CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY FROM 6. H. Sabine nn ^^.. Cornell University Library PR5189.P2C6 1853 The course of time; a poem, in ten books. 3 1924 013 537 000 The original of tliis bool< is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924013537000 MICHAEL UNFOLDING FUTURITY TO ADAU. THK COURSE OF. TIME; A POEM, IN TEN BOOKS: BY ROBERT POLLOK, A.M. A MEMOIR OF THE AUTHORi AN ANALYSIS OF EACH BOOK ; DIVISIONS OF THE SUBJECTS EMBKACED IJT THE POEM; AND A COMPREHENSIVE INDEX. THE WMOLE mCPABED F.XPRE99LY FOR THI9 liciTIOIf^ BY W. C ARMSTRONG. ■ut. HARTFORD: PUBLISHED BY SILAS ANDRUS AND SON 1853. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1 846, By Silas Andeus & Son, in the Clerk's Office oTthe District Court of the District of Connecticut : --V stereotyped by D. LAWKKNCE. PRESS OF S. ANDEUS AND SOP EDITOR'S PREFACE. In preparing this edition of Pollok's immortal poem, great pains have been taken to render it in every respect worthy of the genius, the talent, and the piety of its highly-gifted author, and of the sublime subjects which are so beautifully depicted. It has long been a source of regret among the admirers j)i " The Course of Time," that many editions heretofore issued in this country are so glaringly inaccurate, that numerous passages, abounding in splendid imagery and glowing with fervid devotion, are not merely marred, but utterly perverted, by the carelessness or the ignorance of those by whom the work has been undertaken. Indeed, such has been the popularity of this masterly production, that swarms of pretenders have found it to their interest to issue what are erroneously termed cheap editions ; the mechanical execution of which, in most instances, is alike detrimental to the character of the poem and discreditable to "the art preservative of all arts." Of five copies, published at different periods within the last few years, which were consulted with a view to make this edition as perfect as possible, all were found dissimilar in several essential particulars, especially as regarded punctuation and the proper division of the poem into paragraphs; and, consequently, the editor has been compelled to rely partly upon his own judgment and partly upon the assistance of literary friends, whose aid and advice were kindly afforded. Many, who highly estimate this admirable poem, have suggested that portions of it were so obscure as to be almost, if not entirely, unintelligible. It is probable, how- ever, that the obscurity to which they allude, is more iii iv EDITOR'S PREFACE. attributable to the printer than to the author. Of all other species of composition, perhaps none is so dependent upon correct punctuation as blank verse ; and, although the editor makes no pretensions to infallibility, yet he flatters himself that the system adopted will be found consistent, at least, and materially assist in developing the design and spirit of the illustrious poet. In sub-dividing the poem, and prefixing heads to the several divisions, novr introduced for the first time, it wras presumed that the reader virould thereby receive important aidance in elucidating such passages as have been hitherto considered " comparatively incomprehensible." Another advantage attending this new arrangement will be found in the facility afforded for readily referring to any subject which may be desirable. Quotation marks, deemed essential to the clear under- standing of every author, have also been introduced, in the hope that their use would more distinctly distinguish what may not improperly be termed thB dialogue from the descriptive portions of the poem, which have formerly been so amalgamated as to "puzzle the will" of the most careful reader. Of the typography, and other mechanical adjuncts, it is deemed unnecessary to speak ; as its superiority over the mass of editions now in general use, will be self- apparent to the most superficial observer. Suffice it to say, that neither care nor expense have been spared to produce the book in a style befitting that exalted rank which the poem has attained, and must ever maintain, so long as towering conception and energetic expression are appreciated by the friends of literature. w. r. A. Hartford, Conn., 1846. MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR. The Rev. Robert Pollok was born at Muirhouse, in the parish of Eaglesham, about eleven miles south-east of Glasgovy, on the 19th of October, 1798. He was the youngest son of a very worthy and intelligent farmer; and the days of his early life were devoted to such pursuits as his father's interests and inclinations required. The advantages of an extensive education were seldom enjoyed by the children of that class of people to which he properly belonged ; and his, being in a ratio with theirs, was barely adapted to his condition in life. Economical of time, and anxious for instruction, instead of prodigally spending his evening hours in useless and childish pastimes, he devo'.ed them to the reading and study of such books as at once imparted pleasure and information ; thus storing his mind with a fund of literary lore, which he subsequently found an invaluable treasure. Before he attained th:, age of fourteen years — whether at the instance of his father, or of his own choice, is not known — he went to acquire the trade of a cartwright, in his native village; but by the advice of his elder brother, who was engaged in prepara- tory studies for the ministry, he relinquished his mechani- cal employment, and entered upon those incipient scholastic exercises necessary for one whose object was the clerical office. The new impulse given to his inclinations and feelings by his brother, received the sanction of his parents ; and, in the year 1813, he began the study of the Latin Grammar, at a school in the parish of Fenwick, where he mproved rapidly. VI MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR. • Such was his progress in learning, that in the month of October, 1815, he received admission into the University of Glasgow, where, after five years of close apphcation to the studies incident to that institution, the degree of Master of Arts was conferred upon him at the age of twenty-two. His devotion to his studies, and his zeal for proficiency in them, justly received the approbation of his hterary guar- dians, and procured him several prize honors, which his fellow-students cheerfully awarded him. But the assiduity with which he strove to acquire learning, considerably reduced the tone and vigor of his health ; and, although unconscious of the injurious eflect of too much application, yet it was evident he was destined, at no remote period, to become a martyr to his untiring industry. Some time in the autumn of 1822, he entered as a stu- dent of theology the seminary of the United Sessions Church, under the direction of the Rev. Dr. Dick, of Glasgow. During this time he also constantly attended the lectures of Dr. Macgill on theology, in the University. In conformity with the rules and regulations of Divinity Hall, he composed a number of discourses, which excited considerable interest; and, for want of that attention to the rigid rules of sermonizing, which the learned in divinity so much insist upon, he became the subject of the severest criticism among those of his fellows who were, perhaps, more uniform, but less gifted than himself. Indeed, it was not in the nature of a mind so vividly illuminated bv the rays of genius, to bend to the authority of formal rules, for the arrangement and division of his subjects, which are essential for the regulation of the thoughts, and the government of the memory of persons of more ordinary capacities. After the customary attendance of five sessions at the Hall, he obtained license to preach, simultaneously with his brother, in May, 1827, which was granted by the MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR. yii United Associate Presbytery of Edinburgh, and com- menced the work of the ministry accordingly. About the period of his licensure, the poem, which had employed much of his time, and engrossed much of his attention, for two antecedent years, was issued from the press, and its merits at once appreciated by the public. On the afternoon of Thursday, May 3 — a day set apart for humiliation and prayer, preparatory to the adminis- tration of the sacrament of the Supper — he preached his first public discourse, in Rose-street Chapel, Edinburgh, of which the Rev. John Brown was minister. His text was 1 Kings xviii. 21: "How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him." This first public effort appears, from the testimony of others, to have been abundantly success- ful: in one part of the sermon, he rose into an awful sub- limity, which carried a complete and lasting conviction to his hearers of the superiority of his talents and eloquence. The "London Memoir," speaking of this sermon, says: "Many, we doubt not, who heard him that day, will recollect the profound and eloquent discourse which he delivered, in which there was a brilliant display of poeti- cal imagery, combined with metaphysical acuteness and admirable reasoning; and many, we doubt not, will recol- lect his feeble appearance, and the exhaustion which was apparent ere he closed. Alas 1 disease was then making rapid inroads on his constitution, and his public ministra- tions were soon to end for ever." The weariness and prostration of strength, the ofispring of this first and bold exertion, were so excessive, that after leaving the church, he was compelled to confine himself to his bed ; and not- withstanding his subsequent partial restoration, he was only able to preach three sermons afterward ; the spirit which animated him not possessing power sufficient to resist the weakness of the body. 2A viii MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR. Consumption, that sly and deceitful destroyer, which flatters but to kill, had fastened on his vitals, and, with its slow but silent tooth, was feeding On his constitution; yet he did not know the extent of his danger. However, "in the summer he removed from Edinburgh to Slateford, a romantic village in the parish of St. Cuthbert's, delightfully situated on the rivulet called the Water of Leith, about three miles from the city. There, in the family of the Rev. Dr. Belfrage, minister of the United Congregation of Slateford, he was received with the utmost affection and respect. The salubrity of the air, and particular attention to diet, it was fondly anticipated, would restore him to vigor, especially as he, had youth and the advantage of the season in his favor. But the expectations of his friends were disappointed. The unequivocal testimonials of esteem and respect exhibited for his person, character, and talents, are best illustrated by the tender and endearing treatment and the affectionate kindnesses which were lavished upon him. "During Mr. Pollok's residence at Slateford, he experi- enced the utmost kindness and attention from a gentleman of the most distinguished reputation in the metropolis. Dr. Abercrombie. This gentleman frequently visited him, and tendered his medical advice with his friendly conversation. Many others in the metropolis, both laity and clergy of various denominations, also evinced their respect for him by their solicitations. Among the former, the Right Hon. Sir John Sinclair, who at a public dinner expressed his opinion of 'The Course of Time;'' and the family of Dr. Monro, of the University of Edinburgh, ought not to be forgotten. His friends and fellow-students in Edinburgh also frequently visited him, and cheered him by their con- versations on former days." "Of the kindness of Dr. Belfrage, Mr. Pollok always spoke with the most grate- ful enthusiasm. During his residence at Slateford, that MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR. [-^ gentleman acted towards him as a father and a friend. Every thing which was thought conducive to his comfort was at his command." These tributary offerings of friend- ship and affection were, however, of no avail; his disease still continued, and was ripening for a fatal termination. "It was now thought necessary that a change of chmate should be tried, and it was anticipated that the salubrious air of Italy might restore him to health. The city of Pisa, in the grand duchy of Tuscany, was the place selected for his residence. To a mind like his, deeply stored with classic learning, and capable of appreciating the scenes of that delightful country, such a residence must have possessed the highest interest." It was determined that this visit to the genial climes of Italy should be undertaken as soon as the arrangements necessary for his comfort were made; and letters, recommending him to the favor- able notice and attention of individuals, celebrated for their learning on the Continent, were procured. Accom- panied by his sister, he set out on his journey in August. "He proceeded by sea to England, and went first to Ply- mouth; but the state of his health rendered it impossible for him to continue his journey any farther; and only the hope remained that, if spared till the next summer, lie would perhaps be enabled to accomplish his undertaking. He therefore took up his residence near Southampton, at Devonshire-place, Shirley Common." This was the ultima thule of his journeyings. It was soon apparent that his disease was too deeply planted to be removed; and hope, the last effort of the mind in sick- ness, was now extinct. Under the conviction that he could not recover, he wrote to his brother in Scotland regarding his condition, which he considered hopeless; and stated to his sister, who was still with him, that he should have remained at home, had he been able to realize the rapidly-destructive nature of his disease. X MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR. After a few afflictive days of lingering pain, premonitory of his hastening dissolution, he died on the 18th of Septem- ber, 1827. His mortal remains were soon after decently interred; his brother not arriving until after the burial. He died in the full persuasion of the truths of the Christian system, which he had essayed to preach ; and was cheered in his last'moments by a calmness and tranquillity of mind, arising from his firm and unshaken faith in the religion he professed, and an unwavering confidence in the glories of that promised redemption which he had delineated with such pathos, eloquence, and power. In his intercourse with his friends and familiar acquaint- ance, he was cheerful and light-hearted ; and this disposi- tion he retained till disease had altogether disorganized his nervous system. But, like most men of studious habits, he wore an air of distance and reserve when in the com- pany of strangers. " His religion was that of the heart ; he was pious, devout, humble ; free from the conceits of a fancied perfection and the impulses of a heated enthusiasm. His mind was cast in too noble a mold to be impressed by the petty distinctions and animosities of sectarian pre- judice, and his integrity rose superior to the hollow and superficial affectation of a spurious liberality." "His habits were those of a close student; his reading was extensive; he could converse on almost every subject; and had extraordinary facility in composition. His college acquaintance could perceive that his mind was not wholly devoted to the business of the classes ; he was constantly writing or reading on other subjects. It was his custom to commit to the flames, every now and then, a great number of papers. Besides the regular exercises, he com- posed a variety for his own pleasure and improvement, and several of these were poetical." "Mr. Pollok's mind was certainly of a very superior order: of this, there need no other proof be given than MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR. xi the encomiqms which his 'Course of Time' has called forth; encomiums, many of them, penned before his death was known, but which did not appear until after he had gone beyond the reach of earthly applause." "The Course of Time," which had'employed his thoughts for a long period antecedent to its appearance, and of which he had furnished, for the four last books, a thousand lines each week, is well worthy of the eulogies it received and the admiration it obtained. This intellectual child was conceived by the author in his juvenile days, and lived in embryo thought as the offspring of his maturing mind. "His name is now recorded among those illustrious Scotsmen who have done honor to their country; who, from obscurity, have secured themselves an unfading repu- tation; and who will be remembered by distant genera- tions with enthusiasm and admiration." His other literary performances are three Sabbath- school tales, written when he was engaged in the study of theology, and published without the sanction of his name: they were entitled, "Helen of the Glen," "Ealph Gemmell" and " The Persecuted Family." These were all written before "The Course of Time;" and although all are respectable productions, yet the two last named give indications of more genius and talent than the first, wliich is founded on fancy rather than fact. The incidents of "The Persecuted Family" are derived from a train of correspondent facts and circumstances, which are asserted by the author to be substantially true, though their occur- rence was not precisely in such order, chronologically and otherwise, as he relates them. Yet they had reference to an interesting portion of Scottish history, in which the cruel- ties practiced upon the Presbyterians of that country in the seventeenth century, are depicted with a masterly hand. In his preface to " The Persecuted Family" he says : " Every sigh of our persecuted ancestors is recorded in xii MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR. heaven; every tear which they shed, is preser-ved in the bottle of God. "Why, then, should not their memories be dear to us, for whom they bled and for whom they died ? But it is not only that we may pay them our debt of grati- tude, that we ought to acquaint ourselves with their lives , it is that we may gather humility from their lowliness ; faith from their trust in God; courage from their heaven- sustained fortitude; warmth from the flame of their devo- tion, and hope from their glorious success." Mr. PoLLOK conceived the project of another work, which he had intended to compose and publish, and which, it is to be regretted, he did not live to write. It was "A Review of Literature in all ages, designed to show that Literature must stand or fall in proportion as it harmo- nizes with Scripture Revelation." This was a work which required of its author, in an eminent degree, genius, talent, learning, and religious knowledge; and in which much time, untiring patience, deep research, and unwavering faithfulness, would have been necessarily exercised. Yet his lofty mind had conceived the grand idea of executing such a work, which fact alone reflects great honor on his talents as a scholar and his enthusiasm as a Christian. We cannot conclude this brief sketch of the life, talents, character, and productions of Mr. Pollok better than by copying the language of one who wrote his Memoir, from which several extracts have been taken, and who in life loved him with a brother's love. In alluding to his death, he says: "He has gone the way of all the earth; and h s spirit, we fondly hope, is among the ' spirits of the just made perfect, who, by faith and patience, are now inherit- ing the promises.' But he Hves in the hearts of his friends, who think of him with fond regret; he lives in the hearts of his countrymen ; and his praise is not only in the church of which he was a licentiate, but in all the churches." THE COUESE OE TIME, BOOK 1. Analysis. — The author invokes the Eternal Spirit to inspire his song, that he may sing " The Course of Time ;" " The second birth and final doom of man;" "The essential truth: Time gone, the righteous saved, the vricked damned, and Providence approved." Long after time had ceased, and eternity had rolled on its periods, num- bered only by God alone, a stranger spirit arrives " high on the hills of immortality," and is there met by two other spirits, youthful sons of Paradise, who greet him with "Well done, thou good and faithful servant !" and invite him to ascend to the throne of God. The stranger informs them that, when he left his native world, on his way towards heaven, he came to a realm of darkness, where he saw beings of " all shapes, all forms, all modes of wretchedness," in a place of torment, burning continually, and dying perpetually ; and heari curses and blasphemies ; the meaning of which he requests them to unfold to him : but they, being unable, introduce him to an ancient bard of the earth, and all three request him to explain to them the wonders of the place of .torments and prison of the damned. The bard informs them that the place the stranger saw was hell ; the e^ioans he heard, the wailings of the damned; that he will have his «,sking, and that " wondering doubt shall learn to answer," while he gives them, in brief, the history of Man. INVOCATION. Eternal Spirit ! God of truth ! to whom All things seem as they are ; thou who of old The prophet's eye unsealed, that nightly saw. While heavy sleep fell down on other men, > In holy vision tranced, the future pass 14 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK I. Before him, and to Judah's harp attuned Burdens which made the pagan mountains shake And Zion's cedars bow — inspire my song ; My eye unscale ; me what is substance teach. And shadow what, while I of things to come, As past, rehearsing, sing the Course of Time, The second birth, and final doom of man. The muse, that soft and sickly wooes the ear Of love, or chanting loud in windy rhyme Of fabled hero, raves through gaudy tale. Not overfraught with sense, I ask not ; such A strain befits not argument so high. Me thought, and phrase, severely sifting out The whole idea, grant ; uttering as 'tis The essential truth: Time gone, the righteous saved. The wicked damned, and Providence approved. Hold my right hand. Almighty ! and me teach To strike the lyre, but seldom struck, to notes Harmonious with the morning stars, and pure As those by sainted bards and angels sung, Which wake the echoes of eternity — That fools may hear and tremble, and the wise Instructed listen, of ages yet to come. TIME AND ETERNITY. Long was the day, so long expected, past Of the eternal doom, that gave to each Of all the human race his^due reward. The sun— earth's sun,"and moon, and stars — had ceased "■'•^ I 1 I GARDEN OF EDBN. THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK I. 15 To number seasons, days, and months, and years. To mortal man : hope was forgotten, and fear ; And Time, with all its chance, and change, and smiles, And frequent tears, and deeds of villany Or righteousness — once talked of much, as things Of great renown — ^was now but ill remembered ; In dim and shadowy vision of the past. Seen far remote, as country, which has left The traveler's speedy step, retiring back From morn till even ; and long Eternity Had rolled his mighty years, and with his years Men had grown old : the saints, all home returned From pilgrimage, and war, and weeping, long Had rested in the bowers of peace, that skirt The stream of life; and long — alas! how long To them it seemed — the wicked who refused To be redeemed, had wandered in the dark Of hell's despair, and drunk the burning cup Their sins had filled with everlasting wo ! PICTURE OF PARADISE. Thus far the years had rolled, which none but God Doth number, when two sons, two youthful sons Of Paradise, in conversation sweet, (For thus the heavenly muse instructs me, wooed At midnight hour with offering sincere Of all the heart, poured out in holy prayer,) High on the hills of immortaUty, Whence goodliest prospect looks beyond the walls 16 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK I. Of heaven, walked ; casting oft their eye far thro' The pure serene, observant, if returned From errand duly finished, any came. Or any, first in virtue novs^ complete, From other worlds arrived, confirmed in good. Thus viewing, one they saw, on hasty wing Directing towards heaven Ms course ; and now. His flight ascending near the battlements And Igftj hills on which they walked, approached For round and round, in spacious circuit wide. Mountains of tallest stature circumscribe The plains of Paradise, whose tops, arrayed In uncreated radiance, seem so pure. That naught but angel's foot, or saint's, elect Of God, may venture there to walk ; here oft The sons of bliss take morn or evening pastime. Delighted to behold ten thousand worlds Around their suns revolving in the vast ^External space, or hsten to the harmonies That each to other in its motion sings. And hence, in middle heaven remote, is seen The mount of God, in awiul glory bright. Within, no orb create, of moon, or star, Or sun, gives light ; for God's own countenance. Beaming eternally, gives light to all ; But farther than these sacred hills his will Forbids its flow — too bright for eyes beyond. This is the last ascent of Virtue ; here All trial ends, and hope ; here perfect joy. With perfect righteousness, which to these heights Alone can rise, begins, above all fall. THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK I. I7 ARRIVAL OF A STRANGER SPIRIT. And now, on wing of holy ardor strong, Hither ascends the stranger, borne upright ; For stranger he did seem, with curious eye Of nice inspection round surveying all ; And at the feet alights of those that stood His coming, who the hand of welcome gave. And the embrace sincere of holy love ; And thus, with comely greeting kind, began : THE HEAVENLY WELCOME. " Hail, brother ! hail, thou son of happiness ! Thou son beloved of God ! welcome to heaven ! To bliss that never fades ! thy day is past Of trial, and of fear to fall. Well done, Thou good and faithful servant ; enter now Into the joy eternal of thy Lord. Come with us, and behold far higher sight Than e'en thy heart desired, or hope conceived. See, yonder is the glorious hill of God, 'Bove angel's gaze in brightness rising high. Come, join our wing, and we will guide thy fliglit To mysteries of everlasting bliss ; The tree, and fount of life, the eternal throne, And presence-chamber of the King of kings. But what concern hangs on thy countenance, Unwont within this place ? Perhaps thou deem'st Thyself unworthy to be brought befdre The always Ancient One ? So are we too Unworthy ; but our God is all in all. And gives us boldness to approach his throne," 13 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK I. "Sons of the Highest! citizens of heaven!" Began the new arrived, "right have ye judged : Unworthy, most unworthy is your servant. To stand in presence of the King, or hold Most distant and most humble place in this Abode of excellent glory unrevealed. But God Almighty be for ever praised, Who, of his fullness, fills me with all grace And ornament, to make me in his sight Well pleasing, and accepted in his court.^ But, if your leisure waits, short narrative Will tell, why strange concern thus overhangs My face, ill-seeming here ; and haply, too. Your elder knowledge can instruct my youth Of what seems dark and doubtful unexplained." "Our leisure waits thee: speak; and what we can — Delighted most to give dehght — ^we will ; Though much of mystery yet to us remains." THE HORRORS OF HELL. "Virtue, I need not tell — when proved, and full Matured — inclines us up to God and heaven. By law of sweet compulsion, strong and sure ; As gravitation to the larger orb The less attracts, through matter's whole domain Virtue in me was ripe. I speak not this In boast ; for what I am, to God I owe, Entirely owe, and of myself am naught. Equipped, and bent for heaven, I left yon world, My native seat, which scarce your eye can reach. THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK I. 19 Rolling around her central sun, far out, On utmost verge of light. But first to see What lay beyond the visible creation. Strong curiosity my flight impelled. Long was my way, and strange. I passed the bounds Which God doth set to light, and life, and love ; Where darkness meets with day, where order meets Disorder dreadful, waste and wild ; and down The dark, eternal, uncreated night. Ventured alone. Long, long, on rapid wing, I sailed through empty, nameless regions vast, Where utter Nothing dwells, unformed and void. There neither eye, nor ear, nor any sense Of being most acute, finds object ; there For aught external still you search in vain. Try touch, or sight, or smell ; try what you will You strangely find naught but yourself alone. But why should I in words attempt to tell What that is like which is — and yet — is not ? This past, my path, descending, still me led O'er unclaimed continents of desert gloom Immense, where gravitation, shifting, turns The other way ; and to some dread, unknown. Infernal centre downward weighs : and now, Far traveled from the edge of darkness — far As from that glorious mount of God to light's Remotest limb — dire sights I saw, dire sounds I heard ; and suddenly before my eye A wall of fiery adamant sprung up — 20 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK I. Wall mountainous, tremendous, flaming high Above all flight of hope. I paused, and looked ; And saw, where'er I looked upon that mound, Sad figures traced in fire — not motionless. But imitating life. One I remarked Attentively ; but how shall I describe What naught resembles else my eye hath seen ? Of worm or serpent kind it something looked, But monstrous, with a thousand snaky heads, Eyed each with double orbs of glaring wrath ; And with as many tails, that twisted out In horrid revolution, tipped with stings ; And all its mouths, that wide and darkly gaped. And breathed most poisonous breath, had each a sting. Forked, and long, and venomous, and sharp ; And, ill its writhings infinite, it grasped Malignantly what seemed a heart, swollen, black, And quivering with torture most intense ; And still the heart, with anguish throbbing high, Made effort to escape, but could not ; for Howe'er it turned, and oft it vainly turned. These complicated foldings held it fast. And still the monstrous beast with sting of head Or tail transpierced it, bleeding evermore. What this could image, much I searched to know : And while I stood, and gazed, and wondered long, A voice, from whence I knew not, for no one I saw, distinctly whispered in my ear These words : ' This is the Worm that never dies.' " Fast by the side of this unsightly thing THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK I. 21 Another was portrayed, more hideous still ; Who sees it once, shall wish to see't no more. For ever undescribed let it remain ! Only this much I may or can unfold : Far out it thrust a dart that might have made The knees of terror quake, and on it hung. Within the triple barbs, a being, pierced Through soul and body both : of heavenly make Original the being seemed, but fallen. And worn and wasted with enormous wo. And still arbund the everlasting lance It writhed convulsed, and uttered mimic groans; And tried and wished, and ever tried and wished To die ; but could not die. — Oh, horrid sight ! I trembling gazed, and listened, and heard this voice Approach my ear : ' This is Eternal Death.' "Nor these alone : upon that burning Avail, In horrible emblazonry, were Umned All shapes, all forms, all modes of wretchedness. And agony, and grief, and desperate wo. And prominent, in characters of fire. Where'er the eye could light, these words you read ' Who comes this way — behold, and fear to sin !' Amazed I stood ; and thought such imagery Foretokened, within, a dangerous abode. But yet to see the worst a wish arose : For Virtue, by the holy seal of God Accredited and stamped, immortal all. And all invulnerable, fears no hurt. As easy as my wish, as rapidly B 22 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK I I tlirough the horrid rampart passed, unscathed And unopposed ; and, poised on steady wing, I hovering gazed. Eternal Justice ! Sons Of God ! tell me, if ye can tell, what then I saw, what then I heard ! — Wide was the place, And deep as wide, and ruinous as deep. Beneath, I saw a lake of burning fire, With tempest toss'd perpetually, and still The waves of fiery darkness, 'gainst the rocks Of dark damnation broke, and music made Of melancholy sort; and over head, • And all around, wind warred with wind, stpnn howled To storm, and lightning, forked hghtnmg, crossed, And thunder answered thunder, muttering sounds Of sullen Tsrrath ; and far as sight could pierce. Or down descend in caves of hopeless depth. Through all that dungeon of unfading fire, I saw most miserable beings walk. Burning continually, yet unconsumed ; For ever wasting, yet enduring still ; Dying perpetually, yet never dead. Some wandered lonely in the desert flames, And some in fell encounter fiercely met. With curses loud, and blasphemies, that made The cheek of darkness pale ; and as they fought. And cursed, and gnashed their teeth, and wished to die, Their hollow eyes did utter streams of v,-o. And there were groans that ended not, and sighs That always sighed, and tears that ever wept. THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK I. 23 A.nd ever fell, but not in Mercy's sight. And Sorrow, and Repentance, and Despair, Among them walked, and to their thirsty lips Presented frequent cups of burning gall. And as I listened, I heard these beings curse Almighty God, and curse the Lamb, and curse The earth, the Resurrection-morn ; and seek. And ever vainly seek, for utter death. And, to their everlasting anguish, still The thunders from above responding spoke These words, which, thro' the caverns of perdition Forlornly echoing, fell on every ear : ' Ye knew your duty, but ye did it not !' And back again recoiled a deeper groan. A deeper groan ! Oh, what a groan was that ! I waited not, but swift on speediest wing. With unaccustomed thoughts conversing? back Retraced my venturous path from dark to light : Then up ascending, long ascending up, I hasted on — though whiles the chiming spheres. By God's own finger touched to harmony. Held me delaying — ^till I here arrived, Drawn upward by the eternal love of God, Of wonder full and strange astonishment, At what in yonder den of darkness dwells. Which now your higher knowledge will unfold." VISIT TO THE BARD. They, answering, said: "To ask and to bestow Knowledge, is much of heaven's delight ; and now Most joyfully what thou requirest we would ; 24 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK I. For much of new, and unaccountable, Thou bring'st : something indeed we heard before In passing conversation slightly touched. Of such a place ; yet, rather to be taught. Than teaching, answer what thy marvel asks We need ; for we ourselves, though hei e, are but Of yesterday — Creation's younger sons. But there is one, an ancient bard of eai ;h, Who, by the stream of hfe, sitting in bl [ss. Has oft beheld the eternal years complete The mighty circle round the throne of God ; Great in all learning, in all wisdom great. And great in song ; whose harp in lofty strain Tells frequently of what thy wonder craves. While round him, gathering, stand the youth ol heaven, With truth and melody delighted both ; To him this path directs, an easy path. And easy flight will bring us to his seat." So saying, they linked hand in hand, spread out Their golden wings, by living breezes fanned. And over heaven's broad champaign sailed serene. O'er hill and valley, clothed with verdure green That never fades ; and tree, and herb, and flower, That never fades ; and many a river, rich With nectar, winding pleasantly, they passed ; And mansion of celestial mold, and work Divine. And oft delicious music, sung By saint and angel bands that walked the vales, Or mountain tops, and harped upon their harps, Their ear inclined, and held by sweet constraint THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK 1. 25 Their wing ; not long, for strong desire awaked Of knowledge that to holy use might turn, Still pressed them on to leave what rather seemed Pleasure, due only when all duty's done. THE ANCIENT BARD OF EARTH. And now beneath them lay the wished-for spot. The sacred bower of that renowned bard ; That ancient bard, ancient in days and song ; But in immortal vigor young, and young In rosy health — to pensive solitude Retiring oft, as was his wont on earth. Fit was the place, most fit, for holy musing. Upon a little mount, that gently rose. He sat, clothed in white robes ; and o'er his head A laurel-tree, of lustiest, eldest growth. Stately and tall, and shadowing far and wide — Not fruitless, as on earth, but bloomed, and rich With frequent clusters, ripe to heavenly taste — Spread its eternal boughs, and in its arms A myrtle of unfading leaf embraced ; The rose and lily, fresh with fragrant dew. And every flower of fairest cheek, around Him, smiling, flocked ; beneath his feet, fast by And round his sacred hill, a streamlet walked. Warbling the holy melodies of heaven ; The hallowed zephyrs brought him incense sweet. And out before him opened, in prospect lonof. The river of life, in many a winding maze Descending from the lofty throne of God, That with excessive glory closed the scene. 2Q THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK 1 Of Adam's race he was, and lonely sat. By chance that day, in pieditation deep, Reflecting much of Time, and Earth, and Man : And now to pensive, now to cheerful notes. He touched a harp of wondrous melody ; A golden harp it was, a precious gift. Which, at the day of judgment, with the crown Of life, he had received from God's own hand, Reward due to his service done on earth. He sees their coming ; and with greeting kind, And welcome — not of hollow, forged smiles. And ceremonious comphment of phrase. But of the heart sincere — into his bower Invites. Like greeting they returned ; not bent In low obeisancy, from creature most Unfit to creature; but with manly form Upright, they entered in ; though high his rank. His wisdom high, and mighty his renown. And thus, deferring all apology, The two their new companion introduced : "Ancient in knowledge ! bard of Adam's race ! We bring thee one, of us inquiring what We need to learn, and with him wish to learn. His asking will direct thy answer best." RECAPITULATION OF THE STRANGER. " Most ancient bard," began the new arrived, " Few words will set my wonder forth, and guide Thy wisdom's light to what in me is dark. "Equipped for heaA^en, I left my native place, But first beyond the realms of light I bent THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK I. 27 My course ; and there, in utter darkness, far Remote, I beings saw forlorn in wo, Burning continually, yet unconsumed. And there were groans that ended not, and siglis That always sighed, and tears that ever wept, And ever fell, but not in Mercy's sight ; And still I heard these wretched beings curse Almighty God, and curse the Lamb, and curse The earth, the Resurrection-morn ; and seek. And ever vainly seek, for utter death. And from above the thunders answered still, ' Ye knew your duty, but ye did it not !' And every where throughout that horrid den, I saw a form of excellence ; a form Of beauty without spot, that naught could see And not admire — admire, and not adore. And from its own essential beams it gave Light to itselfj that made the gloom more dark ; And every eye in that infernal pit Beheld it still ; and from its face — ^how fair ! O how exciseding fair ! — ^for ever sought. But ever vainly sought, to turn away. That image, as I guess, was Virtue ; for Naught else hath God given countenance so fair. But why in such a place it should abide ? What place it is ? What beings there lament ? Whence came they ? and for what their endless groan ? Why curse they God ? why seek they utter death ? And, chief, what means the Resurrection-morn ? My youth expects thy reverend age to tell." 28 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK I. OMNIPRESENCE OF VIRTUE. "Thou rightly deem'st, fair youth," began the bard: " The form thou saw'st was Virtue, ever fair. Virtue, hke God, whose excellent majesty. Whose glory Virtue is, is omnipresent. No being, once created rational. Accountable, endowed with moral sense, With sapience of right and wrong endowed. And charged — however fallen, debased, destroyed ; However lost, forlorn, and miserable ; In guilt's dark shrouding wrapp'd, however thick ; However drunk, delirious, and mad — With sin's full cup; and with whatever damned. Unnatural diligence it work and toil. Can banish Virtue from its sight, or once Forget that she is fair. Hides it in night. In central night ; takes it the lightning's wingj And flies for ever on, beyond the bounds Of all ; drinks it the maddest cup of sin ; Dives it beneath the ocean of despair ; It dives, it drinks, it flies, it hides in vain : For still the eternal beauty, image fair, Once stamped upon the soul, before the eye All lovely stands, nor will depart. So God Ordains : and lovely to the worst she seems. And ever seems ; and as they look, and still Must ever look upon her loveliness. Remembrance dire of what they were, of what They might have been, and bitter sense of what They are — polluted, ruined, hopeless, lost — THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK I. 29 With most repenting torment rend their hearts. So God ordains : their punishment severe, Eternally inflicted by themselves. 'Tis this — this Virtue, hovering evermore Before the vision of the damned, and in Upon their monstrous moral nakedness Casting unwelcome light — ^that makes their wo, That makes the essence of the endless flame ; Where this is, there is hell ; darker than aught That he, the bard three-visioned, darkest saw." ANSWER OF THE BARD. "The place thou saw'st was hell; the groans thou heard'st. The wailings of the damned ; of those who would Not be redeemed ; and at the judgment-day. Long past, for unrepented sins were damned. The seven loud thunders which thou heard'st, declare The eternal wrath of the Almighty God. But whence, or why they came to dwell in wo — Why they curse God, what means the glorious morn Of Resurrection — these a longer tale Demand, and lead the mournful lyre far back Through memory of sin and mortal man. Yet haply not rewardless we shall trace The dark disastrous years of finished Time. Sorrows remembered, sweeten present joy. Nor yet shall all be sad ; for God gave peace. Much peace, on earth, to all who feared his name." 2B 30 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK I. HEAVENLY KNOWLEDGE. "But first it needs to say, that other style, And other language than thy ear is wont, Thou must expect to hear — the dialect Of man : for each in heaven a relish holds Of former speech, that points to whence he came But whether I of person speak, or place. Event or action, moral or divine ; Or things unknown compare to things unknown ; Allude, imply, suggest, apostrophize ; Or touch, when wandering thro' the past, on moods Of mind thou never felt'st, the meaning still. With easy apprehension, thou shalt take ; So perfect here is knowledge, and the strings Of sympathy so tuned, that every word That each to other speaks, though never heard Before, at once is fiiUy understood. And every feeUng uttered, fully felt. "So shalt thou find, as from my various song, That bacjcward rolls o'er many a tide of years, Directly or inferred, thy asking : thou, And wondering doubt, shalt learn to answer, while I sketch, in brief, the history of Man." THE COUESE OF TIME BOOK II. Analysis. — A description of the earth when first created ; and the for- mation of man, a reasonahle free agent, upright and immortal The command given was a test of filial love, loyalty, obedience, and faith. The temptation, sin, and fall of man; and redemption from death by the atonement of Christ. Many would not accept the free ofier of life and salvation, and in consequence, incurred the punishment of the second death and hell: that they acted thus, and thus perversely chose, well assured of the consequence, by the information contained and given them in the Bible, which was a code of laws, containing the will of Heaven, and defined the bounds of vice and virtue, and of life and death. Mankind were required to read, believe, and obey; and although many did so believe, and were saved, yet many turned the truth of God into a lie, transforming the meaning of the text to suit their own vile and wicked purposes, deceiving and deceived: that the voice of God, against which nothing could bribe to sleep the truths of Judgment and a Judge, caused the wicked to be ill at ease; on which account many ran into impious idolatry, and worshiped ten thousand deities, "imagined worse than he who craved their peace." The Magistrate often turned religion into a trick of state, despising the truth, and forcing the consciences of men; while the enslaved, mimicking the follies of the great, despise her too. The other influences which led to error are mentioned; short-sighted reason, vanity, indolence; and finally pride, self -adoring pride, was primal cause of all sin past; all pain, all wo to come. CREATION OF THE EARTH. This said, he waked the golden harp, and thus While on him inspiration breathed, began : " As from yon everlasting hills, that gird Heaven northward, I thy course espied, I judge Thou from the arctic regions came ? Perhaps 32 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK II Thou noticed on thy way a little orb, Attended by one moon, her lamp by night , With her fair sisterhood of planets seven. Revolving round their central sun ; the third In place, in magnitude the fourth : that orb — New made, new named, inhabited anew, (Though wliiles we sons of Adam visit still. Our native place ; not changed so far but we Can trace our ancient walks — the scenery Of childhood, youth, and prime, and hoary age — But scenery most of suffering and wo,) That little orb, in days remote of old. When angels yet were young, was made for man. And titled Earth — her primal virgin name ; Created first so lovely, so adorned With hill, and dale, and lawn, and winding vale ; Woodland, and stream, and lake, and rolling seas ; Green mead, and fruitful tree, and fertile grain, And herb and flower : so lovely, so adorned With numerous beasts of every kind, with fowl Of every wing and every tuneful note ; And with all fish that in the multitude Of waters swam : so lovely, so adorned. So fit a dwelling-place for man, that, as She rose, complete, at the creating word. The morning stars- — the sons of God — aloud Shouted for joy ; and God, beholding, saw The fair design, that from eternity His mind conceived, accomplished; and, well pleased. His six days' finished work most good pronounced, And man declared the sovereign prince of all." THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK 11. 33 ADAM AND EVE. " All else was prone, irrational, and mute, And unaccountable, by instinct led : But man He made of angel form erect. To hold communion with the heavens above. And on his soul impressed His image fair His own similitude of holiness. Of virtue, truth, and love; with reason high To balance right and wrong, and conscience quick To choose or to reject; with knowledge great. Prudence and wisdom, vigilance and strength. To guard all force or guile ; and, last of all. The highest gift of God's abundant grace, With perfect, free, unbiassed vsdll. Thus man Was made, upright, immortal made, and crowned The king of all ; to eat, to drink, to do Freely and sovereignly his will entire ; By one command alone restrained, to prove. As was most just, his filial love sincere. His loyalty, obedience due, and faith. And thus the prohibition ran, expressed. As God is wont, in terms of plainest truth : " ' Of every tree that in the garden grows Thou mayest freely eat ; but of the tree That knowledge hath of good and ill, eat not. Nor touch ; for in the day thou eatest, thou Shalt die. Go, and tliis one command obey ; Adam, live and be happy, and, with thy Eve, Fit consort, multiply and fill the earth.' "Thus they, the representatives of men. Were placed in Eden — choicest spot on earth ; 34 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK 11. Willi royal honor and with glory crowned, Adam, the lord of all, majestic walked, With godlike countenance sublime, and form Of lofty towering strength ; and by his side Eve, fair as morning-star, with modesty Arrayed, with virtue, grace, and perfect love : In holy marriage wed, and eloquent Of thought and comely words, to worship God And sing his praise — the giver of all good. Glad, in each other glad, and glad in hope ; Rejoicing in their future happy race." THE FALL OF MAN, " O lovely, happy, bless'd, immortal pair ! Pleased with the present, full of glorious hope ! But short, alas ! the song that sings their bliss ! Henceforth, the history of man grows dark : Shade after shade of deep'ning gloom descends, And Innocence laments her robes defiled. Who farther sings, must change the pleasant lyre To heavy notes of wo. Why? — dost thou ask, Surprised ? The answer will surprise thee more. Man sinned ; tempted, he ate the guarded tree ; Tempted of whom thou afterward shalt hear : Audacious, unbelieving, proud, ungrateful. He ate the interdicted fruit, and fell ; And in his fall, his universal race ; For they in him by delegation were, In him to stand or fall — to live or die." " Man most ingrate ! so full of grace — to sin !" Here interposed the new arrived ; " so full .'^'M^:'.' •■*■• ADAM AND EVE HIDINO FEOM THK I OF THEIR MAKBR. THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK II. 35 Of bliss — to sin against the Gracious One ! The holy, just, and good ! the Eternal Love ! Unseen, unheard, unthought-of wickedness ! Why slumbered vengeance ? No, it slumbered not. The «ver-just and righteous God would let His fury loose, and satisfy his threat." THE ATONEMENT. " That had been just," repUed the reverend bard ; " But done, fair youth, thou ne'er hadst met me here : I ne'er had seen yon glorious throne in peace. Thy powers are great, originally great. And purified even at the fount of light. Exert them now ; call all their vigor out ; Take room, think vastly ; meditate intensely. Reason profoundly; send conjecture forth; Let fancy fly; stoop down; ascend; all length. All breadth explore ; all moral, all divine ; Ask prudence, justice, mercy ask, and might ; Weigh good with evil, balance right with wrong ; With virtue, vice compare ; hatred with love ; God's holiness, God's justice, and God's truth. Deliberately and cautiously compare With sinful, wicked, vile, rebellious man. And see if thou can'st punish sin, and let Mankind go free. Thou fail'st ; be not surprised. I bade thee search in vain. Eternal love — Harp, hft thy voice on liigh ! — eternal love. Eternal, sovereign love, and sovereign grace. Wisdom, and power, and mercy infinite. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, God, 36 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK II. Devised the wondrous plan — devised, achieved , And, in achieving, made the marvel more. Attend, ye heavens ! ye heaven of heavens, attend ! Attend, and wonder ! wonder evermore ! When man had fallen, rebelled, insulted God ; Was most polluted, yet most madly proud ; Indebted infinitely, yet most poor ; Captive to sin, yet willing to be bound ; To God's incensed justice, and hot wrath Exposed ; due victim of eternal death And utter wo — Harp, lift thy voice on high ! Ye everlasting hills ! ye angels, bow ! Bow, ye redeemed of men ! — God was made flesli. And dwelt with man on earth : the Son of God, Only begotten, and well beloved, between Men and his Father's justice interposed ; Put human nature on ; His wrath sustained ; And in their name suifered, obeyed, and died. Making his soul an offering for sin ; Just for unjust, and innocence for guilt. By doing, suffering, dying unconstrained. Save by omnipotence of boundless grace. Complete atonement made to God appeased ; Made honorable his insulted law. Turning the ^rath aside from pardoned man. Thus Truth with Mercy met; and Righteousness, Stooping from highest heaven, embraced fair Peace, That walked the earth in fellowship with Lo\ e. " O love divine ! O mercy infinite !" The audience here in glowing rapture broke ; ' O love, all height above, all depth below. THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK II. 37 Surpassing far all knowledge, all desire, All thought, the Holy One for sinners dies ! The Lord of life for guilty rebels bleeds ! Quenches eternal fire with blood divine. Abundant mercy ! overflowing grace !" god's wondrous love. " There whencef I came, I something heard of men ; Their name had reached us, and report did speak Of some abominable, horrid thing, Of desperate offence they had committed ; And something too of wondrous grace we heard; And oft of our celestial visitants What man, what God had done, inquired. But they, Forbid, our asking never met directly. Exhorting still to persevere upright, And we should hear in heaven, tho' greatly bless'd Ourselves, new wonders of God's wondrous love. This hinting, keener appetite to know Awaked ; and as we talked, and much admired What new we there should learn, we hasted each To nourish virtue to perfection up. That we might have our wondering resolved. And leave of louder praise, to greater deeds Of loving kindness due. Mysterious love ! God was made flesh, and dwelt with men on earth ' Blood holy, blood divine, for sinners shed ! My asking ends ; but makes my wonder more. Saviour of men ! henceforth be thou my theme : Redeeming love, my study day and night. Mankind were lost, all lost, and aU redeemed !" 38 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK II "Thou err'st again, but innocently err'st; Not knowing sin's depravity, nor man's Sincere and persevering wickedness." " All were redeemed V "Not all, or thou had'st heard No human voice in hell. Many refused. Although beseeched, refused to be redeemed ; Redeemed from death to life, from wo to bhss !" PERVERSENESS OF MAN. " Canst thou believe my song when thus I sing ? When man had fallen, was ruined, hopeless, lost — Ye choral harps ! ye angels that excel In strength ! and loudest, ye redeemed of men ! To God, to Him that sits upon the throne On high, and to the Lamb, sing honor, sing Dominion, glory ; blessing sing, and praise ! — When man had fallen, was ruined, hopeless, lost, Messiah, Prince of Peace, Eternal King, Died, that the dead might live, the lost be saved. Wonder, O heavens ! and be astonished, earth ! Thou ancient, thou forgotten earth ! Ye worlds, admire ! Admire, and be confounded ! and thou, hell. Deepen thy eternal groan ! Men would not be Redeemed — ^I speak of many, not of all — Would not be saved for lost, have life for death !" "Mysterious song!" the new arrived exclaimed; " Mysterious mercy ! most mysterious hate ' To disobey, was mad; this, madder far; Incurable insanity of will. THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK Ii. 39 What now but wrath could guilty men expect ? What more could love, what more could mercy do ?' FREE GRACE OFFERED TO ALL. "No more," resumed the bard, "no more they could. Thou hast seen hell: the wicked there lament. And why ? — ^For love and mercy twice despised. The husbandman, who sluggishly forgot In spring to plough and sow, could censure none. Though winter clamored round his empty bams. But he who having thus neglected, did Refuse, when autumn came, and famine threatened, To reap the golden field that charity Bestowed — ^nay, more obdurate, proud, and blind, And stupid still, refused, though much beseeched. And long entreated, even with Mercy's tears. To eat what to his very lips was held. Cooked temptingly — he certainly, at least. Deserved to die of hunger, unbemoaned. So did the wicked spurn the grace of God ; And so were punished with the second death. The first, no doubt, punition less severe Intended, death beUke of all entire ; But this incxirred, by God discharged, and life Freely presented, and again despised — Despised, tho' bought with Mercy's proper blood — 'Twas this dug hell, and kindled all its bounds With wrath and inextinguishable fire. " Free was the offer, fi:ee to all, of life And of salvation ; but the proud of heart. 40 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK II. Because 'twas free, would not accept ; and still To merit wished : and choosing — ^thus unshipped, Uncompassed, unprovisioned, and bestormed — To swim a sea of breadth immeasurable. They scorned the goodly bark, whose wings the breath Of God's eternal Spirit filled for heaven. That stopped to take them in ! and so were lost." THE GRACE OF GOD OMNIPOTENT. " What wonders dost thou tell ! To merit ? how ? Of creature meriting in sight of God, As right of service done, I never heard Till now. We never fell ; in virtue stood Upright, and persevered in holiness ; But stood by grace, by grace we persevered ; Ourselves, our deeds — our holiest, highest deeds — Unworthy aught ; grace worthy endless praise. if we fly swift, obedient to his will. He gives us wings to fly; if we resist Temptation, and ne'er fall, it is his shield Omnipotent that wards it off; if we. With love unquenchable, before him burn, 'Tis he that lights and keeps alive the flame. Men surely lost their reason in their fall. And did not understand the oflFer made." THE LIGHT OF THE BIBLE. " They might have understood," the bard rephed : They had the Bible. Hast thou ever heard Of such a book 1 — the author, God himself; THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK 11 41 The subject, God and man; salvation, life. And death — eternal life, eternal death — Dread words ! whose meaning has no end, no bounrls. Most wondrous book ! bright candle of the Lord ! Star of eternity ! the only star By which the bark of man could navigate The sea of life, and gain the coast of bliss Securely ; only star which rose on Time, And, on its dark and troubled billows, still. As generation, drifting swiftly by. Succeeded generation, threw a ray Of heaven's own light ; and to the hills of God, The everlasting hills, pointed the sinner's eye : By prophets, seers, and priests, and sacred bards, Evangelists, apostles, men inspired. And by the Holy Ghost anointed, set Apart and consecrated to declare To earth the counsels of the Eternal One, This book — this holiest, this sublimest book — Was sent. Heaven's will. Heaven's code of laws entire To man, this book contained ; defined the bounds Of vice and virtue, and of life and death ; And what was shadow, what was substance taught. Much it revealed ; important all ; the least Worth more than what else seemed of liighest worth; But this of plainest, most essential truth : That God is one ; eternal, holy, just. Omnipotent, omniscient, infinite ; Most wise, most good, most merciful, and true ; 42 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK II. In all perfection most unchangeable : That man — ^that every man, of every cUme A.nd hue, of every age and every rank — Was bad ; by nature and by practice bad ; [n understanding, blind ; in will, perverse ; In heart, corrupt; in every thought, and word, Imagination, passion, and desire. Most utterly depraved throughout, and Ul, In sight of Heaven, though less in sight of man ; At enmity with God his maker bom. And by his very life an heir of death : That man — that every man — was, farther, most Unable to redeem himself, or pay One mite of his vast debt to God ; nay, more. Was most reluctant and averse to be Redeemed, and sin's most voluntary slave : That Jesus, Son of God, of Mary born In Bethlehem, and by Pilate crucified On Calvary for man thus fallen and lost. Died ; and, by death, life and salvation bought And perfect righteousness, for all who should In his great name believe : that He, the third In the eternal Essence, to the prayer Sincere should come, should come as soon as askcnl. Proceeding from the Father and the Son, To give faith and repentance, such as God Accepts ; to open the intellectual eyes, Blinded by sin ; to bend the stubborn will. Perversely to the side of wrong incUned, To God and his commandments, just and good ; The wild, rebellious passions to subdue. THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK II. 43 And bring them back to harmony with heaven; To purify the conscience, and to lead Tlie mind into all truth, and to adorn Witli every holy ornament of grace. And sanctify the whole renewed soul. Which henceforth might no more fall totally, But persevere, though erring oft, amidst The mists of time, in piety to God, And sacred works of charity to men : That he who thus believed, and practiced thus. Should have his sins forgiven, however vile ; Should be sustained at mid-day, morn, and even. By God's omnipotent, eternal grace ; And in the evil hour of sore disease. Temptation, persecution, war, and death — For temporal death, altho' unstinged, remained — • Beneath the shadow of the Almighty's wings Should sit unhurt, and at the judgment-day Should share the resurrection of the just. And reign with Christ in bliss for evermore : That all, however named, however great. Who would not thus believe, nor practice thus. But in their sins impenitent remained. Should in perpetual fear and terror hve ; Should die unpardoned, unredeemed, unsaved; And, at the hour of doom, should be cast out To utter darkness in the night of hell. By mercy and by God abandoned, there To reap the harvests of eternal wo. " This did that book declare in obvious phrase. In most sincere and honest words, by God 44 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK II. Himself selected and arranged ; so clear. So plain, so perfectly distinct, that none Who read with humble wish to understand. And asked the Spurit, given to all who asked. Could miss their meaning, blazed in heavenly light. " This book, this holy book, on every line Marked with the seal of high divinity. On every leaf bedewed with drops of love Divine, and with the eternal heraldry And signature of God Almighty stamp'd From first to last ; this ray of sacred light. This lamp, from off the everlasting throne, Mercy took down, and in the night of Time Stood, casting on the dark her gracious bow; And evermore beseeching men, with tears And earnest sighs, to read, believe, and hve : And many to her voice gave ear, and read. Believed, obeyed ; and now, as the Amen, True, Faitliful Witness swore, with snowy robes And branchy palms surround the fount of life. And drink the stream of immortahty. For ever happy, and for ever young." PERVERSION OF THE BIBLE. " Many believed ; but more the truth of God Turned to a lie, deceiving and deceived; Each, with the accursed sorcery of sin. To his own wish and vile propensity Transforming still the meaning of the text. " Hear, while I briefly tell what mortals proved, By effort vast of ingenuity, THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK II. 45 Most wondrous, though perverse and damnable ; Proved from the Bible, which, as thou hast heard. So plainly spoke that all could understand : First, and not least in number, argued some. From out this book itself, it was a lie, A fable, framed by crafty men to cheat The simple herd, and make them bow the knee To kings and pnests. These in their wisdom left The light revealed, and turne.d to fancies wild ; Maintaining loud that ruined, helpless man. Needed no Saviour. Others proved that men Might live and die in sin, and yet be saved. For so it was decreed ; binding the will. By God left free, to unconditional. Unreasonable fate. Others believed That he who was most criminal, debased. Condemned, and dead, unaided might ascend The heights of virtue ; to a perfect law Giving a lame, half-way obedience, which By useless effort only served to show The impotence of him who vainly strove With finite arm to measure infinite ; Most useless effort ! when to justify In sight of God it meant, as proof of faith Most acceptable, and worthy of all praise. Another held, and from the Bible held, Ele was infallible ; most fallen by such Pretense ; that none the Scriptures — open to all. And most to humble-hearted — ought to read But priests ; that all who ventured to disclaim His forged authority, incurred the wrath 46 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK II. Of Heaven; and he who in the blood of such — Though father, mother, daughter, wife, or son — Imbrued his hands, did most rehgious work. Well pleasing to the heart of the Most High. Others, in outward rite devotion placed ; In meats, in drinks ; in robe of certain shape ; In bodily abasements ; bended knees ; Days, numbers, places, vestments, words, and names ; Absurdly in their hearts imagining That God, like men, was pleased with outward show. Another, stranger and more wicked still, With dark and dolorous labor, ill applied. With many a gripe of conscience, -and with most Unhealthy and abortive reasoning. That brought his sanity to serious doubt, 'Mong wise and honest men, maintained that He, First Wisdom, Great Messiah, Prince of Peace, The second of the uncreated Three, Was naught but man, of earthly origin; Thus making void the sacrifice divine. And leaving guilty men — God's holy law Still unatoned — to work them endless death. " These are a part ; but to relate thee all The monstrous, unbaptized phantasies. Imaginations fearfully absurd. Hobgoblin rites, and moon-struck reveries, Distracted creeds, and visionary dreams. More bodiless and hideously misshapen Than ever fancy, at the noon of night, THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK II. 47 Playing at will, framed in the madman's brain, That from this book of simple truth were proved. Were proved, as foolish men were wont to prove. Would bring my word in doubt, and thy belief Stagger, though here I sit and sing, within The pale of truth, where falsehood never came." CONSCIOUSNESS OF FUTURITV IDOLATRY, " The rest, who lost the heavenly light revealed. Not wishing to retain God in their minds, In darkness wandered on : yet could they not. Though moral night around them threw her pall Of blackness, rest in utter unbelief. The voice within, the voice of God, that naught Could bribe to sleep, though steeped in sorceries Of hell, and much abused by whisperings Of evil spirits in the dark, announced A day of judgment, and a Judge ; a day Of misery or bliss : and, being ill At ease, for gods they chose them stocks and stones. Reptiles, and weeds, and beasts, and creeping things, And spirits accursed — ten thousand deities ! Imagined worse than he who craved their peace ; And, bowing, worshiped these as best beseemed. With midnight revelry, obscene and loud, With dark, infernal, devihsh ceremonies. And horrid sacrifice of human flesh. That made the fair heavens blush. So bad was sin; So lost, so ruined, so depraved was man ! Created first in God's own image fair !" 48 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK II. INEXPLICABLENESS OF SIN. "Oh, cursed, cursed Sin! traitor to God, And ruiner of man! mother of Wo, And Death, and Hell ! wretched, yet seeking worse : Polluted most, yet wallowing in the mire ; Most mad, yet drinking Phrensy's giddy cup ; Depth, ever deepening; darkness, darkening still; Folly for wisdom, guilt for innocence ; Anguish for rapture ; and for hope, despair ; Destroyed, destroying ; in tormenting, pained ; Unawed by wrath ; by mercy unreclaimed ; Thing most unsightly, most forlorn, most sad ! Thy time on earth is past ; thy war with God And holiness : but who, oh ! who shall tell Thy unrepentable and ruinous thoughts ? Thy sighs, thy groans ? Who reckon thy burning tears. And damned looks of everlasting grief, Where now, with those who took their part with thee. Thou sitt'st in hell, gnawed by the eternal Worm, To hurt no more on all the holy hills ? " That those, deserting once the lamp of truth. Should wander ever on, from worse to worse Erroneously, thy wonder needs not ask : But that enlightened, reasonable men. Knowing themselves accountable, to whom God spoke from heaven, and by his servants warned, Both day and night, with earnest, pleading voice, Of retribution equal to their works. Should persevere in evil, and be lost — - THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK II. 49 This strangeness, tliis unpardonable guilt. Demands an answer, which my song unfolds. In part, directly ; but hereafter more. To satisfy thy wonder, thou shalt learn. Inferring much from what is yet to sing." JUST AND UNJUST RULERS. " Know, then, of men who sat in highest place • Exalted, and for sin by others done Were chargeable, the king and priest were chief. Many were faithful, holy, just, upright — Faithful to God and man — reigning renowned In righteousness, and, to the people, loud And fearless, speaking all the words of life. These at the judgment-day, as thou shalt hear, Abundant harvest reaped ; but many, too — Alas, how many ! — famous now in hell, Were wicked, cruel, tyrannous, and vile ; Ambitious of themselves, abandoned, mad ; And still from servants hasting to be gods, Such gods as now they serve in Erebus. I pass their lewd example by, that led So many wrong, for courtly fashion lost. And prove them guilty of one crime alone : Of every wicked ruler, prince supreme, Or magistrate below, the one intent. Purpose, desire, and struggle, day and night, Was evermore to wrest the crown from oiF Messiah's head, and put it on his own ; And in His place give spiritual laws to men ; To bind religion — free by birth, by God, 50 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK II And nature free, and made accountable To none but God — ^behind the wheels of state ; To make the holy altar, where the Prince Of Ufe, incarnate, bled to ransom man, A footstool to the throne. For this they met. Assembled, counselled, meditated, planned ; Devised in open and secret ; and for this Enacted creeds of wondrous texture, creeds The Bible never owned, unsanctioned too. And reprobate in heaven ; but by the power That made — exerted now in gentler form. Monopolizing rights and privileges Equal to all, and waving now the sword Of persecution fierce, tempered in hell — Forced on the conscience of inferior men : The conscience, that sole monarchy in man. Owing allegiance to no earthly prince ; Made by the edict of creation free ; Made sacred, made above all human laws; Holding of Heaven alone ; of most divine And indefeasible authority; An individual sovereignty, that none Created might, unpunished, bind or touch ; Unbound, save by the eternal laws of God, And unamenable to all below. " Thus did the uncircumcised potentates Of earth debase Religion in the sight Of those they ruled ; who, looking up, beheld The fair celestial gift despised, enslaved ; And, mimicking the folly of the great. With prompt docility despised her too." THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK II. 51 THE TJNFAITHFUl, PRIEST. "The prince or magistrate, however named Or praised, who, knowing better, acted tlius, Was wicked, and received, as he deserved, Damnation. But the unfaithful priest, what tongue Enough shall execrate ? His doctrine may Be passed, tho' mixed with most unhallowed leaven. That proved to those who foolishly partook, Eternal bitterness : but this was still His sin — beneath what cloak soever veiled, His ever-growing and perpetual sin — First, last, and middle thought, whence every wi^i. Whence every action rose, and ended both — To mount to place, and power of worldly sort ; To ape the gaudy pomp and equipage Of earthly state, and on his mitred brow To place a royal crown : for this he sold The sacred truth to him who most would give Of titles, benefices, honors, names ; For this betrayed his Master ; and for this Made merchandise of the immortal souls Committed to his care. This was his sin. " Of all who office held unfairly, none Could plead excuse ; he, least and last of all. By solemn, awful ceremony, he Was set apart to speak the truth entire. By action and by word ; and round him stood The people, from his lips expecting knowledg One day in seven, the Holy Sabbath termed. They stood ; for he had sworn, in face of God And man, to deal sincerely with their souls; 2C 52 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK II. To preach the gospel for the gospel's sake ; Had sworn to hate and put away all pride. All vanity, all love of earthly pomp ; To seek all mercy, meekness, truth, and grace ; And being so endowed himself, and taught. In them like works of holiness to move ; Dividing faithfully the word of life. And oft indeed the word of life he taught ; But practicing as thou hast heard, who could Believe ? Thus was religion wounded sore At her own altars, and among her friends. The people went away, and, like the priest. Fulfilling what the prophet spoke before. For honor strove, and wealth, and place, as if The preacher had rehearsed an idle tale. The enemies of God rejoiced, and loud The unbeliever laughed, boasting a life Of fairer character than his, who owned. For king and guide, the undefiled One. " Most guilty, villanous, dishonest man ! Wolf in the clothing of the gentle lamb ! Dark traitor in Messiah's holy camp ! Leper in saintly garb ! assassin masked In Virtue's robe ! vile hypocrite accursed ! I strive in vain to set his evil forth. The words that should sufficiently accurse And execrate such reprobate, had nefed Come glowing from the hps of eldest hell. Among the saddest in the den of wo, Thou saw'st him saddest, 'mong the damned most damned." THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK II. 53 INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY. " But why should I with indignation burn. Not well beseeming here, and long forgot ? Or why one censure for another's sin ? Each had his conscience, each his reason, will. And understanding, for himself to search. To choose, reject, believe, consider, act. And God proclaimed from heaven, and by an oath Confirmed, that each should answer for himself; And as his own peculiar work should be, Done by his proper self, should live or die. But sin, deceitful and deceiving still. Had gained the heart, and reason led astray." FATALITY OF FALSE CREEDS. " A strange beUef, that leaned its idiot back On folly's topmost twig — behef that God, Most wise, had made a world, had creatures made, Beneath his care to govern and protect — Devoured its thousands. Reason— not the true. Learned, deep, sober, comprehensive, sound. But bigoted, one-eyed, short-sighted Reason^ Most zealous, and sometimes, no doubt, sincere — Devoured its thousands. Vanity to be Renowned for creed eccentrical, devoured Its thousands. But a lazy, corpulent, And over-cr€|flulous faith, that leaned on all It met, nor asked if 'twas a reed or oak ; Stepped on, but never earnestly inquired Whether to heaven or hell the journey led, e2 54 THE COURSE OF TIME — BOOK 11. Devoured its tens of thousands, and its hands Made reddest in the precious blood of souls." t VAIN ACQUISITIONS GLORIES OF REDEMPTION. " In Time's pursuits, men ran till out of breath. TJie astronomer soared up, and counted stars. And gazed and gazed upon the heaven's bright face, Till he dropp'd down dim-eyed into the grave : The numerist, in calculations deep, Grew gray : the merchant at his desk expired : The statesman hunted for another place, Till death o'ertook him, and made him his prey : The miser spent his eldest energy In grasping for another mite : the scribe Rubbed pensively his old and withered brow, Devising new impediments to hold In doubt the suit that threatened to end too soon : The priest collected tithes, and pleaded rights Of decimation to the very last. In science, learning, all philosophy. Men labored all their days, and labored hard. And, dying, sighed how little they had done. But in religion they at once grew wise. A creed in print, though never understood ; A theologic system on the shelf. Was spiritual lore enough, and served their turn ; But served it ill. They sinned, and tiever knew : For what the Bible said of good and bad. Of holiness and sin, they never asked. "Absurd, prodigiously absurd, to think That man's minute and feeble faculties. THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK II. 55 Even in the very childhood of his being, With mortal shadows dimmed and wrapp'd around, Could comprehend at once the mighty scheme. Where rolled the ocean of eternal love ; Where wisdom infinite its master-stroke Displayed ; and where omnipotence, oppress'd. Did travail in. the greatness of its strength; And everlasting Justice lifted up The sword to smite the guiltless Son of God ; And Mercy, smiling, bade the sinner go ! Redemption is the science and the song Of all eternity: archangels, day And night, into its glories look : the saints, The elders round the throne, old in the years Of heaven, examine it perpetually; And, every hour, get clearer, ampler views Of right and wrong ; see virtue's beauty more ; See vice more utterly depraved and vile ; And this, with a more perfect hatred, hate ; That daily love with a more perfect love." PRIDE AND ITS ATTENDANTS. " But whether I for man's perdition blame Office administered amiss, pursuit Of pleasure false, perverted reason blind. Or indolence that ne'er inquired; I blame Effect and consequence ; the branch, the leaf. Who finds the fount and bitter root, the first And guiltiest cause whence sprung this endless wo, Must deep descend into the human heart. And find it there. Dread passion ! making men 56 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK II. On earth, and even in hell, if Mercy yet Would stoop so low, unwilling to be saved, If saved by grace of God. Hear then, in brief. What peopled hell, what holds its prisoners there " Pride, self-adoring pride, was primal cause Of all sin past, all pain, all wo to come. Unconquerable pride ! first, eldest sin. Great fountain-head of evil ! highest source. Whence flowed rebellion 'gainst the Omnipotent, Whence hate of man to man, and all else ill. Pride at the bottom of the human heart Lay, and gave root and nourishment to aU That grew above. Great ancestor of vice ! Hate, unbelief, and blasphemy of God ; Envy and slander ; maUce and revenge ; And murder, and deceit, and every birth Of damned sort, was progeny of pride. It was the ever-moving, acting force. The constant aim, and the most thirsty wish Of every sinner unrenewed, to be A god : in purple or in rags, to have Himself adored ; whatever shape or form His actions took, whatever phrase he threw About his thoughts, or mantle o'er his life. To be the highest, was the inward cause Of all ; the purpose of the heart to be Set up, admired, obeyed. But who would bow The knee to one who served and was dependent ? Hence man's perpetual struggle, night and day. To prove he was his own proprietor. And independent of his God ; that what THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK II. 57 He had might be esteemed his own, and praised As such. He labored still, and tried to stand Alone, unpropped, to be obUged to none ; And, in the madness of his pride, he bade His God farewell, and turned away to be A god himself; resolving to rely, Whatever came, upon his own right hand. " O desperate phrensy ! madness of the will ! And drunkenness of the heart! that naught could quench But floods of wo, poured from the sea of wrath. Behind which mercy set. To think to turn The back on life original, and Uve ! The creature to set up a rival throne In the Creator's realm ! to deify A worm ! and in the sight of God be proud ! To Uft an arm of flesh against the shafts Of the Omnipotent, and midst his wrath To seek for happiness ! — ^insanity Most mad ! guilt most complete ! Seest thou those worlds That roll at various distance round the throne Of God, innumerous, and fiU the calm Of heaven with sweetest harmony, when saints And angels sleep ? As one of these, from love Centripetal withdrawing, and from Ught, And heat, and nourishment cut off, should rusli Abandoned o'er the Une that runs between Create and increate — ^from ruin driven To ruin still, through the abortive waste — So pride from God drew off the bad ; and so. 5S THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK II. Forsaken, of him, he lets them ever try Their single arm against the second death ; Amidst vindictive thunders lets them try The stoutness of their hearts ; and lets them try To quench their thirst amidst the unfading fire ; And to reap joy where he has sown despair; To walk alone, unguided, unbemoaned, Where Evil dwells, and Death, and moral Night ; In utter emptiness, to find enough ; In utter dark, find light; and find repose Where God with tempest plagues for evermore : For so they wished it, so did pride desire. " Such was the cause that turned so many off Rebelliously from God, and led them on From vain to vainer still, in endless chase. And such the cause that made so many cheeks Pale, and so many knees to shake, when men Rose from the grave ; as thou shalt hear anon." THE COUESE OF TIME BOOK III. Analysis. — ^In this book the hard shows that, however men disobeyed the command to love God, truth, and virtue, they still strove to gain happiness : for the attainment of which they pursued many strange and crooked paths, in none of which it could be found ; as happiness was indissolubly united to virtue, and could only be gained by obe- dience to the command. Yet men pursiied the phantom Hope, whicli danced before them in every path, and ever mocked their grasp, " till the earth beneath them broke, and wrapp'd them in the grave." Many sought for happiness in the enjoyment of pleasures, but it ever proved vain, in hope or in possession. Many sought for happiness in the attainment of riches : this mostly ended in bitterness and wo Many pursued the phantom Fame, that fame which raised not in the resurrection morn, " Earthly fame ;" but all in vain. Many sought happiness in dissipation, in inebriation ; "deliberately resolving to bt mad ;" some in hawking and hunting, some in the search after curi- osities, and some even in hopeless scepticism sought happiness. And thus mankind followed vanities in despite of wisdom's warning voice ; in despite of the teaching of all animate and inanimate nature ; in despite of the oiFers of mercy continually held out to them : in spite, even, of the threatenings of death, to " make repentance vain," " men rushed on determined, to ruin, and shut their ears to all advice, to all reproof," till death, " the great teacher," convinced each, too late, that " Eternity is all." The author alludes to some interesting circumstances connected with himself, in his delineation of Disappointment. TRUTH AND THE BIBLE. " Behold'st thou yonder, on the crystal sea. Beneath the throne of God, an hnage fair, And in its hand a mirror large and bright ? — 'Tis Truth, immutable, eternal Truth, 60 THE COURSE OF TIME — BOOK III In figure emblematical expressed. Before it Virtue stands, and smiling sees. Well pleased, in her reflected soul, no spot. The sons of heaven, archangel, seraph, saint. There daily read their own essential worth ; And, as they read, take place among the just ; Or high, or low, each as his value seems. There each his certain interest learns, his true Capacity; and, going thence, pursues. Unerringly through all the tracts of thought. As God ordains, best ends by wisest means. " The Bible held this mirror's place on earth : But, few would read, or, reading, saw themselves. The chase was after shadows, phantoms strange, That in the twilight walked of Time, and mocked The eager hunt, escaping evermore ; Yet with so many promises and looks Of gentle sort, that he whose arms returned Empty a thousand times, still stretched them out. And, grasping, brought them back again unfilled." VAIN PURSUITS OF MEN. " In rapid outline thou hast heard of man ; His death ; his offered life ; that life by most Despised ; the Star of God — the Bible — scorned. That else to happiness and heaven had led. And saved my lyre from narrative of wo. Hear now more largely of the ways of Time ; The fond pursuits and vanities of men. "'Love God, love truth, love virtue, and be happy.' THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK III. 61 These were the words first uttered in the ear Of every being rational made, and made For thought, or word, or deed accountable. Most men the first forgot, the second none. Whatever path they took, by hill or vale. By night or day, the universal wish. The aim, and sole intent, was happiness : But, erring from the heaven-appointed path. Strange tracks indeed they took, thro' barren wastes And up the sandy mountain climbing toiled. Which, pining, lay beneath the curse of God, And naught produced : yet did the traveler look. And point his eye before him greedily, As if he saw some verdant spot, where grew The heavenly flower, where sprung the well of life, Wliere undisturbed felicity reposed ; Though Wisdom's eye no vestige could discern. That Happiness had ever passed that way. " Wisdom was right : for still the terms remained Unchanged, unchangeable ; the terms on which True peace was given to man ; unchanged as God, Who, in his own essential nature, binds Eternally to virtue happiness. Nor lets them part through all his Universe. "Philosophy, as thou shalt hear, when she Shall have her praise — her praise and censure too — ■ Did much, refining and exalting man; But could not nurse a single plant that bore True happiness. From age to age she toiled ; Shed from her eyes the mist that dimmed them still'. Looked forth on man; explored the wild and tame. 62 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK III The savage and polite, the sea and land. And starry heavens ; and then retired far back To Meditation's silent, shady seat ; And there sat pale and thoughtfully, and weighed With wary, most exact and scrupidous care, Man's nature, passions, hopes, propensities, Relations, and pursuits, in Reason's scale ; And searched and weighed^ and weighed and searched again, And many a fair and goodly volume wrote. That seemed well worded too, wherein were found Uncountable receipts, pretending each, If carefully attended to, to cure Mankind of folly ; to root out the briers. And thorns, and weeds that choked the growth of joy; And showing, too, in plain and decent phrase. Which sounded much hke Wisdom's, how to plant, To shelter, water, culture, prune, and rear The tree of happiness ; and oft their plans Were tried ; but still the fruit was green and sour.'' THE TREE OF HOLINESS. " Of all the trees that in earth's vineyard grew, And with theij- clusters tempted man to pull And eat, — one tree, one tree alone, the true Celestial manna bore, which filled the soul : The Tree of Holiness ; of heavenly seed ; A native of the skies ; though stunted much, And dwarfed, by Time's cold, damp, ungenial soil And chilUng winds, yet yielding fruit so pure, THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK III. 63 So nourishing and sweet, as, on his way. Refreshed the pilgrim ; and begot desire Unquenchable to climb the arduous path To where: her sister plants, in their own clime, Around the fount, and by the stream of life. Blooming beneath the sun that never sets. Bear fruit of perfect relish, fully ripe. " To plant this tree, uprooted by the fall. To earth the Son of God descended, shed His precious blood ; and on it evermore. From off his living wings, the Spirit shook The dews of heaven, to nurse and hasten its growth. Nor was this care, this infinite expense. Not needed to secure the holy plant. To root it out, and wither it from earth. Hell strove with all its strength, and blew with all Its blasts ; and Sin, with cold, consumptive bi.-ith. Involved it still in clouds of mortal damp. Yet did it grow, thus kept, protected thus ; And bear the only fruit of true delight ; The only fruit worth plucking under heaver " But few, alas ! the holy plant could see, For heavy mists that Sin around it threW Perpetually ; and few the sacrifice Would make by which alone its clusters stu >j/». J. And came within the reach of mortal man. For this, of him who would approach and ea^. Was rigorously exacted to the full : — To tread and bruise beneath the foot, the world Entire ; its prides, ambitions, hopes, desires j Its gold, in all its broidered equipage ; 64 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK III. To loose its loves and friendships from the heart, Ahd cast them off; to shut the ear against Its praise, and all its flatteries abhor ; And having thus behind him throvi^n what seemed So good and fair, then must he lowly kneel. And with sincerity, in which the Eye That slumbers not, nor sleeps, could see no lack. This prayer pray : ' Lord God ! thy will be done, Thy holy will, howe'er it cross my own.' Hard labor this for flesh and blood ! too hard For most it seemed : so, turning, they the tree Derided, as mere bramble, that could bear No fruit of special taste ; and so set out Upon ten thousand different routes to seek What they had left behind ; to seek what they Had lost : for still as something once possess'd And lost, true happiness appeared. All thought They once were happy; and, even wliile they smoked And panted in the chase, believed themselves More miserable to-day than yesterday; To-morrow than to-day. When youth complained, The ancient sinner shook his hoary head. As if he meant to say, ' Stop till you come My length, and then you may have cause to sigh.' At twenty, cried the boy, who now had seen Some blemish in his joys, 'How happily Plays yonder child that busks the mimic babe. And gathers gentle flowers, and never sighs !' At forty, in the fervor of pursuit, Far on in disappointment's dreary vale. THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK III. (55 The grave and sage-like man looked back upon The stripling youth of plump unseared hope, Who galloped gay and briskly up behind ; And, moaning, wished himself eighteen again. And he of threescore years and ten, in whose Chilled eye, fatigued with gaping after Hope, Earth's freshest verdure seemed but blasted leaves, Praised childhood, youth, and manhood; and denounced Old age alone, as barren of all joy : Decisive proof that men had left behind The happiness they sought, and taken a most Erroneous path ; since every step they took Was deeper mire. Yet did they onward run, Pursuing Hope, that danced before them still, And beckoned them to .proceed ; and with their hands. That shook and trembled piteously with age. Grasped at the lying Shade, even till the earth Beneath them, broke, and wrapp'd them in the grave. " Sometimes, indeed, when Wisdom in their eaj W hispered, and with its disenchanting wand Effectually touched the sorcery of their eyes. Directly pointing to the holy tree, Where grew the food they sought, they turned, surprised That they had missed so long what now they found. As one upon whose mind some new and rare Idea glances, and retires as quick. Ere memory has time to write it down; 66 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK III. Stung with the loss, into a thoughtful cast He throws his face, and rubs his vexed brow ; Searches each nook and corner of his soul With frequent care ; reflects, and re-reflects. And tries to touch relations that may start The fugitive again ; and oft is foiled ; Till something like a seeming chance, or flight Of random fancy, when expected least. Calls back the wandered thought, long sought in vain; Then does uncommon joy fill all his mind ; And still he wonders, as he holds it fast. What lay so near he could not sooner find : So did the man rejoice, when from his eye The film of folly fell, and what he, day And night, and far and near, had idly searched. Sprung up before' him, suddenly displayed ; So wondered why he missed the tree so long. " But few returned from Folly's giddy chase ; Few heard the voice of Wisdom, or obeyed. Keen was the search, and various, and wide ; Without, within, along the flowery vale. And up the rugged cliff, and on the top Of mountains high, and on the ocean wave. Keen was the search, and various, and wide, And ever and anon a shout was heard : 'Ho! here's the tree of life ! come, eat, and live !' And round the new discoverer quick they flocked In multitudes, and plucked, and with great haste Devoured ; and sometimes in the lips 'twas sweet, And promised well; but in the belly, gall. THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK III g- Yet after him that cried again, 'Ho! here's The tree of life !' again they ran, and pulled. And chewed again, and found it bitter still. From disappointment on to disappointment. Year after year, age after age pursued : The child, the youth, the hoary-headed man. Alike pursued, and ne'er grew wise : for it Was Folly's most peculiar attribute. And native act, to make experience void. " But hastily, as pleasures tasted, turned To loathing and disgust, they needed not Even such experiment to prove them vain. In hope or in possession. Fear, alike. Boding disaster, Stood. Over the flower Of fairest sort, that bloomed beneath the sun, Protected most, and sheltered from the storm. The Spectre, like a dark and thunderous cloud. Hung dismally, and threatened, before the hand Of him that wished could pull it, to descend. And o'er the desert drive its withered leaves. ; Or, being pulled, to blast it unenjoyed, While yet he gazed upon its loveliness. And just began to drink its fragrance up." THIRST FOR GOLD. " Gold many hunted, sweat and bled for gold ; Waked all the night, and labored all the day. And what was this allurement, dost thou ask ? A dust dug from the bowels of the earth. Which, being cast into the fire, came out A shining thing that fools admired, and called D 68 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK III. A god ; and in devout and humble plight Before it kneeled, the greater to the less ; And on its altar sacrificed ease, peace. Truth, faith, integrity; good conscience, friends, TiOve, charity, benevolence, and all The sweet and tender sympathies of life ; And, to complete the horrid murderous rite, And signalize their folly, offered up Their souls, and an eternity of bliss. To gain them — what ? — an hour of dreaming joy ! A feverish hour, that hasted to be done. And ended in the bitterness of wo." THE MISER. . " Most, for the luxuries it bought — the pomp. The praise, the glitter, fashion, and renown — This yellow phantom followed and adored. But there was one in folly farther gone ; With eye awry, incurable, and wild. The laughing-stock of devils and of men. And by his guardian-angel quite given up : The miser, who with dust inanimate Held wedded intercourse. Ill-guided wretch! Thou might'st have seen him at the midnight hour. When good men slept, and in Ught-winged dreams Ascended up to God — in wasteful hall, With vigilance and fasting worn to skin And bone, and wrapp'd in most debasing rags — Thou might'st have seen him bending o'er his heaps. And holding strange communion with his gold; And as his thievish fancy seemed to hear THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK 111. 69 The night-man's foot approach, starting alarmed, And in his old, decrepit, withered hand. That palsy shook, grasping the yellow earth. To make it sure. Of all God made upright. And in their nostrils breathed a living soul. Most fallen, most prone, most earthy, most debased. Of all that sold Eternity for Time, None bargained on so easy terms with death. Illustrious fool ! Nay, most inhuman wretch J He sat among his bags, and with a look Which hell might be ashamed of, drove the poor Away unalmsed ; and midst abundance died — Sorest of evils ! — died of utter want." FALLACIOUS PLEASURES. " Before this Shadow, in the vale of earth. Fools saw another glide, which seemed of more Intrinsic worth. Pleasure her name — good name. Though ill applied. A thousand forms she took, A thousand garbs she wore ; in every age And chme changing, as in her votaries changed Desire ; but, inwardly, the same in all. Her most essential Uneaments we trace ; Her general features every where alike. "Of comely form she was, and fair of facej And underneath her eyelids sat a kind Of witching sorcery, that nearer drew Whoever with unguarded look beheld ; A dress of gaudy hue loosely attired . Her loveliness ; her air and manner frank. And seeming free of all disguise ; her song 70 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK III. Enchanting; and her words, which sweetly dropp'd As honey from the comb, most large of promise, Still prophesying days of new delight, And rapturous nights of undecaying joy; And in her hand, where'er she went, she held A radiant cup that seemed of nectar full ; And by her side danced fair delusive Hope. The fool pursued, enamored ; and the wise. Experienced man, who reasoned much, and though t. Was sometimes seen laying his wisdom down. And vying with the stripUng in the chase. " Nor wonder thou : for she was really fair ; Decked to the very taste of flesh and blood, And many thought her sound within, and gay And healthy at the heart ; but thought amiss : For she was full of all disease ; her bones Were rotten; Consumption licked her blood, and drank Her marrow up; her breath smelled mortally; And in her bowels plague and fever lurked ; And in her very heart, and reins, and life. Corruption's worm giiawed greedily unseen. " Many her haunts. Thou might' st have seen her now With Indolence, lolling on the mid-day couch, And whispering drowsy words ; and now at dawn. Loudly and rough, joining the sylvan horn ; Or sauntering in the park, and to the tale Of slander giving ear ; or sitting fierce. Rude, blasphemous, malicious, raving, mad. Where fortune to the fickle die was bound. "And in her hand, where'er she went, she held A radiant cup that seemed of nectar full." THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK III. 71 " But chief she loved the scene of deep debauch, Where revelry, and dance, and frantic song. Disturbed the sleep of honest men. And where The drunkard sat, she entered in, well pleased, With eye brimful of wanton mirthfulness. And urged him still to fill another cup. " And at the shadowy twilight, in the dark And gloomy night, I looked, and saw her come Abroad, arrayed in harlot's soft attire ; And walk without in every street, and lie In wait at every corner, full of guile ; And as the unwary youth, of simple heart. And void of understanding, passed, she caught And kissed him ; and, with lips of lying, said, 'I have peace-oiferings with me ; I have paid My vows this day; and therefore came I forth To meet thee, and to seek thee diligently, To seek thy face, and I have found thee here. My bed is decked with robes of tapestry. With carved work, and sheets of linen fine ; Perfumed with aloes, myrrh, and cinnamon. Sweet are stolen waters ! pleasant is the bread In secret eaten ! the good man is from home. Come, let us take our fill of love till morn Awake ; let us delight ourselves with loves.' With much fair speech, she caused the youth to yield ; And forced him with tlfe flattering of her tongue. I looked, and saw him follow to her house, As goes the ox to slaughter ; as the fool To the correction o the stocks ; or bird 72 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK III. That hastes into the subtle fowler's snare, And knows not, simple thing, 'tis for its life. I saw him enter in, and heard the door Behind them shut ; and in the dark, still night. When God's unsleeping eye alone can see. He went to her adulterous bed. At morn I looked, and saw him not among the youths. I heard his father mourn, his mother weep : For none returned that went with her. The dead Were in her house ; her guests in depths of hell ; She wove the winding-sheet of souls, and laid Them in the urn of everlasting death. "Such was the Shadow fools pursued on earth, Under the name of Pleasure : fair outside. Within corrupted, and corrupting still ; Ruined, and ruinous ; her sure reward, Her total recompense, was still, as he. The bard, recorder of Earth's Seasons, sung, 'Vexation, disappointment, and remorse.' Yet at her door the young and old, and some Who held high character among the wise. Together stood ; and strove among themselves Who first should enter, and be ruined first. " Strange competition of immortal souls ! To sweat for death ! to strive for misery ! But think not Pleasure told her end was death. Even human folly then had paused at least. And given some signs of hesitation ; nor Arrived so hot, and out of breath, at wo. Though contradicted every day by facts. That sophistry itself would stumble o'er. THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK III 73 And to the very teeth a liar prove Ten thousand times, as if unconscious still Of inward blame, she stood, and waved her hand. And pointed to her bower, and said to all Who passed, 'Takeyonder flowery path; my steps Attend ; I lead the smoothest way to heaven ; This world receive as surety for the next.' And many simple men, most simple, though Renowned for learning much, and wary skill, Believed, and turned aside, and were undone." EARTHLY FAME. " Another leaf of finished Time we turn. And read of Fame, terrestrial Fame, which died. And rose not at the Resurrection morn ; Not that by virtue earned, the true renown. Begun on earth, and lasting in the skies, Worthy the lofty wish of seraphim — The approbation of the Eye that sees The end from the beginning, sees from cause To most remote effect : of it we read In book of God's remembrance, in the book Of life, from which the quick and dead were judged; The book that lies upon the throne, and tells Of glorious acts by saints and angels done; The record of the holy, just, and good. " Of all the phantoms fleeting in the mist Of Time, though meagre all, and ghostly thin. Most unsubstantial, unessential shade. Was earthly Fame. She was a voice alone, 2D 74 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK 111. And dwelt upon the noisy tongues of men. She never thought ; but gabbled ever on ; Applauding most what least deserved applause ; The motive, the result was naught to her ; The deed alone, though dyed in human gore, And steeped in widows' tears, if it stood out To prominent display, she talked of much. And roared around it with a thousand tongues. As changed the wind her organ, so she changed Perpetually; and whom she praised to-day. Vexing his ear with acclamations loud. To-morrow blamed, and hissed him out of sight. " Such was her nature, and her practice such. But, O ! her voice was sweet to mortal ears ; And touched so pleasantly the strings of pride And vanity, which in the heart of man Were ever strung harmonious to her note, That many thought, to live without her song Was rather death than life ; to live unknown. Unnoticed, unrenowned ! to die unpraised ! Unepitaphed ! to go down to the pit. And molder into dust among vile worms. And leave no whispering of a name on earth ! Such thought was cold about the heart, and chilled The blood. Who could endure it? who could choose, Without a struggle, to be swept away From all remembrance, and have part no more With living men ? Philosophy failed here ; And self-approving pride. Hence it became The aim of most, and main pursuit, to win A name ; to leave some vestige as they passed. THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK III. 75 That following ages might discern they once Had been on earth, and acted something there. FUTILE STRIFE FOR FAME. " Many the roads they took, the plans they tried . The man of science to the shade retired. And laid his head upon his hand, in mood Of awful thoughtfulness ; and dived, and dived Again, deeper and deeper still, to sound The cause remote ; resolved, before he died. To make some grand discovery, by which He should be known to all posterity. " And in the silent vigils of the night. When uninspired men reposed, the bard. Ghastly of countenance, and from his eye Oft streaming wild unearthly fire, sat up. And sent imagination forth; and searched The far and near — heaven, earth, and gloomy hell— For fiction new ; for thought, unthought before ; And when some curious, rare idea peered Upon his mind, he dipped his hasty pen, And by the glimmering lamp, or moonlight beam, That through liis lattice peeped, wrote fondly down What seemed in truth imperishable song. "And sometimes, too, the reverend divine. In meditation deep of holy things. And vanities of Time, heard Fame's sweet voice Approach his ear ; and hung another flower, Of earthly sort, about the sacred truth ; And ventured whiles to mix the bitter text With relish suited to the sinner's taste. 76 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK III. " And oft-times, too, the simple hind, who seemed Ambitionless, arrayed in humble garb, While round him, spreading, fed his harmless flock; Sitting was seen, by some wild warbhng brook, Cai-ving his name upon his favorite staff; Or, in ill-favored letters, tracing it Upon the aged thorn ; or on the face Of some conspicuous oft-frequented stone, With persevering wondrous industry ; And hoping, as he toiled amain, and saw The characters take form, some other wight. Long after he was dead, and in the grave. Should loiter there at noon, and read his name. " In purple some, and some in rags, stood forth For reputation ; some displayed a limb Well-fashioned ; some, of lowlier mind, a cane Of curious workmanship, and marvelous twist ; In strength some sought it, and in beauty more. Long, long the fair one labored at the glass, And, being tired, called in auxiliar skill, To have her sails, before she went abroad. Full spread, and nicely set, to catch the gale Of praise. And much she caught, and much deserved, When outward loveliness was index fair Of purity within. But oft, alas ! The bloom was on the skin alone ; and when She saw — sad sight ! — the roses on her cheek Wither, and heard the voice of Fame retire. And die away, she heaved most piteous sighs. THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK III. 77 And wept most lamentable tears ; and whiles, In wild delirium, made rash attempt — Unholy mimickry of Nature's work — To re-create, with frail and mortal things, Her withered face. Attempt how fond and vain ! Her frame itself soon moldered down to dust ; And, in the land of deep forgetfulness. Her beauty and her name were laid beside Eternal silence and the loathsome worm ; Into whose darkness flattery ventured not ; Where none had ears to hear the voice of Fame." "Many the roads they took, the plans they tried. And awful oft the wickedness they wrought. To be observed, some scrambled up to thrones. And sat in vestures dripping wet with gore. The warrior dipped his sword in blood, and wrote His name on lands and cities desolate. The rich bought fieldg, and houses built, and raised The monumental piles up to the clouds. And called them by their names. And, strange to tell. Rather than be unknown, and pass away Obscurely to the grave, some, small of soul, That else had perished unobserved, acquired Considerable renown by oaths profane. By jesting boldly with all sacred things, And uttering fearlessly whate'er occurred ; Wild, blasphemous, perditionable thoughts. That Satan in them moved ; by wiser men Suppressed, and quickly banished from the mind. 78 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK 111. "Many the roads they took, the plans tliey tried; But all in vain. Who grasped at earthly fame, Grasped wind; nay, worse, a serpent grasped, that through His hand slid smoothly, and was gone ; but left -A sting behind, which wrought him endless pain : For oft her Aoice was old Abaddon's lure, By which he charmed the foolish soul to death. "So happiness was sought in pleasure, gold. Renown ; by many sought. But should I sing Of all the trifling race, my time, thy faith. Would fail ; of things erectly organized. And having rational, articulate voice. And claiming outward brotherhood with man : Of him that labored sorely, in his sweat Smoking afar, then hurried to the wine. Deliberately resolving to be mad : Of him who taught the ravenous bird to fly This way or that, thereby supremely bless'd ; Or rode in fury with the howling pack. Affronting much the noble animal He spurred into §ucli company: of him Who down into the bowels of the earth Descended deeply, to bring up the wreck Of some old earthen ware, which having stowed With every proper care, he home returned O'er many a sea, and many a league of land. Triumphantly to show the marvelous prize : And him that vexed his brain, and theories built Of gossamer upon the brittle winds ; Perplexed exceedingly why shells were found THii UOUKSJi Of TIME — BOOK III. 79 Upon the mountain tops; but wondering not Why shells were found at all, more wondrous still ! Of him who strange enjoyment took in tales Of fairy folk, and sleepless ghosts, and sounds Unearthly, whispering in the ear of night Disastrous things ; and him who still foretold Calamity which never came, and lived In terror all his days of comets rude. That should immannerly and lawless drive Athwart the path of earth, and burn mankind ; As if the appointed hour of doom, by God Appointed, ere its time should come; as if Too small the number of substantial iUs, And real fears, to vex the sons of men. These, had they not possessed immortal souls. And been accountable, might have been passed With laughter, and forgot ; but, as it was. And is, their folly asks a serious tear." INCONGRUITIES OF SCEPTICISM. "Keen was the search, and various, and wide. For happiness. Take one example more. So strange, that common fools looked on amazed ; And wise and sober men together drew. And trembling stood ; and angels in the heavens Grew pale, and talked of- vengeance as at hand : The sceptic's route, the unbeliever's, who. Despising reason, revelation, God, And kicking 'gainst the pricks of conscience, rushed Deliriously upon the bossy shield Of the Omnipotent ; and in his heart 80 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK III. Purposed to deify the idol Chance. And labored hard — oh, labor worse than naught! — And toiled with dark and crooked reasoning, To make the fair and lovely earth, which dwelt In sight of Heaven, a cold and fatherless. Forsaken thing, that wandered on, forlorn, Undestined, uncompassioned, unupheld ; A vapor eddying in the whirl of chance. And soon to vanish everlastingly. He travailed sorely, and made many a tack. His sails oft shifting, to arrive — dread thought ! — Arrive at utter nothingness; and have Being no more ; no feeling, memory ; No lingering consciousness that ere he was. Guilt's midnight wish ! last, most abhorred thought ! Most desperate effort of extremest sin ! Others, pre-occupied, ne'er saw true Hope ; He, seeing, aimed to stab her to the heart, And with infernal chemistry to wring The last sweet drop from Sorrow's cup of gall ; To quench the only ray that cheered the earth, And leave mankind in night which had no star. Others the streams of Pleasure troubled ; he Toiled much to dry her very fountain-head. Unpardonable man ! sold under sin ! He was the devil's pioneer, who cut The fences down of virtue, sapped her walls. And opened a smooth and easy way to death. Traitor to all existence ! to all life ! Soul-suicide ! determined foe of beins: ! Intended murderer of God Most High ! THE COURSE OF TIME-BOOK III g| Strange road, most strange ! to seek for happiness ! Hell's mad-houses are full of such; too fierce. Too furiously insane, and desperate, To rage unbound 'mong evil spirits damned. " Fertile was earth in many things ; not least In fools, who mercy both and judgment scorned . Scorned love, experience scorned; and onward rushed To SAvift destruction, giving all reproof. And all instruction, to the winds ; and much Of both they had, and much despised of both." ALL-PERVADING WISDOM. "Wisdom took up her harp, and stood ir. place Of frequent concourse ; stood in every gat ., Sy every way, and walked in every street ; And, lifting up her voice, proclaimed, ' Be wise. Ye fools ! be of an understanding heart. Forsake the wicked ; come not near his liouse ; Pass by; make haste; depart, and turn away. Me follow ; me, whose ways are pleasantness, Whose paths are peace, whose end is perfect joy.' The Seasons came and wertt, and went and canie^ To teach men gratitude ; and as they passed. Gave warning of the lapse of time, that else Had stolen unheeded by; the gentle Flowers Retired, and, stooping o'er the wilderness, Talked of humility, and peace, and love. The Dews came down unseen at evening-tide. And silently their boimties shed, to teach Manliind unostentatious charity. 82 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IIT. With arm in arm the forest rose on high. And lesson gave of brotherly regard. And, on the rugged mountain-brow exposed. Bearing the blast alone, the ancient oak Stood, lifting high his mighty arm, and still To courage in distress exhorted loud. The flocks, the herds, the birds, the streams, the breeze, Attuned the heart to melody and love. Mercy ^stood in the cloud, with eye that wept Essential love ; and, from her glorious bow. Bending to kiss the earth in token of peace. With her own lips, her gracious lips, which God Of sweetest accent made, she whispered still. She whispered to Revenge, 'Forgive, forgive!' The Sun, rejoicing round the earth, announced Daily the wisdom, power, and love of God. The Moon awoke, and from her maiden face, Shedding her cloudy locks, looked meekly fortli, And with her virgin stars walked in the heavens, Walked nightly there, conversing, as she walked, Of purity, and holinesS, and God. In dreams and visions. Sleep instructed mvich. Day uttered speech to day, and night to night Taught knowledge. Silence had a tongue; the grave. The darkness, and the lonely waste, had eacli f A tongue, that ever said, ' Man ! think of God ! Think of thyself! think of eternity!' 'Fear God,' the thunders said; 'Fear God,' the waves. THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK III. §3 ' Fear God,' the lightning of the storm replied. ' Fear God/ deep loudly answered back to deep. And, in the temples of the Holy One, Messiah's messengers, the faithful few — Faithful 'mong many false — the Bible opened, And cried, ' Repent ! repent, ye sons of men ! Believe, be saved !' and reasoned awfiilly Of temperance, righteousness, and judgment soon To come ; of ever-during life and death. And chosen bards from age to age awoke The sacred lyre, and full on Folly's ear Numbers of righteous indignation poured. And God omnipotent, when mercy failed. Made bare his holy arm, and with the stroke Of vengeance smote ; the fountains of the deep Broke up ; heaven's windows opened, and sent on men A flood of wrath ; sent plague and famine forth ; With earthquake rocked the world beneath; with storms Above laid cities waste, and turned fat lands To barrenness ; and with the sword of war In fury marched, and gave them blood to drink. Angels remonstrated; Mercy beseeched ; Heaven smiled and frowned; Hell groaned; Time fled ; Death shook His dart, and threatened to make repentance vain. Incredible assertion ! men rushed on Determinedly to ruin ; shut their ears, Their eyes to all advice, to all reproof; O'er mercy and o'er judgment downward rushed 84 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK III. To misery ; and, most incredible Of all, to misery rushed along the way Of disappointment and remorse, where still. At every step, adders, in Pleasure's form, Stung mortally ; and Joys, whose bloomy cheeks Seemed glowing high with immortality — Whose bosoms prophesied superfluous bliss. While in the arms received, and locked in close And riotous embrace — turned pale and cold. And died, and smelled of putrefaction rank; Turned, in the very moment of deUght, A loathsome, heavy corpse, that with the clear And hollow eyes of Death, stared horribly. " All tribes, all generations of the earth. Thus wantonly to ruin drove aUke. We heard indeed of golden and silver days ; And of primeval innocence unstained; A pagan tale ! but by baptized bards. Philosophers, and statesmen, who were still Held wild and cunning men, talked of so much. That most beheved it so, and asked not why. " The pair, the family first made, were ill ; And for their great peculiar sin incurred The curse, and left it due to all their race ; And bold example gave of every crime : Hate, murder, unbelief, reproach, revenge. A time, 't is true, there came, of which thou soon Shalt hear : the Sabbath-day, the Jubilee Of earth, when righteousness and peace prevailed- This time except, who writes the history Of men, and writes it true, must write them bad ; THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK III. §5 Who reads, must read of violence and blood. The man who could the story of one day Peruse — the wrongs, oppressions, craelties. Deceits, and perjuries, and vanities. Rewarded worthlessness, rejected worth, Assassinations, robberies, thefts, and wars. Disastrous accidents, life thrown away. Divinity insulted. Heaven despised. Religion scorned — and not been sick at night, And sad, had gathered greater store of mirth Than ever wise man in the world could find. " One cause of folly, one especial cause. Was this : few knew what wisdom was, though well Defined in God's own words, and printed large On heaven and earth in characters of light. And sounded in the ear by every wind. " ' Wisdom is humble,' said the voice of God, ' 'Tis proud,' the world rephed. 'Wisdom,' said God, ' Forgives, forbears, and suffers ; not for fear Of man, but God.' ' Wisdom revenges,' said The world ; ' is quick and deadly of resentmen , Tlirusts at the very shadow of aflfront, And hastes, by death, to wipe its honor clean.' ' Wisdom,' said God, ' loves enemies, entreat ., SoUcits, begs for peace.' ' Wisdom,' repUett The world, ' hates enemies, will not ask peace. Conditions spurns, and triumphs in their fi^l].' •Wisdom mistrusts itself, and leans on heaven,' Said God. ' It trusts and leans upon itself,' 86 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK III. The world replied. ' Wisdom retires,' said God, ' And counts it bravery to bear reproach. And shame, and lowly poverty upright ; And weeps with all who have just cause to weep.' 'Wisdom,' replied the world, ' struts forth to gaze ; Treads the broad stage of life with clamorous foot j Attracts all praises ; counts it bravery Alone to wield the sword, and rush on death ; And never weeps, but for its own disgrace.' * Wisdom,' said God, ' is highest, when it stoops Lowest before the Holy Throne, throws down Its crown abased, forgets itself, admires. And breathes adoring praise.' 'There wisdom stoops Indeed,' the world replied; 'there stoops, because It must ; but stoops with dignity ; and thinks And meditates the while of inward worth.' " Thus did Almighty God, and thus the world. Wisdom define. And most the world believed. And boldly called the truth of God a lie. Hence, he that to the worldly wisdom shaped His character, became the favorite Of men ; was honorable termed ; a man Of spirit; noble, glorious, lofty soul! And as he crossed the earth in chase of dreams, Received prodigious shouts of warm applause. Hence, who to godly wisdom framed his life. Was counted mean, and spiritless, and vile ; And as he walked obscurely in the path Which led to heaven, fools hissed with serpent tongue. THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK III. 37 And poured contempt upon his holy head. And poured contempt on all who praised his name. " But false as this account of wisdom was — - The world's, I mean — it was its best : the creed Of sober, grave, and philosophic men, With much research and cogitation framed ; Of men who with the vulgar scorned to sit. "The popular belief seemed rather worse. When heard replying to the voice of truth. ' The wise man,' said the Bible, ' walks with God : Suryeys, far on, the endless line of life ; Values his soul ; thinks of eternity ; Both worlds considers, and provides for both ; With reason's eye his passions guards ; abstains From evil ; lives on hope, on hope, the fruit Of faith; looks upward ; purifies his soul ; Expands his wings, and mounts into the sky ; Passes the sun, and gains his father's house, And drinks with angels from the fount of bliss ' " The multitude aloud replied — replied By practice, for they were not bookish men. Nor apt to form their principles in words — ' The wise man first of all eradicates. As much as possible, from out his mind. All thought of death, God, and eternity ; Admires the world, and thinks of Time alone ; Avoids the Bible, all reproof avoids ; Rocks conscience, if he can, asleep ; puts out The eye of reason ; prisons, tortures, binds ; And makes her thus, by violence and force. Give wicked evidence against herself; 88 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK 111. Lets passion loose ; the substance leaves ; pursues The shadow vehemently, but ne'er o'ertakes ; Puts by the cup of holiness and joy ; And drinks, carouses deeply in the bowl Of death ; grovels in dust ; pollutes, destroys His soul : is miserable to acquire More misery ; deceives to be deceived ; Strives, labors to the last, to shun the truth ; Strives, labors to the last, to danm himself; Turns desperate, shudders, groans, blasphemes, and dies. And sinks — where could he else ? — to endless ^\o, And drinks the wine of God's eternal wrath.' " The learned thus, and thus the unlearned world. Wisdom defined : in sound, they disagreed ; In substance, in effect, in end the same ; And equally to God and truth opposed ; Opposed as darkness to the light of heaven. Yet were there some that seemed well-meaning men. Who systems planned, expressed in supple words. Which praised the man as wisest, that in one United both ; pleased God, and pleased the world ; And with the saint, and with the sinner had. Changing his garb, unseen, a good report And many thought their definition best. And in their wisdom grew exceeding wise. " Union abhorred ! dissimulation vain ! Could hoUness embrace the harlot sin ? Could life wed death ? could God with Manmion dwell ? THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK III. §9 Oh, foolish men : oh, men for ever lost ! In spite of mercy lost, in spite of wrath ! In spite of Disappointment and Remorse, Which made the way to ruin ruinous !" REMORSE AND DISAPPOINTMENT. " Hear what they were : The progeny of sin Alike, and oft combined, but differing much In mode of giving pain. As felt the gross, Material part, when in the furnace cast, So felt the soul, the victim of remorse. It was a fire which on the verge of God's Commandments burned, and on the vitals fed Of all who passed. Who passed, there met Remorse : A violent fever seized his soul ; the heavens Above, the earth beneath, seemed glowing bra;ss^ Heated seven times; he heard dread voices speak, And mutter horrid prophecies of pain. Severer and severer yet to come ; And as he writhed and quivered, scorched within. The fury round his torrid temples flapped Her fiery wings, and breathed upon his lips And parched tongue the withered blasts of htU. It was the suffering begun, thOu saw'st In symbol of the Worm that never dies. " The other. Disappointment, rather seemed. Negation of dehght. It was a thing Sluggish and torpid, tending towards death. Its breath was cold, and made the sportive blood Stagnant, and dull, and heavy round the wheels E 90 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK III Of life ; the roots of that whereon it blew. Decayed, and with the genial soil no more Held sympathy; the leaves, the branches drooped, And moldered slowly down to formless dust ; Not tossed and driven by violence of winds. But withering where they sprung, and rotting there. Long disappointed, disappointed still. The hopeless man — hopeless in his main wish — As if returning back to nothing, felt ; In strange vacuity of being hung, And rolled and rolled his eye on emptiness. That seemed to grow more empty every hour." SXrPFOSED SKETCH OF THE AUTHOR. " One of this mood I do remember well ; We name him not — what now are earthly names ? In humble dwelling born, retired, remote, In rural quietude ; 'mong llills, and streams. And melancholy deserts, where the sun Saw, as he passed, a shepherd only, here And there, watching his little flock ; or heard The ploughman talking to his st-eers : his hopes. His morning hopes, awoke before him, smiling, Among the dews and holy mountain airs ; And fancy colored them with every hue Of heavenly loveliness. But soon his dreams Of childhood fled away; those rainbow dreams, So innocent and fair, that withered Age, Even at the grave, cleared up his dusty eye. And passing all between, looked fondly back. To see them once again ere he departed. THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK III. 91 These fled away; and anxious thought, that wished To go, yet whither knew not well to go. Possessed his soul, and held it still awhile. I le listened, and heard from far the voice of Fame ; Heard, and was charmed; and deep and sudden vow Of resolution made to be renowned ; And deeper vowed again to keep his vow. His parents saw — his parents, whom God made Of kindest heart — saw, and indulged his hope. The ancient page he turned ; read much ; thought much ; And with old bards of honorable name \ Measured his soul severely; and looked up To fame, ambitious of no second place. Hope grew from inward faith, and promised fair ; And out before him opened many a path Ascending, where the laurel highest waved Her branch of endless green. He stood admiring; But stood, admired, not long. The harp he seized ; The harp he loved — loved better than his life ; The harp which uttered deepest notes, and held The ear of thought a captive to its song. He searched and meditated much, and whiles With rapturous hand in secret touched the lyre. Aiming at glorious strains ; and searched again For theme deserving of immortal verse ; Chose now, and now refused, unsatisfied ; Pleased, then displeased, and hesitating still. " Thus stood his mind, when round him came a cloud; Slowly and heavily it came ; a cloud 92 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK III. Of ills, we mention not ; enough to say, 'Twas cold, and dead, impenetrable gloom. He saw its dark approach; and saw his hopes. One after one, put out, as nearer still It drew his soul; but fainted not at first; Fainted not soon. He knew the lot of man Was trouble, and prepared to bear the worst ; Endure whate'er should come, without a sigh Endure, and* drink, even to the very dregs. The bitterest cup that Time could measure out ; And, having done, look up, and ask for more. " He called Philosophy, and with his heart Reasoned ; he called Religion, too, but caUed Reluctantly, and therefore was not heard. Ashamed to be o'ermatched by earthly woes, He sought, and sought with eyes that dimm d apace, To find some avenue to light, some place On which to rest a hope ; but sought in vain. Darker, and darker still, the darkness grew. At length, he sunk, and Disappointment stood His only comforter, and moiirnfuUy Told all was past. His interest in life. In being, ceased; and now he seemed to feel. And shuddered as he felt, his powers of mind Decaying in the spring-time of his day; The vigorous, weak became ; the clear, obscure ; Memory gave up her charge; Decision reeled; And from her flight Fancy returned — returned Because she found no nourishment abroad. The blue heavens withered; and the moon, and sun, THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK III 93 And all the stars, and the green earth, and morn And evening, withered ; and the eyes, and smiles, And faces of all men and women, withered ; Withered to him ; and all the universe. Like something wliich had been, appeared; but now Was dead, and moldering fast away. He tried No more to hope ; wished to forget his vow; Wished to forget his harp; then ceased to wish. That was his last. Enjoyment now was done. He had no hope ; no wish ; and scarce a fear. Of being sensible, and sensible Of loss, he as some atom seemed, which God Had made superfluously, and needed not To build creation with ; but back again To Nothing threw, and left it in the void. With everlasting sense that once it was. "Oh! who can tell what days, what nights he spent. Of tideless, waveless, sailless, shoreless wo ! And who can tell how many, glorious once. To others and themselves of promise fiill. Conducted to this pass of human thought. This wilderness of intellectual death. Wasted and pined, and vanished from the earth. Leaving no vestige of memorial there ! " It was not so with him : when thus he lay. Forlorn of heart, withered and desolate. As leaf of Autumn, which the wolfish winds, Selecting from its falling sisters, chase Far from its native grove, to lifeless wastes. 94 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK III. And leave it there alone, to be forgotten Eternally, God passed in mercy by — His praise be ever new !-^and on him breathed, And bade him live ; and put into his hands A holy harp, into his lips a song. That rolled its numbers down the tide of Time. Ambitious now but little to be praised Of men alone ; ambitious most to be Approved of God, the Judge of all ; and have His name recorded in the book of life. " Such things were Disappointment and Remorse • And oft united both, as friends severe, To teach men wisdom ; but the fool, untaught, Was foolish still. His ear he stopped; his eyes He shut ; and blindly, deadly obstinate. Forced desperately his way from wo to wo." THE DEATH-BED. "One place, one only place, there was on earth. Where no man e'er was fool, however mad. 'Men may live fools, but fools they cannot die.' Ah! 'twas a truth most true; and sung in Time, And to the sons of men, by one well known On earth for lofty verse and lofty sense. Much hast thou seen, fair youth, much heard ; but thou Hast never seen a death-bed, never heard A dying groan. Men saw it often ; 'twas sad To all most sorrowful and sad ; to guilt 'Twas anguish, terror, darkness without bow. But, oh ! it had a most convincing tongue. THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK III. 95 A. potent oratory, that secured Most mute attention ; and it spoke the truth So boldly, plainly, perfectly distinct, That none the meaning could mistake or doubt; And had withal a disenchanting power, A most omnipotent and wondrous power. Which in a moment broke, for ever broke, And utterly dissolved the charms, and spells. And cunning sorceries of earth and hell. And thus it spoke to him who ghastly lay. And struggled for another breath : ' Earth's cup Is poisoned ; her renown, most infamous ; Her gold, seem as it may, is really dust ; Her titles, slanderous names; her praise, reproach; Her strength, an idiot's boast ; her wisdom, blind ; Her gain, eternal loss ; her hope, a dream ; Her love, her friendship, enmity with God ; Her promises, a he ; her smile, a harlot's ; Her beauty, paint, and rotten within ; her pleasures. Deadly assassins masked ; her laughter, grief; Her breasts, the sting of Death ; her total sum. Her all, most utter vanity; and all Her lovers mad, insane most grievously. And most insane, because they know it not.' " Thus did the mighty reasoner. Death, declare ; And volumes more ; and in one word confirmed The Bible whole : Eternity is all. But few spectators, few believed, of those Who staid behind. The wisest, best of men, Beheved not to the letter full ; but turned, And on the world looked forth, as if they thought 96 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK III. The well-trimmed hypocrite had something still Of inward worth ; the dying man alone Gave faithful audience, and the words of Death To the last jot believed ; believed and felt ; But oft, alas ! believed and felt too late." "And ha;d earth, then, no joys, no native sweets. No happiness, that one who spoke the truth Might call her own ?" "She had; true, native sweets! Indigenous delights, wliich up the Tree Of Holiness, embracing as they grew. Ascended, and bore fruit of heavenly taste ; In pleasant memory held, and talked of oft. By yonder saints, who walk the golden streets Of New Jerusalem, and compass round The throne, with nearest vision blessed. Of these Hereafter thou shalt hear, delighted hear; One page of beauty in the life of man." THE COURSE OE THE BOOK IV. Analysis. — The lust of power, singularly combined with the love of independence, is exhibited as strangely predominant in human nature; insomuch, that all earth's boasted liberty was merely the attempt of man " to make all subject to his will ;" but triie freedom, was freedom from sin, only enjoyed by those whom the "truth of God made free." The Christian heart is displayed, and found to be composed of strange and inconsistent elements, producing a constant conflict between oppo- site principles and emotions. But unceasing vigilance and self-denial finally secured the victory to holiness; and, after all his internal strug- gles, and patient endurance of the iUs of earth, the Christian is brought in triumph to the world of glory. The books composed in Time, although numerous as the " swarms of locusts sent on rebellious Egy^jt," were too ephemeral to escape the general curse, which doomed " dust to dust ;" and their names, with those of their authors, were soon consigned to utter oblivion. The books entitled " The Medicine of the Mind," written for the further- ance of virtue, were alone exempted from annihilation. The mysteries of God's providence furnished inexhaustible food for the wonderment of men ; and Theology, Philosophy, Fancy, and finite wi-sdom, vainly toiled to comprehend the Trinity, the Incarnation, and other subjects beyond mortal penetration. That God did not estimate men by their outward circumstances or supe rior capability, but by their moral worth, was plainly evinced in the unequal distribution of worldly possessions and intellectual endow- ments — a striking illustration of which is furnished by the history of the noble poet Byron. THE LUST OF POWER. " The world had much of strange and wonderful : In passion much, in action, reason, will ; And much in Providence, which still retired 2E 98 THE COURSE OF TIME-BOOK IV. From human eye, and led philosophy, That ill her ignorance liked to own, through dark And dangerous paths of speculation wild. Some striking features, as we pass, we mark, In order such as memory suggests. " One passion prominent appears : the lust Of power, which oft-times took the fairer name Of liberty, and hung the popular flag Of freedom out. Many, indeed, its names. When on the throne it sat, and round the neck Of millions riveted its iron chain. And on the shoulders of the people laid Burdens unmerciful, it title took Of tyranny, oppression, despotism; And every tongue was weary cUrsing it. When in the multitude it gathered strength. And, like an ocean bursting from its bounds. Long beat in vain, went forth resistlessly. It bore the stamp and designation, then. Of popular fury, anarchy, rebellion; And honest men bewailed all order void ; All laws, annulled ; all property, destroyed ; The venerable, murdered in the streets ; The wise, despised ; streams, red with human blood ; Harvests, beneath the frantic foot trode down ; Lands, desolate ; and famine, at the door. " These are a part ; but other names it had, Innumerous as the shapes and robes it wore. But under every name, in nature still Invariably the same, and always bad. We own, indeed, that oft against itself THE COURSE OF TIME — BOOK IV. 99 It fought, and sceptre both and people gave An equal aid, as long exempUfied In Albion's isle — Albion, queen of the seas — And in the struggle, something like a kind Of civil hberty grew up, the best Of mere terrestrial root ; but sickly, too. And living only — strange to tell! — in strife Of factions equally contending; dead. That very moment dead, that one prevailed. " Conflicting cruelly against itself, By its own hand it fell ; part slaying part. And men who noticed not the suicide. Stood wondering much why earth, from age to age, Was still enslaved, and erring causes gave. " This was earth's liberty, its nature this. However named, in whomsoever found — And found it was in all of woman born — Each man to make all subject to his will; To make them do, undo, eat, drink, stand, move, Talk, think, and feel, exactly as he chose. Hence the eternal strife of brotherhoods. Of individuals, families, commonwealths. The root from which it grew was pride — bad root! And bad the fruit it bore. Then wonder not That long the nations from it richly reaped Oppression, slavery, tyranny, and war ; Confusion, desolation, trouble, shame. And, marvelous though it seem, this monster, when It took the name of slavery, as oft It did, had advocates to plead its cause ; Beings that walked erect, and spoke like men ; 100 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IV. Of Christian parentage descended, too, And dipped in the baptismal font, as sign Of dedication to the Prince who bowed To death, to set the sin-bound prisoner free." FREEDOM AND SLAVERY. " Unchristian thouglit ! on what pretence soe'er Of right inherited, or else acquired ; Of loss, or profit, or what plea you name. To buy and sell, to barter, whip, and hold In chains, a being of celestial make ; Of kindred form, of kindred faculties ; Of Idndred feelings, passions, thoughts, desires ; Born free, and heir of an immortal hope ; Thought villanous, absurd, detestable ! Unworthy to be harbored in a fiend ! And only overreached in wickedness By that, birth too of earthly hberty, Which aimed to make a reasonable man By legislation think, and by the sword BeKeve. This was that liberty renowned. Those equal rights of Greece and Rome, where men, All but a few, were bought, and sold, and scourged, And killed, as interest or caprice enjoined ; In aftertimes talked of, written of so much. That most, by sound and custom led away. Believed the essence answered to the name. Historians on this theme were long and warm. Statesmen, drunk with the iumes of vain debate. In lofty swelling phrase, called it perfection ; Philosophers its rise, advance, and fall. THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IV. IQl Traced carefully; and poets kindled still, As memory brought it up : their lips were touched With fire, and uttered words that men adored. Even he, true bard of Zion, holy man ! To whom the Bible taught this precious verse, * He is the freeman whom the truth makes free,' By fashion, though by fashion little swayed. Scarce kept his harp from pagan freedom's praise. " The captive prophet, whom Jehovah gave The future years, described it best, when he Beheld it rise in vision of the night : A dreadful beast, and terrible, and strong Exceedingly, with mighty iron teeth ; And, lo ! it brake in pieces, and devoured And stamped the residue beneath its feet ! " True liberty was Christian : sanctified, Baptized, and found in Christian hearts alone. First-born of Virtue, daughter of the skies. Nursling of truth divine, sister of all The graces, meekness, holiness, and love ; Giving to God, and man, and all below. That symptom showed of sensible existence, Their due unasked : fear to whom fear was due ; To all, respect, benevolence, and love. Companion of religion, where she came, There freedom came; where dwelt, there freedom dwelt ; Ruled where she ruled, expired where she expired. " ' He was the freeman whom the truth made free/ Wlio, first of all, the bands of Satan broke ; Who broke the bands of Sin : and for his soul. 102 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IV. In spite of fools, consulted seriously; In spite of fashion, persevered in good ; In spite of wealth or poverty, upright : Who did as reason, not as fancy, bade ; Who heard temptation sing, and yet turned not Aside ; saw Sin bedeck her flowery bed. And yet would not go up ; felt at his heart The sword unsheathed, yet would not sell the truth: Who, having power, had not the will to hurt ; Who blushed alike to be, or have a slave ; Who blushed at naught but sin, feared naught but God; Who, finally, in strong integrity Of soul, 'midst want, or riches, or disgrace. Uplifted calmly sat, and heard the waves Of stormy folly breaking at his feet ; Now shrill with praise, now hoarse with foul reproach, And both despised sincerely ; seeking this Alone — the approbation of his God, Which still with conscience witnessed to his peace. " This, this is freedom, such as angels use. And kindred to the liberty of God. First-born of Virtue ! daughter of the skies ! The man, the state in whom she ruled, was free ; All else were slaves of Satan, Sin, and Death." THE HUMAN HEART, " Already thou hast something heard of good And ill, of vice and virtue, perfect .each ; Of those redeemed, or else abandoned quite ; THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IV. 103 And more shalt hear, when, at the judgment-day. The characters of mankind we review. Seems aught which thou hast heard astonishing ? A greater wonder now thy audience asks v Phenomena in all the universe Of moral heing most anomalous ; Inexplicable most, and wonderful. I '11 introduce thee to a single heart — A human heart : we enter not the worst, But one by God's renewing Spirit touched, A Christian heart, awaked from sleep of sin. What seest thou here ? what mark'st ? Observe it well. Will, passion, reason, hopes, fears, joy, distress. Peace, turbulence, simplicity, deceit, Good, ill, corruption, immortality. A temple of the Holy Ghost, and yet Oft lodging fiends ; the dwelUng-place of all The heavenly virtues : charity and truth. Humility, and holiness, and love ; And yet the common haunt of anger, pride. Hatred, revenge, and passions foul with lust ; Allied to heaven, yet parleying oft with hell ; A soldier listed in Messiah's band. Yet giving quarter to Abaddon's troops ; With seraphs drinking from the well of life. And yet carousing in the cup of death ; An heir of heaven, and walking thitherward, Yet casting back a covetous eye on earth : Emblem of strength and weakness ; loving now. And now abhorring sin ; indulging now. 104 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IV. And now repenting sore ; rejoicing now With joy unspeakable, and full of glory, Now weeping bitterly, and clothed in dust : A man willing to do, and doing not ; Doing, and willing not ; embracing what He hates j what most he loves, abandoning. Half saint, and sinner half; half life, half death ; Commixture strange of heaven, and earth, and hell !" THE christian's CONTEST. " What seest thou here ? what mark'st ? A battle- field: Two banners spread, two dreadful fronts of war In shock of opposition fierce engaged. God, angels, saw whole empires rise in arms ; Saw kings exalted ; heard them tumbled down. And others raised ; and heeded not : but here God, angels, looked; God, angels, fought; and Hell, With all his legions, fought : here error fought With truth; with darkness, light; and life with death. And here not kingdoms, reputations, worlds. Were won: the strife was for eternity; The victory was never-ending bliss ; The badge, a chaplet from the tree of life. " While thus, within, contending armies strove. Without, the Christian had his troubles too : For, as by God's unalterable laws, And ceremonial of the heaven of heavens. Virtue takes place of all, and worthiest deeds THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IV. 105 Sit highest at the feet of bliss ; on earth The opposite was fashion's rule polite. Virtue the lowest place at table took, Or served, or was shut out : the Christian still Was mocked, derided, persecuted, slain : And Slander, worse than mockery, or sword. Or death, stood nightly by her horrid forge. And fabricated lies to stain his name And wound his peace. But still he had a source Of happiness, that men could neither give Nor take away : the avenues that led To immortality before him lay: He saw, Tsdth faith's far-reaching eye, the fount Of life, his Father's house, his Saviour God, And borrowed thence to help his present want. " Encountered thus with enemies without. Within, like bark that meets opposing winds And floods, this way, now that, she steers athwart. Tossed by the wave, and driven by the stor) t. But still, the pilot, ancient at the helm. The harbor keeps in eye ; and after much Of danger past, and many a prayer rude. He runs her safely in : so was the man Of God beset, so tossed by adverse winds; And so his eye upon the land of life He kept. Virtue grew daily stronger, sin Decayed ; his enemies, repulsed, retired ; Till at the stature of a perfect man In Christ arrived, and, with the Spirit filled^ He 'gained the harbor of eternal rest." 106 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IV. VIRTUE IMPERFECT. " But think not virtue, else than dwells in God Essentially, was perfect, without spot. Examine yonder suns : at distance seen, How bright they burn ! how gloriously they shine, Mantling the worlds around in beamy light ! But nearer viewed, we through their lustre see Some dark behind : so virtue was on earth. So is in heaven, and so shall always be. Though good it seem, immaculate, and fair Exceedingly, to saint or angel's gaze, The uncreated Eye, that searches all. Sees it imperfect : sees, but blames not ; sees. Well pleased ; and best with those who deepest dive Into themselves, and know themselves the most : Taught thence in humbler reverence to bow Before the Holy One ; and oftener view His excellence, that in them still may rise. And grow his likeness, growing evermore. " Nor think that any, born of Adam's race. In his own proper virtue entered heaven. Once fallen from God and perfect hohness. No being, unassisted, ere could rise. Or sanctify the sin-polluted soul. Oft was the trial made ; but vainly made : So oft as men, in earth's best livery clad. However fair, approached the gates of heaven. And stood presented to the eye of God, Their impious pride so oft his soul abhorred. Vain hope ! in patch- work of terrestrial grain. To be received into the courts above ; THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IV. 107 As vain, as towards yonder suns to soar On wing of waxen plumage, melting soon." REDEEMING LOVE. " Look round, and see those numbers infinite, That stand before the throne, and in their hands Palms waving high, as token of victory For battles won : these are the sons of men Redeemed, the ransomed of the Lamb of God : All these, and millions more of kindred blood. Who now are out on messages of love — All these — their virtue, beauty, excellence. And joy — are purchase of redeeming blood; Their glory, bounty of redeeming love. "O love divine ! — harp, lift thy voice on high! Shout, angels ! shout aloud, ye sons of men ! And burn, my heart, with the eternal flame ! My lyre^ be eloquent with endless praise ! — O love divine! immeasurable love! Stooping from heaven to earth, from earth to hell. Without beginning, endless, boundless love ! Above all asking, giving far, to those Who naught deserved, who naught deserved but death! Saving the vilest ! saving me ! — O love Divine! O Saviour God! O Lamb, once slain! At thought of thee, thy love, thy flowing blood. All thoughts decay; all things remembered, fade; AH hopes return ; all actions done by men Or angels, disappear, absorbed and lost ; All fly, as from the great white Throne, which he. 108 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IV. The prophet, saw, in vision wrapped ; the heavens And earth, and sun, and moon, and starry host. Confounded fled, and found a place no more." BOOKS AND AUTHORS. " One glance of wonder, as we pass, deserve The books of Time. Productive was the world In many things, but most in books. Like swarms Of locusts, which God sent to vex a land RebeUious long, admonished long in vain. Their numbers they poured annually on man. From heads conceiving still. Perpetual birth! Thou wonderestiiow the world contained them all ' Thy wonder stay. Like men, this was their doom : That dust they were, and should to dust return. And oft their fathers, childless and bereaved. Wept o'er their graves, when they themselves were green; And on them fell, as fell on every age. As on their authors fell, oblivious Night, Which o'er the past lay darkling, heavy, stiU, Impenetrable, motionless, and sad. Having his dismal, leaden plumage stirred By no remembrancer, to show the men Who after came what was concealed beneath. " The story-telUng tribe, alone, outran All calculation far, and left behind. Lagging, the swiftest numbers. Dreadful, even To fancy, was their never-ceasing birth ; And room had lacked, had not their life been short. Excepting some, their definition take THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IV. JQQ Thou thus, expressed in gentle phrase, which leaves Some truth behind : A Novel w^as a book Three-volumed, and once read, and oft crammed full Of poisonous error, blackening every page ; And oftener still of trifling, second-hand Remark, and old, diseased, putrid thought. And miserable incident, at war With nature, with itself and truth at war: Yet charming still the greedy reader on. Till, done, he tried to recollect his thoughts. And nothing found but dreaming emptiness. These, like ephemera, sprung in a day. From lean and shallow-soiled brains of sand. And in a day expired : yet while they lived. Tremendous oft-times was the popular roar ; And cries of 'Live for ever!' struck the skies. " One kind alone remained, seen thro' the gloom And sullen shadow of the past : as lights At intervals they shone, and brought the eye. That backward traveled, upward, till arrived At him who, on the hills of Midian, sang The patient man of Uz ; and, from the lyre Of angels, learned the early dawn of Time. Not hght and momentary labor these. But discipline and self-denial long, And purpose stanch, and perseverance, asked. And energy that inspiration seemed. Composed of many thoughts, possessing, each. Innate and underived vitality; Which, having fitly shaped, and well arranged In brotherly accord, they builded up 110 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IV A stately superstructure, that nor wind, Nor wave, nor shock of falling years could move ; Majestic and indissolubly firm. As ranks of veteran warriors in the field ; Each, by himself alone, and singly seen — A tower of strength ; in massy phalanx knit. And in embattled squadron rushing on — A sea of valor, dread ! invincible ! " Books of this sort, or sacred or profane. Which virtue helped, were titled, not amiss, ' The Medicine of the Mind.' Who read them, read Wisdom, and was refreshed ; and on his path Of pilgrimage with healthier step advanced." INSCRUTABILITY OF PROVIDENCE. " In mind, in matter, much was difficult To understand : but what in deepest night Retired — inscrutable, mysterious, dark — Was evil, God's decrees, and deeds decreed. Responsible : why God, the just and good. Omnipotent and wise, should suffer sin To rise : why man was free, accountable ; Yet God foreseeing, overruUng all : Where'er the eye could turn, whatever tract Of moral thought it took, by reason's torch. Or Scripture's led, before it still this mount Sprung up, impervious, insurmountable, Above the human stature rising far ; Horizon of the mind, surrounding still The vision of the soul with clouds and gloom. Yet did they not attempt to scale its sides, THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IV. m And gain its top. Philosophy, to climb, With all her vigor toUed, from age to age; f'rom age to age. Theology, with all Her vigor, toiled; and vagrant Fancy toiled. Not weak and foolish only, hut the wise. Patient, courageous, stout, sound-headed man. Of proper discipline, of excellent wind. And strong of intellectual limb, toiled hard ; And oft above the reach of common eye Ascended far, and seemed well nigh the top : But only seemed : for still another top Above them rose, till, giddy grown, and mad. With gazing at these dangerous heights of God, They tumbled down, and in their raving said. They o'er the summit saw. And some beheved ; Believed a lie : for never man on earth That mountain crossed, or saw its farther side. Around it lay the wreck of many a Sage, Divine, Philosopher ; and many more Fell daily, undeterred by millions fallen ; Each wondering why he failed to comprehend God, and with finite measure infinite. To pass it, was no doubt desirable ; And few, of any intellectual size, That did not sometime in their day attempt ; But all in vain : for as the distant hill. Which, on the right or left, the traveler's eye Bounds, seems advancing as he walks, and oft He looks, and looks, and thinks to pass ; but still It forward moves, and mocks his baffled sight. Till night descends, and wraps the scene in gloom. 112 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IV So did this moral height the vision mock ; So lifted up its dark and cloudy head Before the eye, and met it evermore. And some, provoked, accused the righteous God. Accused of what? Hear human boldness now; Hear guilt, hear folly, madness, all extreme ! Accused of what? The God of truth accused Of cruelty, injustice, wickedness ! Abundant sin ! Because a mortal man, A worm at best of small capacity. With scarce an atom of Jehovah's works Before him, and with scarce an hour to look Upon them, should presume to censure God — The infinite and uncreated God ! To sit in judgment on Himself, his works. His providence ! — and try, accuse, condemn ! If there is aught, thought or to think, absurd. Irrational, and wicked, this is more ; This most : the sin of devils, or of those To devils growing fast. Wise men, and good. Accused themselves, not God; and put their hands Upon their mouths, and in the dust adored." THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. "The Christian's faith had many mysteries too. The uncreated holy Three in One ; Divine incarnate ; human in divine ; The inward call ; the Sanctifying Dew Coming unseen, unseen departing thence; Anew creating all, and yet not heard ; Compelling, yet not felt : mysterious these ; THB CHRISTIAN FAITH. THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IV US Not that Jehovah to conceal them wished ; Not that religion veished. The Christian faith. Unlike the timorous creeds of pagan priests. Was frank, stood forth to view, invited all To prove, examine, -search, investigate. And gave herself a light to see her by. Mysterious these, because too large for eye Of man, too long for human arm to mete. "Go to yon mount, which on the north side stands Of New Jerusalem, and lifts its head Serene in glory bright, except the hill. The Sacred Hill of God, whereon no foot Must tread, highest of all creation's walks. And overlooking all, in prospect vast. From out the ethereal blue : that cliff ascend : Gaze thence; around thee look; naught now impedes Thy view: yet, still, thy vision, purified And strong although it be, a boundary meets. Or rather, thou wilt say, thy vision fails To gaze throughout illimitable space. And find the end of infinite. And so It was with all the mysteries of faith : God sent them forth unveiled to the fuU gaze Of man, and asked him to investigate ; But Reason's eye, however purified. And on whatever tall and goodly height Of ol)servation placed, to comprehend Them fiiUy, sought in vain. In vain seeks still ; But wiser now, and humbler, she concludes ] 14 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IV i'rom what she knows already of his love. All gracious, that she cannot understand ; And gives him credit, reverence, and praise for all." RICHES AND POVERTY. "Another feature in the ways of God, That wondrous seemed, and made some men complain. Was the unequal gift of worldly things. Great was the difference indeed of men Externally, from beggar to the prince. The highest take, and lowest ; and conceive The scale between. A noble of the earth. One of its great, in splendid mansion dwelt ; Was robed in silk and gold ; and every day Fared sumptuously; was titled, honored, served. Thousands his nod awaited, and his will For law received ; whole provinces his march Attended, and his chariot drew, or on Their shoulders bore aloft the precious man. Millions, abased, fell prostrate at his feet, And millions mere thundered adoring praise. As far as eye could reach, he called the land His own, and added yearly to his fields. Like tree that of the soil took healthy root, He grew on every side, and towered on high; And over half a nation shadowing wide, He spread his ample boughs; air, earth, and sea- Nature entire, the brute and rational — To please him ministered, and vied among Themselves who most should his desires prevent. THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IV. H^, Watching the moving of his rising thoughts Attentively, and hasting to fulfill. His palace rose, and kissed the gorgeous clouds ; Streams bent their music to his will ; trees sprung ; The naked waste put on luxuriant robes ; And plains of happy cottages cast out Their tenants, and became a hunting-field. Before him bowed the distant isles, with fruits And spices rare ; the South her treasures brought ; The East and West sent ; and the frigid North Came with her offering of glossy furs. Musicians soothed his ear with airs select ; Beauty held out her arms ; and every man Of cunning skill and curious device, And endless multitudes of liveried wights. His pleasure waited with obsequious look. And when the wants of nature were suppUed, And common-place extravagances filled Beyond their asking ; and caprice itself, In all its zig-zag appetites gorged full. The man new wants and new expenses planned ; Nor planned alone : wise, learned, sober men. Of cogitation deep, took up his case. And planned for him new modes of folly wild; Contrived new wishes, wants, and wondrous means Of spending with despatch : yet, after all, His fields extended still, his riches grew. And what seemed splendor infinite increased : So lavishly upon a single man Did Providence his bounties daily shower. " Turn now thy eye, and look on poverty 116 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IV. Look on the lowest of her ragged sons : We find him by the way, sitting in dust : He has no bread to eat, no tongue to ask; No limbs to walk; no home, no house, no fidend. Observe his gobUn cheek, his wretched eye : See how his hand, if any hand he has. Involuntarily opens, and trembles forth. As comes the traveler's foot ; and hear his groan, His long and lamentable groan, announce The want that gnaws within : severely now The sun scorches and bums his old bald head ; The frost now glues him to the chilly earth ; On him hail, rain, and tempest rudely beat ; And all the winds of heaven, in jocular mood, Sport with his withered rags, that, tossed about. Display his nakedness to passers by. And grievously burlesque the human form. Observe him yet more narrowly: his limbs. With palsy shaken, about him blasted lie ; And all his flesh is full of putrid sores And noisome wounds ; his bones, of racking pains. Strange vesture this for an immortal soul! Strange retinue to wait a lord of earth ! It seems as Nature, in some =urly mood. After debate and musing long, had tried How vile and miserable thing her hand Could fabricate, then made this meagre man; A sight so full of perfect misery. That passengers their faces turned away. And hasted to be gone ; and delicate And tender women took another path. THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IV. X17 " This great disparity of outward things Taught many lessons; but this taught in chief. Though learned by few: that God no value set. That man should none, on goods of worldly kind ; On transitory, frail, external things. Of migratory, ever-changing sort. And farther taught, that in the soul alone — The thinking, reasonable, wilhng soul — . God placed the total excellence of man ; And meant him evermore to seek it there." INTELLECTUAL ENDOWMENTS. "But stranger still the distribution seemed Of intellect, though fewer here complained ; Each with his share, upon the whole, content. One man there was, and many such you might Have met, who never had a dozen thoughts In all his Ufe, and never changed their course; But told them o'er, each in its 'customed place, > From morn till night, from youth till hoary age. Little above the ox which grazed the field. His reason rose ; so weak his memory, The name his mother called him by, he scarce Remembered ; and his judgment so untaught. That what at evening played along the swamp. Fantastic, clad in robe of fiery hue. He thought the devil in disguise, and fled With quivering heart and winged footsteps home. The word philosophy he never heard. Or science ; never heard of liberty. Necessity, or laws of gravitation ; 118 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IV. And never had an unbelieving doubt. Beyond his native vale he never looked ; But thought the visual line, that girt him round. The world's extreme; and thought the silver moon, That nightly o'er him led her virgin host. No broader than his father's shield. He lived — Lived where his father lived ; died where he died ; Lived happy, and died happy, and was saved. Be not surprised. He loved, and served his God. " There was another, large of understanding. Of memory infinite, of judgment deep, Who knew all learning, and all science knew ; Artd all phenomena, in heaven and earth, Traced to their causes ; traced the labyrinths Of thought, association, passion, will; And all the subtile, nice affinities Of matter, traced; its virtues, motions, laws; And most familiarly and deeply talked Of mental, moral, natural, divine. Leaving the earth at will, he soared to heaven. And read the glorious visions of the skies ; And to the music of the rolling spheres IntelUgently listened ; and gazed far back Into the awful depths of Deity ; Did all that mind assisted most could do ; And yet in misery lived, in misery died. Because he wanted holiness of heart. " A deeper lesson this to mortals taught. And nearer cut the branches of their pride ; That not in mental, but in moral worth. COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IV. HQ God excellence placed ; and only to the good. To virtue, granted happiness alone. " Admire the goodness of Almighty God ! He riches gave, he intellectual strength To few, and therefore none commands to be Or rich or learned ; nor promises reward Of peace to these. On all. He moral worth Bestowed ; and moral tribute aslted from all. And who that could not pay ? wJio born so poor. Of intellect so mean, as not to know What seemed the best; and, knowing, might not do ? As not to know what God and conscience bade ? And what they bade, not able to obey ? And he who acted thus, fulfilled the law Eternal, and its promise reaped of peace ; Found peace this way alone : who sought it else. Sought mellow grapes beneath the icy pole ; Sought blooming roses on the cheek of death ; Sought substance in a world of fleeting shades.'' THE NOBLE POET. " Take one example, to our purpose quite : A man of rank, and of capacious soul, Who riches had, and fame beyond desire ; An heir of flattery, to titles born. And reputation, and luxurious Hfe ; Yet not content with ancestorial name. Or to be known, because his fathers were. He on this height hereditary stood ; And gazing higher, purposed in his heart 2F 120 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IV. To take another step. Above him seemed Alone the mount of song, the lofty seat Of canonized bards ; and thitherward, By nature taught, and inward melody. In prime of youth he bent his eagle eye. No cost was spared. What books he wished, he read; What sage to hear, he heard ; what scenes to see. He saw. And first, in rambling school-boy days, Britannia's mountain-walks, and heath-girt lakes, And story-telling glens, and founts, and brooks. And maids, as dew-drops pure and fair, his soul With grandem: filled, and melody, and love. Then travel came, and took him where he wished. He cities saw, and courts, and princely pomp ; And mused alone on ancient mountain-brows ; And mused on battle-fields, where valor fought In other days ; and mused on ruins gray With years ; and drank from old and fabulous wells ; And plucked the vine that first-born prophets plucked ; And mused on famous tombs ; and on the wave Of ocean mused ; and on the desert waste. The heavens and earth of every country saw : Where'er the old inspiring Genii dwelt — Aught that could rouse, expand, refine the soul — Thither he went, and meditated there. "He touched his harp, and nations heard, entranced. As some vast river of unfailing source. Rapid, exhaustless, deep, his numbers flowed. IHt: UOUKSE OF TIME— BOOK IV. 121 And opened new fountains in the human heart. Where fancy halted, weary in her flight. In other men, his, fresh as morning, rose, • And soared untrodden heights, and seemed at home Where angels bashful looked. Others, tho' great, Beneath their argument seemed struggling ; whiles He from above descending, stooped to touch The loftiest thought ; and proudly stooped, as though It scarce deserved his verse. With Nature's self He seemed an old acquaintance, free to jest At will with all her glorious majesty. He laid his hand upon ' the Ocean's mane,' And played famiUar with his hoary locks ; Stood on the Alps, stood on the Apennines, And with the thunder talked, as friend to friend : And wove his garland of the hghtning's wing. In sportive twist ; the lightning's fiery wing. Which, as the footsteps of the dreadful God, Marching upon the storm in vengeance, seemed ; Then turned, and with the grasshopper, who sung His evening song beneath his feet, conversed. Suns, moons, and stars, and clouds his sisters were ; Rocks, mountains, meteors, seas, and winds, and storms. His brothers — younger brothers, whom he scarce As equals deemed. AU passions of aU men — The wild and tame — ^the gentle and severe ; All thoughts, all maxims, sacred and profane; All creeds; all seasons. Time, Eternity; All that was hated, and all that was dear; All that was hoped, all that was feared by man. 122 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IV. He tossed about, as tempest-withered leaves ; Then, smihng, looked upon the wreck he made. With t^ror now he froze the cowering blood. And now dissolved the heart in tenderness ; Yet would not tremble, would not weep himself; But back into his soul retired, alone. Dark, sullen, proud ; gazing contemptuously On hearts and passions prostrate at his feet. So Ocean, from the plains his waves had late To desolation swept, retired in pride. Exulting in the glory of his might. And seemed to mock the ruin he had wrought. "As some fierce comet of tremendous size. To which the stars did reverence as it passed. So he through learning and through fancy took His flight subUme ; and on the loftiest top Of Fame's dread mountain sat; not soiled and worn. As if he from the earth had labored up. But as some bird of heavenly plumage fair, He looked, which down from higher regions came, And perched it there, to see what lay beneath. " The nations gazed, and wondered much, and praised ; Critics before him fell in humble plight ; Confounded fell ; and made debasing signs To catch his eye; and stretched, and swelled themselves To bursting nigh, to utter bulky words Of admiration vast. And many, too. Many that aimed to imitate his flight. THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IV. 123 With weaker wing, unearthly fluttering made, .\nd gave abundant sport to after days. " Great man ! the nations gazed, and wondered much. And praised ; and many called his evil good ; Wits wrote in fa;vor of his wickedness ; And kings to do him honor took deUght. Thus full of titles, flattery, honor, fame; Beyond desire, beyond ambition full, He died. — He died of what ? Of wretchedness. Drank every cup of joy, heard every trump Of fame ; drank early, deeply drank ; drank draughts That common millions might have quenched ; then , died Of thirst, because there was no more to drink. His goddess. Nature, wooed, embraced, enjoyed. Fell from his arms, abhorred; his passions died; Died, all but dreary, solitary pride ; And aU his sympathies in being died. As some ill-guided bark, well built and tall. Which angry tides cast out on desert shore. And then retiring, left it there to rot And molder in the winds and rains of heaven : So he, cut from the sympathies of hfe. And cast ashore from pleasure's boisterous surge ; A wandering, weary, worn, and wretched thing ; Scorched, and desolate, and blasted soul ; A gloomy wilderness of dying thought ; Repined, and groaned, and withered from the earth. His groanings filled the land his numbers filled ; 124 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IV. And yet he seemed ashamed to groan. Poor man ! Ashamed to ask, and yet he needed help. " Proof this, beyond all lingering of doubt, That not with natural or mental wealth Was God delighted, or his peace secured ; That not in natural or mental wealth Was human happiness or grandeur found. Attempt how monstrous ! and how surely vain ! With things of earthly sort, with aught but God, With aught but moral excellence, truth, and love. To satisfy and fill the immortal soul ! Attempt, vain inconceivably ! attempt. To satisfy the ocean with a drop ; To marry Immortality to Death ; And with the unsubstantial Shade of Time, To fill the embrace of all Eternity !" THE COUESE OE TIME BOOK Y. Anaitsis.— The actions done in time, may be forgiven ty God, but will not be blotted from the book of remembrance ; the record ■wUl remain unchanged to all eternity, " as if engraven with pen of iron grain, and laid in flinty rock." True happiness attainable through various channels, and accessible to all men ; but enjoyed in the highest degree by the pious, who realized its greatest perfection in the discharge of their duties. Among its numerous sources were the joys of chUdhood, of maternal affection, of youthful love, of friendship ; in retrospections of the past, and anticipations of the future. General joy pervaded the earth at the latter period of its history, embracing the "thousand years" of Messiah's reign foretold by the prophets, and preceded by a terrible conflict between the powers of Truth and Error. THE DEEDS OF LIFE INDELLIBLY RECORDED. " Praise God, ye servants of the '^ Lord ! praise God, Ye angels strong ! praise God, ye sons of men ! Praise him who made, and who redeemed your souls ; Who gave you hope, reflection, reason, will ; Minds that can pierce eternity remote. And live at once on future, present, past ; Can speculate on systems yet to make. And back recoil on ancient days of Time ; Of Time, soon past ; soon lost among the shades 126 THE COURSE OF TIME — BOOK V. Of buried years. Not so the actions done In Time : the deeds of reasonable men ; As if engraven with pen of iron grain, And laid in flinty rock, they stand unchanged, Written on the various pages of the past : If good, in rosy characters of love ; If bad, in letters of vindictive fire. " God may forgive, but cannot blot them out. Systems begin, and end ; Eternity Rolls on his endless years ; and men, absolved By mercy from the consequence, forget The evil deed ; and God imputes it not. But neither systems ending nor begun, Eternity that rolls his endless years. Nor men absolved and sanctified, and washed By mercy from the consequence ; nor yet Forgetfulness, nor God imputing not, Can wash the guilty deed, once done, from out The faithful annals of the past. Who reads. And many read, there finds it, as it was. And is, and shall for ever be^a dark. Unnatural, and loathly moral spot." THE JOYS OF TIME. " The span of Time was short indeed ; and now Three-fourths were past, the last begun, and on Careering to its close : which soon we sing : But first our promise we redeem, to tell The joys of Time ; her joys of native growth ; And briefly must, what longer tale deserves. "Wake, dear remembrances! wake, childhood THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK V. 127 Loves, friendships, wake ! and wake, thou morn and even ! Sun ! with thy orient locks ! night, moon, and stars ' And thou, celestial bow! and all ye woods. And hills, and vales, first trod in dawning life ! And hours of holy musiiig, wake ! wake, earth ! And, smiling to remembrance, come ; and bring. For thou canst bring, meet argument for song Of heavenly harp ; meet hearing for the ear Of heavenly auditor, exalted high. " God gave much peace on earth, much holv joy; Oped fountains of perennial spring, whence flowed Abundant happiness to all who wished To drink : not perfect bliss ; that dwells with us. Beneath the eyelids of the Eternal One, And sits at his right hand alone ; but such. As well deserved the name, ' abundant joy ;' Pleasures, on which the memory of saints Of highest glory, still delights to dwell. " It was, we own, subject of much debate. And worthy men stood on opposing sides. Whether the cup of mortal life had more Of sour or sweet. Vain question this, when asked In general terms, and worthy to be left Unsolved. If most was sour, the drinker, not The cup, we blame. Each in himself the means Possessed to turn the bitter sweet, the sweet To bitter : hence, from out the self-same fount. One nectar drank, another draughts of gall. Hence, from the self-same quarter of the sky. One saw ten thousand angels look, and smile ; 128 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK V. Another saw as many demons frown ; One discord heard, where harmony inclined Another's ear. The sweet was in the taste; The beauty in the- eye; and in the ear The' melody; and in the man — for God Necessity of sinning laid' on none — To form the taste, to purify the eye. And tune the ear ; that all he tasted, saw. Or heard, might be harmonious, sweet, and fair. Who would, might groan ; who would, might sing for joy. " Nature lamented little : undevoured By spurious appetites, she found enough Where least was found ; with gleanings satisfied. Or crumbs that from the hand of luxury fell : Yet seldom these she ate ; but ate the bread Of her own industry, made sweet by toil ; And walked in robes that her own hand had spun. And slept on down her early rising bought. Frugal, and diligent in business, chaste And abstinent, she stored for helpless age ; And keeping in reserve her spring-day health. And dawning relishes of life, she drank Her evening cup with excellent appetite ; And saw her eldest sun decUne, as fair As rose her earliest morn, and pleased as well." HAUNTS OF HAPPINESS. "Whether in crowds or solitudes, in streets Or shady groves, dwelt happiness, it seems In vain to ask : her nature makes it vain : IHE COURSE OF TIME — BOOK V. 129 Though poets much, and hermits, talked and sung' Of brooks, and crystal founts, and weeping dews, And myrtle bowers, and solitary vales ; And with the nymph made assignations there. And wooed her with the love-sick' oaten reed; And sages, too, although less positive. Advised their sons to court her in the shade — Delirious babble all ! Was happiness. Was self-approving, God-approving joy. In drops of dew, however pure ? in gales. However sweet ? in wells, however clear ? Or groves, however thick with verdant shade ? " True, these were of themselves exceeding fair. How fair at morn and even ! worthy the walk Of loftiest mind ; and gave, when all within Was right, a feast of overflowing bliss; But were the occasion, not the cause of joy: They waked the native fountains of the soul. Which slept before, and stirred the holy tides Of feeling up ; giving the heart to drink, From its own treasures, draughts of perfect sweet. " The Christian faith, which better knew the heart Of man, him thither sent for peace ; and thus Declared : Who finds it, let him find it there ; Who finds it not, for ever let him seek In vain : 'tis God's most holy, changeless will. "True happiness had no localities; No tones provincial; no peculiar garb. Where duty went, she went; with justice went; And went with meekness, charity, and love. Where'er a tear was dried, a wounded heart 130 THE COURSE OF TIME-BOOK V. ■ Bound up, a bruised spirit with the dew Of sympathy anointed, or a pang Of honest suffering soothed, or injury Repeated oft, as oft by love forgiven : Where'er an evil passion vras subdued. Or Virtue's feeble embers fanned : where'er A sin was heartily abjured, and left : Where'er a pious act was done, or breathed A pious prayer, or wished a pious wish : There was a high and holy place, a spot Of sacred light, a most rehgious fane. Where Happiness, descending, sat and smiled. " But these apart. In sacred memory lives The morn of life, first mom of endless days. Most joyful morn! nor yet for naught the joy: A being of eternal date commenced, A young immortal then was bom. And who Shall tell what strange variety of bliss Burst on the infant soul, when first it looked Abroad on God's creation fair, and saw The glorious earth, and glorious heaven, and fa Of man subhme ? and saw all new, and felt All new? — ^when thought awoke, thought ne more To sleep? — ^when first it saw, heard, reasor willed? And triumphed in the warmth of conscious life Nor happy only; but the cause of joy, Which those who never tasted always mourne What tongue — Ho tongue shall tell what bUss o flowed THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK V Jo] The mother's tender heart, while round her hung The offspring of her love, and lisped her name ; 4s hving jewels dropped unstained from heaven, That made her fairer far and sweeter seem. Than every ornament of costliest hue. And who hath not been ravished, as she passed With all her playful band of little ones. Like Luna, with her daughters of the sky, Walking in matron majesty and grace ? AH who had hearts, here pleasure found ; and oft Have I, when tired with heavy task — for tasks Were heavy in the world below — relaxed My weary thoughts among their guiltless sports. And led them by their little hands afield. And watch them run and crop the tempting flower. Which oft, unasked, they brought me, and bestow'd With smiling face, that waited for a look Of praise ; and answered curious questions, put In much simplicity, but ill to solve ; And heard their observations, strange and new. And settled whiles their Uttle quarrels, soon Ending in peace, and sOon forgot in love. And still I looked upon their lovehness. And sought through nature for similitudes Of perfect beauty, innocence, and bliss. And fairest imagery round me thronged : Dew-drops at day-spring on a seraph's locks; Roses that bathe about the well of life ; Young loves, young hopes, dancing on Morning's cheek ; Gems leaping in the coronet of love : 132 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK V So beautiful, so foil of life, they seemed As made entire of beams of angels' eyes. Gay, guileless, sportive, lovely little things ! Playing around the den of Sorrow, clad In smiles ; believing in their fairy hopes. And thinking man and woman true ! all joy: Happy all day, and happy all the night." LOVE. " Hail, holy love ! thou word that sums all bliss Gives and receives all bliss ; foUest when most Thou givest. Spring-head of all felicity ! Deepest when most is drawn. Emblem of God ! O'erflowing most when greatest numbers drink. Essence that binds the uncreated Three, Chain that unites creation to its Lord, Centre to which all being gravitates. Eternal, ever-growing, happy love! Enduring all, hoping, forgiving all; Instead of law, fulfilling every law : Entirely blessed, because thou seek'st no more; Hopes not, nor fears ; but on the present Uves, And holds perfection smiling in thy arms. Mysterious, infinite, exhaustless love ! On earth mysterious, and mysterious still In heaven ! sweet chord, that harmonizes all The harps of Paradise ! the spring, the well, That fills the bowl and banquet of the sky ! " But why should I to thee of love divine ? Who happy, and not eloquent of love ? Who holy, and, as thou art, pure, and not THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK V. 133 A temple where her glory ever dwells, Where bums her fires, and beams her perfect eye ? " Kindred to this, part of this holy flame. Was youthfial love, the sweetest boon of earth. Hail, love ! first love, thou word that sums all bliss ! The sparkling cream of all Time's blessedness. The silken down of happiness complete ! Discemer of the ripest grapes of joy. She gathered, and selected with her hand. All finest relishes, all fairest sights. All rarest odors, all divinest sounds. All thoughts, all feelings dearest to the soul ; And brought the holy mixture home, and filled The heart with all superlatives of bliss. But who would that expound which words transcends. Must talk in vain. Behold a meeting scene Of earthly love, and thence infer its worth," MEETING OF LOVERS. " It was an eve of Autumn's holiest mood : The corn-fields, bathed in Cynthia's silver light, Stood ready for the reaper's gathering hand ; And all the winds slept soundly : Nature seemed. In silent contemplation, to adore Its Maker : now and then the aged leaf Fell from its fellows, rustling to the ground; And, as it fell, bade man think on his end. On vale and lake, on wood and mountain high. With pensive wing outspread, sat heavenly Thought Conversing with itself. Vesper looked forth. 134 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK V From out her western hermitage, and smiled ; And up the east, unclouded, rode the Moon, With all her stars, gazing on earth intense. As if she saw some wonder walking there. " Such was the night — so lovely, still, seren When, by a hermit thorn that on the hill Had seen a hundred flowery ages pass, A damsel kneeled to offer up her prayer — Her prayer nightly offered, nightly heard. This ancient thorn had been the meeting-plac Of love, before his country's voice had called The ardent youth to fields of honor, far Beyond the wave. And hither now repaired^ Nightly, the maid ; by God's all-seeing eye Seen only, while she sought this boon alone : ' Her lover's safety, and his quick return.' In holy, humble attitude she kneeled. And to her bosom, fair as moon-beam, pressec One hand, the other Ufted up to Heaven : Her eye, up turned, bright as the star of mon As violet meek, excessive ardor streamed. Wafting away her earnest heart to God. Her voice, scarce uttered, soft as Zephyr sighs On morning lily's cheek, though soft and low, Yet heard in heaven, heard at the mercy-seal A tear-drop wandered on her lovely face : It was a tear of faith and holy fear. Pure as the drops that hang at dawning-time On yonder willows by the stream of life. On her the moon looked steadfastly; the star That circle nightly round the eternal throne. THE COURSE OF TIME — BOOK V. yjr^ Glanced down, well pleased; and everlasting Love Gave gracious audience to her prayer sincere. " Oh ! had her lover seen her thus alone, Thus holy, wrestling thus, and all for him ! Nor did he not : for oft-times Providence, With unexpected joy the fervent prayer Of faith surprised. Returned from long delay. With glory crowned of righteous actions won, The sacred thorn, to memory dear, first sought The youth, and found it at the happy hour, Just when the damsel kneeled herself to pray. Wrapped in devotion, pleading with her God, She saw him not, heard not his foot approach. All holy images seemed too impure To emblem her he saw. A seraph kneeled, Beseeching for his ward, before the Throne, Seemed fittest, pleased him best. Sweet was the thought ! But sweeter still the kind remembrance came. That she was flesh and blood, formed for himself. The pKghted partner of his future life. And as they met, embraced, and sat embowered In woody chambers of the starry night. Spirits of love about them ministered. And God, approving, blessed the holy joy!" FRIENDSHIP. " Nor unremembered is the hour when jfriends Met : friends but few on earth, and therefore dear; Sought oft, and sought almost as oft in vain : Yet always sought : so native to the heart, G 136 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK V. So much desired, and coveted by all. Nor wonder thou — ^thou wonderest not nor need'st. Much beautiful, and excellent, and fair. Was seen beneath the sun ; but naught was seen More beautiful, or excellent, or fair. Than face of faithful friend ; fairest when seen In darkest day. And many sounds Avere sweet, Most ravishing, and pleasant to the ear; But sweeter none than voice of faithful friend; Sweet always, sweetest heard in loudest storm. Some I remember, and will ne'er forget; My early friends, friends of my evil day; Friends in my mirth, friends in my misery too ; Friends given by God in mercy and in love; My counsellors, my comforters, and guides; My joy in grief, my second bhss in joy; Companions of my young desires; in doubt. My oracles ; my wings, in high pursuit. Oh ! I remember, and will ne'er forget, Our meeting-spots, our chosen sacred hours ; Our burning words, that uttered all the soul ; Our faces beaming with unearthly love ; Sorrow with sorrow sighing, hope with hope Exulting, heart embracing heart entire. As birds of social feather, helping each His fellow's flight, we soared into the skies. And cast the clouds beneath our feet, and earth. With all her tardy leaden-footed cares. And talked the speech, and ate the food of heaven. These I remember, these selectest men ; And would their names record. But what avails THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK V. J37 My mention of their name '' Before the Throne They stand, illustrious, 'mong the loudest harps, And will receive thee glad, my friend and theirs. For all are friends in heaven, all faithful friends; And many friendships, in the days of Time Begun, are lasting here, and growing still ; So grows ours evermore, both theirs and mine." PLEASURES OF SOLITUDE. " Nor is the hour of lonely walk forgot In the wide desert, where the view was large. Pleasant were many scenes, but most to me The solitude of vast extent, untouched By hand of art; where Nature sowed, herself. And reaped her crops; whose garments were the clouds ; Whose minstrels, brooks ; whose lamps, the moon and stars; Whose organ-choir, the voice of many waters ; Whose banquets, morning dews; whose heroes, storms; - Whose warriors, mighty winds; whose lovers, flowers ; Whose orators, the thunderbolts of God ; Whose palaces, the everlasting hills ; Whose ceiling, heaven's unfathomable blue; And from whose rocky turrets, battled high. Prospect immense spread out on all sides round; Lost now between the welkin and the main; Now walled with hills that slept above the storm. " Most fit was such a place for musing men ; 138 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK V. Happiest sometimes when musing without aim. It was indeed a wondrous sort of bJiss The lonely bard enjoyed, when forth he walked Unpurposed; stood, and knew not why ; sat down, And knew not where ; arose, and knew not when ; Had eyes, and saw not ; ears, and nothing heard ; And sought — sought neither heaven nor earth — sought naught. Nor meant to thiftk ; but ran meantime thro' vast Of visionary things, fairer than aught That was ; and saw the distant tops of thoughts, Which men of common stature never saw. Greater than aught that largest worlds could hold. Or give idea of, to those who read. He entered into Nature's holy place, Her inner chamber, and beheld her face Unveiled ; and heard unutterable things. And incommunicable visions saw: Things then unutterable, and visions then Of incommunicable glory bright ; But by the lips of after ages formed To words, or by their pencil pictured forth ; Who, entering farther in, beheld again. And heard unspeakable and marvelous things. Which other ages in their turn revealed. And left to others greater wonders still. "The earth abounded much in silent wastes; Nor yet is heaven without its solitudes. Else incomplete in bliss, whither who will May oft retire, and meditate alone. Of God, redemption, holiness, and love ; THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK V. I39 Nor needs to fear a setting sun, or haste Him home from rainy tempest unforeseen ; Or, sighing, leave his thoughts for want of time. " But whatsoever was both good and fair. And highest relish of enjoyment gave, In intellectual exercise was found ; When, gazing through the future, present, past, Inspired, thought linked to thought, harmonious flowed In poetry, the loftiest mood of mind. Or when philosophy the reason led Deep thro' the outward circumstance of things, And saw the master-wheels of Nature move ; And traveled far along the endless line Of certain and of probable ; and made. At every step, some new discovery. That gave the soul sweet sense of larger room — High these pursuits — and sooner to be named Deserved; at present only named, again To be resumed, and praised in longer verse." DIVERSIFIED SOURCES OF DELIGHT. "Abundant, and diversified above All number, were the sources of delight ; As infinite as were the hps that drank ; And to the pure, all innocent and pure : The simplest, still to wisest men the best. One made acquaintanceship with plants and flowers. And happy grew in telling all their names ; One classed the quadrupeds; a third, the fowls; Anotb T, found in minerals his joy. 140 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK V. And I have seen a man, a worthy man, In happy mood conversing with a fly; And as he through his glass, made by himself, Beheld its wondrous eye and plumage fine. From leaping scarce he kept for perfect joy. "And from my path I, with my friend, have turned — A man of excellent mind and excellent heart — And climbed the neighboring hill, with arduous step Fetching from distant cairn, or from the earth. Digging, with labor sore, the ponderous stone. Which, having carried to the highest top. We downward rolled ; and as it strove at first With obstacles that seemed to match its force. With feeble crooked motion to and fro Wavering, he looked with interest most intense. And prayed almost ; and as it gathered strength. And straightened the current of its furious flow. Exulting in the swiftness of its course. And, rising now with rainbow-bound immense, Leaped down, careering o'er the subject plain. He clapped his hands in sign of bovmdless bliss ; And laughed and talked, well paid for all his toil : And when at night the story was rehearsed. Uncommon glory kindled in his eye. " And there were too — harp ! Uft thy voice on high. And run in rapid numbers o'er the face Of Nature's scenery — and there were day And night ; and rising suns, and setting suns ; And clouds, that seemed like chariots of saints, THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK V. 141 By fiery coursers drawn ; as brightly hued, As if the glorious, hushy, golden locks Of thousand cherubim had been shorn off, And on the temples huftg of morn and even. And there were moons, and stars, and darkness streaked With light ; and voice of tempest heard secure. And there were seasons coming evermore. And going still, all fair, and always new. With bloom, and fruit, and fields of hoary grain. And there were hills of flock, and groves of song ; And flowery streams, and garden walks embowered, Where side by side the rose and lily bloomed. And sacred founts, wild harps, and moonlight glens ; And forests vast, fair lawns, and lonely oaks ; And little willows, sipping at the brook ; Old wizard haunts, and dancing-seats of mirth ; Gay festive bowers, and palaces in dust ; Dark owlet nooks, and caves, and battled rocks ; And winding valleys, roofed with pendant shade ; And taU and perilous cliffs, that overlooked The breadth of ocean, sleeping on his waves. Sounds, sights, smells, tastes; the heaven and earth, profuse In endless sweets, above all praise of song : For not to use alone did Providence Abound, but large example gave to maii Of grace, and ornament, and splendor rich ; Suited abundantly to every taste. In bird, beast, fish, winged and creeping thing ; In herb and flower ; and in the restless change. 142 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK V. Which on the many-colored seasons made The annual circuit of the fruitful earth." ALBION AND SCOTIA. " Nor do I aught of earthly sort remember — If partial feeling to my native place Lead not my lyre astray — of fairer view, And comelier walk, than the blue mountain-paths And snowy cliffs of Albion renowned ; Albion, an isle long blest with gracious laws, And gracious kings, and favored much of Heaven , Though yielding oft penurious gratitude. ISTor do I of that isle remember aught Of prospect more sublime and beautiful. Than Scotia's northern battlement of hiUs, Wliich first I from my father's house beheld, kt dawn of Ufe ; beloved in memory still ; ind standard still of rural imagery. What most resembles them, the fairest seems, ^nd stirs the eldest sentiments of bhss ; ind pictured on the tablet of my heart, Their distant shapes eternally remain, ^nd in my dreams their cloudy tops arise. VTuch of my native scenery appears, Vnd presses forward to be in my song ; jut must not how ; for much behind awaits 3f higher note. Four trees I pass not by, ^hich o'er our house their evening shadow threw: Three ash, and one of elm : tall trees they were, \nd old ; and had been old a century Before my day ; none living could say aught THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK V. 143 About their youth ; but they were goodly trees ; And oft I wondered, as I sat and thought Beneath their summer shade, or, in the night Of winter, heard the spirits of the wind Growling among their boughs, how they had grown So high, in such a rough tempestuous place ; And when a hapless branch, torn by the blast. Fell down, I mourned, as if a friend had fallen. " These I distinctly hold in memory still. And all the desert scenery around. Nor strange, that recollection there should dwell, Where first I heard of God's redeeming love ; First felt and reasoned, loved and was beloved, And first awoke the harp to holy song. , To hoar and -green there was enough of joy. Hopes, friendships, charities, and warm pursuit. Gave comfortable flow to youthful blood. And there were old remembrances of days. When on the glittering dews of orient life Shone sunshine hopes ; unfailed, unperjured then And there were childish sports, and school-boy feats And school-boy spots, and earnest vows of love. Uttered, when passion's boisterous tide ran high, Sincerely uttered, though but seldom kept ; And there were angel looks ; and sacred hours Of rapture ; hours that in a moment passed, And yet were wished to last for evermore ; And venturous exploits ; and hardy deeds ; And bargains shrewd, achieved in manhood's prime And thousand recollections, gay and sweet. Which, as the old and venerable man 2G 144 THE COURSE OF TIMB«-BOOK V Approached the grave, around him, smiling, flocked. And breathed new ardor through his ebbing veins ; And touched his Ups with endless eloquence ; And cheered, and much refreshed his withered heart. Indeed, each thing remembered, all but guilt. Was pleasant, and a constant source of joy. Nor lived the old on memory alone : He in his children lived a second Kfe ; With them again took root ; sprang with their hopes ; Entered into their schemes ; partook their fears ; Laughed in their mirth ; and in their gain grew rich. And sometimes on the eldest cheek was seen A smile, as hearty as on face of youth That saw in prospect sunny hopes invite Hope's pleasure, sung to harp of sweetest note ; Harp, heard with rapture on Britannia's hills ; With rapture heard by me in morn of life." DREAMS. " Nor small the joy of rest to mortal men ; Rest after labor ; sleep approaching soft. And wrapping all the weary faculties In sweet repose. Then Fancy, unrestrained By sense or judgment, strange confusion made Of future, present, past ; combining things Unseemly, things unsociable in Nature, In most absurd communion, laughable. Though sometimes vexing sore the slumbering soul. Sporting at will, she, through her airy halls. With moon-beams paved, and canopied with stars, THE. COURSE OF TIME— BOOK V. I45 And tapestried -with marvelous imagery. And shapes of glory infinitely fair, Moving and mixing in most wondrous dance. Fantastically walked ; but pleased so well, That ill she liked the judgment's voice severe, Which called her home when noisy morn awoke. And oft she sprang beyond the bounds of Time, On her swift pinion lifting up the souls Of -righteous men on liigh, to God and heaven. Where they beheld unutterable things ; And heard the glorious music of the blessed, Circhng the throne of the Eternal Three ; And with the spirits unincarnate, took Celestial pastime on the hills of God ; Forgetful of the gloomy pass between. " Some dreams were useless, moved by turbid course Of animal disorder ; not so all : Deep moral lessons some impressed, that naught Could afterward deface. And oft, in dreams. The master-passion of the soul displayed His huge deformity, concealed by day, Warning the sleeper to beware, awake. And oft, in dreams, the reprobate and vile. Unpardonable sinner — as he seemed Toppling upon the perilous edge of hell — In dreadful apparition, saw before His vision pass the shadows of the damned ; And saw the glare of hollow, cursed eyes. Spring from the skirts of the infernal night ; And saw the souls of wicked men, new dead. t46 THE BOURSE OF TIME— BOOK V. By devils hearsed into the fiery gulf; And heard the burning of the endless flames ; And heard the weltering of the waves of wrath. And sometimes, too, before his fancy passed The Worm that never dies, writhing its folds In hideous sort, and with eternal Death Held horrid colloquy ; giving the wretch Unwelcome earnest of the wo to come. But these we leave, as unbefitting song. That promised happy narrative of joy. THE WIDOW. " But what of all the joys of earth was most Of native growth, most proper to the soil — Not elsewhere known in worlds that never fell — Was joy that sprung from disappointed wo. The joy in grief; the pleasure after pain ; Fears turned to hopes ; meetings expected not ; Deliverances from dangerous attitudes ; Better for worse ; and best sometimes for worst ; And all the seeming ill ending in good ; A sort of happiness composed, which none Has had experience of but mortal man : Yet not to be despised. Look back, and one Behold, who would not give her tear for all The smiles that dance about the cheek of Mirth.' "Among the tombs she walks at noon of nighl In miserable garb of widowhood. Observe her yonder, sickly, pale, and sad. Bending her wasted body o'er the grave Of him who was the husband of her youth. THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK V. I47 B moon-beams trembling through these ancient yews, at stand like ranks of mourners round the bed death, fall dismally upon her face ; r little, hollow, withered face, almost isible, so worn away with wo : 8 tread of hasty foot, passing so late, iturbs her not ; nor yet the roar of mirth, )m neighboring revelry ascending loud. 3 hears, sees naught ; fears naught; one thought alone Is all her heart and soul ; half hoping, half membering, sad, unutterable thought ! ;ered by silence and by tears alone, eet tears ! the awfiil language, eloquent infinite affection ; far too big : words. She sheds not many now : that grass, hich springs so rankly o'er the dead, has drunk •eady many showers of grief: a drop two are all that now remain behind, d from her eye, that darts strange fiery beams, dreary intervals, drip down her cheek, [ling most mournfully from bone to bone, t yet she wants not tears: that babe that hangs on her breast, that babe that never saw father — he was dead before its birth — Ips her to weep, weeping before its time ; ught sorrow by the mother's melting voice, peating oft the father's sacred name, not surprised at this expense of wo ! e man she mourns was all she called her own ; 148 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK V The music of her ear, Ught of her eye, Desire of all her heart, her hope, her fear ; The element in which her passions lived ; Dead now, or dying all. Nor long shall she Visit that place of skulls : night after night, She wears herself away: the'moonbeam now That falls upon her unsubstantial frame. Scarce finds obstruction ; and upon her bones. Barren as leafless boughs in winter-time, Her infant fastens his little hands, as oft. Forgetful, she leaves him awhile unheld. But, look : she passes not away in gloom : A hght from far illumes her face ; a hght That comes beyond the moon, beyond the sun; The light of truth divine : the glorious hope Of resurrection at the promised morn, And meetings then which ne'er shall part again." THE DYING MOTHER. " Indulge another note of kindred tone. Where grief was mixed with melancholy joy. " Our sighs were numerous, and profuse our tears ; For she was lost, was lovely, and we loved Her much : fresh in our memory, as fresh As yesterday, is yet the day she died. It was an April day, and blithely all The youth of nature leaped beneath the sun, And promised glorious manhood ; and our hearts Were glad, and round them danced the Ughtsome blood. In healthy merriment, when tidings came THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK V. 149 A child was bom ; and tidings came again, That she who gave it birth was sick to death : So swift trode sorrow on the heels of joy ! We gathered round her bed, and bent our knees In fervent supphcation to the Throne Of Mercy, and perfumed our prayers with sighs Sincere, and penitential tears, and looks Of self-abasement ; but we sought to stay An angel on the earth, a spirit ripe For heaven ; and Mercy, in her love, refused : Most mercifiil, as ofl, when seeming least ! Most gracious when she seemed the most to frown! The room I well remember ; and the bed On which she lay; and all the faces, too. That crowded dark and mournfully around. Her father there, and mother bending stood, And down their aged cheeks fell many drops Of bitterness : her husband, too, was there. And brothers ; and they wept : her sisters, too. Did weep and sorrow comfortless ; and I, Too, wept, though not to weeping given ; and all Within the house was dolorous and sad. This I remember well ; but better still I do remember, and Avill ne'er forget. The dying eye : that eye alone was bright. And brighter grew, as nearer death approached ; As I have seen the gentle Httle flower Look fairest in the silver beam, which feU Reflected from the thunder-cloud that soon Came down, and o'er the desert scattered far 150 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK V. And wide its loveliness. She made a sign To bring her babe : 't was brought, and by her placei She looked upon its face, that neither smiled Nor wept, nor knew who gazed upon 't ; and laid Her hand upon its little breast, and sought For it, with look that seemed to penetrate The heavens, unutterable blessings, such As God to dying parents only granted. For infants left behind them in the world. ' God keep my child !' we heard her say, and hear No more : the Angel of the Covenant Was come, and, faithful to his promise, stood Prepared to walk with her thro' death's dark vah And now her eyes grew bright, and brighter stUl, Too bright for ours to look upon, suffused With many tears, and closed without a cloud. They set as sets the morning-star, which goes Not down behind the darkened west, nor liides Obscured among the tempests of the sky, But melts away into the light of heaven." THE christian's SOLACES. "Loves, friendships, hopes, and dear remeir brances — The kind embracings of the heart, and hours Of happy thought, and smiles coming to tears, And glories of the heaven and starry cope Above, and glories of the earth beneath — These were the rays that wandered thro' the glooi Of mortal life; wells of the wilderness; THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK V. Jgl Redeeming features in the face of Time ; Sweet drops, that made the mixed cup of earth A palatable draught, too bitter else. " About the joys and pleasures of the world. This question was not seldom in debate : Whether the righteous man, or sinner, hac The greatest share, and relished them the most ? Truth gives the answer thus, gives it distinct, Nor needs to reason long : The righteous man. For what was he denied, of earthly growth. Worthy the name of good ? Truth answers, Naught. Had he not appetites, and sense, and will? Might he not eat, if Providence allowed. The finest of the wheat ? Might he not drink The choicest wine ? True, he was temperate : But, then, was temperance a foe to peace ? Might he not rise, and clothe himself in gold ? Ascend, and stand in palaces of kings ? True, he was honest still, and charitable. Were, then, these virtues foes to human peace ? Might he not do exploits, and gain a name 1 Most true, he trod not down a fellow's right. Nor walked up to a throne on skulls of men. Were justice, then, and mercy, foes to peace ? Had he not friendships, loves, and smiles, and hopes ? Sat not around his table sons and daughters? Was not his ear with music pleased 1 his eye With light ? his nostrils with perfumes ? his lips With pleasant reUshes ? Grew not his herds ? Fell not the rain upon his meadows ? reaped He not his harvests ? and did not his heait 152 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK V. Uevel at will through all the charities And sympathies of nature, unconfined ? And were not these all sweetened and sanctified By dews of holiness shed from above ? Might he not walk through Fancy's airy halls 1 Might he not History's ample page survey ? Might he not, finally, explore the depths Of mental, moral, natural, divine ? — But why enumerate thus ? One word enough. There was no joy in all created things. No drop of sweet, that turned not in the end To sour, of which the righteous man did not Partake — ^partake, invited by the voice Of God, his Father's voice, who gave him all His heart's desire. And o'er the sinner stiU, The Christian had this one advantage more, That when his earthly pleasures failed — and fail They always did to every soul of man — He sent his hopes on high, looked up, and reach*. fli His sickle forth, and reaped the fields of heaveu. And plucked the clusters from the vines of God.* PROPHECY FULFILLED. " Nor was the general aspect of the world Always a moral waste : a time there came — Though few believed it e'er should come — a time Typed by the Sabbath-day recurring once In seven ; and by the year of rest indulged Septennial to the lands on Jordan's banks : A time foretold by Judah's bards in words Of fire : a time, seventh part of time, and set THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK V [53 Before the eighth and last : the Sabbath-day Of all the earth, when all had rest and peace. Before its coming, many to and fro Ran, ran from various cause ; by many sent From various cause, upright and crooked both. Some sent and ran for love of souls sincere. And more at instance of a holy name. With godly zeal much vanity was mixed ; And circumstance of gaudy civil pomp; And speeches buying praise for praise ; and Usts, And endless scrolls, surcharged with modest names. That sought the public eye ; and stories, told Jn quackish phrase, that hurt their credit, even When true, combined with wise and prudent means. Much wheat, much chaff, much gold, and much alloy. But God wrought with the whole — wrought most with what To man seemed weakest means — and brought result Of good from good and evil bothj and breathed Into the withered nations breath and life — The breath and life of liberty and truth — By means of knowledge breathed into the soul. "Then was the evil day of tyranny! Of kingly and of priestly tyranny. That bruised the nations long. As yet, no state Beneath the heavens had tasted freedom's wine, Though loud of freedom was the talk of all. Some groaned more deeply, being heavier tasked; Some wrought with straw and some without ; but all Were slaves, or meant to be ; for rulers still 154 THE COURSE-OF TIME— BOOK V. Had been of equal mind, excepting few. Cruel, rapacious, tyrannous, and vile ; And had with equal shoulder propped the Beast. As yet, the Church, the holy spouse of God, In members few, had wandered in her weeds Of mourning, persecuted, scorned, reproached, And buflfeted, and killed; in members few. Though seeming many whiles ; then fewest oft. When seeming most. She still had hung her harp Upon the willow-tree, and sighed, and wept From age to age. Satan began the war; And all his angels, and aU wicked men. Against her fought, by wile or fierce attack, Six thousand years; but fought in vain. She stood Troubled on every side, but not distressed ; Weeping, but yet despairing not ; cast down. But not destroyed : for she upon the palms Of God was graven, and precious in his sight As apple of his eye ; and, hke the bush On Midia's mountain seen, burned unconsiuned ; But to the wilderness retiring, dwelt. Debased in sackcloth, and forlorn in tears." DESTRUCTION OF THE BEAST. "As yet, had sung the scarlet-colored whore. Who on the breast of civil power reposed Her harlot head — the Church a harlot then. When first she wedded civil power — and drunk The blood of martyred saints ; whose priests were lords ; Whose coffers held the gold of every land ; THE COURSE OF TIME--BOOK V. 155 Who held a cup of all pollutions full ; Who with a double horn the people pushed ; And raised her forehead, full of blasphemy. Above the holy God, usurping oft Jehovah's incommunicable names. The nations had been dark ; the Jews had pined. Scattered without a name beneath the curse ; Wsir had abounded; Satan raged unchained; And earth had still been black with moral gloom. " But now the cry of men oppressed went up Before the Lord, and to remembrance came The tears of all his saints ; their tears and groans. Wise men had read the number of the name ; The prophet-years had rolled; the time, and times. And half a time, were now fulfilled complete ; The seven fierce vials of the wrath of God, Poured by seven angels strong, were shed abroad Upon the earth, and emptied to the dregs ; The pro^ecy for confirmation stood ; - And all was ready for the sword of God. " The righteous saw, and fled without delay Into the chambers of Omnipotence ; The wicked mocked, and sought for erring cause To satisfy the dismal state of things: The pubUc credit gone ; the fear in time Of peace; the starving want in time of wealth; The insurrection muttering in the streets ; And pallid consternation spreading wide ; And leagues, though holy termed, first ratified In hell, on purpose made to under-prop Iniquity, and crush the sacred truth. 156 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK V. " Meantime, a mighty angel stood in heaven. And cried aloud, 'Associate now yourselves, Ye princes, potentates, and men of war. And mitred heads! associate now yourselves, And be dispersed! embattle, and be broken! Gird on your armor, and be dashed to dust ! Take counsel, and it shall be brought to naught I Speak, and it shall not stand !' — And suddenly The armies of the saints, imbannered, stood On Zion hill ; and with them angels stood. In squadron bright, and chariots of fire ; And with them stood the Lord, clad like a man Of war, and, to the sound of thunder, led The battle on. Earth shook; the kingdoms shook; The Beast, the lying Seer, dominions, fell ; Thrones, tyrants fell, confounded in the dust. Scattered and driven before the breath of God, As chaff of summer threshing-floor before The wind. . Three days the battle wastiflg slew. The sword was full, the arrow drunk with blood ; And to the supper of Almighty God, Spread in Hamonah's vale, the fowls of heaven. And every beast, invited came ; and fed On captains' flesh, and drank the blood of kings." THE FALL OF BABYLON. "And, lo! another angel stood in heaven, Crying aloud, with mighty voice, 'Fallen, fallen. Is Babylon the Great, to rise no more ! Rejoice, ye prophets ! over her rejoice. Apostles! holy men, all saints, rejoice! THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK V. 157 And glory give to God and to the Lamb !' — And all the armies of disburdened earth. As voice of many w^aters, and as voice Of thunderings, and voice of multitudes. Answered, Amen. And every hill, and rock. And sea, and every beast, answered. Amen. Europa answered, and the farthest bounds Of woody Chili, Asia's fertile coasts, And Airic's burning wastes, answered. Amen. And Heaven, rejoicing, answered back, Amen. "Not so the wicked: they afar were heard Lamenting: kings, Avho drank her cup of whore- doms. Captains, and admirals, and mighty men. Who Uved deUciouslyj and merchants, rich With merchandise of gold, and wine, and oil; And those who traded in the souls of men, Known by their gaudy robes of priestly pomp; All these afar off stood, crying, Alas ! Alas! — and wept, and gnashed their teeth, and groaned ; And with the owl, that on her ruins sat. Made dolorous concert in the ear of Night. And over her again the heavens rejoiced, And earth returned again the loud response." THE MILLENIUM. "Thrice happy days ! thrice blessed the man who saw Their dawn! The Church and State, that long had held 158,, THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK V. Unholy intercourse, were now divorced ; Princes were righteous men; judges, upright; And first in general now — for in the worst Of times there were some honest seers — the priest Sought other than the fleece among his flocks, Best paid when God was honored most. And like A cedar nourished well, Jerusalem grew. And towered on high, and spread and flourished fair : And underneath her boughs the nations lodged ; All nations lodged, and sung the song of peace. From the four winds, the Jews, eased of the curse. Returned, and dwelt with God in Jacob's land. And drank of Sharon and of Carmel's vine. Satan was bound : tho' bound, not banished quite ; But lurked about the timorous skirts of things, 111 lodged, and thinking whiles to leave the earth ; And with the wicked — ^for some wicked were — Held midnight meetings, as the saints were wont ; Fearful of day, who once was as the sun. And worshiped more. The bad, but few, became A taunt and hissing now, as heretofore The good ; and, blushing, hasted out of sight. Disease was none ; the voice of war, forgot ; The sword, a share ; a pruning-hook, the spear. Men grew and multiphed upon the earth. And filled the city and the waste ; and Death Stood waiting for the lapse of tardy age, That mocked him long. Men grew and multiplied, But lacked not bread: for God his promise brought To mind, and blessed the land with plenteous rain ; And made it blessed for dews and precious things THE COURSE OF TIME-BOOK V. « ^59 Of heaven, and blessings of the deep beneath; And blessings of the sun and moon, and fruits Of day and night; and blessings of the vale, And precious things of the eternal hills. And all the fullness of perpetual spring. "The prison-house, where chained felons pined. Threw open his ponderous doors, let in the Ught Of heaven, and grew into a church, where God Was worshiped: none were ignorant; selfish, none: Love took the place of law: where'er you met A man, you met a friend, sincere and true. Kind looks foretold as kind a heart within ; Words as they sounded, meant ; and promises Were made to be performed. Thrice happy days ! Philosophy was sanctified, and saw Perfection, which she thought a fable long ; Revenge his dagger dropped, and kissed the hand Of Mercy; Anger cleared his cloudy brow. And sat with Peace ; Envy grew red, and smiled On Worth; Pride stooped, and kissed HumiUty; Lust washed his miry hands, and, wedded, leaned On chaste Desire ; and Falsehood laid aside His many-folded cloak, and bowed to Truth ; And Treachery up from his mining came. And walked above the ground with righteous Faith; And Covetousness unclenched his sinewy hand. And opened his door to Charity the fair ; Hatred was lost in Love ; and Vanity, With a good conscience pleased, her feathers cropped ; Sloth in the morning rose with Industry; ' H 160» THE COURSE OF TIME—BOOK V. To Wisdom, Folly turned ; and Fashion turned Deception off, in act as good as word. The hand that held a whip, was Mfted up To bless ; slave, was a word in ancient books Met only : every man was free ; and all Feared God, and served him day and night in love. "How fair the daughter of Jerusalem then! How gloriously from Zion hill she looked! Clothed with the sun, and in her train the moon. And on her head a coronet of stars; And girding round her waist, with heavenly grace. The bow of Mercy bright ; and in her hand Immanuel's cross, her sceptre and her hope. " Desire of every land, the nations came. And worshiped at her feet; all nations. came. Flocking Uke doves. Columba's painted tribes. That from Magellan to the Frozen Bay, Beneath the Arctic, dwelt, and drank the tides Of Amazona, prince of earthly streams ; Or slept at noon beneath the giant shade Of Andes' mount ; or, roving northward, heard Mgara sing, from Erie's billow down To Frontenac, and hunted thence the fur To Labrador; and Afric's dusky swarms, That from Morocco to Angola dwelt, And drank the Niger from his native wells. Or roused the Uon in Numidia's groves ; The tribes that sat among the fabled cUffs Of Atlas, looking to Atlanta's wave. With joy and melody arose, and came ; Zara awoke, and came ; and Egypt came. THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK V. Igl Casting her idol-gods into the Nile ; Black Ethiopia, that shadowless. Beneath the Torrid burned, arose, and came ; Dauma and Medra, and the pirate tribes Of Algeri, with incense came, and pure OflFerings, annoying now the seas no more ; The silken tribes of Asia flocking came, Innumerous ; Ishmael's wandering race, that rode On camels o'er the spicy tract that lay From Persia to the Red Sea coast ; the king Of broad Cathay, with numbers infinite, Of many lettered casts ; and all the tribes That dwelt from Tigris to the Ganges' wave. And worshiped fire, or Brahma, fabled god ; Cashmeres, Circassians, Banyans, tender race ! That swept the insect from their path, and Uved On herbs and fruits; and those who peaceftil dwelt Along the shady avenue that stretched From Agra to Lahore ; and all the hosts That owned the Crescent late, deluded long; The Tartar hordes, that roamed from Oby's bank, Ungoverned, southward to the wondrous Wall. The tribes of Europe came : the Greek, redeemed From Turkish thrall ; the Spaniard came, and Gaul, And Britain with her ships ; and on his sledge. The Laplander, that nightly watched the bear Circling the Pole ; and those who saw the flames Of Hecla bum the drifted snow; the Russ, Long-whiskered, and equestrian Pole ; and those Who drank the Rlune, or lost the evening sun Behind the Alpine towers ; and she that sat 162 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK V. By Arno, classic stream ; Venice ; and Rome — Head-quarters long of sin — first guileless now. And meaning as she seemed, stretched forth her hands. And all the isles of ocean rose, and came, Whether they heard the roll of banished tides. Antipodes to Albion's wave, or watched The moon ascending chalky TenerifFe, And with Atlanta holding nightly love. The Sun, the Moon, the Constellations, came ; Thrice twelve and ten that watched the Antarctic sleep; Twice six that near the Ecliptic dwelt; thrice twelve And one, that with the Streamers danced, and saw The Hyperborean ice, guarding the Pole. The East, the West, the South, and snowy North, Rejoicing met, and worshiped reverently Before the Lord, in Zion's holy hill ; And all the places round about were blessed. "The animals, as once in Eden, Uved In peace : the wolf dwelt with the lamb ; the bear And leopard with the ox ; with looks of love, The tiger and the scaly crocodile Together met at Gambia's palmy wave ; Perched on the eagle's wing, the bird .of song. Singing, arose, and visited the sun ; A.nd with the falcon sat the gentle lark. The Uttle child leaped from his mother's arms. And stroked the crested snake, and rolled unhurt Among his speckled waves, and wished him home ; THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK V. 163 And sauntering school-boys, slow returning, played At eve about the lion's den, and wove Into his shaggy mane fantastic flowers ; To meet the husbandman, early abroad. Hasted the deer, and waved its woody head ; And round his dewy steps the hare, unscared. Sported, and toyed familiar with his dog ; The flocks and herds, o'er hill and valley spread. Exulting, cropped the ever-budding herb; The desert blossomed, and the barren sung; Justice and Mercy, Holiness and Love, Among the people walked ; Messiah reigned ; And Earth kept Jubilee a thousand years." THE COTJESE OF TIME. BOOK VI. Anaitsis. — The bard commences by glancing at the final destruction of the earth, which is described as if the changes were actually taking place at the moment ; but, checking himself, he reverts to the years which succeeded the Millenium. Impiety, Ambition, and Indolence, were again in the ascendant, and struggled hard to maintain their mastery of man. Sin appeared not only in all its previously-assumed forms, but new aspects and new allurements were invented, in order to ensnare its votaries. Yet, as the age was more polished and enlightened, the general contempt for Heaven was entirely willful. Earth's approaching dissolution was foreshadowed by various phenomena and strange disasters, which " perplexed, but not reformed," the race of men, who vainly inquired for an explanation of the prodigies that alarmed and astonished them ; but, continuing on in their guilty plea- sures, the warnings were soon forgotten, and Earth hastened to fiU up the measure of her wickedness. The bard suspends his narrative, while the holy hosts of heaven unite in an evening hymn of praise. Isaiah, the ancient " bard of Judah," takes his harp, and stands before the Throne, leading the heavenly choir ; and when the hymn is concluded, " thousands of thousands, thousands infinite," " adoring, echo back Amen." EARTH, AFTER THE MILLENIUM. " Resume thy tone of wo, immortal harp ! The song of mirth is past ; the Jubilee Is ended ; and the sun begins to fade. Soon past: for Happiness counts not the hours; To her a thousand years seem as a day; THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VI. IQQ A day, a thousand years to misery. Satan is loose, and Violence is heard. And Riot in the street, and Revelry Intoxicate, and Murder, and Revenge. Put on your armor now, ye righteous ! put The helmet of salvation on, and gird Your loins about with truth ; add righteousness, And add the shield of faith ; and take the sword Of God : awake, and watch ! the day is near ; Great day of God Almighty and the Lamb, The harvest of the earth is fully ripe : Vengeance begins to tread the great wine-press Of fierceness and of wrath ; and Mercy pleads — Mercy that pleaded long — sh6 pleads no more. Whence comes that dalrkness? whence those yells of wo? What thunderings are these, that shake the world ? Why fall the lamps from heaven as blasted figs ? Why tremble righteous men ? why angels pale ? Why is all fear ? what has become of hope ? God comes ! God in his car of vengeance comes ! Hark ! louder on the blast come hollow shrieks Of dissolution; in the fitfiil scowl Of night, near and more near, angels of death Incessant flap their deadly wings, and roar Through aU the fevered air; the mountains rock; The moon is sick, and all the stars of heaven Burn feebly; oft and sudden gleams of fire, Reveahng awfully the brow of wrath. The Thunder, long and loud, utters his voice Responsive to the ocean's troubled growl. 166 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VI, Night comes, last night; the long, dark, dark, dark night. That has no mom beyond it, and no star. No eye of man hath seen a night like this ! Heaven's trampled justice girds itself for fight! Earth, to thy knees, and cry for mercy ! cry With earnest heart : for thou art growing old And hoary, unrepented, unforgiven ; And all thy glory mourns; thy vintage mourns. Bashan and Carmel, mourn and weep ! and mourn Thou, Lebanon ! with all thy cedars mourn. Sun, glorying in thy strength from age to age, So. long observant of thy hour, put on Thy weeds of wo, and tell the moon to weep ! Utter thy grief at mid-day, morn, and even! Tell all the nations, tell the clouds that sit About the portals of the east and west. And wanton with thy golden locks, to wait Thee not to-morrow : for no morrow comes ! Tell men and women, tell the new-born child, And every eye that sees, to come, and see Thee set behind Eternity : for thou Shalt go to bed to-night, and ne'er awake ! Stars, walking on the pavement of the sky, Out-sentinels of heaven, watching the earth. Cease dancing now ! your lamps are growing dim • Your graves are dug among the dismal clouds. And angels are assembling round your bier.' Orion, mourn ! and Mazzaroth ! and thou, Arcturus, mourn, with all thy northern sons! Daughters of Pleiades, that nightly shed THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VI. [67 Sweet influence ! and thou, fairest of stars. Eye of the morning, weep ! and weep at eve ! Weep, setting now to rise no more, ' and flame On forehead of the dawn!' as sung the bard; Great bard ! who used on earth a seraph's lyre. Whose numbers wandered through eternity. And gave sweet foretaste of the heavenly harps. Minstrel of sorrow! native of the dark! Shrub-loving Philomel! that wooed the dews At midnight from their starry beds, and, charmed, Held them around thy song till dawn awok«! Sad bird! pour thro' the gloom thy weeping song! Pour all thy dying melody of grief. And with the turtle spread the wave of wo! Spare not thy reed, for thou shalt sing no more." THE DISSOLUTION OF NATURE. "Ye holy bards! if yet a holy bard Remain, what chord shall serve you now? what harp — What harp shall sing the dying sun asleep. And mourn behind the funeral of the moon ! What harp of boundless, deep, exhaustless wo. Shall utter forth the groanings of the damned ; And sing the obsequies of wicked souls ; And wail their plunge in the eternal fire ! Hold, hold your hands ! hold, angels ! God laments. And draws a cloud of mourning round his throne; The Organ of Eternity is mute; And there is silence in the heaven of heavens 2H 168 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VI. " Daughters of beauty ! choice of beings made ! Much praised, much blamed, much loved; but fairer far Than aught beheld, than aught imagined else Fairest, and dearer than all else most dear ; Light of the darksome wilderness ! to Time As stars to night, whose eyes were spells that held The passenger forgetful of his way ; Whose steps were majesty; whose words were song; Whose smiles were hope ; whose actions, perfect grace; Whose love, the solace, glory, and delight Of man ; his boast, his riches, his renown : When found, sufficient bliss ; when lost, despair. Stars of creation ! images of love ! Break up the fountains of your tears ; your tears. More eloquent than learned tongue, or lyre Of pm-est note ; your sunny raiment stain ; Put dust upon your heads ; lament and weep ; And utter all your minstrelsy of wo. " Go to, ye wicked ! weep and howl ; for all That God hath written against you is at hand. The cry of violence hath reached his ear ; Hell is prepared ; and Justice whets his sword. Weep, all of every name : begin the wo. Ye woods, and tell it to the doleful winds ; And doleful winds, wail to the howling hills ; And howling hills, mourn to the dismal vales ; And dismal vales, sigh to the, sorrowing brooks ; And sorrowing brooks, weep to the weeping stream ; THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VI. Igg And weeping stream, awake the groaning deep ; A.nd let the instrument take up the song. Responsive to the voice — harmonious wo ! Ye heavens, great archway of the universe ! Put sackcloth on ; and. Ocean, clothe thyself In garb of widowhood, and gather all Thy waves into a groan, and utter it — IjOng, loud, deep, piercing, dolorous, immense : The occasion asks it ; Nature dies ; and God And angels come to lay her in the grave !" LAXITY IN RELIGION. " But we have overleaped our theme : behind, A little season, waits a verse or two : The years that followed the millenial rest. Bad years they were ; and first, as signal sure. That at the core religion was diseased. The sons of Levi strove again for place. And eminence, and names of swelling pomp. Setting their feet upon the people's neck. And slumbering in the lap of civil power; Of civil power again tyrannical. And second sign, sure sign, whenever seen. That holiness was dying in a land. The Sabbath was profaned, and set at naught; The honest seer, who spoke the truth of God Plainly, was left with empty walls; and round The frothy orator, who busked his tales In quackish pomp of noisy words, the ear Tickhng, but leaving still the heart unprobed. The judgment uninformed, numbers immense 170 THE COURSE OF TIME — BOOK VI. Flocked, gaping wide, with passions high inflamed ; And on the way returning, heated, home, Of eloquence, and not of truth, conversed ; Mean eloquence that wanted Sacred truth." SLOTH AND AMBITION. " Two principles from the beginning strove In human nature, still dividing man : Sloth and activity, the lust of praise. And indolence, that rather wished to sleep ; And not unfrequently, in the same mind. They dubious contest held ; one gaining now. And now the other crowned, and both again Keeping the field, with equal combat fought. Much different was their voice : Ambition called To action ; Sloth invited to repose ; Ambition early, rose, and, being up. Toiled ardently, and late retired to rest ; Sloth lay till mid-day, turning on his couch. Like ponderous door upon its weary hinge. And having rolled him out with much ado, And many a dismal sigh, and vain attempt. He sauntered out accoutred carelessly. With half-oped, misty, unobservant eye. Somniferous, that weighed the object down On which its burden fell, an hour or two. Then with a groan retired to rest again. The one, whatever deed had been achieved, Thought it too little, and too small the praise ; The other tried to think — for thinking: so Answered his purpose best — ^that what of great THE COURSE OF TIME — BOOK VI. 171 Mankind could do, had been already done ; And therefore laid him calmly down to sleep. " Different in mode, destructive both alike ; Destructive alvrays indolence ; and love Of fame destructive always too, if less Than praise of God it sought, content with less; Even then not current, if it sought his praise From other motive than resistless love ; Though base, main-spring of action in the world ; And under name of vanity and pride. Was greatly practiced on by cunning men. It opened the niggard's purse ; clothed nakedness ; Gave beggars food ; and threw the Pharisee Upon his knees, and kept him long in act Of prayer ; it spread the iace upon the fop, His language trimmed, and planned liis curious gait; It stuck the feather on the gay coquette. And on her finger laid the heavy load Of jewelry ; it did — what did it not ? The gospel preached, thie gospel paid, and sent The gospel ; conquered nations ; cities built ; Measured the furrow of the field with nice Directed share ; shaped bulls, and cows, and rams; And threw the ponderous stone; and, pitiful. Indeed, and much against the grain, it dragged The stagnant, dull, predestinated fool Through learning's halls, and made him labor much Abortively ; though sometimes not unpraised He left the sage's chair, and home returned. Making his simple mother think that she Had borne a man. In schools, designed to root ^72 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VI. Sin up, and plant the seeds of holiness In youthful minds, it held a signal place. -<■ The little infant man, by nature proud. Was taught the Scriptures by the love of praise. And grew rehgious as he grew in fame. And thus the principle, which out of heaven The devil threw, and threw him down to hell. And keeps him there, was made an instrument To moraUze and sanctify mankind : And in their hearts beget humiUty ; With what success it needs not now to say. " Destructive both, we said, activity And sloth. Behold the last exemphfied In literary man : Not all at once He yielded to the soothing voice of sleep ; But having seen a bough of laurel wave. He effort made to climb ; and friends, and even Himself, talked of his greatness, as at hand. And prophesying drew his future life. Vain prophecy ! liis fancy, taught by Sloth, Saw in the very threshold of pursuit A thousand obstacles ; he halted first. And while he halted, saw his burning hopes Grow dim and dimmer still : ambition's self. The advocate of loudest tongue, decayed ; His purposes, made daily, daily broken. Like plant uprooted oft, and set again. More sickly grew, and daily wavered more ; Till at the last, decision, quite worn out — Decision, fulcrum of the mental powers — Resigned the blasted soul to staggering chance ; THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VI. 173 Sleep gathered fast, and weighed him downward stiU; His eye fell heavy from the mount of fame ; His young resolves to benefit the world, Perished, and were forgotten ; he shut his ear Against the painful news of rising worth ; And drank with desperate thirst the poppy's juice ; A deep and mortal slumber settled down Upon his weary faculties oppressed ; He rolled from side to side, and rolled again ; And snored, and groaned, sad withered, and expired, And rotted on tllfe spot, leaving no name." THE HERO. " The hero best example gives of toil Unsanctified. One word his history writes : He was a murderer above the laws. And greatly praised for doing murderous deeds ; And now he grew, and reached his perfect growth. And alscrnow the sluggard soundly slept. And by him lay the uninterred corpse." EPOCH OF WICKEDNESS. " Of every order, sin and wickedness, Deliberate, cool, mahcious villany, This age attained maturity unknown Before ; and seemed in travail to bring forth Some last, enormous, monstrous deed of guilt — Original, unprecedented guilt — That might obliterate the memory 174 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VI Of what had hitherto been done most vile. Inventive men were paid, at pubUc cost, To plan new modes of sin : the holy Word Of God was burned, with acclamations loud ; New tortures were invented for the good : For still some good remained, as whiles through sky Of thickest clouds a wandering star appeared : New oaths of blasphemy were framed, and sworn; And men in reputation grew, as grew The stature of their crimes ; Faith was not found ; Truth was not found; truth always scarce; so scarce, That half the misery which grofbed onearth^ In ordinary times, was progeny Of disappointment daily coming forth From broken promises, that might have ne'er Been made, or, being made, might have been kept. Justice and mercy too were rare, obscured In cottage garb ; before the palace door, The beggar rotted, starving in his rags ; And on the threshold of luxurious domes, The orphan child laid down his head, and died ; Nor unamusing was his piteous cry To women, who had now laid tenderness Aside, best pleased with sights of cruelty ; Flocking, when fouler lusts would give them time. To horrid spectacles of blood, where men. Or guiltless beasts, that seemed to look to Heaven With eye imploring vengeance on the earth. Were tortured for the merriment of kings. The advocate, for him who offered most THE COURSE OF TIME — BOOK VI. 175 Pleaded ; the scribe, according to the hire. Worded the lie, addin,g for every piece An oath of confirmation ; judges raised One hand to intimate the sentence, death. Imprisonment, or fine, or loss of goods, And in the other held a lusty bribe. Which they had taken to give the sentence wrong; So managing the scale of justice still. That he vras wanting found who poorest seemed. " But laymen, most renowned for devilish deeds. Labored at distance still behind the priest : He shore his sheep, and having packed the wool. Sent them unguarded to the hill of wolves ; And to the bowl deliberately sat down. And with his mistress mocked at sacred things. " The theatre was from the very first The favorite haunt of sin ; though honest men — Some very honest, wise, and worthy men — Maintained it might be turned to good account ; And so perhaps it might ; but never was ; From first to last, it was an evil place ; And now such things were acted there, as made The devils blush ; and from the neighborhood. Angels and holy men, trembling, retired. And what with drea'dful aggravation crowned This dreary time, was sin against the light : All men knew God, and, knowing, disobeyed ; And gloried to insult him to his face. " Another feature only we shall mark : It was withal a highly polished age. And scrupulous in ceremonious rite. 176 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VI. When stranger stranger met upon the way. First each to each bowed ugost respectfully. And large profession niade of humble service, And then the stronger took the other's purse; And he that stabbed his neighbor to the heart. Stabbed him politely, and returned the blade Reeking into its sheath with graceful air." earth's dissolution foreshadowed. " Meantime, the earth gave symptoms of her end ; And all the scenery above proclaimed That the great last catastrophe was near : . The sun at rising staggered and fell back. As one too early up, after a night Of late debauch ; then rose, and shone again. Brighter than wont; and sickened again, and paused In zenith altitude, as one fatigued : And shed a feeble twilight ray at noon. Rousing the wolf before his time, to chace The shepherd and his sheep, that sought for light, And darkness found, astonished, terrified ; Then out of course rolled furious down the west. As chariot reined by awkward charioteer. And waiting at the gate, he on the earth Gazed, as he thought he ne'er might see 't again. The bow of mercy, heretofore so fair. Ribbed with the native hues of heavenly loA^e, Disastrous colors showed, unseen till now; Changing upon the watery gulf, from pale To fiery red, and back again to pale ; THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VI. I77 And o'er it hovered wings of wrath. The moon. Swaggered in midst of heaveii, grew black, and dark. Unclouded, unecUpsed. The stars fell down. Tumbling from off their towers like drunken men, Or seemed to fall ; and glimmered now, and now Sprang out in sudden blaze, and dimmed again ; As lamp of foolish virgin lacking oil. The heavens this moment looked serene ; the next. Glowed like an oven with God's displeasure hot. " Nor less below was intimation given Of some disaster great and ultimate. The tree that bloomed, or himg with clustering fruit. Untouched by visible calamity Of frost or tempest, died and came again ; The flower and herb fell down as sick; then rose. And fell again ; the fowls of every hue, Crowding together, sailed on weary wing, And hovering, oft they seemed about to light ; Then soared, as if they thought the earth unsafe : The cattle looked with meaning face on man : Dogs howled, and seemed to see more than their masters. And there were sights that none had seen before , And hollow, strange, unprecedented sounds ; And earnest whisperings ran along the hills At dead of night; and long, deep, endless sighs. Came from the dreary vale ; and from the waste Came horrid shrieks, and fierce unearthly groans. The wail of evil spirits, that now felt The hour of utter vengeance near at hand. 178 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VJ. The winds from every quarter blew at once. With desperate violence, and, whirling, took The traveler up, and threw him down again At distance from his path, confounded, pale. And shapes, strange shapes, in win'ding sheets were seen. Gliding through night, and singing funeral songs. And imitating sad sepulchral rites. And voices talked among the clouds ; and still The words that men could catch, were spoken of them. And seemed to be the words of wonder great. And expectation of some vast event. Earth shook, and swam, and reeled, and opened her jaws. By earthquake tossed and tumbled to and fro. And louder than the ear of man had heard. The thunder bellowed, and the ocean groaned. " The race of men, perplexed, but not reformed, Flocking together, stood in earnest crowds. Conversing of the awful state of things. Some curious explanations gave, unlearned ; Some tried affectedly to laugh ; and some Gazed stupidly ; but all were sad, and pale ; And wished the comment of the wise. Nor less These prodigies, occurring night and day. Perplexed philosophy : the magi tried — Magi, a name not seldom given to fools. In the vocabulary of earthly speech — They tried to trace them still to second cause ; But scarcely satisfied themselves ; though round THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VI. I79 Their deep deliberations crowding came. And wondering at their wisdom, went away. Much quieted, and very much deceived. The people, always glad to be deceived." WARNINGS DISREGARDED BY MEN. " These warnings pass'd ; they unregarded pass'd ; And all in wonted order calmly moved. The pulse of Nature regularly beat, And on her cheek the bloom of perfect health Again appeared. Deceitful pulse ! and bloom Deceitful ! and deceitful calm ! The Earth Was old and worn within ; but, like the man Who noticed not his mid-day strength decline. Sliding so gently round the curvature Of Ufe, from youth to age, she knew it not. The calm was like the calm which oft the man, Dying, experienced before his death ; The bloom was but a hectic flush before The eternal paleness. But all these were taken. By this last race of men, for tokens of good ; And blustering public News aloud proclaimed — News always gabbling, ere they well had thought — Prosperity, and joy, and peace ; and mocked The man who, kneeUng, prayed, and trembled still. And aU in earnest to their sins returned," MOVEMENTS IN HEAVEN. " It was not so in heaven : the elders round The throne conversed about the state of man. Conjecturing, fox none of certain knew. 180 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VI. That Time was at an end. They gazed intense Upon the Dial's face, whiph yonder stands In gold, before the Sun of Righteousness, Jehovah ; and computes times, seasons, years. And destinies ; and slowly numbers o'er. The mighty cycles of eternity. By God alone completely understood. But read by all, revealing much to all. And, now, to saints of eldest skill, the ray. Which on the gnomon fell of tifne, seemed sent From level west, and hasting quickly down. The holy Virtues, watching, saw besides Great preparation going on in heaven, Betokening great event ; greater than aught That first created seraphim had seen. The faithful messengers, who have for Wing The lightning, waiting day and night on God Before his face, beyond their usual speed/ On pinion of celestial Ught, were seen Coming and going, and their road was still From heaven to earth, and back again to heaven. The angel of Mercy, bent before the Throne, By earnest pleading seemed to hold the hand Of Vengeance back, and win a moment more Of late repentance for some siniul world In jeopardy. And now the hill of God, The mountain of his majesty, rolled flames Of fire, now smiled with momentary love. And now again with fiery fierceness burned ; And from behind the darkness of hisiThrone, Through which created vision never saw. THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VI. IgJ The living thunders, in their native caves. Muttered the terrors of^mnipotence. And ready seemed, impatient to fulfill Some errand of exterminating wrath." INCREASE OF WICKEDNESS. " Meanwhile, the Earth increased in wickedness, And hasted daily to fill up her cup. Satan raged loose. Sin had her will, and Death Enough. Blood trode upon the heels of blood ; Revenge, in desperate mood, at midnight met Revenge ; War brayed to War, Deceit deceived Deceit, Lie cheated Lie, and Treachery Mined under Treachery, and Perjury Swore back on Perjury, and Blasphemy Arose with hideous Blasphemy, and Curse Loud answered Curse ; and drunkard, stumbling, fell O'er drunkard fallen ; and husband husband met Returning each from others' bed defiled ; Tliief stole from thief, and robber on the way Knocked robber down ; and Lewdness, Violence, And Hate, met Lewdness, Violence, and Hate. Oh, Earth! thy hour was come; the last elect Was bom; complete the number of the good; And the last sand fell from the glass of Time. The cup of guilt was full up to the brim ; And Mercy, weary with beseeching, had Retired behind the sword of Justice, red With ultimate and unrepenting wrath. But man knew not : he o'er his bowl laughed loud ; 182 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VI. And, prophes3dng, said, 'To-morrow shall As this day be, and more^bundant still !' As thou shalt hear. But, hark ! the trumpet sounds, And calls to evening song: for, though with hymn Eternal, course succeeding course, extol. In presence of the incarnate, holy God, And celebrate his uever-ending praise — Duly, at mom and night, the multitudes Of men redeemed, and angels, all the hosts Of glory, join in universal song; And pour celestial harmony from harps Above aU number eloquent and sweet. Above all thought of melody conceived. And now behold the fair inhabitants — Delightful sight ! — from numerous business turn. And round and round thro' all th' extent of bMss, Towards the temple of Jehovah bow. And worship reverently before his face." HEAVENLY PASTIMES. " Pursuits are various here, suiting all tastes. Though holy all, and glorifying God. Observe yon band pursue the sylvan stream : Mounting among the cUffs, they pull the flower, Springing as soon as pulled ; and, marveling, pry Into its veins and circulating blood. And wondrous mimicry of higher life ; Admire its colors, fragrance, gentle shape. And thence admire the God who made it so ; So simple, complex, and so beautiM. THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VI. Xgy " Behold yon other band, in airy robes Of bliss : they weave tlje sacred bower of rose And myrtle shade, and shadowy verdant bay, And laurel, towering high ; and round their song The pink and lily bring, and amaranth ; Narcissus sweet, and jessamine; and bring The clustering vine, stooping with flower and fruit ; The peach and orange ; and the sparkling stream, Warbling with nectar to their lips unasked ; And talk the while of everlasting love. " On yonder hill behold another band, Of piercing, steady, intellectual eye, ind spacious forehead, of subUmest thought : They reason deep of present, future, past; And trace effect to cause ; and meditate On the eternal laws of God, which bind Circumference to centre ; and survey With optic tubes, that fetch remotest stars Near them, the systems circling round immense, Innumerous. See how — as he, the sage. Among the most renowned in days of Time — Renowned for large, capacious, holy soul — Demonstrates, clearly, motion, gravity, Attraction, and repulsion, still opposed; And dips into the deep, original. Unknown, mysterious elements of things — See how the face of every auditor Expands with admiration of the skill, Omnipotence, and boundless love of God! "These other, sitting near tJie tree of life. In robes of hnen flowing white and clean — I 184 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VI. Of holiest aspect, of divinest soul, Angels and men — ^into the glory look Of the Redeeming Love, and tiun the leaves Of man's redemption o'er; the secret leaves, Which none on earth were found worthy to open And as they read the mysteries divine. The endless mysteries of salvation wrought By God's incarnate Son, they humhler bow Before the Lamb, and glow with warmer love. These other, there relaxed beneath the shade Of yon embowering palms, with friendship smile. And talk of ancient days, and young pursuits. Of dangers past, of godly triumphs won ; And sing the legends of their native land. Less pleasing far than tliis their Father's house. " Behold that other band, half Ufted up Between the hill and dale, rechned beneath The shadow of impending rocks ; 'mong streams. And thundering water-falls, and waving boughs; That band, of countenance sublime and sweet. Whose eye with piercing intellectual ray Now beams severe, or now bewildered seems — Left rolhng wild, or fixed in idle gaze. While Fancy and the soul are far from home — These hold the pencil — art divine ! — and throw Before the eye remembered scenes of love : Each picturing to each the hills, and skies. And treasured stories of the world he left; Or, gazing on the scenery of heaven. They dip their hand in Color's native well, And on the everlasting canvas dash THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VI. JgS Figures of glory, imagery divine, With grace and grandeur in perfection knit. " But whatsoe'er these spirits blessed pursue. Where'er they go, whatever sights they see Of glory and bUss thro' all the tracts of heaven. The centre still, the figure eminent. Whither they ever turn, on whom all eyes Repose with infinite delight, is God, And his incarnate Son, the Lamb once slain On Calvary, to ransom ruined men. " None idle here : look where thou wilt, they all Are active, all engaged in meet pursuit; Not happy else. Hence is it that the song Of heaven is ever new: for daily thus. And nightly, new discoveries are made Of God's unbounded wisdom, power, and love. Which give the understanding larger room. And 3well the hymn with ever-growing praise. " Behold ! they cease ; and every face to God Turns; and we pause, from high poetic theme. Not worthy least of being sung in heaven. And on unvailed Godhead look fi'om this. Our oft-frequented hill. He takes the harp. Nor needs to seek befitting plirase ; unsought. Numbers harmonious roU along the lyre ; As river in its native bed, they flow Spontaneous, flowing with the tide of thought. He takes the harp : a bard of Judah leads This night the boundless song; the bard that once. When Israel's king was sad andrsick to death, A message brought of fifteen added years. 186 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VI. Before the throne he stands sublime, in robes Of glory; and now his fingers wake the chords To praise, wliich we and all in heaven repeat." HYMN BEFORE THE THRONE. "'Harps of eternity! begin the song; Redeemed, and angel harps ! begin to God, Begin the anthem ever sweet and new, While I extol Him holy, just, and good. Life, beauty, light, intelligence, and love ! Eternal, uncreated, infinite ! Unsearchable Jehovah ! God of truth ! Maker, upholder, governor of all! Thyself unmade, ungoverned, unupheld! Omnipotent, unchangeable, Great God! Exhaustless fullness ! giving unimpaired ! Bounding immensity, unspread, unbound ! Highest and best ! beginning, middle, end ! All-seeing eye ! all-seeing, and unseen ! Hearing, unheard ! all-knowing, and unknown ! Above all praise! above all height of thought! Proprietor of immortality ! Glory ineffable ! Bliss underived ! Of old thou build'st thy throne on righteousness. Before the morning stars their song began, Or silence heard the voice of praise. Thou laid'st Eternity's foundation-stone, and saw'st Life and existence out of Thee begin. Mysterious more, the more displayed, where still Upon thy gloriou» throne thou sitt'st alone. Hast sat alone, and shalt for ever sit THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VI. 187 Alone, invisible immortal One! Behind essential brightness unbeheld. Incomprehensible ! what weight shall weigh. What measure measure Thee ? what know wfe more Of Thee, what need to know, than Thou hast taught, And bid'st us still repeat, at morn and even ? God! everlasting Father! holy One! Our God, our Father, our Eternal All! Source whence we came, and whither we return ; Who made our spirits, who our bodies made ; Who made the heaven, who made the flowery land. Who made all made; who orders, governs ^1; Who walks upon the wind ; who holds the wave In hollow of thy hand ; whom thunders wait ; Whom tempests serve ; whom flaming fires obey ; Who guides the circuit of the endless years; And sitt'st on hig^, and mak'st creation's top Thy footstool, and behold'st below Thee, all — All naught, all less than naught, and vanity. Like transient dust that hovers on the scale. Ten thousand worlds are scattered in thy breath. Thou sitt'st on high, and measur'^t destinies. And days, and months, and wide-revolving years, And dost according to thy holy will ; And none can stay thy hand, and none withhold Thy glory : for in judgment Thou, as well As mercy, art exalted day and night. Past, present, future, magnify thy name. Thy works all praise Thee, all thy angels praise ; Thy saini s adore, and on thy altars burn 188 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VI The fragrant incense of perpetual love. They praise Thee now: their hearts, their voices praise, And swell the rapture of the glorious song. Harp, lift thy voice on high! shout, angels, shout! And loudest, ye redeemed! glory to God, And to the Lamb, who bought us with his blood, From every kindred, nation, people, tongue ; And washed, and sanctified, and saved our souls; And gave us robes of hnen pure, and crowns Of Ufe, and made us kings and priests to God. Shout back to ancient Time ! sing loud, and wave Your palms of triumph! sing, 'Where is thy sting, O Death 1 where is thy victory, O Grave ?' Thanks be to God, eternal thanks ! who gave Us victory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Harp, hft thy voice on high ! shout, angels, shout ! And loudest, ye redeemed ! glor j to God, And to the Lamb ! all glory and all praise I All glory and all praise, at morn and evenj That come and go eternally, and find Us happy still, and Thee for ever blessed ! Glory to God a-^d to the Lamb ! Amen. For ever, and for evermore ! Amen.' THE RESPONSE. "And those who stood upon the sea of glass; A.nd those who stood upon the battlements And lofty towers of New Jerusalem; And those who circling stood, bowing afar; Exalted on the everlasting hills. THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VI. Igg Thousands of thousands, thousands infinite. With voice of boundless love, ansvpered, 'Amen.' And through eternity, near and remote, The worlds, adoring, echoed back, 'Amen.' And God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost — The One Eternal — smiled superior bHss. And every eye, and every face in heaven, Reflecting and reflected, beamed vi?ith love. " Nor did he not, the Vfttue new arrived. From Godhead gain an individual smUe, Of high acceptance, and of welcome high. And confirmation evermore in good. Meantime, the landscape glowed with holy joy. Zephyr, with wing dipped from the weU of life. Sporting through Paradise, shed living dews ; The flowers, the spicy shrubs, the lawns refreshed, Breathed their selectest bahn, breathed odors, such As angels love ; and all the trees of heaven — The cedar, pine, and everlasting oak — Rejoicing on the mountains, clapped their hands." THE COUESE OF TIME BOO^ VII. Analysis. — The bard resmnes his narrative, and describes the destruction of the earth, the resurrection of the dead, and the transformation of the living. Nature, on the morning of the final day, assumed her usual appearance, and " moved in wonted harmony;" but at mid-day, suddenly " the sun ■was wrapped in darkness," and " over all the earth came night, moon- less and starless night." Every action and motion ceased, and fear and trembling came on all men. " Revealed in flaming fire, the angel of God appeared in stature vast," and proclaimed that Time should be no more. Another angel blew the trump of God, at which the dead awoke, the living were transformed, and all were summoned before the judgment-seat. The circumstances connected with this sudden change are described in glowing terms : the living, surprised while pursuing their various avocations — study, labor, pleasure, crime — and the dead, springing to life in the wUderness, the cultivated field, the populous city, and from the depths of mighty waters. THE END OF TIME. As one who meditates at evening tide. Wandering alone by voiceless solitudes, And flies, in fancy, far beyond the bounds Of visible and vulgar things, and things Discovered hitherto, pursuing tracts As yet untraveled and unknov^n, through vast Of new and sweet imaginings; if chance THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VII. igj Some airy harp, warked by the gentle sprites Of twiUght, or light touch of sylvan maid. In soft succession fall upon his ear, And fiU the desert with its heavenly tones. He Ustens intense, and pleased exceedingly. And wishes it may never stop ; yet when It stops, grieves not ; but to his former thoughts With fondest haste returns : so did the Seer, So did his audience, after worship past. And praise in heaven, return to sing, to hear Of man ; not worthy less the sacred lyre. Or the attentive ear. And thus the bard. Not unbesought, again resumed his song : MORNING OF THE RESURRECTION. " In 'customed glory bright, that morn the sun Rose, visiting the earth with light, and heat. And joy; and seemed as full of youth, and strong To mount the steep of heaven, as when the stars Of morning sung to his first dawn, and night Fled from his face : the spacious sky received Him, blushing as a bride, when on her looked The bndegroom ; and, spread out beneath his eye, Earth smiled. Up to his warm embrace the dews. That all night long had wept his absence, flew : The herbs and flowers their fragrant stores unlocked, And gave the wanton breeze, that newly woke. Revelled in sweets, and from its wing shook health, A thousand grateful smells : the joyous woods Dried in his beams their locks, wet with the drops 21 192 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VII. Of night ; and all the sons of music sung Theii- matin-song: from arbored bower, the thrush Concerting with the lark that hymned on high ; On the green hill the flocks, and in the vale The herds rejoiced ; and, hght of heart, the hind Eyed amorously the milk-maid as she passed. Not heedless, though she looked another way. " No sign was there of change : all nature moved In wonted harmony; men, as they met In morning salutation, praised the day, And talked of common things : the husbandman Prepared the soil, and silver-tongued Hope Promised another harvest. In the streets. Each wishing to make profit of his neighbor. Merchants, assembling, spoke of trying times. Of bankruptcies, and markets glutted full ; Or, crowding to the beach, where, to their ear. The oath of foreign accent, and the noise Uncouth of trade's rough sons, made music sweet, Elate with certain gain, beheld the bark. Expected long, enriched with other climes, Into the harbor safely steer ; or saw. Parting with many a weeping fareweU sad. And blessing uttered rude, and sacred pledge. The rich-laden carack, bound to distant shore ; And hopefully talked of her coming back With richer fraught ; or, sitting at the desk. In calculation deep and intricate. Of loss and profit balancing, relieved At intervals the irksome task, with thought Of future ease, retired in villa snug. THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VII. 193 "With subtle look, amid his parchments, sat The lawyer, weaving his sophistries for court To meet at mid-day. On his weary couch Fat Luxury, sick of the night's debauch. Lay groaning, fretful at the obtrusive beam That through his lattice peeped derisively. The restless miser had begun again To count his heaps. Before her toilet stood The fair ; and, as with guileful skill she decked Her loveliness, thought of the coming ball. New lovers, or the sweeter nuptial night. And evil men, of desperate, lawless life. By oath of deep damnation leagued to ill Remorselessly, fled from the face of day. Against the innocent their counsel held. Plotting unpardonable deeds of blood. And viUanies of fearful magnitude. Despots, secured behind a thousand bolts. The workmanship of fear, forged chains for man. Senates were meeting : statesmen loudly talked Of national resources, war, and peace ; And sagely balanced empires soon to end. And faction's jaded minions, by the page Paid for abuse and oft-repeated hes. In daily prints, the thoroughfare of news. For party schemes made interest, under cloak Of hberty, and right, and pubUc weal. In holy conclave, bishops spoke of tithes, And of the awful wickedness of men. Intoxicate with sceptres, diadems, ■^. And universal rule, and panting hard 194 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VII. For fame, heroes were leading on the brave To battle. Men, in science deeply read, And academic theory, foretold Improvements vast. And learned sceptics proved That earth should with eternity endure ; Concluding madlv that there was no God." THE DEAD AWAKENED. " No sign of change appeared : co every man That day seemed as the past. From noontide path The sun looked gloriously on earth, and all Her scenes of giddy folly smiled secure. When suddenly — alas, fair Earth ! — the sun Was wrapped in darkness, and his beams returned Up to the throne of God ; and over all The earth came night, moonless and starless night. Nature stood still ; the seas and rivers stood, And all the winds, and every living thing. The cataract, that like a giant wroth. Rushed down impetuously, as seized, at once, By sudden frost with all his hoary locks, • Stood still ; and beasts of every kind stood still. A deep and sudden silence reigned alone ! Hope died in every breast ; and on aU. men Came fear and trembling; none to his neighbor spoke. Husband thought not of wife, nor of her child The mother, nor friend of friend, nor foe of foe. In horrible suspense all mortals stood ; And as they stood, and listened, chariots were heard Rolling in heaven. Revealed in flaming fire. THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VII. I95 The angel of God appeared in stature vast. Blazing ; and, lifting up his hand on high. By Him that lives for ever swore, that Time Should be no more. Throughout, creation heard And sighed; all rivers, lakes, and seas, and woods. Desponding waste, and cultivated vale. Wild cave, and ancient hill, and every rock Sighed. Earth, arrested in her wonted path. As ox struck by the lifted axe, when naught Was feared, in all her entrails deeply groaned. A universal crash was heard, as if The ribs of nature broke, and all her dark '- Foundations failed : and deadly paleness sat On every face of man, and every heart Grew chiU, and every knee his feUow smote. None spoke, none stirred, none wept ; for horror held All motionless, and fettered every tongue. Again, o'er all the nations silence fell : And, in the heavens, robed in excessive light. That drove the thick of darkness far aside, And walked with penetration keen through aU The abodes of men, another angel stood. And blew the trump of God: 'Awake, ye dead ! Be changed, ye hving ! and put on the garb Of immortality ! Awake ! arise ! The God of judgment comes.' This said the voice : And Silence, from eternity that slept Beyond the sphere of the creating Word, And all the noise of Time, awakened, heard ; Heaven heard, and earth, and farthest hell thro' all 196 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VII. Her regions of despair : the ear of Death Heard, and the sleep that for so long a night Pressed on his leaden eyelids, fled : and all The dead awoke, and all the hving changed.'' THE LIVING CHANGED. " Old men, that on their staff, bending had leaned, Crazy and frail ; or sat, benumbed with age, In weary listlessness, ripe for the grave, Felt thro' their sluggish veins and withered limbs New vigor flow : the wrinkled face grew smooth ; Upon the head that Time had razored bare. Rose bushy locks ; and as his son, in prime Of strength and youth, the aged father stood : Changing herself, the mother saw her son Grow up, and suddenly put on the form Of manhood : and the wretch that begging sat. Limbless, deformed, at corner of the way. Unmindful of his crutch, in joint and Umb Arose complete : and he that on the bed Of mortal sickness, worn with sore distress. Lay breathing forth his soul to death, felt now The tide of hfe and vigor rushing back ; And looking up beheld his weeping wife. And daughter fond, that o'er him, bending, stooped To close his eyes : the frantic madman, too. In whose confused brain Reason had lost Her way, long driven at random to and fro. Grew sober, and his manacles fell off: The newly-sheeted corpse arose, and stared . On those who dressed it : and the coffined dead. THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VII. 197 That men were bearing to the tomb, awoke, And mingled with their friends : and armies, whjch The trump surprised, met in the furious shock Of battle, saw the bleeding ranks, new fallen. Rise up af once, and to- their ghastly cheeks Return the stream of hfe in healthy flow : And as the anatomist, with all his band Of rude disciples, o'er the subject hung. And impoUtely hewed his way through bones And muscles of the sacred human form. Exposing barbarously to wanton gaze The mysteries of nature, joint embraced His kindred joint, the wounded flesh grew up, And suddenly the injured man awoke, Among their hands, and stood arrayed complete In immortality ; forgiving scarce The insult offered to his clay in death. " That was the hour, long wished for by the good. Of universal Jubilee to all The s6ns of bondage : from the oppressor's hand The scourge of violence fell ; and from his hack, Healed of its stripes, the burden of the slave." THE RELIGIOUS STUDENT. " The youth of great religious soul, who sat Retired in voluntary loneliness. In revery extravagant now wrapped. Or poring now on book of ancient date, With filial awe ; and dipping oft his pen To write immortal things ; to pleasure deaf) And joys of common men ; working his way 198 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VII. With mighty energy, not uninspired. Through a 11 the mines of thought ; reckless of pain. . And weariness, and wasted health : the scoff Of pride, or growl of Envy's hellish brood; While Fancy, voyaged far- beyond the "bounds Of years revealed, heard many a future age. With commendation loud, repeat his name — False prophetess ! the day of change was come — Behind the shadow of eternity. He saw his visions set of earthly fame ; For ever set; nor sighed, whUe through his veins In lighter current ran immortal Hfe ; His form renewed to undecaying health ; To undecaying health his soul, erewhile Not tuned amiss to God's eternal praise." THE MORTAL TO IMMORTAI, CHANGED. "All men in field and city; by the way; On land or sea ; lolling in gorgeous hall. Or plying at the oar ; crawhng in rags Obscure, or dazzling in embroidered gold ; Alone, in companies, at home, abroad; In wanton merriment surprised and taken ; Or kneeling reverently in act of prayer; Or cursing recklessly, or uttering lies ; Or lapping greedily from slander's cup The blood of reputation ; or between Friendships and brotherhoods devising strife j Or plotting to defile a neighbor's bed ; In duel met with dagger of revenge ; Or casting on the widow's heritage THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VII. I99 The eye of covetousness ; or with full hand On Mercy's noiseless errands, unobserved. Administering; or meditating fraud And deeds of horrid barbarous intent ; In full pursuit of unexperienced hope. Fluttering along the flowery path of youth : Or steeped in disappointment's bitterness — The fevered cup that guilt must ever drink. When parched and fainting on the road of ill ; — Beggar and king, the clown and haughty lord ; The venerable sage, and empty fop ; The ancient matron, and the rosy bride ; The virgin chaste, and shriveled harlot vile ; The savage fierce, and man of science mild; The good and evil, in a moment, all Were changed, corruptible to incorrupt. And mortal to immortal, ne'er to change." THE GATHERING. "And now, descending from the bowers of heaven. Soft airs o'er all the earth, spreading, were heard. And hallelujahs sweet, the harmony Of righteous souls that came to repossess Their long-neglected bodies : and anon Upon the ear fell horribly the sound Of cursing, and the yeUs of damned despair. Uttered by felon spirits that the trump Had summoned from the burning glooms of hell. To put their bodies on, reserved for wo. " Now starting up among the living, changed. 200 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VII Appeared innumerous the risen dead. Each particle of dust was claimed ; the turf) For ages trod beneath the careless foot Of men, rose organized in human form ; The monumental stones were rolled away ; The doors of death were opened ; and in the dark And loathsome vault, and silent charnel-house. Moving, were heard the mold^ered bones that sought Their proper place. Instinctive every soul Flew to its clayey part : from grass-grown mold The nameless spirit took its ashes up. Reanimate : and, merging from beneath The flattered marble, undistinguished rose The great ; nor heeded once the lavish rhyme. And costly pomp of sculptured garnish vain. The Memphian mummy, that from age to age Descending, bought and sold a thousand times, In hall of curious antiquary stowed. Wrapped in mysterious weeds, the wondrous theme Of many an erring tale, shook oif its rags ; And the brown son of Egypt stood beside The European, his last purchaser. In vale remote the hermit rose, surprised At crowds that rose around him, where he thought His slumbers had been single : and the bard. Who fondly covenanted with his friend To lay his bones beneath the sighing bough Of some old lonely tree, rising, was pressed By multitudes, that claimed their proper dust From the same spot : and he that, richljT hearsed With gloomy garniture of purchased wo. THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VII. 201 Embalmed, in princely sepulchre was laid. Apart from vulgar men — built nicely round And round by the proud heir, who blushed to think His father's lordly clay should ever mix With peasant dust — saw by his side awake The clown, that long had slumbered in his arms. " The family tomb, to whose devouring mouth Descended sire and son, age after age. In long unbroken hereditary line. Poured forth at once the ancient father rude. And all liis offspring of a thousand years : Refreshed from sweet repose, awoke the man Of charitable life ; awoke and sung ; And from his prison-house, slowly and sad. As if unsatisfied with holding near Communion with the earth, the miser drew His carcass forth, and gna"shed his teeth, and howled, Unsolaced by his gold and silver then : From simple stone in lonely wilderness. That hoary lay, o'er-lettered by the hand Of oft-frequenting pilgrim, who had taught The willow-tree to weep at morn and even Over the sacred spot, the martyr saint To song, of seraph harp triumphant roge. Well pleased that he had suifered to the death. ' The cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces,' As sung the bard by Nature's hand anointed. In whose capacious giant numbers rolled The passions of old Time, fell lumbering down • All cities fell, and every work of man. And gave their portion forth of human dust. 202 THE COURSE OF TIME-BOOK VII. Touched by the mortal finger of decay. Tree, herb, and flower, and every fowl of heaven. And fish, and animal, the wild and tame. Forthwith dissolving, crumbled into dust." EXTINCTION OF VEGETABLE AND ANIMAL LIFE. "Alas, ye sons of strength! ye ancient oaks ! Ye holy pines ! ye elms ! and cedars tall ! Like towers of God, far seen on Carmel mount. Or Lebanon, that waved your boughs on high, And laughed at all the winds — ^your hour was come. Ye laurels, ever green ! and bays, that wont To wreathe the patriot and the poet's brow ; Ye myrtle bowers ! and groves of sacred shade ! Where Music ever sung, and Zephyr fanned His airy wing, wet with the dews of Mfe, And Spring for ever smiled — the fragrant haunt Of Love, and Health, and ever-dancing Mirth — Alas ! how suddenly your verdure died. And ceased your minstrelsy, to sing no more : Ye flowers of beauty ! penciled by the hand Of God, who annually renewed yoxir birth. To gem the virgin robes of Nature chaste : Ye smiling-^atured daughters of the Sun ! Fairer than queenly bride, by Jordan's stream Leading your gentle lives, retired, unseen ; Or on the sainled cliffs of Zion hill Wandering, and holding with the heavenly dews. In holy revelry, your nightly loves, Watched by the stars, and offering every morn Your incense gratefiil both to God and man : THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VII. 203 Ye lovely gentle things! alas, no spring Shall ever wake you now! ye withered all; All in a moment drooped ; and on your roots The grasp of everlasting winter seized. Children of song ! ye birds that dwelt in air. And stole your notes from angels' lyres, and first In levee of the morn, with eulogy Ascending, hailed the advent of the dawn ; Or, roosted on the pensive evening bough, In melancholy numbers sung the day To rest, your little wings, faihng, dissolved In middle air, and on your harmony Perpetual silence fell. Nor did his wing That sailed in track of gods subUme, and fanned The sun, avail the eagle then ; quick smitten, His plumage withered in meridian height. And in the valley sunk the lordly bird, A clod of clay. Before the ploughman fell His steers, and mid-way the furrow left. The shepherd saw his flocks around him turn To dust. Beneath his rider fell the steed To ruins ; and the Uon in his den Grew cold and stiff, or in the furious chase. With timid fawn, that scarcely missed his paws. On earth no hving thing was seen but men. New changed, or rising from the opening tomb." THE ANCIENT DEAD. "Athens, and Rome, and Babylon, and Tyre, And she that sat on Thames, queen of the seas — Cities once famed on earth — convulsed through all 204 THE COURSE OF TIME-BOOK VII. Their mighty ruins, threw their millions forth : Palmyra's dead, where Desolation sat. From age to age, well pleased, in solitude And silence, save when traveler's foot, or owl Of night, or fragment moldering down to dust. Broke faintly on his desert ear, awoke. And Salem, holy city — ^where the Prince Of Life, by. death a second life secured To man, and with him from the grave, redeemed, A chosen number brought, to retinue His great ascent on high, and give sure pledge That death was foiled — her generations now Gave up, of kings, and priests, and Pharisees ; Nor even the Sadducee, who fondly said No morn of resurrection e'er should come. Could sit the summons : to his ear did reach The trumpet's voice ; and, ill prepared for what He oft had proved should never be, he rose Reluctantly, and on his face began To bum eternal shame. The cities, too. Of old ensepulchred beneath the flood. Or deeply slumbering under mountains huge, That Earthquake — servant of the wrath of God — Had on their wicked population thrown ; And marts of busy trade — long ploughed and sown. By history unrecorded, or the song Of bard, yet not forgotten their wickedness In heaven — poured forth their ancient multitudes. That vainly wished their sleep had never broke. From battle-fields, where men by millions met To murder each his fellow, and make sport THE COURSE OF TIME-BOOK VII 205 To kings and heroes— things long since forgot— Innumerous armies rose, unbannered all, UnpanopHed, unpraised ; nor found a prince. Or general, then, to answer for their crimes. The hero's slaves, and all the scarlet troops Of anti-Christ, and all that fought for rule- Many high-sounding names, familiar once On earth, and praised exceedingly, but now Familiar most in hell, their dungeon fit. Where they may war eternally with God's Almighty thunderbolts, and win them pangs Of keener wo — saw, as they sprung to hfe, The widow and the orphan ready stand. And helpless virgin, ravished in their sport. To plead against them at the coming Doom. The Roman legions, boasting once — how loud ! — Of hberty, and fighting bravely o'er The torrid and the frigid zone, the sands Of burning Egypt, and the frozen hills Of snovry Albion, to make mankind Their thralls — untaught that he who made or kept A slave, could ne'er himself be truly free — That morning gathered up their dust, which lay Wide scattered over half the globe, nor saw Their eagle banners then. Sennacherib's hosts. Embattled once against the sons of God, With insult bold, quick as the noise of mirth And revelry, sunk in their drunken camp — When death's dark angel, at the dead of night. Their vitals touched, and made each pulse stand stUl— 206 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VII. Awoke in sorrow: and the multitudes Of Gog, and all the fated crew that warred Against the chosen saints, in the last days. At Armageddon — when the Lord came down. Mustering his hosts on Israel's holy hills. And from the treasures of his snow and hail Rained terror, and confusion rained, and death ; And gave to all the beasts, and fowls of heaven. Of captains' flesh, and blood of men of war, A feast of many days — ^revived, and, doomed To second death, stood in Hamonah's vale. " Nor yet did all that fell in battle, rise That day to wailing : here and there were seen The patriot bands, that from his guilty throne The despot tore, unshackled nations, made The prince respect the people's laws, drove back The wave of proud invasion, and rebuked The.frantic fury of the multitude. Rebelled, and fought and fell for liberty Right understood ; true heroes in the speech Ofheaven, where words expressthe thoughts of him Who speaks; not undistinguished these, tho' few. That morn arose, with joy and melody. All woke : the north and south gave up their dead . The caravan, that in mid-journey sunk. With all its merchandise, expected long. And long forgot, ingulphed beneath the tide Of death, that the wild spirit of the winds Swept, in his wrath, along the wilderness. In the wide desert woke, and saw all calm Around, and populous with risen men. THE COURSE OF TIME — BOOK VII. 2U', Nor of his relics thought the pilgrim then. Nor merchant of his silks and spiceries." THE ARCTIC VOYAGER. "And he, far voyaging from home and friends— Too curious, with a mortal eye to peep Into the secrets of the Pole, forbid By Nature, whom fierce Winter seized, and froze To death, and wrapped in winding-sheet of ice. And sung the requiem of his shivering ghost With the loud organ of his mighty winds. And on his memory threw the snow of ages — Felt the long-absent warmth of life return. And shook the frozen mountain from his bed." ADAM AND EVE. "All rose, of every age, of every clime : Adam and Eve, the great progenitors Of all mankind — fair as they seemed that morn When first they met in Paradise, unfallen, Uncursed — from ancient slumber broke, where once Euphrates rolled his stream ; and by them stood. In stature equal, and in soul as large. Their last posterity; though poets sung, And sages proved them far degenerate." THE MISSIONARIES. "Blessed sight! not unobserved by angels, or Unpraised : that day 'mong men of every tribe And hue — from those who drank of Tenglio's stream, K 208 THE COURSE OB TIME— BOOK VII To those who nightly saw the hermit cross. In utmost south retired — rising, were seen The fair and ruddy sons of Albion's land — How glad ! — not those who traveled far, and sailed To purchase human flesh ; or wreath the yoke Of vassalage on savage liberty; Or suck large fortune from the sweat of slaves ; Or with refined knavery to cheat. Politely villanous, untutored men Out of their property; or gather shells. Intaglios rude, old pottery, and store Of mutilated gods of stone, and scraps Of barbarous epitaphs defaced, to be Among the learned the theme of warm debate. And infinite conjecture, sagely wrong ! But those, denied to self, to earthly fame Denied, and earthly wealth ; who kindred left. And home, and ease, and all the cultured joys. Conveniences, and delicate delights Of ripe society; in the great cause Of man's salvation greatly valorous. The warriors of Messiah, messengers Of peace, and Ught, and life ; whose eye, unsealed. Saw up the path of immortality, Far into bliss ; saw men, immortal men. Wide wandering from the way; eclipsed in night, Dark, moonless, moral night ; hving hke beasts ; Like beasts descending to the grave, untaught Of life to come, unsanctified, unsaved; Who strong, tho' seeming weak; who warlike, tho' Unarmed with bow and sword ; appearing mad. THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VII. 209 Though sounder than the schools alone e'er made The doctor's head ; devote to God and truth. And sworn to man's eternal weal — beyond Repentance sworn, or thought of turning back ; And casting far behind all earthly care. All countryships, all national regards And enmities ; all tfarrow bourns of state And selfish policy; beneath their feet Treading all fear of opposition down ; All fear of danger; of reproach all fear, And evil tongues — went forth, from Britain went, A noiseless band of heavenly soldiery. From out the armory of God equipped. Invincible, to conquer sin ; to blow The trump of freedom in the despot's ear; To tell the bruted slave his manhood high. His birthright liberty, and in his hand To put the writ of manumission, signed By God's own signature ; to drive away From earth the dark infernal legionry Of superstition, ignorance, and hell. High on the pa^an hiUs, where Satan sat Encamped, and o'er the subject kingdoms threw Perpetual night, to plant Immanuel's cross. The ensign of the Gospel, blazing roimd Immortal truth ; and in the wilderness Of human waste to sow eternal hfe ; And from the rock, where sin, with horrid yeU, Devoured its victims unredeemed, to raise The melody of grateful hearts to Heaven : To falsehood, truth; to pride, hvunility; 210 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VII. To insult, meekness ; pardon, to revenge ; To stubborn prejudice, unwearied zeal ; To censure, unaccusing minds ; to stripes. Long suffering ; to want of all things, hope ; To death, assured faith of life to come. Opposing : these, great worthies, rising, shone Through all the tribes and nations of mankind, Like Hesper, glorious once among the stars Of twilight ; and around them, flocking, stood. Arrayed in white, the people they had saved," THE OCEAN. " Great Ocean, too, that morning thou the call Of- restitution heardst, and reverently To the last trumpet's voice in silence listened ! Great Ocean ! strongest of creation's sons ! Unconquerable, unreposed, untired; That rolled the wild, profound, eternal bass. In Nature's anthem, and made music, such As pleased the ear of God ! original, Unmarred, unfaded work of Deity; And unburlesqued by mortal's puify skUl. From age to age enduring and unchanged ; Majestical, inimitable, vast. Loud uttering satire day and night on each Succeeding race, and Uttle pompous work Of man. Unfallen, religious, holy sea ! Thou bowedst thy glorious head to none, feaxedst none, Heardst. none, to none didst honor but to God Thy maker, only worthy to receive THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VII. 211 Thy great obeisance. Undiscovered sea ! Into thy dark, unknown, mysterious caves, And secret haunts, unfathomably deep Beneath all visible retired, none went And came again, to tell the wonders there. Tremendous sea ! what time thou lifted up Thy waves on high, and with thy winds and storms Strange pastime took, and shook thy mighty sides Indignantly, the pride of navies fell ; Beyond the arm of help, unheard, unseen, Sunk friend and foe, with aU their wealth and war; And on thy shores, men of a thousand tribes, PoUte and barbarous, trembling stood, amazed. Confounded, terrified ; and thought vast thoughts Of ruin, boundlessness, omnipotence. Infinitude, eternity; and thought And wondered still; and grasped, and grasped, and grasped Again ; beyond her reach exerting aU The soul to take thy great idea in. To comprehend incomprehensible ; And wondered more, and felt their littleness. Self-purifying, unpolluted sea ! Lover unchangeable ! thy faithful breast For ever heaving to the lovely moon. That, like a shy and holy virgin, robed In saintly white, walked nightly in the heavens. And to thy everlasting serenade Gave gracious audience ; nor was wooed in vain. That morning thou, that slumbered not before. Nor slept, great Ocean ! laid thy waves to rest. 212 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VII. A.nd hushed thy mighty minstrelsy. No breath Thy deep composure stirred ; no fin, no oar. Like beauty newly dead, so calm, so still, So lovely, thoir, beneath the light that fell From angel-chariots, sentineled on high. Reposed, and hstened ; and saw thy living change. Thy dead -arise. Charybdis listened, and Scylla; And savage Euxine, on the Thracian beach, Lay motionless ; and every battle-ship Stood still ; and every ship of merchandise. And all that sailed, of every name, stood still. Even as the ship of war, full fledged and swift, Like some fierce bird of prey, bore on her foe, Opposing with as fell intent, the wind Fell withered from her wings, that idly hung ; The stormy bullet, by the cannon thrown Uncivilly against the heavenly face Of men, half sped, sunk harmlessly; and aU Her loud, uncircumcised, tempestuous crew — How ill prepared to meet their God! — were changed. Unchangeable : the pilot at the helm Was changed, and the rough captain, while he mouthed The huge enormous oath. The fisherman, That in his boat expectant watched his lines, Or mended on the shore his net, and sung, Happy in thoughtlessness, some careless air. Heard Time depart, and felt the sudden change. In solitary deep, far out from land. Or steering from the port with many a cheer, THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VII. 213 Or while returning from long voyage, fraught With lusty wealth, rejoicing to Have escaped The dangerous main, and plagues of foreign clinieh, The merchant quaffed his native air, refreshed. And saw his native hills in the sun's light Serenely rise, and thought of meetings glad. And many days of ease and honor spent Among his friends — unwarned man ! — even the.; The knell of Time broke on his revery; And in the twinkling of an eye his hopes, All earthly, perished all. As sudden rose, From out their watery beds, the ocean's dead. Renewed, and on the unstirring billows stood, From pole to pole, thick covering all the sea ; Of every nation blent, and every age." DEATH. "Wherever slept one grain of human dust — Essential organ of a human soul. Wherever tossed — obedient to the call Of God's omnipotence, it hurried on To meet its fellow-particles, revived. Rebuilt, in union indestructible. No atom of his spoils remained to Death. From his strong arm by stronger arm released. Immortal now in soul and body both. Beyond his reach stood all the sons of men. And saw behind his valley lie unfeared. " O Death ! with what an eye of desperate lust. From out thy emptied vaults, thou then didst look After the risen multitudes of all '>14 THE COURSE OF TIME — BOOK VII. Mankind ! Ah ! thou hadst been the terror long, And murderer, of all of woman born. "■-'^one could escape thee ! In thy dungeon-house, Where darkness dwelt, and putrid loathsomeness, /^nd fearful silence, villanously still. And all of horrible and deadly name. Thou satt'st from age to age, insatiate. And drank the blood of men, and gorged their flesh, A^nd with thy iron teeth didst grind their bones To powder, treading out beneath thy feet * Their very names and memories. The blood ' Of nations could not slake thy parched throat. No bribe could buy thy favor for an hour, Or mitigate thy ever-cruel rage For human prey. Gold, beauty, virtue, youth — Even helpless, swaddled innocency — failed To soften thy heart of stone : the infant's blood Pleased well thy taste ; and while the mother wept. Bereaved by thee, lonely and waste in wo. Thy ever-grinding jaws devoured her too. " Each son of Adam's family beheld. Where'er he turned, whatever path of life He trode, thy goblin form before him stand. Like trusty old assassin, in liis aim Steady and sure as eye of destiny. With scythe, and dart, and strength invincible Equipped, and ever menacing his life. He turned aside, he drowned himself in sleep. In wine, in pleasure ; he traveled, voyaged, sought Receipts for health from all he met ; betook THE COURSR OF TIME— BOOK VII. 215 To business speculate ; retired ; returned Again to active life ; again retired ; Returned ; retired again ; prepared to die ; Talked of thy nothingness ; conversed of life To come; laughed at his fears; fiUed up the cup- Drank deep; refrained; filled up; refrained again ; Planned ; built him round with splendor ; won applause ; Made large alliances with men and things ; Read deep in science and philosophy, To fortify his soul ; heard lectures prove The present ill, and ftiture good ; observed His pulse beat regular ; extended hope ; Thought; dissipated thought, and thought again, Indulged; abstained; and tried a thousand schemes To ward thy blow, or hide thee from his eye ; But still thy gloomy termors, dipped in sin. Before him frowned, and withered all his joy. Still, feared and hated thing, thy ghostly shape Stood in his avenues of fairest hope ; Unmannerly, and uninvited, crept Into his haunts of most select deUght ; StiU on his halls of mirth, and banqueting. And revelry, thy shadowy hand was seen. Writing thy name of — ^Death, Vile worm, that gnawed The root of all his happiness terrene ; the gall Of all his sweet ; the thorn of every rose Of earthly bloom : cloud of his noon-day sky. Frost of his spring, sigh of his loudest laugh, 2K 216 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VIl. Dark spot on every form of loveliness. Rank smell amidst his rarest spiceries. Harsh dissonance of all his harmony, Reserve of every promise, and the if Of all to-morrows ! — now, beyond thy vale. Stood all the ransomed multitude of men. Immortal all ; and in their visions saw Thy visage grim no more. Great payment day! Of all thou ever conquered, none was left In thy unpeopled realms, so populous once. He, at whose girdle hang the keys of death And life — not bought but with the blood of Him Who wears, the eternal Son of God — ^that mom Dispelled the cloud that sat so long, so thick. So heavy o'er thy vale ; opened all thy doors, Unopened before, and set thy prisoners free. Vain was resistance, and to follow vain. In thy unvailed caves, and solitudes Of dark and dismal emptiness, thou satt'st. Rolling thy hollow eyes, disabled thing ! Helpless, despised, unpitied, and unfeared, Like some fallen tyrant, chained in sight of aU The people : from thee dropped thy pointless dart, Thy terrors withered all ; thy ministers. Annihilated, fell before thy face ; And on thy maw eternal hunger seized. " Nor yet, sad monster, wast thou left alone : In thy dark dens some phantoms still remained : Ambition, Vanity, and earthly Fame, Swollen Ostentation, meagre Avarice, Mad Superstition, smooth Hypocrisy, THE COURSE OF TIME — BOOK VII. 217 And Bigotry intolerant, and Fraud, And willful Ignorance, and sullen Pride, Hot Controversy, and the subtile ghost Of vain Philosophy, and w^orldly Hope, And sweet-lipped, hollow-hearted Flattery All these — great personages once on earth. And not unfoUowed nor unpraised — were left. Thy ever-unredeemed, and with thee driven To Erebus, through whose uncheered wastes. Thou mayest chase them, with thy broken scythe Fetching vain strokes, to all eternity. Unsatisfied, as men who, in the days Of Time, their unsubstantial forms pursued." THE COTJESE OF TIME BOOK VIII. Analysis. — ^Description of the vast assembly gathered for final judgment All fonner distinctions are disregarded: virtue and vice, the redeemed and unredeemed, are alone recognised. On all countenances — "the plain, unvisored index of the soul," — was revealed the inward state of feeling. Unutterable despair was depicted in the faces of the wicked, while a holy radiance, " in measure equal to the soul's advance in virtue," beamed from the faces of the chosen righteous. The various characters in the assembly particularly classified, and among them are enumerated the devotee of Fame, the logician, the theorist, the recluse, the bigot, the sceptic, the votary and votaress of fashion, the exemplary wife, the inexorable father, the seducer, the lunatic, the corrupt judge and advocate, the liar, the duelist, the suicide, the hypo- crite, the slanderer, the false priest, the envious man, etc. In answer to the newly-arrived Virtue, who inquires whether any of the unholy classes ever actually believed in a future judgment, the bard replies that they did not : none of them thoroughly credited the Word of God, or earnestly endeavored to follow its divine precepts of " truth, temperance, meekness, holiness, and love." THE WICKED AND RIGHTEOUS REVEALED. " Reanimated now, and dressed in robes Of everlasting wear, in the last pause Of expectation, stood the human race ; Buoyant in air, or covering shore and sea. From east to west, thick as the eared grain. In golden autumn waved, from field to field. THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VIII. 219 Profuse, by Nilus' fertile wave, while yet Earth was, and men were in her valleys seen. "Still all was calm in heaven: nor yet appeared The Judge: nor aught appeared, save here and there. On wing of golden plumage, borne at will, A curious angel, that from out the skies. Now glanced a look on man, and then retired. As calm was all on earth : the ministers Of God's unsparing vengeance waited, still Unbid : no sun, no moon, no star gave hght • A blessed and holy jradiance traveled far From day original, fell on the face Of men, and every countenance revealed; Unpleasant to the bad, whose visages Had lost all guise of seeming happiness. With which on earth such pains they took to hide Their misery in. On their grim features — ^now The plain, unvisored index of the soul — The true, untampered witness of the heart — No smile of hope, no look of vanity. Beseeching for applause, was seen ; no scowl Of self-important, aU-despising pride. That once upon the poor and needy fell. Like winter on the unprotected flower. Withering their very being to decay; No jesting mirth, no wanton leer was seen; No sullen lower of braggart fortitude Defying pain ; nor anger, nor revenge ; But fear instead, and terror and remorse ; And chief one passion to its answering shaped 220 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VIII The features of the damned, and in itself Summoned all the rest: unutterable despair. "What on the righteous shone of foreign light, Was all redundant day, they needed not : For as, by nature, Sin is dark, and loves The dark — still hiding from itself in gloom. And in the darkest hell is still itself The darkest hell, and the severest wo. Where all is wo — so Virtue, ever fair. Doth, by a sympathy as strong as binds Two equal hearts, well pleased in wedded love. For ever seek the light ; for ever seek All fair and lovely things, all beauteous forms. All images of excellence and truth ; And from her own essential being, pure As flows the fount of hfe that spirits drink. Doth to herself give light; nor from her beams. As native to her as her own existence. Can be divorced, nor of her glory shorn. Which now from every feature of the just. Divinely rayed; yet not from all ahke : In measure equal to the soul's advance In virtue, was the lustre of the face. ALL FORMER RANKS DISREGARDED. " It was a strange assembly : none of all That congregation vast could recollect Aught like it in the history of man. No badge of outward state was seen; no mark Of age, or rank, or national attire; Or robe professional, or air of trade. THE COURSE OF TIME— BuoK- VIII. 221 Untitled stood the man that once was called My lord, unserved, unfoUowed ; and the man Of tithes — right reverend in the dialect Of Time addressed — ungowned, unbeneficed, Uncorpulent ; nor now from him, who bore. With ceremonious gravity of step. And face of borrowed holiness o'erlaid. The ponderous book before the awful priest. And opened and shut -the pulpit's sacred gates In style of Wonderful observancy. And reverence excessive, in the beams Of sacerdotal, splendor lost, or if Observed, comparison ridiculous scarce Could save the httle, pompous, humble man From laughter of the people ; not from him Could be distinguished then the priest untithed. None levees held, those marts where princely smiles Were sold for flattery, and obeisance mean. Unfit from man to man ; none came, or went ; None wished to draw attention, none was poor. None rich ; none young, none old, deformed nooe ; None sought for place or favor ; none had aught To give, none could receive; none ruled, none served ; No king, no subject was ; unscutcheoned all. Uncrowned, unplumed, unhelmed, impedigreed ; Unlaced, uncoroneted, unbestarred. No countrymen was seen, nor citizen; Republican, nor humble advocate Of monarchy; nor idol worshiper. Nor beaded papist, nor Mahometan ; 222 THE -COURSE OF TiJvIE— BOOK VIII. Episcopalian none, nor presbyter; Nor Lutheran, nor Calvinist, nor Jew, Nor Greek, nor sectary of any name. Nor of those persons that loud title bore — Most high and mighty, most magnificent, Most potent, most august, most worshipful. Most eminent ; words of great pomp, that pleased The ear of vanity, and made the worms Of earth mistake themselves for gods — could one Be seen, to claim these phrases obsolete. " It was a congregation vast of men ; Of unappendaged and unvarnished men ; Of plain, unceremonious human beings. Of all but moral character bereaved. His vice, or virtue now to each remained Alone, All else with their grave-clothes men had Put off, as badges worn by mortal, not Immortal man ; alloy that could not pass The scrutiny of Death's refining fires ; Dust of Time's wheels, by multitudes pursued Of fools that shouted, 'Gold!' fair painted finit, At which the ambitious idiot jumped, wlijle men Of wiser mood immortal harvests reaped ; Weeds of the human garden, sprung from earth's Adulterate soil, unfit to be transplanted, Though by the moral botanist too oft For plants of heavenly seed mistaken, and nursed; Mere chaff that Virtue, when she rose from earth, And waved her wings to gain her native heights, Drove from the verge of being, leaving Vice No mask to hide her in; base-born of Time, THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VIII. 223 111 which God claimed no property, nor had Prepared for them a place in heaven, or hell. Yet did these vain distinctions, now forgot. Bulk largely in the filmy eye of Time, And were exceeding fair ; and lured to death Immortal souls. But they were past ; for all Ideal now was past ; reality Alone remained ; and good and bad, redeemed And unredeemed, distinguished sole the sons Of men. Each to his proper self reduced. And undisguised, was what his seeming showed. " The man of earthly fame, whom common men Made boast of having seen — who scarce could pass The ways of Time, for eager crowds that pressed To do him homage, and pursued his ear With endless praise, for deeds unpraised above. And yoked their Itrutal natures, honored much .To drag his chariot on — unnoticed stood. With none to praise him, none to flatter there." THE SCEPTIC AND THE ANTIQUARY. "Blushing and dumb, that morning, too, was seen The mighty reasoner ; he who deeply searched The origin of things, and talked of good '' And evil much, of causes and effects. Of mind and matter, contradicting all That went before him, and himself, the while. The laughing-stock of angels ; diving far Below his depth, to fetch reluctant proof That he himself was mad, and wicked too ; When, proud and ignorant man, he meant to prove. 224 THE COURSE OF TIME — BOOK VIII. That God had made the universe amiss. And sketched a better plan. Ah ! foohsh sage ! ' He could not trust the Word of Heaven, nor see The light which from the Bible blazed — that lamp Which God threw from his palace down to earth. To guide his wandering children home^— yet leaned His cautious faith on speculations wild. And visionary theories absurd— Prodigiously, dehriousljfebsurd — Compared with which, the most erroneous flight That poet ever took, when warm with wine. Was moderate conjecturing : he saw. Weighed in the balance of eternity. His lore how light, and wished, too late, that he Had staid at home, and learned to know himself. And done, what peasants did : disputed less. And more obeyed. Nor less he grieved his time Misspent, the man of curious research, Who traveled far through lands of hostile clime, And dangerous inhabitant, to fix The bounds of empjfes past, and ascertain The burial-place of heroes riaver born ; Despising present things, and future, too, ' And groping in the dark unsearchable Of finished years : by dreary ruins seen. And dungeons damp, and vaults of ancient waste, With spade and mattock, delving deep to raise Old vases, and dismembered idols rude ; With matchless perseverance spelling out Words without sense. Poor man ! he clapped his hands, THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VIII. 225 Enraptured, when he found a manuscript That spoke of pagan gods ; and yet forgot The God who made the sea and sky ; alas ! Forgot that trifling was a sin ; stored much Of dubious stuff, but laid no treasure up In heaven; on moldered cdlumns scratched his name, But ne'er inscribed it in the book of life." THE RECLUSE. "Unprofitable seemed, and unapproved. That day, the sullen, self-vindictive life Of the recluse : with crucifixes hung. And spells, and rosaries, and wooden saints. Like one of reason reft, he journeyed forth. In show of miserable poverty. And chose to beg, as if to live on sweat Of other men had promised great reward ; On his own flesh inflicted cruel wounds. With naked foot embraced the ice, by the hour Said mass, and did most grievous penance vile : And then retired to drink the filthy cup Of secret wickedness, and fabricate All lying wonders, by the untaught received For revelations new. Deluded wretch ! Did he not know, that the most Holy One Required a cheerful life and holy heart ?" THE BIGOT. " Most disappointed in that crowd of men. The man of subtle controversy stood, 226 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VIII. The bigot theologian ; in minute Distinctions skilled, and doctrines unreduced To practice; in debate, how loud! how long! How dexterous! — in Christian love, how cold! His vain conceits were orthodox alone. The immutable and ^leavenly truth, revealed By God, was naught to him : he had an art, A kind of hellish charm, that made the lips Of truth speak falsehood ; to his liking turned The meaning of the text ; made trifles seem The marrow of salvation ; to a word, A name, a sect,- that sounded in the ear. And to the eye so many letters showed. But did no more, gave value infinite; Proved still his reasoning best, and his belief. Though propped on fancies, wild as madmen's dreams. Most rational, most scriptural, most sound : With mortal heresy denouncing all Who in his arguments could see no force. On points of faith, too fine for human sight. And never understood in heaven, he placed His everlasting hope, undoubting placed. And died ; and when he opened his ear — prepared To hear, beyond the grave, the minstrelsy Of bliss — he heard, alas! the wail of wo. He proved all creeds false but his own, and found. At last, his own most false ; most false, because He spent his time to prove all others so." THE COURSE OF TIME — BOOK VIII. 227 BIGOTRY. " O love-destroying, cursed Bigotry ! Cursed in heaven, but cursed more in hell, Where millions curse thee, and must ever curse ! Religion's most abhorred ! perdition's most Forlorn! God's most abandon'd! hell's most damn'd! The infidel, who turned his impious war Against the walls of Zion, on the rock Of ages built, and higher than the clouds. Sinned, and received his due reward ; but she Within her walls sinned more : of ignorance Begot, her daughter, Persecution, walked^^ The earth, from age to age, and drank th^.blood Of saints — with horrid relish drank the blood Of God's pecuUar children — and was drunk; And in her drunkenness dreamed of doing good. The supplicating hand of innocence. That made the tiger mild, and in his wrath The Uon pause — the groans of suffering most Severe — were naught to her : she laughed at groans ; No music pleased her more ; and no repast So sweet to her as blood of men redeemed By blood of Christ. Ambition's self, though mad. And nursed on human gore, with her compared. Was merciful. Nor did she always rage: She had some hours of meditation set Apart, wherein she to her study went ; The Inquisition, model most complete Of perfect wickedness, where deeds were done — • Deeds ! let them ne'er be named — and sat and planned 228 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VIII. Deliberately, and with most musing pains, How to extremest thrill of agony The flesh and blood, and souls of holy men. Her victims, might be wrought ; and when she saw New tortures of her laboring fancy born. She leaped for joy, and made great haste to try Their force, well pleased to hear a deeper groan. " But now her day of mirth was past, and come Her day to weep ; her day of bitter groans. And sorrow unbemoaned ; the day of grief. And wrath retributary poured in full On all that took her part. The man of sin, The mystery of iniquity, her friend Sincere, who pardoned sin, unpardoned still. And in the name of God blasphemed, and did AU wicked, all abominable things. Most abject stood that day, by devils hissed. And by the looks of those he murdered, scorched ; And plagued with inward shame that on his cheek Burned, while his votaries, who left the earth Secure of bliss, around him undeceived Stood, undeceivable till then ; and knew, Too late, him fallible, themselves accursed. And all their passports and certificates A lie : nor disappointed more, nor more Ashamed, the Mussulman, when he saw gnash His teeth and wail, whom he expected Judge. All these were damned for bigotry, were damned Because they thought that they alone served God, And served him most, when most they disobeyed." THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VIII. 229 THE INDOLENT. " Of those forlorn and sad, thou might'st Jiave marked. In number most innumerable stand The indolent : too lazy these to make Inquiry for themselves, they stuck their faith To some well-fatted priest, with offerings bribed To bring them oracles of peace, and take Into his management all the concerns Of their eternity ; managed how well They knew that day, and might have sooner known. That the commandment was, ' Search, and believe In Me, and not in man ; who leans on him. Leans on a broken reed that will impierce The trusted side : I am the Way, the Truth, The Life alone, and there is none besides.' " This did they read, and yet refused to search , To search what easily was found, and, found. Of price uncountable. Most fooKsh, they Thought God with ignorance pleased, and blinded faith, That took no root in reason, purified With holy influence of his Spirit pure. So, on they walked, and stumbled in the hght Of noon, because they would not open their eyes. Effect how sad of sloth! that made them risk Their piloting to the eternal shore To one who could mistake the lurid flash Of hell for heaven's true star, rather than bow The knee, and by one fervent word obtain His guidance sure, who calls the stars by name. 230 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VIII. They prayed by proxy, and at second hand Believed; and slept, and put repentance off. Until the knock of death awoke them ; when They saw their ignorance both, and him they paid To bargain of their souls 'twixt them and God, Fled, and began repentance without end. How did they wish, that morning as they stood With blushing covered, they had for themselves The Scripture search'd: had for themselves believed, And made acquaintance with the Judge ere then !" THE EPICURE. " Great day of termination to the joys Of sin ! to joys that grew on mortal boughs ; On trees whose seed fell not from heaven, whose top Reached not above the clouds. From such alone The epicure took all his meals ; in choice Of morsels for the body, nice he was. And scrupulous ; and knew all wines by smell Or taste, and every composition knew Of cookery; but grossly drank, unskilled, The cup of spiritual pollution up, That sickened his soul to death, while yet his eyes Stood out with fat : his feelings were liis guide ; He ate, and drank, and slept ; and took all joys, Forbid and unforbid, as impulse urged. Or appetite ; nor asked his reason why. He said he followed nature still, but lied ; For she was temperate and chaste, he foil Of wine and aU adultery ; her face Was holy, most unholy his ; her eye THE COURSE OF TIjVIE — BOOK VIII. 23] Was pure, his shot unhallowed fire ; her lips Sang ]>raise to God, his uttered oaths profane ; Her breath was sweet, his rank with foul debauch : Yet pleaded he a kind and feehng heart, Even when he left a neighbor's bed defiled. Like migratory fowls, that flocking sailed From isle to isle, steering by sense alone, Whither the clime their liking best beseemed ; So he was guided ; so he moved throug'a good And evil, right and wrong; but, ah! to fate All different : they slept in dust unpained ; He rose that day to suffer endless pain. THE UNBELIEVER AND THE KING. " Cured of his unbelief, the sceptic stood. Who doubted of his being while he breathed ; Than whom, glossography itself, that spoke Huge folios of nonsense every hour. And left, surrounding every page, its marks Of prodigal stupidity, scarce more Of folly raved. The tyrant, too, who sat In grisly council, like a spider couched. With ministers of locust countenance. And made alUances to rob mankind. And holy termed — for still, beneath a name Of pious sound, the wicked sought to vail Their crimes — ^forgetful of his right divine. Trembled, and owned oppression was of hell ; Nor did the uncivil robber, who unpursed The traveler on the highway, and cut His throat, anticipate severer doom." L 232 THE COURSE OF TIMK — BOOK VIU. THE VOTARY OF FASHION. " In that assembly there was one who, while Beneath the sun, aspired to be a fool ; In different ages known by different names, Not worth repeating here. Be this enough: With scrupulous care exact, he walked tlie rounds Of fashionable duty ; laughed when sad ; When merry, wept ; deceiving, was deceived ; And flattering, flattered. Fashion was his god ; Obsequiously he fell before its shrine. In slavish plight, and trembled to offend. If graveness suited, he was grave ; if else. He travailed sorely, and made brief repose. To work the proper quantity of sin. In all submissive, to its changing shape. Still changing, girded he his vexed frame. And laughter made to men of sounder head. Most circumspect he was of bows, and nods. And salutations ; and most seriously And deeply meditated he of dress ; And in his dreams saw lace and ribbons fly. His soul was naught ; he damned it every day Unceremoniously. Oh ! fool of fools ! Pleased with a painted smile, he fluttered on, Like fly of gaudy pluilie, by fashion driven. As faded leaves by Autumn's wind, till Death Put forth his hand, and drew him out of sight. Oh ! fool of fools ! poHte to man ; to God Most rude : yet had he. many rivals, who. Age after age, great striving made to be THE COURSE OF TIME — BOOK Vlll. 233 Ridiculous, and to forget they had Immortal souls, that day remembered well." THE VOTARESS OF FASHION. "As rueful stood his other half, as wan Of cheek ; small her ambition was, but strange : The distaff, needle, all domestic cares — Religion, children, husband, home — were things She could not bear the thought of: bitter drugs That sickened her soul. The house of wanton mirth And revelry, the mask, the dance, she loved • And in their service soul and body spent Most cheerfully: a little admiration. Or true or false, no matter which, pleased her ; And o'er the wreck of fortune lost, and health. And peace, and an eternity of bliss Lost, made her sweetly smile. She was convinced That God had made her greatly out of taste. And took much pains to make herself anew. Bedaubed with paint, and hung with ornaments Of curious-selection — gaudy toy ! A show unpaid for, paying to be seen ! As beggar by the way, most humbly asking The alms of public gaze — she went abroad ; Folly admired, and indication gave Of envy ; cold Civility made bows. And smoothly flattered ; Wisdom shook his head ; And Laughter shaped his lip into a smile ; Sobriety did stare ; Forethought grew pale ; And Modesty hung down the head, and blushed; And Pity wept, as on the frothy surge 234 THE COURSE OF TIME — BOOK VIII. Of fashion tossed, she passed them by, like sail Before some devilish blast, and got no time To think, and never thought, till on the rock She dashed of ruin, anguish, and despair." THE EXEMPLARY VPIFE. "O how unlike the giddy thing in Time, And at the day of judgment how unlike. The modest, meek, retiring dame ! Her house Was ordered w^ell ; her children taught the vs^ay Of life ; who, rising up in honor, called Her blessed. Best pleased to be admired at home, And hear reflected from her husband's praise. Her ow^n, she sought no gaze of foreign eye ; His praise alone, and faithful love, and trust Reposed, was happiness enough for her. Yet who that saw her pass, and heard the poor With earnest benedictions on her steps Attend, could from obeisance keep his eye. Or tongue from due applause. In virtue fair — • Adorned with modesty, and matron grace Unspeakable, and love — her face was hke The light, most welcome to the eye of man ; Refreshing most, most honored, most desired Of all he saw in the dim world below. As Morning, when she shed her golden locks, And on the dewy top of Hermon walked. Or Zion hill,^so glorious was her path : Old men beheld, arid did her reverence, And bade their daughters look, and take from her Example of their future life ; the young THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK Vlll. 235 Admired, and new resolve of virtue made ; And none who was her husband asked : his air Serene, and countenance of joy, the sign , Of inward satisfaction, as he passed The crowd, or sat among the elders, told. In hoUness complete, and in the robes Of saving righteousness, arrayed for heaven. How fair, that day, among the fair, she stood ! How lovely on the eternal hills her steps!" THE LUNATIC. " Restored to reason, on that morn appeared The lunatic ; who raved in chains, and asked No mercy when he died. Of lunacy, Innumerous were the causes : humbled priftie. Ambition disappointed, riches lost. And bodily disease, and sorrow, oft By man inflicted on his brother man; Sorrow that made the reason drunk, and yet Left much untasted, so the cup was filled ; Sorrow that, like an ocean — dark, deep, rough, And shoreless — rolled its billows o'er the soul Perpetually, and without hope of end. "Take one example, one of female wo: Loved by a father, and a mother's love. In rural peace she lived; so fair, so light Of heart, so good, and young, that reason scarc< The eye could credit ; but would doubt, as she Did stoop to pull the lily or the rose From morning's dew, if it reality Of flesh and blood, or holy vision, saw, 236 THE COURSE OF TIME — BOOK VIII. In imagery of perfect womanhood. But short her bloom ; her happiness was short : One saw her loveUness, and with desire Unhallowed burning, to her ear addressed Dishonest words : 'Her favor was his life, His heaven; her frown, his wo, his night, his death.' With turgid phrase, thus wove in flattery's loom. He on her womanish nature won, and age Suspicionless ; and ruined, and forsook : For he a chosen villain was at heart, And capable of deeds that durst not seek Repentance. Soon her father saw her shame : His heart grew stone ; he drove her forth to want And wintry winds ; and with a horrid curse Pursued her ear, forbidding all return. " Upon a hoary cliff that watched the sea. Her babe was found — dead : on its little cheek. The tear that nature bade it weep, had turned An ice-drop, sparkling in the morning beam ; And to the turf its helpless hands were frozen : For she, the woful mother, had gone mad. And laid it down, regardless of its fate And of her own. Yet had she many days Of sorrow in the world ; but never wept. She lived on alms ; and carried in her hand Some withered stalks, she gathered in the spring. When any asked the cause, she smiled, and said. They were her sisters, and would come and watch Her grave when she was dead. She never spoke Of her deceiver, father, mother, home. Or child, or heaven, or hell, or God ; but still THE COURSE OF TIME-BOOK VIII. 237 In lonely places walked, and ever gazed Upon the withered stalks, and talked to them ; Till, wasted to the shadow of her youth. With wo too wide to see beyond, she died ; Not unatoned for by imputed blood. Nor by the Spirit, that mysterious works, TJnsanctified. Aloud her father cursed That day his guilty pride, which would not own A daughter, whom the God of heaven and earth Was not ashamed to call his own'; and he Who ruined her, read from her holy look. That pierced him with perdition manifold. His sentence, burning with vindictive fire." CUSTOM NO EXCUSE FOR SIN. "The judge that took a bribe ; he who amiss Pleaded the widow's cause, and by delay Delaying ever, made the law at night More intricate than at the dawn, and on The morrow farther from a close than when The sun last set, till he who in the suit Was poorest, by his emptied coffers, proved His cause the worst ; and he that had the bag Of weights deceitful, and the balance false ; And he that with a fraudful lip deceived In buying or in selling : these, that morn. Found custom no excuse for sin, and knew Plain dealing was a virtue, but too late. And he that was supposed to do nor good Nor ill, surprised, could find no neutral ground. And learned, that to do nothing was to serve 238 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VIII. The devil, and transgress the laws of God. The noisy quack, that by profession lied. And uttered falsehoods of enormous size, With countenance as grave as truth beseemed ; And he that lied for pleasure, whom a lust Of being heard, and making people stare. And a most steadfast hate of silence, drove Far wide of sacred truth — who never took The pains to think of what he was to say. But still made haste to speak, with weary tongue, Like copious stream for ever flowing on — Read clearly in the lettered heavens what long Before they might have read : ' For every word Of folly, you this day shall give account ; And every liar shall his portion have Among the cursed, without the gates of life.' " THE DUELIST AND THE SUICIDE. "With groans that made no pause, lamenting, there Were seen the duelist and suicide : This thought, but thought amiss, that of himself He was entire proprietor; and so. When he was tired of time, with his own hand. He opened the portals of eternity. And, sooner than the devils hoped, arrived In hell. The other, of resentment quick. And, for a word, a look, a gesture, deemed Not scrupulously exact in all respect. Prompt to revenge, went to the cited field. For double murder armed — his own, and his THE COURSE OF TIME — BOOK VIIT 239 That as himself he was ordained to love. The first, in pagan books of early times, Was heroism pronounced, and greatly praised In fashion's glossary of later days ; The last was honor called, and spirit high. Alas! 'twas mortal spirit: honor which Forgot to wake at the last trumpet's voice. Bearing the signature of Time alone, Uncurrent in eternity, and base. Wise men suspected this before : for they Could never understand what honor meant ; Or why that should be honor termed which made Man murder man, and broke the laws of God Most wantonly. Sometimes, indeed, the grave, And those of Christian creed imagined, spoke Admiringly of honor ; lauding much The noble youth, who, after many rounds Of boxing, died ; or to the pistol shot His breast exposed, his soul to endless pain. But they who most admired, and understood This honor best, and on its altar laid Their lives, most obviously were fools ; and what Fools only, and the wicked, understood, The wise agreed was some delusive Shade, That with the mist of time should disappear." THE HYPOCRITE. " Great day of revelation ! in the grave The hypocrite had left his mask, and stood In naked ugliness. He was a man Who stole the livery of the court of heaven 2L 240 THE COURSE OF TIME — BOOK VIII. To serve the devil in ; in virtue's guise, Devoured the widow's house and orphan's bread , In holy phrase, transacted villanies That common sinners durst not meddle with. At sacred feast, he sat among the saints, And with his guilty hands touched holiest things : And none of sin lamented more, or sighed More deeply; or with graver countenance. Or longer prayer, wept o'er the dying man, Whose infant children, at the moment, he Planned how to rob : in sermon style, he bought. And sold, and hed ; and salutations made In Scripture terms: he prayed by quantity; And with his repetitions, long and loud. All knees were weary: with one hand, he put A penny in the urn of poverty. And with the other took a shilling out : On charitable lists — those trumps wliich told The public ear who had in secret done The poor a benefit, and half the alms They told of, took themselves to keep them sounding — He blazed his name, more pleased to have it there Than in the book of life. See'st thou the man ? A serpent with an angel's voice ! a grave With flowers bestrewed! And yet few were deceived : His virtues being over-done, his face Too grave, his prayers too long, liis charities Too pompously attended, and his speech Larded too frequently, and out of time, THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VIII. 241 With serious phraseology, were rents That in his garments opened in spite of him, Through which the well-accustomed eye could see The rottenness of his heart. None deeper blushed, As in the all-piercing light he stood exposed, No longer herding with the holy ones : Yet still he tried to bring his countenance To sanctimonious seeming; but, meanwhile. The shame within, now visible to all, His purpose baulked: the righteous smiled; and even Despair itself some signs of laughter gave. As ineffectually he strove to wipe His brow, that inward guiltiness defiled. Detected wretch ! of all the reprobate. None seemed maturer for the flames of hell ; Where still his face, from ancient custom, wears A holy air, which says to all that pass Him by, ' I was a hypocrite on earth.' " Rl'MOR AND HER SATELLITES. " That was the hour which measured out to each, Impartially, his share of reputation; Correcting all mistakes, and from the name Of the good man all slanders wiping off. Good name was dear to all : without it, none Could soundly sleep, even on a royal bed. Or drink with relish from a cup of gold ; And with it, on his borrowed straw, or by The leafless hedge, beneath the open heavens. The weary beggar took untroubled rest. 242 'J'Ht COURSE OF TIME— IJOOK VIII. It was a music of most heavenly tone. To Avhich the heart leaped joyfully, and all The spirits danced : for honest fame, men laid Their heads upon the block, and while the axe l^escended, looked and smiled. It was of price Invaluable : riches, health, repose. Whole kingdoms, life, were given for it, and he Who got it, was the winner still ; and he Who sold it, durst not open his ear, nor look On human face, he knew himself so vile. Yet it, with all its preciousness, was due To Virtue, and around her should have shed. Unasked, its savory smell ; but Vice, deformed Itself, and ugly, and of flavor rank. To rob fair Virtue of so sweet an incense. And with it to anoint and salve its own Rotten ulcers, and perfume the path that led To death, strove daily by a thousand means ; And oft succeeded to make Virtue sour In the world's nostrils, and its loathly self Smell sweetly. Rumor was the messenger Of defamation, and so swift that none Could be the first to tell an evil tale ; And was withal so infamous for lies, That he who of her sayings on his creed The fewest entered, was deemed wisest man The fool, and many who had credit too For wisdom, grossly swallowed all she said, Unsifted ; and although at every word They heard her contradict herself, and saw Hourly they were imposed upon, and mocked^ THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VIII. 243 Yet still they ran to hear her speak; and stared, And wondered much, and stood aghast, and said, It could not be ; and while they blushed for shame At their own faith, and seemed to doubt, believed; And whom they met, with many sanctions, told. So did experience fail to teach ; so hard It was to learn this simple truth — confirmed At every corner by a thousand proofs — That common fame most impudently lied." THE SLANDERER. "'Twas Slander fiUed her mouth with lying words ; Slander, the foulest whelp of Sin : the man In whom this spirit entered, was undone : His tongue was set on fire of hell ; his heart Was black as death ; liis legs were faint with haste To propagate the lie his soul had framed ; His pillow was the peace of families Destroyed, the sigh of innocence reproached. Broken friendships, and the strife of brotherhoods : Yet did he spare his sleep, and hear the clock Number the midnight watches, on his bed Devising mischief more ; and early rose. And made most heUish meals of good men's names. " From door to door you might have seen liim speed. Or placed amidst a group of gaping fools, And whispering in their ears with his foul lips. Peace fled the neighborhood in which he made His haunts; and, like a moral pestilence, 244 THE COURSE OF TIME — BOOK VITI Before his breath the healthy shoots and blooms Of social joy, and happiness, decayed. Fools only in his company were seen. And those forsaken of God, and to themselves Given up : the prudent shunned him, and his house, As one who had a deadly moral plague ; And fain would all have shunned him at the day Of judgment ; but in vain. All who gave ear With greediness, or wittingly their tongues Made herald to his lies, around him wailed ; While on his face, thrown back by injured men. In characters of ever-blushing shame, Appeared ten thousand slanders, all his own." THE FALSE PRIEST. " Among the accursed, who sought a liiding-place In vain from fierceness of Jehovah's rage. And from the hot displeasure of the Lamb, Most wretched, most contemptible, most vile. Stood the false priest, and in his conscience felt The fellest gnaw of the undying Worm. And so he might : for he had on his hands The blood of souls, that wovdd not wipe away. Hear what he was : He swore in sight of God, And man, to preach his master, Jesus Christ ; Yet preached himself: he swore that love of souls, Alone, had drawn him to the church ; yet strewed The path that led to hell with tempting flowers. And in the ear of sinners, as they took The way of death, he whispered peace : he swore Away all love of lucre, all desire THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VIII. 245 Of earthly pomp ; and yet a princely seat He liked, and to the clink of Mammon's box Gave most rapacious ear : his prophecies He swore were from the Lord; and yet taught lies For gain; with quackish ointment healed the wounds And bruises of the soul outside, but left Within the pestilent matter, unobserved, To sap the moral constitution quite. And soon to burst again, incurable. He with untempered mortar daubed the walls Of Zion, saying, 'Peace,' when there was none. The man who came with thirsty soul to hear Of Jesus, went away unsatisfied : For he another gospel preached than Paul, And one that had no Saviour in't. And yet His life was worse. Faith, charity, and love, HumiUty, forgiveness, hoUness, Were words well lettered in his Sabbath creed ; But with his life he wrote as plain. Revenge, Pride, tyranny, and lust of wealth and power Inordinate, and lewdness unashamed. He was a wolf in clothing of the lamb. That stole into the fold of God, and on The blood of souls which he did sell to death, Grew fat ; and yet when any vs^ould have turneid Him out, he cried, 'Touch not the priest of God !' And that he was anointed, fools believed ; But knew, that day, he was the devil's priest. Anointed by the hands of Sin and Death, And set peculiarly apart to ill ; 246 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VIll. While on him smoked the vials of perdition, Poured measureless. Ah me ! what cursing then Was heaped upon his head by. ruined souls, That charged him with their murder, as he stood With eye of all the unredeemed, most sad, Waiting the coming of the Son of Man ! — But let me pause : for thou hast seen his place And punishment, beyond the sphere of love." ENvy. "Much was removed that tempted once to sin- Avarice, no gold — no wine, the drunkard saw; But Envy had enough, as heretofore, To fill his heart with gall and bitterness. What made the man of envy what he was. Was worth in others, vileness in himself; A lust of praise, with undeserving deeds. And conscious poverty of soul ; and still. It was his earnest work, and daily toil. With lying tongue, to make the noble seem Mean as himself On Fame's high hill he saw The laurel spread its everlasting green. And wished to climb, but felt his knees too weak ; And stood below, unhappy, laying hands Upon the strong, ascending gloriously The steps of honor, bent to draw them back ; Involving oft the brightness of their path In mists his breath had raised. Whene'er he heard, As oft he did, of joy and happiness, And great prosperity, and rising worth, 'Twas Uke a wave of wormwood o'er his soul THE COURSE OF TIME-BOOK VIII. 247 Rolling its bitterness. His joy was wo — The wo of others. When, from wealth to want, From praises to reproach, from peace to strife, From mirth to tears, he saw a brother fall. Or virtue make a slip, his dreams were sweet. But chief with Slander, daughter of his own. He took unhallowed pleasure : when she talked. And with her filthy lips defiled the best, His ear drew near ; Avith wide attention gaped His mouth; his eye well pleased, as eager gazed As glutton, when the dish he most desired Was placed before him, and a horrid mirth. At intervals, with laughter shook his sides. The critic, too, who, for a bit of bread. In book that fell aside before the ink Was dry, poured forth excessive nonsense, gave Him much delight. The critics — some, but few - - Were worthy men; and earned renown which had Immortal roots ; but most were weak and vile ; And as a cloudy swarm of summer flies. With angry hum and slender lance, beset The sides of some huge animal, so did They buzz about the illustrious man, and fain. With his immortal honor, down the stream Of fame would have descended; but, alas! The hand of Time drove them away : they were. Indeed, a simple race of men, who had One only art, which taught them still to say, Whate'er was done, might have been l)etter done ; And with this art, not ill to learn, they made A shift to live. But sometimes, too, beneath 248 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK Vlll. The dust they raised, was worth awhile obscured ; And then did Envy prophesy and laugh. Oh, Envy! hide thy bosom! hide it deep! A thousand snakes, with black envenomed mouths. Nest there, and hiss, and feed thro' all thy heart!' INCREDIBLE APATHY OF MANKIND. " Such one I saw," here interposing, said The new arrived, "in that dark den of shame ; Whom, who hath seen, shall never wish to see Again : before him, in the infernal gloom. That omnipresent shape of Virtue stood. On which he ever threw his eye ; and like A cinder that had life and feeling, seemed His face, with inward pining, to be what He could not be. As being tliat had burned Continually in slow-consuming fire. Half an eternity, and was to burn For evermore, he looked. Oh! sight to be Forgotten ! thought too horrible to think ! " But say, believing in such wo to come — Such dreadful certainty of endless pain — Could beings of forecasting mold, as thou Entitlest men, deliberately walk on, Unscared, and overleap their own behef Into the lake of ever-burning fire ?" UNBELIEF THE CAUSE OF FINAL WO. "Thy tone of asking seems to make reply, And rightly seems : They did not so belie\e. Not one of all thou saw'st lament and wail THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VIII. 249 In Tophet, perfectly believed the Word Of God, else none had thither gone. Absurd, To think that beings made with reason, formed To calculate, compare, choose, and reject — By nature taught, and self, and every sense. To choose the good, and pass the evil by — Could, with full credence of a time to come. When all the wicked should be really damned. And cast beyond the sphere of light and love. Have persevered in sin ! Too foolish this For folly in its prime. Can aught that thinks. And wills, choose certain evil, and reject Good, in his heart believing he does so ? Could man choose pain, instead of endless joy' Mad supposition, though maintained by some Of honest mind. Behold a man condemned ! Either he ne'er inquired, and therefore he Could not believe, or else he carelessly Inquired, and something other^han the Word Of God received into his cheated faith ; And therefore he did not believe, but down To hell descended, leaning on a he. Faith was bewildered much by men who meant To make it clear, so simple in itself; A thought so rudimental and so plain. That none by comment could it plainer make. All faith was one : in object, not in kind. The difference lay. The faith that saved a soul, And that which in the common truth believed, In essence were the same. Hear, then, what faith — True Christian faith, which brought salvation — was : 250 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK VIII. Belief in all that God revealed to men ; Observe, in all that God revealed to men; In all he promised, threatened, commanded, said. Without exception, and without a doubt. Who thus believed, being by the Spirit touched. As naturally the fruits of faith produced — Truth, temperance, meekness, holiness, and love — As human eye from darkness sought the light. How^ could he else ? If he who had firm faith The morrow's sun should rise, ordered affairs Accordingly ; if he who had firm faith That spring, and summer, and autumnal days Should pass away, and winter, really come. Prepared accordingly; if he who saw A bolt of death approaching, turned aside. And let it pass ; as surely did the man Who verily believed the Word of God, Though erring whiles, its general laws obey. Turn back from he)l, and take the way to heaven. " That faith was necessary, some alleged. Unreined and uncontrollable by will. Invention savoring much of hell ! Indeed, It was the master-stroke of wickedness. Last effort of Abaddon's council dark. To make man think himself a slave to fate. And, worst of all, a slave to fate in faith. For thus 'twas reasoned then: From faith alone, And from opinion, springs all action ; hence. If faith 's compelled, so is all action too ;* But deeds compelled, are not accountable ; So man is not amenable to God. THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK Vlll. 25] "Arguing that brought such monstrous birth, though good It seemed, must have been false ; most false it was. And by the book of God condemned throughout. We freely own that truth, when set before The mind with perfect evidence, compelled Belief; but error lacked such witness still : And none who now lament in moral night. The Word of God refused on evidence That might not have been set aside as false. To reason, try, choose, and reject, was free : Hence God, by faith, acquitted or condemned ; Hence righteous men, with liberty of will. Believed ; and hence thou saw'st in Erebus The wicked, who as freely disbeheved What else had led them to the land of life " THE COUESE OF TIME BOOK II. Analysis.— Apostrophe to Religion, Virtue, Piety or love of Holiness. Description of several classes of the redeemed. The faithfal minister, the true philosopher, the righteous governor, the uncorrupted states- man, the brave general, the man of active benevolence and charity, the Christian bard. And the most numerous among the saved were such, as on earth wevo eclipsed by lowly circumstances, many of whom were seen " highest and first in honor." An innumerous host of angels, headed by Michael and Gabriel, descend from heaven, silently and without song, and lift mankind into mid air, parting the good and bad ; to the right and left, the good to weep no more, and the bad never to smile again ; the righteous are placed " beneath a crown of rosy light," and the wicked bound under a cloud of darkness, where stand also Satan and his legion, awaiting the judg- ment and punishment due to his rebellion in heaven, and his stratagems on earth. Thus separated, the redeemed and the reprobate, a bright arch bending high between them, await their everlasting destiny. PROMISES OF RELIGION FULFILLED. " Fairest of those that left the calm of heaven, And ventured down to man, with words of peace, Daughter of Grace ! known by whatever name — Religion, Virtue, Piety, or Love Of Holiness ! — the day of thy reward Was come. Ah ! thou wast long despised ; despised By those thou wooedst from death to endless life. THE COURSE OF TIME-BOOK IX. 253 Modest and meek, in garments white as those That seraphs wear, and countenance as mild As Mercy looking on Repentance' tear. With eye of purity, now darted up To God's eternal throne, now humbly bent Upon thyself, and weeping down thy cheek. That glowed with universal love immense. A tear, pure as the dews that fall in heaven ; In thy left hand, the olive branch, and in Thy right, the crown of immortality; With noiseless foot, thou walkedst the vales of earth, Beseecliing men, from age to age, to turn From utter death ; to turn from wo to bliss ; Beseeching evermore, and evermore Despised : not evermore despised, not now. Not at the day of doom : most lovely then. Most honorable thou appeared, and most To be desired. The guilty heard the song Of thy redeemed, how loud ! and saw thy face. How fair ! Alas ! it was too late : the hour Of making friends was past ; thy favor then Might not be sought : but recollection sad ; And accurate, as miser counting o'er And o'er again the sum he must lay out. Distinctly in the wicked's ear rehearsed Each opportunity despised and lost; While on them gleamed thy holy look, that like A fiery torrent went into their souls. The day of thy reward was come ; the day Of great remuneration to thy friends ; To those known by whatever name, who sought. 254 THE COURSE OF TIME — BOOK IX. In every place, in every time, to do Unfeignedly their Maker's will, revealed, Or gathered else from nature's school ; w^ell pleaseu With God's applause alone, that, Uke a stream Of sweetest melody, at still of night By wanderer heard, in their most secret ear For ever whispered. Peace ; and as a string Of kindred tone awoke, their inmost soul. Responsive, answered. Peace; inquiring still, And searching, night and day, to know their duty: When known, with undisputing trust, with love Unquenchable, with zeal, by reason's lamp Inflamed, performing ; and to Him, by whose Profound, all-calculating skill alone. Results — results even of the slightest act — Are fully grasped, with unsuspicious faith. All consequences leaving; to abound Or want alike prepared ; who knew to be Exalted how, and how to be abased ; How best to live, and how to die when asked. Their prayers sincere, their alms in secret done, Their fightings with themselves, their abstinence From pleasure, though by mortal eye unseen, Their hearts of resignation to the will Of Heaven, their patient bearing of reproach And shame, their charity, and faith, and hope. Thou didst remember, and in full repaid. No bankrupt thou, who at the bargained hour Of payment due, sent to his creditors A tale of losses and mischances long. Insured by God himself, and from the stores THE COURSE OF TIME — BOOK IX. 255 And treasures of his wealth at will supplied, Religion ! thou alone, of all that men On earth gave credit, to be reimbursed On the other side the graVe, didst keep thy 'v\ord. Thy day, and all thy promises fiilfiUed." THE BARD PERPLEXED. As in the mind, rich with unborrowed wealth, Where multitudes of thoughts for utterance strive— And all so fair, that each seems worthy first To enter on the tongue, and from the lips Have passage forth — selection hesitates. Perplexed, and loses time ; anxious, since all Cannot be taken, to take the best ; and yet Afraid, lest what he left be worthier still ; And grieving much, where all so goodly look, To leave rejected one, or in the rear Let any be obscured : so did the bard. Though not unskilled, as on that multitude Of men, who once awoke to judgment, he Threw back reflection, hesitating, pause. For as liis harp, in tone severe, had sung What figure the most famous sinners made. When from the grave they rose unmasked ; so did He wish to character the good ; but yet, Among so many, glorious all, all worth Immortal fame, with whom begin, with whom To end, was difficult to choose; and long His auditors, upon the tiptoe raised Of expectation, might have kept, had not His eye — ^for so it is in heaven, that what M 256 THE COURSE OF TIME — BOOK IX. Is needed, always is at hand — ^beheld, That moment, on a mountain near the throne Of God, the most renowned of the redeemed Rejoicing; nor who first; who most to praise. Debated more ; but thus, with sweeter note, Well pleased to sing, with highest eulogy, And first, whom God applauded most, began: THE FAITHFUL MINISTER. "With patient ear, thou now hast heard, though whiles. Aside digressing, ancient feeling turned My lyre — what shame the wicked had that day ; What waihng, what remorse : so hear, in brief, How bold the righteous stood, the men redeemed ! How fair in virtue ! and in hope how glad ! And first among the holy shone, as best Became, the faithful minister of God. " See where he walks on yonder mount, that lifts Its summit high, on the right hand of bhss ! Sublime in glory ! talking with his peers Of the Incarnate Saviour's love, and past Affliction, lost in present joy ! See how His face with heavenly ardor glows ! and how His hand, enraptured, strikes the golden lyre ! As now conversing of the Lamb once slain, He speaks ; and now, from vines that never hear Of winter, but in monthly harvest yield Their fruit abundantly, he plucks the grapes Of life ! But what he was on earth it most Behooves to say : Elect by God himself. THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IX. 257 A aointed by the Holy Ghost, and set Apart to the great work of saving men; Instructed fully in the will divine ; Supplied with grace in store, as need might ask ; And Avith the stamp and signature of heaven. Truth, mercy, patience, holiness, and love. Accredited ; he was a man by God The Lord commissioned to make known to men The eternal counsels ; in his Master's name. To treat with them of everlasting things : Of Ufe, death, bliss, and wo ; to offer terms Of pardon, grace, and peace, to the rebelled : To teach the ignorant soul ; to cheer the sad ; To bind, to loose with all authority ; To give the feeble strength, the hopeless hope.; To help the halting, and to lead the blind ; To warn the careless ; heal the sick of heart ; Arouse the indolent ; and on the proud And obstinate offender, to denounce The wrath of God. All other men, what name Soe'er they bore, whatever office held. If lawful held — the magistrate supreme, Or else subordinate — were chosen by men, Their fellows, and from men derived their power • And were accountable for all they did To men ; but he alone his office held Immediately from God, from God received Authority, and was to none but God Amenable. The elders of the church. Indeed, upon him laid their hands, and set Him visibly apart to preach the word 258 THE COURSE OF TIME — BOOK IX. Of life ; but this was merely outward rite. And decent ceremonial, performed Onfall alike ; and oft, as thou hast heard. Performed on those God never sent : his call. His consecration, his anointing, all Were inward : in the conscience heard and felt. Thus by Jehovah"chosen and ordained, To take into his charge the souls of men ; And for his trust to answer at the day Of judgment — great plenipotent of heaven. And representative of God on earth — Fearless of men and devils ; unabashed By sin enthroned, or mockery of a prince ; Unawed by armed legions ; unseduced By offered bribes ; burning with love to souls Unquenchable, and mindful still of his Great charge and vast responsibility; High in the temple of the living God He stood, amidst the people, and declared Aloud the truth, the whole revealed truth, Ready to seal it with his blood. Divine Resemblance most complete ! with mercy now. And love, his face illumined, shone gloriously; And frowning now indignantly, it seemed As if offended justice, from his eye. Streamed forth vindictive wrath! Men heard, alarmed : The uncircumcised infidel believed ; Light-thoughted Mirth grew serious, and wept; The laugh profane sunk in a sigh of deep Repentance ; the blasphemer, kneeling, prayed, THE COURSE OF TIME- BOOK IX 259 And, prostrate in the dust, for mercy called ; And cursed, old, forsaken sinners gnashed Their teeth, as if their hour had been arrived. Such was his calling, his commission such : Yet he was humble, kind, forgiving, meek. Easy to be entreated, gracious, mild ; And with all patience and affection, taught. Rebuked, persuaded, solaced, counselled, warned. In fervent style and manner. Needy, poor, And dying men, like music heard his feet Approach their beds ; and guilty wretches took New hope, and in his prayers wept and smiled, And blessed him, as they died forgiven; and all Saw in his face contentment ; in his Ufe, The path to glory and perpetual joy. Deep learned in the philosophy of heaven. He searched the causes out of good and ill. Profoundly calculating their effects Far past the bounds of time ; and balancing. In the arithmetic of future things. The loss and profit of the soul to all Eternity. A skillful workman he In God's great moral vineyard ; what to prune With cautious hand, he knew ; what to uproot ; What were mere weeds, and what celestial plants. Which had unfading vigor in them, knew ; Nor knew alone ; but watched them night and day. And reared and nourished them, till fit to be Transplanted to the Paradise above. " O ! who can speak his praise ! great, humble man! 262 THE COURSE OF TIME — BOOK IX Was product of his persevering search. Religion owed him much, as from the false She suffered much; for still his main design, In all his contemplations, was to trace The wisdom, providence, and love of God, And to his fellows, less observant, show Them forth. From prejudice redeemed, with all His passions still, above the common world, SubUme in reason, and in aim sublime. He sat, and on the marvelous works of God Sedately thought : now glancing up his eye Intelligent, through all the starry dance ; And penetrating now the deep remote Of central causes, in the womb opaque Of matter ; now, with inspection nice. Entering the mystic labyrinths of the mind. Where thought, of notice ever shy, behind Thought disappearing, still retired ; and still. Thought meeting thought, and thought awakening thought. And mingling still with thought, in endless maze. Bewildered observation : now with eye. Yet more severely purged, looking far down Into the heart, where Passion wove a web Of thousand thousand threads, in grain and hue All different ; then, upward venturing whiles, But reverently, and in his hand the light Revealed, near the eternal throne, he gazed, Philosophizing less than worshiping. Most truly great ! his intellectual strength. And knowledge vast, to men of lesser mind. THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IX. 261 Retired ; retired, but not to dream, or build, Of ghostly fancies, seen in the deep noon Of sleep, ill-balanced theories ; retired. But did not leave mankind ; in pity, not In wrath, retired ; and still, though distant, kept His eye on men ; at proper angle took His stand to see them better, and beyond The clamor which the bells of folly made. That most had hung about them, to consult With Nature how their madness might be cured. And how their trae substantial comforts might Be multiplied. Religious man ! what God By prophets, priests, evangelists, revealed Of sacred truth, he thankfully received ; And by its light directed, went in search Of more : before him, darkness fled ; and all The goblin tribe, that hung upon the breasts Of night, and haunted still the moral gloom — With shapeless forms, and blue infernal lights, And indistinct and devilish whisperings. That the miseducated fancies vexed Of superstitious men — at his approach. Dispersed invisible. Where'er he went, This lesson still he taught : To fear no ill But sin, no being but Almighty God. All-comprehending sage ! too hard alone For him was man's salvation ; all besides. Of use or comfort, that distinction made Between the desperate savage — scarcely raised Above the beast whose flesh he ate undressed — And the most polished of the human race, 264 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IX Of justice ; and as the law, which reigned in him. Commanded, gave rewards ; or with the edge Vindictive, smote — now hght, now heavily — According to the stature of the crime. Conspicuous, like an oak of healthiest bough. Deep-rooted in his country's love, he stood. And gave his hand to Virtue, helping up The honest man to honor and renown ; And, with the look which goodness wears in wrath. Withering the very blood of Knavery, And from his presence driving far, ashamed." THE PATRIOT. " Nor less remarkable, among the blessed. Appeared the man who, in the senate-house. Watchful, unhired, unbribed, and uncorrupt. And party only to the common weal. In virtue's awful rage, pleaded for right. With truth so clear, with argument so strong. With action so sincere, and tone so loud And deep, as made the despot quake behind His adamantine gates, and every joint In terror smite his fellow-joint relaxed; Or, marching to the field, in burnished steel — While, frowning on his brow, tremendous hung The wrath of a whole people, long provoked ; Mustered the stormy wings of war, in day Of dreadful deeds ; and led the battle on. When Liberty, swift as the fires of heaven. In fury rode, with all her hosts, and threw The tyrant down, or drove invasion back. THE COURSE OF TIME — BOOK IX. 263 Seemed infinite ; yet from his high pursuits, And reasonings most profound, he still returned Home, with an humbler and a warmer heart ; And none so lowly bowed before his God, As none so well his awful majesty And goodness comprehended ; or so well His own dependency and weakness knew. " How glorious now ! with vision purified At the Essential Truth, entirely free From error, he, investigating still — For knowledge is not found unsought in heaven — From world to world at pleasure roves, on wing Of golden ray upborne ; or, at the feet Of heaven's most ancient sages sitting, hears New wonders of the wondrous works of God." THE RIGHTEOUS RLLER. " Illustrious, too, that morning, stood the man Exalted by the people to the throne Of government, established on the base Of justice, liberty, and equal rights ; Who, in his countenance sublime, expressed A nation's majesty, and yet was meek And humble ; and in royal palace gave Example to the meanest, of the fear Of God. and all integrity of life And manners; who, august, yet lowly; who. Severe, yet gracious ; in his very heart Detesting all oppression, all intent Of private aggrandizement; and the first In every public duty : held the scales 2M 266 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IX. One in their origin, one in their rights To all the common gifts of Providence, And in their hopes, their joys, and sorrows one — lie viewed the universal human race. He needed not a law of state to force Grudging submission to the law of God ; The law of love was in his heart, alive : What he possessed, he counted not his own ; But, like a faithful steward in a house Of public alms, what freely he received. He freely gave ; distributing to all The helpless, the last mite beyond his own Temperate siipport, and reckoning still the gift But justice due to want ; and so it was ; Although the world, with compliment not ill Applied, adorned it with a fairer name. Nor did he wait till to his door the voice Of supplication came ; but went abroad. With foot as silent as the starry dews, In search of misery that pined unseen. And would not ask. And who can tell what sights He saw? what groans he heard in that cold world Below, where Sin, in league with gloomy Dca(ii, Marched daily thro' the length and breadth of all The land ! wasting at will, and making earth — Fair earth ! — a lazar-house, a dungeon darlc. Where Disappointment fed on ruined Hope ; Where Guilt, worn out, leaned on the triple edge Of want, remorse, despair; where Cruelty Reached forth a cup of wormwood to the lips Of Sorrow, that to deeper Sorrow wailed; THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IX. 265 Illustrious he — illustrious all appeared — Who ruled supreme in righteousness; or held Inferior place, in steadfast rectitude Of soul. Peculiarly severe had been The nurture of their youth; their knowledge great : Great was their wisdom, great their cares, and great Their self-denial, and their service done To God and man ; and great was their reward At hand, proportioned to their worthy deeds." CHARITY. " Breathe all thy minstrelsy, immortal harp ! Breathe numbers warm vpith love, while I rehearse — DeKghtful theme ! resembUng most the songs Which day and night are sung before the Lamb ! — Thy praise, oh Charity ! thy labors most Divine ; thy sympathy with sighs, and tears. And groans ; thy great, thy god-Uke wish to heal All misery, all fortune's wounds ; and make The soul of every living thing rejoice. Oh, thou wast needed much in days of Time ! No virtue, half so much ; none half so fair : To all the rest, however fine, thou gavest A finishing and poUsh, without which No man e'er entered heaven. Let me record His praise — the man of great benevolence — Who pressed thee closely to his glowing heart, And to thy gentle bidding made his feet Swift minister. Of all mankind, his soul Was most in harmony with heaven : as one Sole family of brothers, sisters, friends — 268 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK [X. That marked his deeds, and wrote them in the book Of God's remembrance ; careless he to be Observed of men, or have each mite bestowed Recorded punctually, with name and place. In every bill of news : pleased to do good, He gave, and sought no more ; nor questioned much, Nor reasoned who deserved : for well he knew The face of need. Ah me ! who could mistake ? The shame to ask, the want that urged within. Composed a look so perfectly distinct From all else human, and withal so full Of misery, that none could pass untouched. And be a Christian ; or thereafter claim, ' In any form, the name or rights of man ; Or, at the day of judgment, lift his eye : While he, in name of Christ, who gave the poor A cup of water, or a bit of bread. Impatient for his advent, waiting stood. Glowing in robes of love and hohness — Heaven's fairest dress — and round him, ranged in white, A thousand witnesses appeared, prepared To tell his gracious deeds before the throne." POETS IN HEAVEN. " Nor unrenowned among the most renowned. Nor 'mong the fairest unadmired, that morn. When highest fame was proof of highest worth, Distinguished stood the bard : not he who sold The incommunicable heavenly gift To Folly; and with lyre of perfect tone. THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IX. 267 Where Mockery, and Disease, and Poverty, Met miserable Age, erewhile sore bent With his own burden ; where the arrowy winds Of winter pierced the naked orphan babe, And chilled the mother's heart, who had no home; And where, alas! in mid-time of his day. The honest man, robbed by some villain's hand. Or with long sickness pale, and paler yet With want and hunger, oft drank bitter draughts Of Ms own tears, and had no bread to eat ! Oh ! who can tell what sights he saw ! what shapes Of wretchedness ! or who describe what smiles Of gratitude illumed the face of wo, While from his hand he gave the bounty forth ! As when the Sun, to Cancer wheeling back, Returned from Capricorn, and showed the north. That long had lain in cold and cheerless night. His beamy countenance, all nature then Rejoiced together glad ; the Flower looked up. And smiled; the Forest from his locks shook off The hoary frosts, and clapped his hands ; the birds Awoke, and, singing, rose to meet the day; And from his hollow den, where many months He slumbered sad in darkness, blythe and light Of heart, the savage sprung, and saw again His mountains shine, and with new songs of love Allured the virgin's ear : so did the house, The prison-house of guilt, and all the abodes Of unprovided helplessness revive, As on them looked the sunny messenger Of charity; by angels tended still. 270 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IX Was of creative nature, or of power, With self-wrought stuff to build a fabric up, To mortal vision wonderful and strange, Philosophy, the theoretic, claimed. Undoubtedly the first and highest place In Fancy's favor : her material souls. Her chance, her atoms shaped alike, her white Proved black, her universal nothing, all ; And all her wondrous systems — how the mind With matter met ; how man was free, and yet All pre-ordained; how evil first began — And, chief, her speculations, soaring high. Of the eternal, uncreated Mind, Which left all reason infinitely far Behind — surprising feat of theory — Were pure creation of her own ; webs wove Of gossamer in Fancy's lightest loom ; And no where, on the list of being made By God, recorded : but her look, meanwhile, Was grave and studious ; and many thought She reasoned deeply, when she wildly raved. "The true, legitimate, anointed bard. Whose song through ages poured its melody. Was most severely thoughtful, most minute And accurate of observation, most Familiarly acquainted with all modes And phases of existence. True, no doubt. He had originally drunk, from out The fount of life and love, a double draught. That gave whate'er he touched a double life ; But this was mere desire at first, and power THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IX. 269 Prepared by God himself, for holiest praise — Vilest of traitors ! most dishonest man ! — Sat by the door of Ruin, and made there A melody so sweet, and in the mouth Of drunkenness and debauch, that else had croaked In natural discordance jarring harsh. Put so divine a song, that many turned Aside, and entered in undone ; and thought, Meanwhile, it was the gate of heaven : so like An angel's voice the music seemed. Nor he Who, whining grievously of damsel coy. Or blaming Fortune, that would nothing give For doing naught, in indolent lament. Unprofitable, passed his piteous days. Making himself the hero of his tale — Deserving ill the poet's name : but he. The bard by God's own hand anointed, who To Virtue's all-delighting harmony His numbers tuned ; who from the fount of truth Poured melody, and beauty poured, and love. In holy stream, into the human heart ; And, from the height of lofty argument. Who 'justified the ways of God to man,' And sung, what still he sings, approved in heaven, Though now with bolder note, above the damp Terrestrial, which the pure celestial fire Cooled, and restrained in part his flaming wing. " Philosophy was deemed of deeper thought. And judgment more severe than Poetry; To fable, she, and fancy, more inclined. And yet, if Fancy, as was understood. 272 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IX. To whom he would renown; nor missed himself — Although despising much the idiot roar Of popular applause, that sudden oft Unnaturally turning, whom it nursed i Itself devoured — the lasting fame, the praise Of God and holy men, to excellence given. Yet less he sought his own renown, than wished To have the eternal images of truth And beauty, pictured in his verse, admired. 'Twas these, taking immortal shape and fonn Beneath his eye, that charmed his midnight watch, And oft his soul with awful transports shook. Of happiness, unfelt by other men. This was that spell, that sorcery, which bound The poet to the lyre, and would not let Him go ; that hidden mystery of joy. Which made him sing in spite of fortune's worst ; And was, at once, both motive and reward. " Nor now among the choral harps, in this The native clime of song, are those unknown, With higher note ascending, who, below. In holy ardor, aimed at lofty strains. True fame is never lost : many, whose names Were honored much on earth, are famous here For poetry, and, with archangel harps. Hold no unequal rivalry in song ; Leading the choirs of heaven, in numbers higli. In numbers ever sweet and ever new. " Behold them yonder, where the river pure Flows warbling down before the throne of God, And, shading on each side, the tree of life THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IX. 271 Devoid of means to work by; need was still Of persevering, quick, inspective mood Of mind — of faithful memory, vastly stored. From universal being's ample field. With knowledge — and a judgment sound and clear. Well disciplined in nature's rules of taste ; Discerning to select, arrange, combine. From infinite variety, and still To nature true ; and guide withal — hard task — The sacred living impetus divine. Discreetly through the harmony of song. Completed thus, the poet sung; and age To age, enraptured, heard his measures flow; Enraptured, for he poured the very fat And marrow of existence through his verse ; And gave the soul — that else in selfish cold, Unwarmed by kindred interest, had lain — A roomy life, a glowing relish high, A sweet, expansive brotherhood of being; Joy answering joy, and sigh responding sigh. Through all the fibres of the social heart. Observant, sympathetic, sound of head. Upon the ocean vast of human thought. With passion rough and stormy, venturing out, Even as the living billows rolled, he threw His numbers over thfem, seized as they were. And to perpetual ages left them fixed. To each, a mirror of itself displayed ; Despair for ever lowering dark on Sin, And Happiness on Virtue smiling fair. " He was the minister of fame ; and gave 274 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IX. The men who had no name on earth : eclipsed By lowly circumstance, they lived unknown ; Like stream that in the desert warbles clear. Still nursing, as it goes, the herb and flower, Though never seen ; or like the star retired In solitudes of ether, far beyond All sight, not of essential splendor less. Though shining unobserved ; none saw their pure Devotion, none their tears, their faith, and love. Which burned within them, both to God and man; None saw but God. He in his bottle all Their tears preserved, and every holy wish Wrote in his book ; and not as they had done. But as they wished with all their heart to do, Arrayed them now in glory, and displayed — No longer hid by coarse, uncourtiy garb — In lustre equal to their inward worth. " Man's time was past, and his eternity Begun. No fear remained of change. The youth Who, in the glowing morn of vigorous life, High reaching after great religious deeds. Was suddenly cut off — with all his hopes In sunny bloom, and unaccomplished left His withered aims — saw everlasting days Before him dawning rise, in which to achieve All glorious things, and get himself the name That jealous Death too soon forbade on earth." ALL DOUBTS DISPELLED. "Old things had passed away, and all was newj And yet, of all the new-begun, naught so THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IX. 2'73 Spreads its unfading boughs ! See how they shine, In garments white, quaffing deep draughts of love , And, harping on their harps, new harmonies Proparing for the ear of God Most High !" EARTHLY DISTINCTIONS UNKNOWN. " But why should I of individual worth. Of individual glory, longer sing ? No true heliever was that day obscure ; No holy soul but had enough of joy; No pious wish without its foil reward. Who in the Father and the Son believed. With faith that wrought by love to holy deeds. And purified the heart, none trembled there. Nor had by earthly guise his rank concealed : Whether, unknown, he tilled the ground remote. Observant of the seasons, and adored God in the promise, yearly verified. Of seed-time, harvest, summer, winter, day And night, returning duly at the time Appointed ; or on the shadowy mountain-side Worshiped at dewy eve, watching his flocks ; Or, trading, saw the wonders of the deep. And as "the needle to the starry pole Turned constantly, so he his heart to God ; Or else, in servitude severe, was taught To break the bonds of sin ; or, begging, learned To trust the Providence that fed the raven. And clothed the lily with her annual gown. " Most numerous indeed, among the saved. And many, too, not least illustrious, shone 276 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IX What now no hope to understand remained ; That they had often counted evil good, And good for ill; laughed when they should have wept, And wept forlorn when God intended mirth. But what, of all their follies past, surprised Them most, and seemed most totally insane And unaccountable, was value set On objects of a day; was serious grief. Or joy, for loss or gain of mortal things ; So utterly impossible it seemed, When men their proper interests saw, that aught Of terminable kind — that aught which e'er Could die, or cease to be, however named — Should make a human soul, a legal heir Of everlasting years, rejoice or weep In earnest mood ; for nothing now seemed worth A thought but had eternal bearing in't." IMFARTIAtlTY OF GOD. " Much truth had been assented to in Time, Which never, till this day, had made a due Impression on the heart. Take one example : Early from heaven it was revealed, and oft Repeated in the world, from pulpits preached. And penned and read in holy books, that God Respected not the persons of mankind. Had this been truly credited and felt, The king, in purple robe, had owned, indeed. The beggar for his brother; pride of rank And office, thawed into paternal love ; THE CpURSE OF TIME— BOOK IX. 275 Prodigious difference made, in the affairs And thoughts of every man, as certainty : For doubt, all doubt was gone, of every kind ; Doubt that erewhile, beneath the lowest base Of mortal reasonings, deepest laid, crept in. And made the strongest, best-cemented towers Of human workmanship, so weakly shake. And to their lofty tops so waver still. That those who built them feared their sudden fall. But doubt, all doubt, was past ; and in its place. To every thought that in the heart of man Was present, now had come an absolute. Unquestionable certainty, which gave To each decision of the mind immense Importance, raising to its proper height The sequent tide of passion, whether joy Or grief The good man knew, in very truth. That he was saved to all eternity. And feared no more ; the bad had proof complete That he was damned for ever; and beheved Entirely that on every wicked soul Anguish should come, and wrath, and utter wo." THE DECEIVED UNDECEIVED. " Knowledge was much increased, but wisdom more: The film of Time, that still before the sight Of mortal vision danced, and led the best Astray, pursuing unsubstantial dreams. Had dropped from every eye : men saw that they Had vexed themselves in vain, to understand 278 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IX. Examined fairly, and their rights allowed. But now this truth was felt, believed and felt. That men were really of a common stock ; That no man ever had been more than man." REALIZATION OF PROPHECY. " Much prophecy — ^revealed by holy bards, Who sung the will of Heaven by Judah's streams — Much prophecy that waited long, the scoff Of lips uncircumcised, was then fulfilled; To the last tittle scrupulously fulfilled. It was foretold, by those of ancient days, A time should come when wickedness should weep Abased ; when every lofty look of man Should be bowed dovni, and all his haughtiness Madfe low; when righteousness alone should lift The head in glory, and rejoice at heart; When many, first in splendor and renown. Should be most vile ; and many, lowest once, And last in Poverty's obscurest nook, Highest and first in honor should be seen Exalted ; and when some, when all the good. Should rise to glory and eternal life ; And all the bad, lamenting, wake, condemned To shame, contempt, and everlasting grief. "These prophecies had tarried long; so long. That many wagged the head, and, taunting, asked, •When shall they come?' But asked no more, nor mocked : For the reproach of prophecy was wiped Away, and every word of God found true." THE COURSE OF TIME — BOOK IX. 277 Oppression feared the day of equal rights. Predicted; covetous extortion kept In mind the hour of reckoning, soon to come ; And bribed injustice thought of being judged. When he should stand on equal foot beside The man he wronged. And surely — nay, 'tis true, Most true, beyond all wliispering of doubt — That he who lifted up the reeking scourge. Dripping with gore from the slave's back, before He struck again, had paused, and seriously Of that tribunal thought, where God himself Should look him in the face, and ask, in wrath, 'Why didst thou this? Man! was he not thy brother ? Bone of thy bone, and flesh and blood of thine V But, ah! this truth, by Heaven and reason taught. Was never fully credited on earth. The titled, flattered, lofty men of power. Whose wealth bought verdicts of applause for deeds Of wickedness, could ne'er beheve the time Should truly come, when judgment should proceed Impartially against them; and they, too. Have no good speaker at the Judge's ear, No witnesses to bring them off for gold. No power to turn the sentence from its course : And they of low estate, who saw themselves. Day after day, despised, and wronged, and mocked, Without redress, could scarcely think the day Should e'er arrive, when they in truth should stand On perfect level vMth the potentates And princes of the earth, and have their cause 280 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IX. And, as a shepherd from the sheep divides The goats ; or husbandman, with reaping bands. In harvest separates the precious wheat, Selected from the tares ; so did they part Mankind — the good and bad, to right and left — To meet no more : these ne'er again to smile. Nor those to weep ; these never more to share Society of mercy with the saints. Nor henceforth those to suffer with the vile. Strange parting ! not for hours, nor days, nor months. Nor for ten thousand times ten thousand years; But for a whole eternity ! though fit. And pleasant to the righteous, yet to all Strange, and most strangely felt ! The sire, to right Retiring, saw the son, sprung from his loins — Beloved, how dearly once ! but who forgot Too soon, in sin's intoxicating cup. The father's warnings and the mother's tears — Fall to the left, among' the reprobate ; And sons redeemed, beheld the fathers, whom They loved and honored once, gathered among The wicked : brothers, sisters, kinsmen, friends — Husband and wife, who ate at the same board. And under the same roof, united, dwelt. From youth to hoary age, bearing the chance And change of time together — parted then For evermore. But none whose friendship grew From virtue's pure and everlasting root, Took different roads; these, knit in stricter bonds Of amity, embracing, saw no more Death with his scythe stand by, nor heard the word. THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IX. 279 THE METAMORPHOSE. "And, oh! what change of state, what change of rank, In that assembly every where was seen ! The humble-hearted laughed, the lofty Itnoumed, And every man, according to his works Wrought in the body, there took character." THE SEPARATION. "Thus stood they mixed : all generations stood Of all mankind. Innumerable throng ! Great harvest of the grave ! waiting the will Of Heaven, attentively and silent all. As forest spreading out beneath the calm Of evening skies, when even the single leaf Is heard distinctly rustle down, and fall; So silent they : when, from above, the sound Of rapid wheels approached ; and suddenly In heaven appeared a host of angels strong. With chariots and with steeds of burning fire : Cherub, and Seraph, Thrones, Dominions, Powers, Bright in celestial armor, dazzling, rode : And, leading in the front, illustrious shone, Michael and Gabriel — servants long approved In high commission — girt that day with power. Which naught created, man or devil, might Resist : nor waited gazing long ; but quick Descending, silently and without song. As servants bent to do their master's work, To middle air they raised the human race. Above the path long traveled by the sun ; N 282 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IX. And left them bound immovable in chains Of Justice : o'er their heads a bowless cloud Of indignation hung ; a cloud it was Of tliick and utter darkness ; rolling, like An ocean, tides of livid, pitchy flame ; With thunders charged, and lightnings ruinous, And red with forked vengeance, such as wounds The soul; and full of angry shapes of wrath; And eddies, whirling with tumultuous fire ; And forms of terror raving to and fro ; And monsters, unimagined heretofore By guilty men in dreams before their death. From horrid to more horrid changing still, In hideous movement through that stormy gulf: And evermore the thunders, rnurmuring, spoke From out the darkness, uttering loud these words. Which every guilty conscience echoed back : 'Ye knew your duty, but ye did it not !' Dread words! that barred excuse, and threw the weight Of every man's perdition on himself Directly home. Dread words ! heard then, and heard For ever through the wastes of Erebus : ' Ye knew your duty, but ye did it not !' These were the words which glowed upon the sword. Whose wrath burned fearfully behind the cursed, As they were driven away from God to Tophet. 'Ye knew your duty, but ye did it not !' These are the words to which the harps of grief Are strung; and, to the chorus of the damned, THE COURSE OF TIME-BOOK IX. 281 The bitter word, which closed all earthly friendships, And finished every feast of love — Farewell. To all, strange parting ! to the wicked, sad And terrible ! new horror seized them while They saw the saints withdrawing, and vsith them All hope of safety, all delay of wrath." THE CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. " Beneath a crown of rosy light — like that Which once in Goshen on the flocks, and herds. And dwellings, smiled, of Jacob, while the land Of Nile v,^as dark ; or like the pillar bright Of sacred fire, that stood above the sons Of Israel, when they camped at midnight by The foot of Horeb, or the desert side Of Sinai — ^now the righteous took their place ; All took their place who ever wished to go To heaven for heaven's own sake ; not one remained Among the accursed, that e'er desired with all The heart to be redeemed ; that ever sought Submissively to do the will of God, Howe'er it crossed his own ; or to escape Hell, for aught other than its penal fires. • All took their place rejoicing, and beheld. In centre of the crown of golden. beams That canopied them o'er, these gracious words. Blushing with tints of love : ' Fear not, my saints.' " THE WICKED BOUND. "To other sight of horrible dismay Jehovah's ministers the wicked drove, 284 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IX. To all below, by instinct bound to fate, Unmeriting alike reward or blame. " Thus free, the Devil chose to disobey The will of God, and was thrown out from heaven. And with him all his bad example stained ; Yet not to utter punishment decreed, But left to fill the measure of his sin. In tempting and seducing man ; too soon. Too easily seduced ! And from the day H» first set foot on earth — of rancor fiall. And pride, and hate, and malice, and revenge — He set himself, with most felonious aim. And hellish perseverance, to root out All good, and in its place to plant all ill ; To rob and raze, from all created things. The fair and holy portraiture divine. And on them to enstamp his features grim ; To draw all creatures off from loyalty To their Creator, and to make them bow The knee to him. Nor failed of great success, As populous hell this day can testify. He held,' indeed, large empire in the world. Contending proudly with the King of heaven. To him temples were built, and sacrifice Of costly blood upon his altars flowed ; A nd, what best pleased him — for in show he seemed Then likest God — whole nations bowing fell Before him, worshiping, and from his Ups Entreated oracles, which he by priests — For many were his priests in every age — • THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IX. 283 The rooks of hell repeat them evermore ; Loud echoed through the caverns of despair. And poured in thunder on the ear of Wo. " Nor ruined men alone beneath that cloud Trembled : there Satan and his legions stood ; Satan, the first and eldest sinner, bound For judgment : he, by other name, held once Conspicuous rank in heaven among the sons Of happiness, rejoicing day and night ; But pride, that was ashamed to bow to God * Most High, his bosom filled with hate, his face Made black- with envy, and in his soul begot Thoughts guilty of rebellion 'gainst the throne Of the Eternal Father and the Son, From everlasting built on righteousness. "Ask not how pride, in one created pure. Could grow; or sin without example spring. Where holiness alone was sown: esteem 't Enough that he, as every being made By God, was made entirely holy; had The will of God before Kim set for law And regulation of his Ufe ; and power To do as bid ; but was, meantime, left free. To prove his worth, his gratitude, his love. How proved besides? for how could service done, That might not else have been withheld, evince The will to serve, which, rather than the deed, God doth require, and virtue counts alone ? To stand or fall, to do or leave imdone. Is reason's lofty privilege, denied « Thus free, the Devil chose to disobey The will of God, and waa thrown out from heaven." 286 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IX. Did lie not sometimes venture to molest ; In dreams and moments of unguarded thouglit, Suggesting guilty doubts and fears, that Goil Would disappoint their hope ; and in their way Restrewing pleasures, tongued so sweet, and so lii holy garb arrayed, that many stooped, Delieving them of heavenly sort, and fell ; And to their high professions, brought disgrace And scandal : to themselves, thereafter, long And bitter nights of sore repentance, vexed With shame, unwonted sorrow, and remorse. And more they should have fallen, and more ha\e wept, Had not their guardian angels — wdio, by God Commissioned, stood beside them in the hour Of danger, whether craft or fierce attack. To Satan's deepest skill opposing skill More deep, and to his strongest arm, an arm More strong — upborne them in their hands, and filled Their souls with all discernment, quick, to pierce His stratagems and fairest shows of sin. " Now, like a roaring lion, up and down The world, destroying, though unseen, he raged : ;Vnd now, retiring back to Tartarus, Far back, beneath the thick of guiltiest dark, Where night ne'er heard of day, in council grim He sat, with ministers whose thoughts were dam ned. And there such plans devised, as, had not God Checked and restrained, had added earth entire To hell, and uninhabited left heaven. THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IX. 285 Answered, though guessing but at future things, And erring oft, yet still believed ; so well His ignorance, in ambiguous phrase, he vailed." THE TEMPTATIONS OF SATAN. " Nor needs it wonder, that witli man once fallen , His tempting should succeed. Large was his mind And understanding; though impaired by sin, Still large ; and constant practice, day and night. In cunning, guile, and all hypocrisy, From age to age, gave him experience vast In sin's dark tactics, such as boyish man. Unarmed by strength divine, could ill withstand. And well he knew his weaker side ; and still His lures with baits that pleased the senses busked : To his impatient passions offering terms Of present joy, and bribing reason's eye With earthly wealth, and honors near at hand ; Nor failed to misadvise his future hope And faith, by false unkerneled promises Of heavens of sensual gluttony and love. That suited best their grosser appetites. Into the sinner's heart, who lived secure, And feared him least, he entered at his will. But chief he chose his residence in courts. And conclaves, stirring princes up to acts Of blood and tyranny ; and moving priests To barter truth, and swap the souls of men For lusty benefices, and address Of lofty sounding. Nor the saints elect. Who walked with God, in virtue's path sublime, 2N 288 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IX. Of doing evil, perished quite ; his pride. His courage, failed him ; and beneath that cloud, Which hung its central terrors o'er his head. With all his angels, he for sentence stood, And rolled his eyes around, that uttered guilt And wo, in horrible perfection joined. As he had been the chief and leader, long. Of the apostate crew that warred with God And holiness ; so now, among the bad. Lowest, and most forlorn, and treanbling most. With all iniquity deformed and foul. With all perdition ruinous and dark. He stood — example awful of the wrath Of God ! sad mark, to whi^h all sin must fall ! — And made on every side so black a hell. That spirits, used to night and misery. To distance drew, and looked another way ; And from their golden cloud, far off, the saints Saw round him darkness grow more dark, and heard The impatient thunderbolts, with deadliest crash, And frequentest, break o'er his head^the sign That Satan there, the vilest sinner, stood. " Ah me ! what eyes were there beneath that cloud ! Eyes of despair, final and certain ! eyes That looked, and looked, and saw, where'er they looked. Interminable darkness ! utter wo ! " 'T was pitiful to see the early flower Nipped by the unfeeling frost, just when it rose. Lovely in youth, and put its beauties on : THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IX. 281 Jehovah unadored. Nor unsevere, Even then, his punishment deserved : the Worm That never dies, coiled in his bosom, gnawed Perpetually ; sin after sin, brought pang Succeeding pang; and nov\^ and then the- bolts Of Zion's King, vindictive, smote his soul With fiery w^o to blast his proud designs; And gave him earnest of the w^rath to come. And chief, when on the cross, Messiah said, "Tis finished,' did the edge of vengeance smite Him through, and all his gloomy legions touch With new despair. But yet, to be the first In mischief, to have armies at his call. To hold dispute with God, in days of Time His pride and malice fed, and bore him up Above the worst of ruin : still, to plan And act great deeds, tho' wicked, brought at least The recompense which nature hath attached To all activity, and aim pursued With perseverance, good or bad ; for as, By nature's laws, immutable and just, Enjoyment stops where indolence begins ; And purposeless, to-morrow borrowing sloth. Itself, heaps on its shoulders loads of wo, Too heavy to be borne ; so industry — To meditate, to plan, resolve, perform. Which in itself is good — as surely brings Reward of good, no matter what be done; And such reward the Devil had, as long As the decrees eternal gave him space To work : but now all action ceased ; his hope 290 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IX. From out the throat of the wild suicide : Sad was the sight of widowed, childless age Weeping ; I saw it once. Wrinkled with time, And hoary with the dust of years, an old And worthy man came to his humble roof. Tottering and slow, and on the threshold stood. No foot, no voice, was heard within ; none came To meet him, where he oft had met a wife. And sons, and daughters, glad at his return ; None came to meet him ; for that day had seen The old man lay within the narrow house The last of all his family; and now He stood in solitude — in solitude Wide as the world : for all that made to him Society, had fled beyond its bounds. Wherever strayed his aimless eye, there lay The wreck of some fond hope, that touched his sou With bitter thoughts, and told him all was past. His lonely cot was silent ; and he looked As if he could not enter; on his staff, Bending, he leaned ; and from his weary eye — Distressing sight ! — a single tear-drop wept. None followed, for the fount of tears was dry; Alone, and last, it fell from wrinkle down To wrinkle, till it lost itself, drunk by The withered cheek, on which again no smile Should come, or drop of tenderness be seen. This sight was very pitiful ; but one Was sadder still ; the saddest seen in Time :" THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IX. 289 'T was pitiful to see the hopes of all The year, the yellow harvest, made a heap. By rains of judgment ; or by torrents swept, With flocks and cattle, down the raging flood ; Or scattered by the winnowing winds, that bore Upon their angry wings the wrath of heaven : Sad was the field, where yesterday was heard The roar of war; and sad the sight of maid. Of mother, widow, sister, daughter, wife, Stooping and weeping over senseless, cold. Defaced, and mangled lumps of breathless earth. Which had been husbands, fathers, brothers, sons. And lovers, when that morning's sun arose : 'Twas sad to see the wonted seat of friend Removed by death : and sad to visit scenes, When old, where, in the smiling morn of Ufe, Lived many who both knew and loved us much. And they all gone, dead, or dispersed abroad ; And stranger faces seen among their hills: 'Twas sad to see the little orphan babe Weeping and sobbing on its mother's grave : 'Twas pitiful to see an old, forlorn. Decrepit, withered wretch — unhoused, unclad — Starving to death with poverty and cold : 'T was pitiful to see a blooming bride. That promise gave of many a happy year, Touched by decay, turn pale, and waste, and die : 'Twas pitiful to liear the murderous thrust Of ruffian's blade that sought the life entire : 'Twas sad to hear the blood come gurgling forth 292 THE COUJRSE OF TIME— BOOK IX. However small, some grains of happiness ; And man ne'er drank a cup of earthly sort, That might not held another drop of gaU; Or, in his deepest sorrow, laid his head Upon a pillow, set so close with thorns. That might not held another prickle still : Accordingly, the saddest humaji look Had hope in't; faint, indeed, but still 'twas hope. But why excuse the misery of earth ? Say it was dismal, cold, and dark, and deep. Beyond the utterance of strongest words ; But say that none remembered it, who saw The eye of beings damned for evermore ! Rolling, and rolling, and rolling still in v-ain. To find some ray, to see beyond the gulf Of an unavenued, fierce, fiery, hot. Interminable, dark Futurity ! And rolling still, and rolling still in vain ! " Thus stood the reprobate beneath the shade Of terror, and beneath the crown of love. The good; and there was silence in the vault Of heaven; and as they stood, and listened, they heard. Afar to left, among the utter dark. Hell rolling o'er his waves of burning fire ; And thundering through his caverns, empty then. As if he preparation made to act The final vengeance of the Fiery Lamb ; And there was heard, coming from out the Pit, The hollow wailing of Eternal Death, And horrid cry of the Undying Worm. THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IX. 291 THE MANIAC. " A man, to-day the glory of his kind — In reason clear, in understanding large. In judgment sounds in fancy quick, in hope Abundant, and in promise Uke a field Well cultured, and refreshed with dews from God — To-morrow, chained, and raving mad, and whipped By servile hands ; sitting on dismal straw, And gnashing with his teeth against the chain. The iron chain, that bound him hand and foot ; And trying whiles to send his glaring eye Beyond the wide circumference of his wo ; Or, humbling more, more miserable still, Giving an idiot laugh, that served to show The blasted scenery of his horrid face ; CalUng the straw his sceptre, and the stone. On which he pinioned sat, his royal throne. Poor, poor, poor man ! fallen far below the brute ! His reason strove in vain to find her way, Lost in the stormy desert of his brain ; And being active stiU, she wrought all strange, Fantastic, execrable, monstrous things." THE BOW OF SEPARATION PLACED. " All these were sad, and thousands more, that sleep Forgotten beneath the funeral pall of Time ; And bards, as well became, bewailed them much, With doleful instruments of weeping song. But what were these? What might be worse, had in't. THE COUESE OE TIME BOOK I. Analysis — ^The author invokes Heaven to accept "the incense oi hig praise," and supplicates the aid of the Holy Spirit, that he may " inter- pret faithfully" the numbers of the Ancient Bard, while describing the Day of Judgment. Suddenly was heard the sound of trumpets, and all the hosts of bliss were summoned " to presence of their King ;" the farthest worlds around also sent forth their inhabitants, and met at the Eternal Throne, when the voice of God announced the object of gathering together the assem- bled millions : the destiny of man is completed, the day of retribution come, and the generations of the earth collected at the place of final judgment. The Messiah is assigned his covenant office of Judge ; and taking the Book of God's Remembrance, the Crowns of Life, and the Sword of Justice, he moves forth in glory, and ascends the Throne, between the good and bad. In the midst of awful silence, a mighty angel opens the book, and with sincere conscience each one attests the record true. When the Judge rises to pronounce sentence, every breath is hushed, and every sphere and star, with every particle of matter, stand still. Upon the wicked the decree is pronounced, when, sinking in utter darkness, they return one groan of boundless wo, and heU closes over them for ever. The earth is then consumed by fire. Lastly, after a joyous welcome, the righteous receive their crowns, and ascend with the Judge, singing " Gloiy to God and to the Lamb !" PRAISE AND SUPPLICATION. r t God of my fathers ! holy, just, and good ! My God ! my Father ! my unfaiUng Hope Jehovah! let the incense of my praise, THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK IX. 293 " The wicked paler turned, and scarce the good Their color kept ; but were not long dismayed. That moment, in the heavens, how wondrous fair ! The angel of Mercy stood, and on the bad Turning his back, over the ransomed threw His bow, bedropped with imagery of love, And promises on which their faith reclined. Throughout, deep, breathless silence reigned again; And on the circuit of the upper spheres, A glorious seraph stood, and cried aloud. That every ear of man and devil heard, 'Him that is filthy, let be filthy stiU; Him that is holy, let be holy still !' And suddenly, another squadron bright. Of high arch-angel glory, stooping, brought A marvelous bow; one base upon the Cross, The other on the shoulder of the Bear They placed, from south to north spanning the heavens. And on each hand dividing good and bad. Who read on either side these burning words. Which ran along the arch in living fire. And wanted not to be believed in full : •As ye have sown, so shall ye reap this day.' " 296 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK X. Bursting at once upon my ravished eye. With joy unspeakable have filled my soul. And made my cup run over vv^ith delight ; Though in my face the blasts of adverse winds, While boldly circumnavigating man — Winds seeming adverse, though perhaps not so. Have beat severely — disregarded beat. When I behind me heard the voice of God, And his propitious Spirit say, "Fear not." God of my fathers ! ever-present God ! This offering more inspire, sustain, accept ! Highest, if numbers answer to the theme ; Best answering, if thy Spirit dictate most. Jehovah ! breathe upon my soul, my heart Enlarge, my faith increase, increase my hope. My thoughts exalt, my fancy sanctify. And all my passions, that I near thy tlirone May venture, unreproved ; and sing the day, Which none unholy ought to name, the Day Of Judgment ; greatest day, past or to come ; Day, which — deny me what thou wilt ; deny Me home, or friend, or honorable name — Thy mercy grant, I, thoroughly prepared. With comely garment of redeeming love. May meet, and have my Judge for Ad-vocate ! Come, gracious Influence ! Breath of the l^ord ! And touch me, trembling, as thou touched the man, Greatly beloved, when he in vision saw. By Ulai's stream, the Ancient sit, and talked With Gabriel, to his prayer swiftly sent. At evening sacrifice. Hold my right hand. THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK X. 295 Accepted, burn before thy mercy-seat, And in thy presence burn, both day and night. Maker! Preserver! my Redeemer ! God! Whom have I in the heavens but Thee alone ? On earth, but Thee, whom should I praise, whom love? For thou hast brought me hitherto, upheld By thy omnipotence ; and from thy grace — Unbought, unmerited, though not unsought — The wells of thy salvation, hast refreshed My spirit ; watering it at morn and even ! And by thy Spirit, which thou freely givest To whom thou wilt, hast led my venturous song Over the vale and mountain tract, the light And shade of man ; into the burning deep Descending now, and now circling the mount Where highest sits Divinity enthroned ; Rolling along the tide of fluent thought. The tide of moral, natural, divine ; Gazing on past and present; and again. On rapid pinion borne, outstripping Time, In long excursion, wandering through the groves Unfading, and the endless avenues That shade the landscape of eternity; And talking there with holy angels met. And future men, in glorious vision seen ! Nor unrewarded have I watched at night. And heard the drowsy sound of neighboring sleep. New thought, new imagery, new scenes of bliss And glory, unrehearsed by mortal tongue, Which, unrevealed, I trembling turned and left. 298 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK X. Day most magnificent in Fancy's range, Whence she returned, confounded, trembling, pale. With overmuch of glory faint and blind ; Day most important held, prepared for most. By every rational, wise, and holy man ; Day of eternal gain for worldly loss ; Day of eternal loss for worldly gain. Great day of terror, vengeance, wo, despair! Revealer of all secrets, thoughts, desires ! Rein-trying, heart-investigating day. Which stood between Eternity and Time, Reviewed all past, determined all to come, And bound all destinies for evermore. Believing day of unbelief! great day. Which set in proper light the affairs of earth, And justified the Government Divine ; Great day ! — What can we more ? what should we more? Great triumph day of God's incarnate Son ! Great day of glory to the Almighty God ! Day whence the everlasting years begin Their date ! new era in eternity ! And oft referred to in the song of heaven !" THE HOSTS OF HEAVEN SUMMONED. "Thus stood the apostate, thus the ransomed stood — Those held by justice fast, and these by love — Reading the fiery scutcheonry, that blazed On high, upon the great celestial bow : ' As ye have sown, so shall ye reap this day.' THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK X. 297 Almighty ! hear me : for I ask through Him Whom thou hast heard, whom thou wilt always hear, Thy Son, our interceding great High-priest. Reveal the future; let the years to come Pass by; and open my ear to hear the harp; The prophet harp, whose wisdom I repeat. Interpreting the voice of distant song. Which thus again resumes the lofty verse ; Loftiest, if I interpret faithfully The holy numbers which my spirit hears. THE DAY OF JUDGMENT. "Thus came the day," the Harp again began, " The day that many thought should never come ; That all the wicked wished should never come ; That all the righteous had expected long; Day greatly feared, and yet too httle feared By him who feared it most ; day laughed at much By the profane ; the trembling day of all Who laughed ; day when all shadows passed, all dreams ; When substance, when reality commenced : Last day of lying ; final day of all Deceit, all knavery, all quackish phrase ; Ender of all disputing, of all mirth Ungodly, of all loud and boasting speech. Judge of all judgments. Judge of every judge. Adjuster of all causes, rights and wrongs ; Day oft appealed to, and appealed to oft By those who saw its dawn with saddest heart ; 300 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK X. From every coast, filling Jehovah's courts. From morn till mid-day, in the squadrons poured Immense, along the bright celestial roads. Swiftly they rode : for love unspeakable To God and to Messiah, Prince of Peace, Drevr them, and made obedience haste to be Approved. And now before the Eternal Throne — Brighter that day than when the Son prepared To overthrow the seraphim rebelled — And circling round the mount of Deity, Upon the sea of glass all round about. And down the borders of the stream of Ufe, And over all the plains of Paradise, For many a league of heavenly measurement — •Assembled, stood the immortal multitudes, Millions above all number infinite. The nations of the blessed. Distinguished each. By chief of goodly stature blazing far — By various garb, and flag of various hue Streaming thro' heaven from standard lifted high — The arms and imagery of thousand worlds. Distinguished each, but all arrayed complete, In armor bright, of helmet, shield, and sword, And mounted all in chariots of fire ; A military throng, blent, not confused ; As soldiers on some day of great review. Burning in splendor of refiilgent gold, And ornament on purpose long devised For this expected day : distinguished each. But all accoutred as became their Lord And high occasion ; all in hoUness, THE COURSE OF TIME — BOOK X. 299 All read, all understood, and all believed ; Convinced of judgment, righteousness, and sin. " Meantime, the universe throughout was still ; The cope, above and round about, was calm ; And motionless beneath them lay the earth, Silent and sad, as one that sentence waits For flagrant crime : when suddenly was heard. Behind the azure vaulting of the sky. Above, and far remote from reach of sight. The sound of trumpets, and the sound of crowds. And prancing steeds, and rapid chariot-wheels. That from four quarters rolled, and seemed in haste Assembling at some place of rendezvous; And so they seemed to roll, with furious speed. As if none meant to be behind the first. Nor seemed alone : that day the golden trump, Whose voice, from centre to circumference Of all created things, is heard distinct, God had bid Michael sound, to summon all The hosts of bliss to presence of their King ; And, all the morning, millions infinite, That millions governed each. Dominions, Powers, Thrones, Principalities, with aU their hosts. Had been arriving near the capital And royal city. New Jerusalem, From heaven's remotest bounds. Nor yet from heaven Alone came they that day: the worlds around, Or neighboring nearest on the verge of night. Emptied, sent forth their whole inhabitants ; All tribes of being came, of every name, 302 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK X. Permitted, against the sword of Holiness ; To give to men and devils, as their works. Recorded in my all-rememb'ring book, I find : good to the good, and great reward Of everlasting honor, joy, and peace, Before my presence here for evermore ; And to the evil, as their sins provoke. Eternal recompense of shame and wo. Cast out beyond the bounds of light and love. " 'Long have I stood, as ye, my sons, well know, Between the cherubim, and stretched my arms Of mercy out, inviting all to come To me, and live ; my .bowels long have moved With great compassion ; and my justice passed Transgression by, and not imputed sin : Long here, upon my everlasting throne, I have beheld my love and mercy scorned ; Have seen my laws despised, my name blasphemed, My providence accused, my gracious plans Opposed : and long, too long, have I beheld The wicked triumph, and my saints reproached Maliciously, while on my altars lie. Unanswered still, their prayers and their tears. Which seek my coming, wearied with delay: And long Disorder in my moral reign Has walked rebelliously, disturbed the peace Of my eternal government, and wrought Confusion, spreading far and wide, among My works inferior, which groan to be Released. Nor long shall groan : the hour of grace, The final hour of grace, is fully past;, THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK X 301 The livery of the soldiery of God, Vested ; aad shining all with perfect bliss. The wages which his faithful servants win. "Thus stood they numberless around the mount Of presence ; and, adoring, waited, hushed In deepest silence, for the voice of God. That moment, all the Sacred Hill on high Burned terrible with glory, and behind The uncreated lustre hid the Lamb Invisible ; when, from the radiant ploud. This voice, addressing all the hosts of heaven. Proceeded ; not in words as we converse Each with his fellow, but in* language such As God doth use, imparting, without phrase Successive, what in speech of creatures seems Long narrative; .though long, yet losing much. In feeble symbols, of the thouglit Divine :" THE VOICE OF DEITY. " ' My servants long approved, my faithful sons ! Angels of glory. Thrones, Dominions, Powers ! Well pleased, this morning, I have seen the speed Of your obedience, gathering round my throne. In order due, and well-becoming garb ; Illustrious, as I see, beyond your wont. As was my wish, to glorify this day; And now what your assembUng means, attend. " 'This day concludes the destiny of man; The hour, appointed from eternity. To judge the earth, in righteousness, is come ; To end the war of Sin, that long has fought, O 304 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK X. As many as believed upon his name ? Did he not die to give repentance, such As I accept, and pardon of all sins ? Has he not taught, beseeched, and shed abroad The Spirit unconfined ; and given, at times, Example fierce of wrath and judgment, poured Vindictively on nations guilty long ? What means of reformation that my Son Has left behind untried ? What plainer words, What arguments more strong, as yet remain ? Did he not tell them, with his lips of truth, The righteous should be saved, the wicked, damned ? And has he not, awake both day and night. Here interceded with prevailing voice, At my right hand, pleading his precious blood. Which magnified my holy law, and bought. For all who wished, perpetual righteousness? And have not you, my faithful servants, all Been frequent forth, obedient to my will. With messages of mercy and of love. Administering my gifts to sinful man ? And have not all my mercy, all my love, Been sealed and stamped with signature of heaven ? By proof of wonders, miracles, and signs Attested, and attested more by truth Divine, inherent in the tidings sent ? This day declares the consequence of all. Some have believed, are sanctified, and saved ; Prepared for dwelling in this holy place, In these their mansions, built before my face ; And now beneath a crown of golden light. THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK X. 303, The time accepted for repentance, faith. And pardon, is irrevocably past ; And Justice, unaccompanied as wont With Mercy, now goes forth, to give to all According to their deeds. Justice alone ; For why should Mercy any more be joined ? What hath not mercy, mixed with judgment, done That mercy, mixed with judgment and reproof. Could do 1 Did I not revelation make, Plainly and clearly, of my will entire ? Before them set my holy law, and gave Them knowledge, wisdom, prowess, to obey, And win, by self-wrought works, eternal life ? Rebelled, did I not send them terms of peace. Which not my justice, but my mercy asked ? — Terms costly to my well-beloved Son ; To them gratuitous ; exacting faith Alone for pardon, works evincing faith ? Have I not early risen, and sent my seers. Prophets, apostles, teachers, ministers. With signs and wonders, working in my name ? Have I not still, from age to age, raised up. As I saw needful, great, religious men. Gifted by me with large capacity. And by my arm omnipotent upheld. To pour the numbers of my mercy forth. And roll my judgments on the ear of man ? And, lastly, when the promised hour was come — What more could most abundant mercy do '{ — Did I not send Immanuel forth, my Son, Only-begotten, to purchase, by his blood. 306 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK X. And thine, as most befitting, since in thee Divine and human meet, impartial Judge, Consulting thus the interest of both. Go, then, my Son, divine similitude ! Image express of Deity unseen ! The book of my remembrance take ; and take The golden crovrns of life, due to the saints ; And take the seven last thunders ruinous ; Thy armor take ; gird on thy sword, thy sword Of justice ultimate, reserved, till now Unsheathed, in the eternal armory ; And mount the living chariot of God. Thou goest not now, as once to Calvary, To be insulted, buflfeted, and slain ; Thou goest not now with battle, and the voice Of vrar, as once against the rebel hosts : Thou goest a Judge, and find'st the guilty bound : Thou goest to prove, condemn, acquit, revrard; Not unaccompanied : all these, my saints. Go w^ith thee, glorious retinue ! to sing Thy triumph, and participate thy joy; And I, the Omnipresent, with thee go; And with thee, all the glory of my throne.' " Thus said the Father ; and the Son beloved, Omnipotent, Omniscient, Fellow-God, Arose resplendent with Divinity ; And He the book of God's remembrance took ; And took the seven last thunders ruinous ; And took the crowns of Ufe, due to the saints ; His armor took ; girt on his sword, his sword Of justice ultimate, reserved, till now THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK X. 305 Beyond our wall, at place of judgment, they. Expecting, wait the promised due reward. The others stand with Satan bound in chains; The others, who refused to be redeemed; They stand, unsanctified, unpardoned, sad. Waiting the sentence that shall fix their wo. The others who refused to be redeemed ; For all had grace sufficient to believe. All who my gospel heard ; and none who heard It not, shall by its law this day be tried. Necessity of sinning, my decrees Imposed on none ; but rather all inclined To holiness ; and grace was bountiful. Abundant, overflowing with my word : My word of life and peace, which to all men. Who shall or stand or fall, by law revealed. Was offered freely, as 'twas freely sent. Without all money, and without all price. Thus, they have all, by willing act, despised Me, and my Son, and sanctifying Spirit. But now no longer shall they mock or scorn : The day of Grace and Mercy is complete. And Godhead from their misery absolved.' " So saying. He, the Father infinite. Turning, addressed Messiah, where he sat Exalted gloriously, at his right hand : ' This day belongs to justice, and to thee. Eternal Son ! thy right for service done Abundantly fiilfiUing all my will : By promise thine, from all eternity. Made in the ancient Covenant of Grace ; 308 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK X. By inward faith, with acclamations loud. Received the coming of the Son of Man ; And, drawn by love, inclined to his approach. Moving to meet the brightness of his face. " Meantime, 'tween good and bad, the Judge his wheels Stayed, and, ascending, sat upon the great White Throne, that morning founded there by power Omnipotent, and built on righteousness And truth. Behind, before, on every side, In native and reflected blaze of bright. Celestial equipage, the myriads stood. That with his marching came ; rank above rank. Rank above rank, with shield and flaming sword. " 'T was silence all ; and quick, on right and left, A mighty angel spread the book of God's Remembrance ; and, with conscience now sincere, All men compared the record written there, By finger of Omniscience, and received Their sentence, in themselves, of joy or wo ; Condemned or justified, while yet the Judge Waited, as if to let them prove themselves. The righteous, in the book of life displayed, Rejoicing, read their names ; rejoicing, read Their faith for righteousness received, and deed.s Of holiness, as proof of faith complete. The wicked, in the book of endless death. Spread out to left, bewailing, read their names ; And read beneath them, Unbelief, and fruit Of unbelief, vile, unrepented deeds, THE COU-RSE OF TIME— BOOK X. 307 Unsheathed, in the eternal armory ; And up the living chariot of God Ascended, signifying all complete. " And now the Trump of wondrous melody. By man or angel never heard before, Sounded with thunder, and the march began — Not swift, as cavalcade on battle bent. But, as became procession of a judge. Solemn, magnificent, majestic, slow — Moving sublime with glory infinite. And numbers infinite, and awful song. They passed the gate of heaven, which many a league Opened either way, to let the glory forth Of this great march. And now the sons of men Beheld their coming, which, before, they heard ; Beheld the glorious countenance of God ! All light was swallowed up ; all objects seen. Faded ; and the Incarnate, visible Alone, held every eye upon Him fixed ! The wicked saw his majesty severe ; And those who pierced Him, saw his face with clouds Of glory circled round, essential bright ! And to the rocks and, mountains called in vain. To hide them from the fierceness of his wrath : Almighty power their flight restrained, and held Them bound immovable before the bar. "The righteousj undismayed and bold — ^best proof This day of fortitude sincere — sustained 310 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK X. Where ye shall weep and wail for evermore, Reaping the harvest which your sins have sown.' " THE GROANS OF HELL. "So saying, God grew dark with utter -vvratli ; And drawing now the sword, undrawn before, Which through the range of infinite, all around, A gleam of fiery indignation threw. He lifted up his hand omnipotent. And down among the damned the burning edge Plunged; and from forth his an-owy quiver sent, Emptied, the seven last thunders ruinous, Which, entering, withered all their souls with fire. Then first was vengeance, first was ruin seen ! Red, unrestrained, vindictive, final, fierce ! They, howling, fled to west among the dark ; But fled not these the terrors of the Lord : Pursued, and driven beyond the Gulf, which frowns Impassable between the good and bad. And downward far remote to left — oppressed And scorched with the avenging fires, begun Burning within them — they upon the verge Of Erebus, a moment, pausing stood, And saw, below, the unfathomable lake. Tossing with tides of dark, "tempestuous wrath ; And would have looked behind; but greater wrath Behind forbade, which now no respite gave To final misery. God, in the grasp Of his ahnighty strength, took them upraised, And threw them down, into the yawning pit Of bottomless perdition, ruined, damned. THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK X. 309 Now unrepentable for evermore ; And gave approval of the wo aflSxed." THE WICKED SENTENCED. "This done, the Omnipotent, Omniscient Judge, Rose infinite, the sentence to pronounce, The sentence of eternal wo or bliss ! All glory heretofore seen or conceived ; All majesty, annihilated, dropped That moment from remembrance, and was lost ; And silence, deepest hitherto esteemed. Seemed noisy to the stillness of this hour. Comparisons I seek not, nor should find If sought : that silence, which all being held. When God's Almighty Son, from off the walls Of heaven the rebel angels threw, accursed — So still, that all creation heard their fall Distinctly, in the lake of burning fire — Was now forgotten, and every silence else. All being rational, created then, Around the judgment-seat, intensely listened ; No creature breathed; man, angel, devil, stood, And listened; the spheres stood still, and every star Stood still, and listened ; and every particle Remotest in the womb of matter, stood. Bending to hear, devotional and still. And thus upon the wicked, first, the Judge Pronounced the sentence, written before of old: ' Depart from me, ye cursed, into the fire Prepared eternal in the Gulf of Hell, 20 312 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK X. Condemns them. What could be done, as thou hast heard, Has been already done : all has been tried. That wisdom infinite, and boundless grace. Working together, could devise, and all Has failed. Why now succeed? Though God should stoop. Inviting still, and send his Only Son To oifer grace in hell, the pride that first Refused, would still refuse ; the unbelief. Still unbelieving, would deride and mock ; Nay, more : refuse, deride, and mock ; for sin. Increasing still, and growing day and night Into the essence of the soul, become All sin, makes what in time seemed probable — Seemed probable, since God invited then — For ever now impossible. Thus they. According to the eternal laws which bind All creatures, bind the Uncreated One — Though we name not the sentence of the Judge - Must daily grow in sin and punishment. Made by themselves their necessary lot. Unchangeable to all eternity. "What lot! what choice ! I sing not, cannot sing. Here, highest seraphs tremble on the lyre. And make a sudden pause ! But thou hast seen." And here the bard a moment held his hand. As one who saw more of that horrid wo Than words could utter ; and again resumed. THE COURSE OF TIME — BOOK X. gU Fast bound in chains of darkness evermore ; And Second Death, and the Undying Worm, Opening their horrid jaws, with hideous yell, Falling, received their everlasting prey. A groan returned, as down they sunk, and sunk, And ever sunk, among the utter dark ! A groan returned: the righteous heard the groan; The groan of all the reprobate, when first They felt damnation sure, and heard hell close ! Arid heard Jehovah and his love retire ! A groan returned ! the righteous heard the groan ; As if all misery, all sorrow, grief — All pain, all anguish, afl despair, which all Have suffered, or shall feel, from first to' last Eternity — had gathered to one pang, And issued in one groan of boundless wo !" HELL CLOSED FOR EVER, "And now the wall of hell, the outer wall, First gateless then, closed round them ; that which thou Hast seen, of fiery adamant, emblazed With hideous imagery, above all hope, Above all flight of fancy, burning high ; And guarded evermore by Justice, turned To Wrath, that hears, unmoved, the endless groan Of those wasting within j and sees, unmoved, The endless tear of vain repentance fall. " Nor ask if these shall ever be redeemed. They never shall : not God, but their own sin. 314 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK X. ,The fuel, burnt to ashes, was consumed. So burned the earth upon that dreadful day ; Yet not to full annihilation burned : The essential particles of dust remained. Purged by the final, sanctifying fires, From all corruption ; from all stain of sin. Done there by man or devil, purified. The essential particles remained, of which God built the world again, renewed, improved. With fertile vale, and wood of fertile bough ; And streams of milk and honey, flowing song ; And mountains cinctured with perpetual green ; In clime and season fruitful, as at first. When Adam woke, unfallen, in Paradise. And God, from out the fount of native light, A handful took of beams, and clad the sun Again in glory ; and sent forth the moon To borrow thence her wonted rays, and lead Her stars, the virgin daughters of the sky. And God revived the winds, revived the tides ; And touching her fromTiis Almighty hand. With force centrifugal, she onward ran. Coursing hen wonted path, to stop no more. Delightful scene of new inhabitants ! As thou, this morn, in passing hither, saw'st." THE RIGHTEOUS CONDUCTED TO GLORY. " This done, the glorious Judge, turning to right, With countenance of love unspeakable. Beheld the righteous, and approved them thus : ' Ye blessed of my Father, come ; ye just, Enter the joy eternal of your Lord ; THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK X. 3^3 THE EARTH DESTROYED AND RENOVATED. " Nor yet had vengeance done. The guilty earth, Inanimate, debased, and stained by sin. Seat of rebeUion, of corruption, long. And tainted with mortality throughout, God sentenced next ; and sent the final fires Of ruin forth, to burn and to destroy. The saints its burning saw; and thou may'st see. Look yonder, round the lofty golden walls And galleries of New Jerusalem, Among the imagery of wonders past ; Look near the southern gate ; look, and behold. On spacious canvas, touched with living hues. The Conflagration of the ancient earth. The handiwork of high archangel, drawn From memory of what he saw that day. See how the mountains, how the valleys burn ! The Andes burn, the Alps, the Apennines ; Taurus and Atlas, all the islands burn ; The Ocean burns, and rolls his waves of flame. See how the lightnings, barbed, red with wrath. Sent from the quiver of Omnipotence, Cross and recross the fiery gloom, an^ burn Into the centre ! burn without, within. And help the native fires, which God awoke. And kindled with the fury of his wrath. As inly troubled, now she seems to shake ; The flames, dividing, now a moment fall ; And now in one conglomerated, mass. Rising, they glow on high, prodigious blaze ! Then fall and sink again, as if, within, 316 THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK X. Their living Head, into the Holy Place. Behold the daughter of the King, the bride. All glorious within ! the bride adorned. Comely in broidery of gold ! behold, She comes — appareled royally, in robes Of perfect righteousness; fair as the sun; With all her virgins, her companions fair — Into the Palace of the King she comes ! She comes to dwell for evermore ! Awake, Eternal harps ! awjake, awake, and sing ! The Lord, the Lord, our God Almighty, reigns ! " Thus the Messiah, with the hosts of bUss, Entered the gates of heaven — ^unquestioned now — Which closed behind them, to go out no more. And stood accepted in his Father's sight ; Before the glorious, everlasting throne. Presenting all his saints ; not one was lost. Of all that he in Covenant received : And, having given the kingdom up, he sat, Where now he sits and reigns, on the right hand Of glory ; and our God is aU in all." THE CONCLUSION. " Thus have I sung beyond thy first request, RolHng my numbers o'er the track of man. The world at dawn, at mid-day, and decline ; Time gone, the righteous saved, the wicked damped, And God's eternal government approved." THE COURSE OF TIME— BOOK X. 315 Receive your crowns, ascend, and sit with Me, At God's right hand, in glory evermore.' " Thus said the omnipotent, incarnate God ; And waited not the homage of the crowns. Already thrown before him ; nor the loud Amen of universal, holy praise ; But turned the living chariot of fire. And swifter now — as joyful to declare This day's proceedings in his Father's court, And to present the number of his sons Before the throne — ascended up to heaven. And aU his saints, and all his angel bands, As, glorious, they on high ascended, sung * Glory to God, and to the Lamb ! ' they sung, ' Messiah, fairer than the sons of men, And altogether lovely. Grace is poured Into thy lips, above all measure poured ; And therefore God hath blessed thee evermore. Gird, gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O thou Most Mighty ! with thy glory ride ; with all Thy majesty, ride prosperously, because Of meekness, truth, and righteousness. Thy throne, O God, for ever and for ever stands ; The sceptre of thy kingdom still is right ; Therefore hath God, thy God, anointed Thee, With oil of gladness and perfumes of myrrh, Out of the ivory palaces, above Thy fellows, crowned the Prince of endless peace.' " Thus sung they God their Saviour j and them- selves Prepared complete to enter now with Christ, 318 CONTENTS. Charity, the Beauties of Childhood, the Joys and Sports of Christian's Solaces, the Contest, the Christian's Creation of the Earth , Crown of Righteousness, the Custom no Excuse for Sin Day of Judgment, the Dead Awakened, the Death-Bed, the Death, Eternal , Death, the Annihilation of Deceived Undeceived, the , Deeds of Life Indellibly Recorded Delight, Diversified Sources of Disappointment Doubtsj all Dispelled . Dreams Duelist, the Earth after the Millenium Earth, the Dissolution of. Foreshadowed Earth, the Destruction and Renovation of Earthly Distinctions Unknown in Heaven Envy, Characteristics of Epicure, the Faith, the Christian Fall of Man False Creeds, Fatality of Fame, Earthly Fame, Futile Strife for Fashion, Votaries of Freedom and Slavery Free Grace offered to all Friendship Futurity, Consciousness of Gathering for Judgment Gold, Thirst for Grace of God Omnipotent Groans of Hell . 199 67 40 310 CONTENTS. Adam and Eve Acquisitions, Vain Albion and Scotia Ambition Amusements, Innocent Amusements, Criminal . Ancient Dead, the Animals, Brute, in Millenium . Antiquary, the Apostrophe to Bigotry Death Earth Ocean Religion — - Trees and Flowers Arctic Voyager, the Atheism Atonement Devised, the Author, supposed Sketch of the Babylon, the Fall of Bard of Earth, Character of the Bard of Earth, Visit to the Battle in Hamonah's Vale . Beggar, the Beast, Destruction of the Bible, Light of the Bible, Perversion of the Bible, Truth and the . Bigot, the . Bigotry, Characteristics of Bliss, the Poet's, in Lonely Eevery Books and Authors Bow of Separation at Judgment, the PAfiF, 33,207 54 142 170 139 174 203 162 78, 223 227 213 166 210 2.')2 202 207 79 35 90 156 25 23 156 115 154 40 4t 59 225 227 139 108 291 320 CONTENTS Nature, the Dissolution of Nature, Lessons taught by . Noble Poet, the Nothing, the Regions of . Ocean, the Old Age, Childish . Omens preceding Earth's Destruction Oiator, the Frothy . Paradise, Picture of Patriot, the Perplexity of the Bard . Perverseness of Man Philosopher, the Christian Pleasures, Fallacious Poets in Heaven Power, the Lust of . Praise and Supplication . Pride and its Attendants Priest, the False and Unfaithful ; Promises of Religion Fulfilled Prophecy Fulfilled Prophecy, Realization of Providence, Inscrutability of Punishment of the Wicked, Remediless Ranks, all Earthly, Disregarded Recapitulation of the Horrors of Hell Recluse, the Redemption, Glories of Religion, Laxity in Remorse Response to Heavenly Praise Rest, the Joys of Resurrection, Morning of the Riches and Poverty . Righteous Conducted to Glory . Righteous Ruler, the Rulers, Just and Unjust Rumor and her Satellites Rustic, the Simple 16, 81 119 19 210 290 176 169 15 264 255 38 260 69 268 97 294 55 51, 244 252 152 278 110 311 220 26 225 54 169 8e 188 144 191 114 314 263 49 241 76 CONTENTS. 319 Happiness, Haunts of Heavenly Pastimes Heaven, Movements in Hell, the Horrors of Hell Closed for ever Hero, the Hope Hosts of Heaven Summoned, the Human Heart, the Hymn before the Throne Hypocrite, the Idolatry Impartiality of God . Incredible Apathy of Mankind Individual Responsibility Indolent, the Intellectual Endowments Invocation, the Poet's Irreligion, Causes of . Joys of Time, the Judgment, Assembly for King, the Knowledge, Heavenly Living Changed, the Love, Giod's Wondrous Love, Redeeming Ixjve, the Sum of all Bliss Lovers, Meeting of Lunatic, the . Man, Character of Maniac, the Metamorphose, the Millenium, the Minister, the Faithful . Miser, the . Missionaries, the Mortal to Immortal Changed Mother, the Dying 322 CONTENTS. Visions, the Poet's ...... IBS Voice of Deity, the . . ■ . . .301 Warnings, Disregarded by Men . . . . 179 Welcome, the Heavenly ..... 17 Wickedness, Epoch of . . . . • 173 Wickedness, Increase of . . • • • . IKl Wicked Bound, the 281 Wicked and Righteous Revealed . • • .218 Wicked Sentenced, the .... • 3n9 Widow, the .146 Wife, the Exemplary ..... 234 Wisdom, All-pervading . . . • .81 Worm, the Undying . . . . .20.311 Youth, Suddenly Nipped .... 274 Zion, Regarded in Millenium . . • lou THE EV0. CONTENTS. 321 Sabbath of all the Earth . SadJucce at the Resurrection Saints, tempted and harassed by Satan Satan, Character and Attributes of . Scenery of the Earth Scepticism, the Incongruities of Sceptic, the Scholar, the Dull Seduction, the Victim of Sentence, the Final . Separation at the Judgment Sights, Pitiful Sin, Inexplicableness of Sin contrasted with Virtue Slanderer, the . Slavery Sloth . S'olitude, the Pleasures of Student, the Religious Suicide, the . Temptations of Satan, the . Theatre, the Throne, the White Time and Eternity . , Time, the End of . . , Tree of Holiness . . . Trinity, the . . . , Truth, the Mirror of . Tjrranny and the Beast, evil day of . Unbelief, the Cause of Final Wo Unbeliever, the ... Union of Soul and Body at the Resurrection Vain Pursuits of Men Vegetable and Animal Life, Extinction of Villany, Polished Virtue, Imperfect except in Heaven . Virtue, the Omnipresence of