder-clouds, of gloom and fire ; in which the Peri's eye could read Dark tales of many a ruthless* deed :

Ruthless, cruel, with. 70 The ruined maid—the shrine * profaned

Shrine, an altar, or Oaths broken-and the threshold stained

of beautiful insects

*

*

wicked life.

*

out pity.

as friends.

75

80

85

*

Bun.

*

90

At the hours

common

Blood of guests, he With blood of guests.* There written, all
had been guilty of
taking away the lives Black as the damning drops that fall
of those whom he had From the denouncing angel's pen,
invited to his house Ere Mercy weeps them out again.

Yet tranquil now that man of crime
(As if the balmy evening time
Softened his spirit) looked and lay,
Watching the rosy infant's play:

Though still, whene'er his eye by chance
Lurid, ghastly pale. Fell on the boy's, its lurid * glance

Met that unclouded, joyous gaze,

As torches, that have burned all night Rite, a ceremony. Through some impure and godless rite, *

Encounter morning's glorious rays. Vesper-call, signal for But hark! the vesper-call * to prayer, evening prayer.

As slow the orb of daylight * sets,
Orb of daylight, the

Is rising sweetly on the air
Syria, a province of From Syria's * thousand minarets. *
Asiatic Turkey. The boy

has started from the bed
Minaret, the tower
of a mosque, or a

Of flowers, where he had laid his head, Mohammedan place And down upon the fragrant sod of worship.

Kneels, with his forehead to the south, The boy, &c.

of Lisping the eternal name of God prayer, such Turks

From purity's own cherub mouth, tend the mosques are

And looking, while his hands and eyes this duty wherever Like a stray babe of Paradise, obliged to perform Are lifted to the glowing skies, they may be, or upon

business Just lighted on that flowery plain, they may be about.

And seeking for its home again.
Oh ! 'twas a sight—that heaven, that child —

A scene, which might have well beguiled
Ellis, Lucifer.

E'en haughty Eblis * of a sigh
For glories lost and peace gone by.

And how felt he, the wretched inan
Memory ran, &c., Reclining there, while memory ran
looking back upon his O'er many a year of guilt and strife,
past life, he could not
recollect having done Flew o'er the dark flood of his life,
one good action since Nor found one sunny resting-place,
the days of his child- Nor brought him back one branch of grace ?

“ There was a time,” he said, in mild

Heart-humbled tones, “ thou blessed child,
Haply, perhaps, it When, young and haply * pure as thou,
may be.

I looked and prayed like thee ; but now”.
He hung his head-each nobler aim

And hope and feeling, which had slept
From boyhood's hour, that instant came

Fresh o'er him, and he wept—he wept !

95

as are not able to at

whatever

100

105

IIO

*

115

on

St.

back life.

the

Blest tears of soul-felt penitence ! 120 In whose benign,* redeeming flow

Benign, kindly, fa

vourable. Is felt the first, the only sense

Of guiltless joy that guilt can know. “ There's a drop,"* said the Peri, “that down There's a drop, the from the moon

miraculous drop, sup

posed to fall in Egypt Falls through the withering airs of June precisely 125 Upon Egypt's land, of so healing a power,

John's day in June,

is thought to have So balmy a virtue, that e'en in the hour

the effect of stopping That drop descends, contagion * dies,

the plague. And health reanimates * earth and skies.

Contagion, a catching

sickness, à plague. Oh! is it not thus, thou man of sin,

Reanimates,

gives 130 The precious tears of repentance fall ? Though foul * thy fiery plagues within,

Though foul, &c., the One heavenly drop hath dispelled them all.” soul of even

greatest sinner may And now behold him kneeling there

be purified by a sinBy the child's side, in humble prayer,

cere repentance. 135 While the same sunbeam shines upon

The guilty and the guiltless one ;
And hymns of joy * proclaim through heaven Hymns of joy, &c.,

the angels rejoice The triumph of a soul forgiven.

upon the conversion

of the sinner. 'Twas when the golden orb * had set,

Golden orb, the sun. 140 While on their knees they lingered yet,

There fell a light, more lovely far
Than ever came from sun or star,
Upon the tear that warm and meek

Dewed that repentant sinner's cheek. 145 To mortal eye this light might seem A northern flash * or meteor * beam

Northern fash,
But well the enraptured Peri knew

Aurora Borcalis, of

Northern Lights. 'Twas a bright smile the angel threw

Meteor, a fiery body From heaven's gate, to hail that tear

passing quickly 150 Her harbinger* of glory near.

through the atmo

sphere. “ Joy, joy for ever! My task is done

i arbinger, a messenThe gates are passed, and heaven is won !'

ger or forerunner,

*

*

THANATOPSIS.— W. C. Bryant. WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT (1794-1878), one of the most eminent poets of America, was born in Massachusetts. His poems are noted for their national spirit, tenderness, grace and beauty of description. Chief works: Thanatopsis ; or, Thoughts on Death, and The Ages, a survey of the experience of mankind.

To him who in the love of nature holds Communion, inter.
Communion* with her visible * forms, she Visible, that which

*

reflections,

sion.

*

*

time of death.

10

grave.

*

a

20

Various, different, A various * language ; for his gayer hours unlike each other, She has a voice of gladness, and a smile varied, changing.

And eloquence of beauty ; and she glides S
Musings, thoughts, Into his darker musings,* with a mild
Sympathy, compas.

And healing sympathy,* that steals away
Their sharpness, ere he is aware. Whep

thoughts Last bitter hour, the

• Of the last bitter hour come like a blight Blight, that which Over thy spirit, and sad images causes a thing to de- Of the stern agony, and shroud, and pall, cay and wither up.

And breathless darkness, and the narrow
Narrow house, the house,

Make thee to shudder, and grow sick at heart,
Go forth, under the open sky, and list
To Nature's teachings, while from all around- 15

Earth and her waters, and the depths of air-
Yet a few days, &c., Comes a still voice-Yet a few days,* and thee
in this life all things The all-beholding sun shall see no more
soon decay, not leav-
ing even a trace In all his course; nor yet in the cold ground,
behind.

Where thy pale form is laid with many tears,
Nor in the embrace of ocean, shall exist
Thy image. Earth, that aourished thee, shall

claim
Resolved, changed Thy growth, to be resolved * to earth again
back.

And, lost each human trace, surrendering * up
Surrendering, &c.,
yielding up oneself,
Thine individual being, shalt thou go

25 Elements, the parts To mix for ever with the elements of which anything is To be a brother to the insensible rock, composed.

And to the sluggish clod, which the rude Swain, plough-boy. swain Share, ploughshare, Turns with his share,* and treads upon. The the part of a plough oak the ground.

Shall send his roots abroad, and pierce thy 30

mould.
Yet not to thine eternal resting-place
Shalt thou retire alone-nor couldst thou

wish Couch, bed.

Couch more magnificent.* Thou shalt lie Magnificent, grand.

down Patriarchs of the in- With patriarchs of the infant world *—with fantworld, great men, such as Adam, Seth,

kings, Noah, Abraham The powerful of the earth—the wise, the 35 Isaac, &c., who lived

good,

Fair forms, and hoary seers,* of ages past, Hoary, seers, white All in one mighty sepulchré.—The hills headed from old age, Rock-ribbed, and ancient as the sun—the

which shears or cuts

at the

commencement of the world.

mur

ments.

*

which move
the sun, SO

round called

or

about

ren and desert coun

*

the north of Africa,

the

bordering on
Pacific Ocean,

Stretching in pensive * quietness between ; Pensive, thoughtful. 40 The venerable * woods-rivers that move Venerable, ancient.

In majesty, and the complaining * brooks Complaining,
That make the meadows green ; and, poured

muring.
round all,
Old ocean's grey and melancholy wasto-
Are but the solemn decorations * all

Decorations, orna45 Of the great tomb of man.

The golden sun,
The planets, * all the infinite host of heaven, Planets, the bodies
Are shining on the sad abodes of death,
Through the still lapse of ages. All that tread from their wandering
The globe are but a handful to the tribes

moving

among the other stars 50 That slumber in its bosom.—Take the wings

Of morning, and the Barcan desert * pierce, Barcan desert, a bar-
Or lose thyself in the continuous woods

try, near Tripolis, in
Where rolls the Oregon,* and hears no sound
Save his own dashings-yet the dead are Oregon, a river in the
there ;

State of Oregon (U.S.), 55 And millions in these solitudes, since first The flight of years began, have laid them

down
In their last sleep—the dead there reign alone.
So shalt thou restand what if thou with-

draw Unheeded * by the living—and no friend Unheeded, unnoticed. 60 Take note of thy departure? All that breathe

Will share thy destiny.* The gay will laugh Destiny, fate, end.
When thou art gone, the solemn brood of care

Plod on, and each one, as before, will chase
55 His favourite phantom ;* yet all these shall Phantom, idea.

leave
Their mirth and their employments, and shall
And make their bed * with thee. As the long Bed, grave.

train
Of ages glide away, the sons of men,
The youth in life's green spring, and he who

goes 70 In the full strength of years, matron,* and Matron, a mother, an maid,

elderly woman. And the sweet babe, and the grey-headed

come

*

man

*

Shall one by one be gathered to thy side,
By those who, in their turn, shall follow them.
So live, that, when thy summons comes to Summons, a call to
join

Caravan, a travelling 75 The innumerable caravan,* that moves company.

appear.

I