Lays Of Ancient Virginia, And Other Poems Part 7

"Ah! d.a.m.ning love of gold, which sees me here, And made me leave an aged mother dear.

Now Heaven, how just! repays my guilty deed!

No mother soothes me in my sorest need.

Yet if kind Heaven will prize that mother's prayer, Which, incense-like, now rises through the air; I build my faith--that my last breath will ope The gate of bliss to my believing hope."

Far mid yon vastest woods, behold a swain.

If small his joy, small is his spirit's pain.

He tills the soil, for him the wild flowers bloom, And lovely daisies shed their meek perfume.

His happy wife, relieves his every care, And bliss is double when enjoyed with her.

His flocks supply his little household dear, With decent garments, and salubrious fare.

Glad he beholds the smiling G.o.d of day, Walk from the East upon his radiant way, Gild all the fields--the lengthy plains--the peaks Of giant mountains, with vermillion streaks-- While all his farm spreads out beneath his eyes, His heart's sweet home--his little paradise.

How better far this humble, noiseless life-- Afar from guilty gold and b.l.o.o.d.y strife.

How glad he views his prosperous projects smile, What guiltless joys his long, long life beguile.

With joy he sees his offspring rise around, His body's scions, with sweet virtue crowned.

And, when, at last, his form succ.u.mbs to time, He sees that offspring strangers yet to crime; And, inly joys to think his drooping age They will sustain, and all his pains a.s.suage, Till, like an apple mellowed, ripe, and sound, He falls, and slumbers in his own good ground.

THE PROPHECY OF COLUMBIA.

The sun descends along the glowing west, His bright rays quivering o'er Potomac's breast-- And still he flashes, with his parting smile, And gilds the top of yonder mighty pile[C]-- Which Heroes children bade arise to heaven-- In this new paradise (though later given.) He sets! that glorious...o...b.. and now is gone-- And night's dark wings are slowly moving on;-- But see! the moon, full-orbed, ascends the sky, And walks that dark-blue path so calm on high-- Pours her soft light--a sea of silvery beams, On that proud pile--as on the sleeping streams; As if indignant that the Night would hide, With her black wing, a nation's central pride-- That towering dome, beheld from o'er the sea, To crown the clime of all who now are free.

As there I wandered, when the day was o'er-- Near that proud pile--along the silent sh.o.r.e-- And, fondly lingering o'er the magic scene, Marked each blest spot, where Freedom's feet had been,-- The Present fled--the Future rose to light-- Columbia's Genius stood revealed to sight.

Her Phantom form uprose and touched the sky-- Her mighty realm lay stretched beneath her eye.

An awful light--yet gentle--yet serene-- Shone from those eyes, and from her G.o.d-like mien; At first, cold fear ran through my s.h.i.+vering frame, And dread forebodings o'er my spirit came.

But soon she spoke--though not in warlike tone, But mild as zephyr when his breath hath blown.

A smile of kind, parental love confest Her glowing son whom now she thus addrest.

"O son! well-pleased, I mark thy patriot fire, Nor wholly scorn thy yet unpracticed lyre.

Behold yon structure whose lone, silent height Meek Luna gilds with her celestial light.

See how it soars! and leaves the darker plain-- So high--that none will soar, as that again-- Until the Monument that G.o.d will rear On sin's dark grave--as Tyranny's is here.

Yes! view that Capitol;--its lofty dome O'erlooks the clime thou lovest to call thy home.

Just, just the joy thou feelest--it o'er views, The happiest land that quaffs the sun's bright hues.

But think thou not that, this, my chosen land Has reached its borders--they shall yet expand-- Until yon heap, on which the moonbeams play, O'erlooks a hemisphere that owns my sway.

There boundless tracts of evers.h.i.+ning snow, There--flowery isles that in the tropics glow-- There sea-like pampas, waving to the main, There--thousand cities dotting o'er the plain-- There--n.o.ble James--there Hudson's fairy tide-- There--Susquehanna--e'er with Song allied-- Here--broad Potomac, too,--shall here arise The hum of wide industry to the skies.

There--mighty Oregon--amid the West-- Rolls wealth uncounted o'er his watery breast.

There--mightier Amazon--the King of Floods, Sweeps grandly down from nevertraversed woods, There--Lakes--supplied by endless hills of snow-- There--Mexico--the gulf of placid flow-- There--wide Atlantic--blue as Beauty's eyes-- There--far Pacific--vast as are the skies-- Each whitened by quick-pa.s.sing, s.h.i.+fting sails, Conspire to make me rich--till Carthage fails To show a record of more wealth and power, Even where the farthest isles became her dower.

And yon dusk hill[D], amid the moon's pale light, In nation's eyes, shall soar a prouder height-- Till from each sh.o.r.e where man has learned to dwell-- The eyes shall strain, and feel the mighty spell-- For there repose the bones of Was.h.i.+ngton-- Upon that hill--earth's n.o.blest, earthly one.

But this Columbia's fairest praise shall be, Her Sons shall kneel beneath their chosen tree-- At prayer--as fades the daylight into even-- And, lift--unblamed--their hearts to smiling Heaven.

Here Learning, too, shall rear unnumbered domes, Here Shakspeares--Ta.s.sos--find more happy homes, Here Homer's fire, and Virgil's polished grace, A sacred charm shall give to many a place.

Each shady hill shall be a Muse's haunt-- By each pure spring aerial nymphs shall chant-- Chant the sweet song to heavenly Liberty-- While thundering cataracts peal it to the sea!"

She spake no more;--or I too much opprest By wondrous visions, needed welcome rest.

And when I waked, the day had now unfurled His rosy banners o'er the laughing world, And while the glorious prospect charmed my view, I felt Columbia's prophecy was true.

[Footnote C: The National Capital at Was.h.i.+ngton.]

[Footnote D: The Tomb of Was.h.i.+ngton, at Mount Vernon.]

LOVE.

Of woman was I born, and man I am.

I come to teach the greatest, yet the most meek Of all true lessons which man e'er can learn-- _G.o.d's man was made to love, and nought to hate, Except the Ill which G.o.d and angels hate._ Oh! this grand lore hath fallen on my heart Like smiling sunlight on a gloomy ocean.

Oft have I heard and felt great throbs of love Vibrating through the universe of worlds, Through every grain of matter, through the hearts That live and swarm beneath the eye of G.o.d.

Oft standing mid the holy calm of night, The surf of love came rolling on my soul From off the farthest verge of G.o.d's great realms, As rolls the surf of ocean on a beach, For ever and for ever, and for ever.

Love was the Cause of all things, and the End; For G.o.d is Love and ever will be Love: And those who feel most love are most like G.o.d-- As seraphs, cherubs, saints and righteous men; And those who feel least love, are least like G.o.d, As Satan, Moloch, Belial, and bad men.

Once man, and all that live and move on earth, In sea, and sky, were bound by links of love To G.o.d and angels, in one perfect chain-- And G.o.d and angels came and talked with man Full often, in the shade of Eden's trees, While lions and all lambs lay down together, All in the happy shade of Eden's trees.

Oft have I watched the myriad lovely flowers, In spring and summer, in the woods and meads, And thought they clasped their tiny hands in love, Then all bowed low their painted heads in love, To the great lord of light who smiled on them.

Oft have I watched the myriad forest leaves, Trembling as if with some sweet thought of love, Till love's sweet incense went up from all these, To the bright orb who smiled bright love on them: And then a thousand birds began to sing One song of love to that bright G.o.d above.

Oft I have heard that larks, in England's realm, Fly from the earth, at morning's golden blush, And fill the whole bright arch with golden songs?

And I have reasoned they sung only love, Which teaches them that strangest melody, Which they soar nearest heaven to warble out.

Oft have I seen the beams that leave the sun, Embrace within the clouds, with s.h.i.+ning arms-- And form a splendid arch in earth and heaven, Which s.h.i.+nes eternal covenant of Love-- Toward which our hearts forever mount and sing, As skylarks mount and sing to morning's flash.

Oft have I seen the sparkling water-drops, Cohere in love, and make a crystal lake-- A gulf--a sea--an ocean's mighty mirror.

Oft have I thought that all the system worlds, A few of which we watch, at holy night, Far up amid those deep, blue fields of night-- Are hung by Love, and wheel forever round The Central Point, in circles swift but true; And in their orbits flying thus for ever, Sing forth a choral song of burning love, To that Creator who loves them again.

Oft have I thought, the law which Newton named The Law of Gravitation, is the Law Of Love, which G.o.d had called the Law of Love.

And if a world could ever hate the rest, 'Twould rush forever to the abysm of gloom, And dreariest part of chaos. I infer _G.o.d's man was made to love and nought to hate Only the Ill which G.o.d and Angels hate._

Ah! happy spirits were they all in heaven, And all loved G.o.d, and one another loved-- And all moved round the Triune G.o.d enthroned-- In blissful circles--nearing him for aye, Yet not approaching ever--till that Foul And Hateful One fell off from love and then Fell down into his dark, eternal den, Where love's sweet beam can never, never reach.

THE LOVERS.

Two lovers in the strength of life, Had built a beauteous home, Where tall, ancestral oaks uprose, O'ershadowing their high dome.

He was a tall and manly form, With ringlets dark like night; But she was like the lily's stem, With eyes of moon-like light.

Six happy years they chronicled Within their nest of bliss; To taste each day some sweetest joy, They could not go amiss.

Three little images of them, Two boys and one a maid, Beneath those high, ancestral oaks, With silver laughter, played.

The thunder-blast of war came o'er The lover's startled soul; The wife bowed low her head and heart, To sorrow's strong control.

The lady drooped--as droops a flower Without the sun or rain; And now at twilight's hectic flush, She sang a wild, low strain:

"He's gone, I cannot smile as when I saw him at my side!

Ah me! the memory of that hour When I was his new bride.

"Our two young hearts were joined in love, As two bright lamps of flame, Cut off from him, life is to me A mockery and a name.