Page images
PDF
EPUB

III. 2.

Lo, steel-clad War his gorgeous standard rears!

The red-crofs fquadrons madly rage, 18

And mow thro' infancy and age;

Then kifs the facred duft and melt in tears.

Veiling from the eye of day,

Penance dreams her life away;

In cloister'd folitude fhe fits and fighs,

While from each fhrine ftill, fmall refponfes rife.

Hear, with what heart-felt beat, the midnight bell Swings its flow fummons thro' the hollow pile!

The weak, wan votarift leaves her twilight cell,

To walk, with taper dim, the winding isle;
With choral chantings vainly to afpire,

Beyond this nether sphere, on Rapture's wing of fire.

[blocks in formation]

III. 3.

Lord of each pang the nerves can feel,

Hence, with the rack and reeking wheel.

Faith lifts the foul above this little ball!

While gleams of glory open round,

And circling choirs of angels call,

Can't thou, with all thy terrors crown'd,

Hope to obfcure that latent spark,

Deftin'd to fhine when funs are dark?

Thy triumphs cease! thro' every land,

Hark! Truth proclaims, thy triumphs cease: Her heav'nly form, with glowing hand,

Benignly points to piety and peace.

Flush'd with youth, her looks impar

Each fine feeling as it flows;

Her voice the echo of her heart,

Pure as the mountain-fnows;

Celeftial tranfports round her play,
And foftly, fweetly die away.

She fmiles! and where is now the cloud

That blacken'd o'er thy baleful reign?

Grim Darkness furls his leaden fhroud,

Shrinking from her glance in vain.

Her touch unlocks the day-fpring from above,

And lo! it visits man with beams of light and love.

THE END.

« PreviousContinue »