And all was dimness; but the beat 'Twas like the hymn, when soldiers bear The lightning threw a shaft below; CROLY. DAYBREAK. The Pilgrim they laid in a large upper chamber, whose window opened towards the sun-rising; the name of the chamber was Peace; where he slept till break of day, and then he awoke and sang.' Now, brighter than the host, that, all night long, In fiery armour, up the heavens high Stood watch, thou comest to wait the morning's song. Thou comest to tell my day again is nigh. Star of the dawning, cheerful is thine eye; And yet in the broad day it must grow dim. Thou seem'st to look on me as asking why My mourning eyes with silent tears do swim; Thou bid'st me turn to God, and seek my rest in Him. 'Canst thou grow sad,' thou say'st, 'as earth grows bright? And sigh, when little birds begin discourse In quick, low voices, ere the streaming light Pours on their nests, as sprung from day's fresh source? With creatures innocent thou must, perforce, I feel its calm. But there's a sombrous hue Still save the bird that scarcely lifts its song- And ended, all alike, grief, mirth, love, hate, and wrong. But wrong, and hate, and love, and grief, and mirth Will quicken soon; and hard, hot toil and strife, With headlong purpose, shake this sleeping earth With discord strange, and all that man calls life. With thousand scatter'd beauties nature's rife : And airs, and woods, and streams, breathe harmonies : Man weds not these, but taketh art to wife; And 't is because man useth so amiss From her fair face?-it is that man is mad. While I to earth am bound :-When will the heavens be mine? If man would but his finer nature learn, Of simpler things; could Nature's features stern But not for this alone, the silent tear Steals to mine eyes, while looking on the morn, Ye holy thoughts, lift up my soul on high!— Ye hopes of things unseen, the far-off world bring nigh. And when I grieve, O, rather, let it be That I-whom Nature taught to sit with her On her proud mountains, by her rolling seaWho, when the winds are up, with mighty stir Of woods and waters, feel the quickening spur To my strong spirit;-who, as mine own child, Do love the flower, and in the ragged bur A beauty see-that I this mother mild Should leave, and go with Care, and passions fierce and wild. How suddenly that straight and glittering shaft Shot 'thwart the earth!-in crown of living fire Up comes the day!-as if they conscious quaff'd The sunny flood, hill, forest, city, spire Laugh in the wakening light. Go, vain Desire! The dusky lights have gone; go thou thy way! And pining Discontent, like them, expire! Be call'd my chamber, PEACE, when ends the day, And let me with the dawn, like PILGRIM, sing and pray! DANA. THE MONKEY. MONKEY, little merry fellow, Look now at his odd grimaces! Nature, in a sunny wood, How you leap'd and frisk'd about, How you sate and made a din Little, merry Monkey, tell How the world's first children ran Laughing from the monkey-man, Like Abel and his brother, Laughing, shouting to their mother? And could you keep down your mirth, In the very Ark, no doubt, No, we cannot hear of this; Have ye no traditions,-none Were ye given, or were ye sold 'Cause ye neither read nor write? Look now at him! Slyly peep, With his arm beneath his head. |