Bareheaded offers thus his naked life?
Replete with power he is, and terrible,
Like some destroying angel! Sure his lips 80 Have drank of Kaf's dark fountain, and he comes Strong in his immortality! Fly! fly!
They said; this is no human foe-Nor less Of wonder fill'd the Spaniards when they saw How flight and terror went before his way, 85 And slaughter in his path. Behold, cries one, With what command and knightly ease he sits The intrepid steed, and deals from side to side His dreadful blows! Not Roderick in his power Bestrode with such command and majesty: 90 That noble war-horse. His loose robe this day Is death's black banner, shaking from its folds Dismay and ruin. Of no mortal mold
Is he who in that garb of peace affronts
Whole hosts, and sees them scatter where he turns! 95 Auspicious Heaven beholds us, and some saint Revisits earth!
EXERCISE 129.
Niagara.-SIGOURNEY.
Flow on, forever, in thy glorious robe
Of terror and of beauty. Yea, flow on
Unfathom'd and resistless. God hath set
His rainbow on thy forehead: and the cloud
5 Mantled around thy feet. And he doth give
Thy voice of thunder, power to speak of Him
Eternally-bidding the lip of man
Keep silence-and upon thy rocky altar pour
Incense of awe-struck praise. Ah! who can dare
10 To lift the insect trump of earthly hope,
Or love, or sorrow-'mid the peal sublime
Of thy tremendous hymn? Even ocean shrinks
Back from thy brotherhood: and all his waves
Retire abash'd. For he doth sometimes seem
15 To sleep like a spent laborer-and recall
His wearied billows from their vexing play,
And lull them to a cradle-calm: but thou,
With everlasting, undecaying tide,
Dost rest not, night or day.-The morning stars,
20 When first they sang o'er young creation's birth,
Heard thy deep anthem; and those wrecking fires,
That wait the archangel's signal to dissolve
This solid earth, shall find JEHOVAH'S name
Graven, as with a thousand diamond spears,
25 Of thine unending volume. Every leaf,
That lifts itself within thy wide domain,
Doth gather greenness from thy living spray,
Yet trembles at the baptism. Lo-yon birds
Do boldly venture near, and bathe their wing
30 Amid thy mist and foam. 'Tis meet for them
To touch thy garment's hem, and lightly stir
The snowy leaflets of thy vapor-wreath,
For they may sport unharm'd amid the cloud,
Or listen at the echoing gate of heaven,
35 Without reproof. But as for us, it seems
Scarce lawful, with our broken tones, to speak
Familiarly of thee. Methinks, to tint
Thy glorious features with our pencil's point,
Or woo thee to the tablet of a song,
40 Were profanation. Thou dost make the soul
A wondering witness of thy majesty,
But as it presses with delirious joy
To pierce thy vestibule, dost chain its step,
And tame its rapture, with the humbling view
45 Of its own nothingness, bidding it stand
In the dread presence of the Invisible,
As if to answer to its GoD through thee.
On a very old Wedding Ring.—GEORGE W. DOANE, L. L. D
1 I like that ring-that ancient ring,
Of massive form, and virgin gold,
As firm, as free from base alloy,
As were the sterling hearts of old.
I like it for it wafts me back,
Far, far along the stream of time,
To other men, and other days,
The men and days of deeds sublime.
2 But most I like it, as it tells,
The tale of well-requited love;
How youthful fondness persevered,
And youthful faith disdain'd to rove--
How warmly he his suit preferr'd,
Though she, unpitying, long denied,
Till, soften'd and subdued, at last,
He won his fair and blooming bride.”-
3 How, till the appointed hour arrived,
They blamed the lazy-footed hours-
How, then, the white-robed maiden train
Strew'd their glad way with freshest flowers-
And how, before the holy man,
They stood, in all their youthful pride,
And spoke those words, and vow'd those vows,
Which bind the husband to his bride:
4 All this it tells; the plighted troth-
The gift of every earthly thing-t
The hand in hand-the heart in heart-
For this I like that ancient ring.
I like its old and quaint device;
"Two blended hearts"-though time may wear them
No mortal change, no mortal chance,
"Till death," shall e'er in sunder tear them.
5 Year after year, 'neath sun and storm,
Their hopes in heaven, their trust in GoD,
In changeless, heartfelt, holy love,
These two the world's rough pathway trod.
Age might impair their youthful fires,
Their strength might fail, 'mid life's bleak weather
Still, hand in hand, they travel'd on-
Kind souls, they slumber now together.
6 I like its simple poesy too:
Mine own dear love this heart is thine!"
Thine, when the dark storm howls along,
As when the cloudless sunbeams shine.
"This heart is thine, mine own dear love!"
Thine, and thine only, and forever;
Thine, till the springs of life shall fail,
Thine, till the cords of life shall sever."
7 Remnant of days departed long,
Emblem of plighted troth unbroken,
Pledge of devoted faithfulness,
Of heartfelt holy love the token;
What varied feelings round it cling →
For these I like that ancient ring.
EXERCISE 131.
The Nativity.-TAPPAN.
1 Judea's plains in silence sleep
Beneath the cloudless midnight sky,
And o'er their flocks the shepherds keep
Kind watch, to David's city nigh:
That royal city!-nobler Guest
Is she awhile to entertain,
Than proudest monarch, whose behest
It is o'er earthly realms to reign.
By Him salvation is to mortals given,
On Earth is shed the peerless noon of Heaven.
For see! along the deep blue arch
A glory breaks;-and now a throng
From where the sparkling planets march,
Comes trooping down with shout and song;
And o'er those pastures, bathed in light,
The sacred legions stay their wing,
While on the wakeful ear of night
Steals the rich hymn that Seraphs sing.
And sweetly thus the mellow accents ran,
Glory to God, Good Will and Peace to Man!"
EXERCISE 132.
Christmas Hymn.-HEBER.
1 Brightest and best of the sons of the morning! Dawn on our darkness and lend us Thine aid!
Star of the East, the horizon adorning,
Guide where our infant Redeemer is laid!
2 Cold on His cradle the dew-drops are shining, Low lies his head with the beasts of the stall; Angels adore Him in slumber reclining,
Maker and Monarch and Savior of all!
3 Say, shall we yield Him, in costly devotion,
Odors of Edom, and offerings divine?
Gems of the mountain and pearls of the ocean,
Myrrh from the forest or gold from the mine?
4. Vainly we offer each ample oblation;
Vainly with gifts would His favor secure:
Richer by far is the heart's adoration;
Dearer to God are the prayers of the poor.
5 Brightest and best of the sons of the morning!
Dawn on our darkness and lend us Thine aid!
Star of the East, the horizon adorning,
Guide where our infant Redeemer is laid.
Thou art gone to the Grave.-HEBER.
1 Thou art gone to the grave! but we will not deplore thee,
Though sorrows and darkness encompass the tomb;
Thy Savior has pass'd through its portals before thee,
And the lamp of His love is thy guide through the gloom
2 Thou art gone to the grave! we no longer behold thee,
Nor tread the rough path of the world by thy side;
But the wide arms of Mercy are spread to infold thee,
And sinners may die, for the SINLESS has died!
3 Thou art gone to the grave! and, its mansion forsaking,
Perchance thy weak spirit in fear linger'd long;
But the mild rays of Paradise beam'd on thy waking,
And the sound which thou heardst was the seraphim's song!
4 Thou art gone to the grave! but we will not deplore thee,
Whose God was thy ransom, thy guardian and guide;
He gave thee, he took thee, and He will restore thee,
And death has no sting, for the Savior has died!
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