The self-devoted. Still in Ganges flood Besotted myriads seek for health, and life, And pardon, and beatitude. On earth The Fakir lies, and still, with eyelids shorn, Looks at the sun on his meridian throne, And deems his tortures virtue. Britain, say, Where are thy temples, where thy white-rob'd priests, Thy bloodless altars, and thy sacred creeds? Hast thou no true ablution to despoil
Ganges of worship? no pure lite, no prayer, No adjuration, from his trance cf pain
To rouse the Fakir? no consoling chant
To tell the widow her Redeemer lives,
And snatch her from the flames? O teach those groves,— Rich with redundant beauty, fragrance, fruit,
And shade salubrious, all the swelling pomp
Of Asiatic foliage,-teach those groves To echo other sounds than Bramah's name, And other incantations! Be the songs Of Sion heard from fertile Malabar To sandy Arcot, to the beauteous shores Of rich Orissa, and Bengal, profuse
Of all life needs, save that for which we live. O spread those echoes o'er the peaceful seas, Peopled with barks innumerous! Let them sound In every spicy isle, and palm-crown'd bay, Where commerce spreads her tent, or stays her oar. Wherever waves thy banner, bid it shade. The house of God; where'er thy tongue is heard, O let it, like an angel's trumpet, tell
Messiah's kingdom of good-will and peace, Friendship and truth to man; to God the rites Of firm obedience, gratitude, and love. Exalt the full hosanna, till it soars High as the lofty mountains of the moon, And wakens Afric's savage genius, there In gloomy state reposing; bid him yield His bloody banquets, and his demon-gods; Call on the tawny Moor to lay aside
That sensual creed which binds him to afflict, And hate, the Christian. Teach Canadian tribes, Who wander vast Columbia's northern wilds, To hope a better heav'n than that they paint, Areskoui's gift beyond the lakes, compos'd Of forests stor'd with game, and sunny plains. But chief, O guilt! O grief! lasting disgrace To thy renown to say, 'tis yet undone ! Teach those whom Afric's vices, or thine own, Have made thy captives-those who ceaseless toil Beneath a burning sun, to swell thy marts
Inquires why he is pitied, and what means Maternal love, a tie to him unknown.
So when the fall'n Emathian race through Rome Walk'd in captivity, a dolorous band,
Young Perseus, laughing in his nurse's arms, Seem'd to enjoy the triumph. Ruthless hearts, Who mock'd a king in chains, yearn'd to behold The sportive babe, unconscious of his wrongs, Enjoy the pageantry which told his doom, A slave, an orphan, not Achaia's lord.
THE DIFFUSION OF CHRISTIANITY.
BRITAIN, native isle, whose triumphs warm My breast with ardour, for whose wrongs I mourn And with a woman's weakness shuddering hear Thy dangers! Queen of ocean! with regret I must accuse thee, tho' thy victor-flag Flames like a steady cynosure to shew A darkling world the port where liberty, Honour, and truth, their votive altars guard Bears not that banner, in its ample field, The Christian symbol? Christian are thy hosts, And on the word of God thy Christian crown Recumbent lies. Why then like Carmel's churl, Withhold thy living waters, and thy bread Of life from hungry strangers, subject now To all thy laws, except thy laws divine?
Art thou the nation maritime, beheld Long since by Amos' son in vision clear, Beyond the Ethiopic floods, with wings Protecting other lands, and sending forth Her fragile vessels over distant seas? And shall the awful mandate to collect Israel oppress'd and scatter'd and to bear The converts to their God in Palestine, Be to thy care intrusted? Sanctify Thyself for the high mission, and become In purpose, as in fact, heav'n's minister.
Say, shall thy red-cross standard wave sublime O'er golden Inde, and Satan's idol-holds Feel not its influence? Still the blazing pyres Proclaim where superstition immolates
The self-devoted. Still in Ganges flood Besotted myriads seek for health, and life, And pardon, and beatitude. On earth The Fakir lies, and still, with eyelids shorn, Looks at the sun on his meridian throne, And deems his tortures virtue. Britain, say,
Where are thy temples, where thy white-rob'd priests, Thy bloodless altars, and thy sacred creeds?
Hast thou no true ablution to despoil
Ganges of worship? no pure lite, no prayer,
No adjuration, from his trance of pain
To rouse the Fakir? no consoling chant
To tell the widow her Redeemer lives,
And snatch her from the flames? O teach those groves,— Rich with redundant beauty, fragrance, fruit, And shade salubrious, all the swelling pomp
Of Asiatic foliage,-teach those groves To echo other sounds than Bramah's name, And other incantations! Be the songs Of Sion heard from fertile Malabar To sandy Arcot, to the beauteous shores Of rich Orissa, and Bengal, profuse
Of all life needs, save that for which we live. O spread those echoes o'er the peaceful seas, Peopled with barks innumerous! Let them sound In every spicy isie, and palm-crown'd bay, Where commerce spreads her tent, or stays her oar. Wherever waves thy banner, bid it shade
The house of God; where'er thy tongue is heard, O let it, like an angel's trumpet, tell Messiah's kingdom of good-will and peace, Friendship and truth to man; to God the rites Of firm obedience, gratitude, and love. Exalt the full hosanna, till it soars High as the lofty mountains of the moon, And wakens Afric's savage genius, there In gloomy state reposing; bid him yield His bloody banquets, and his demon-gods; Call on the tawny Moor to lay aside
That sensual creed which binds him to afflict, And hate, the Christian. Teach Canadian tribes, Who wander vast Columbia's northern wilds, To hope a better heav'n than that they paint, Areskoui's gift beyond the lakes, compos'd Of forests stor'd with game, and sunny plains. But chief, O guilt! O grief! lasting disgrace To thy renown to say, 'tis yet undone ! Teach those whom Afric's vices, or thine own, Have made thy captives-those who ceaseless toil Beneath a burning sun, to swell thy marts $ 2
With produce exquisite; those most forlorn, Whom thou hast reft of country, and disjoin'd From nature's ties; O teach those men of woes, The God thou worshippest. So when they sit, Their labour ended, musing on the plains Of Guinea, or on Benin's cooling palms, Till sorrow kindles vengeance, and they dare To brave, by crime, the tortures which they deem Will send them to the realms so lov'd, so mourn'd— Visions more mild may rise, list'ning the themes Of heavenly mercy, and eternal rest
To deep affliction. Down their glossy cheeks Shall stream the tears of piety and joy, Dews of an ardent heart, producing now Far nobler passions than revenge and hate.
O Britain cleanse thy glory from this stain, Of nations most illustrious! Blush to hear That Lusitanian and Castilian kings
First labour'd in their colonies to fix
The canker'd scion they mistaking deem'd
The tree of life; whilst thou, in whose bless'd soil It grows redundant, check'd by counsels cold, Selfish, or atheistical, hast giv'n
To the true plant no culture, nor convey'd Its fruit to distant regions. Hangs the sword Of desolation o'er thy head, scarce staid
From hewing down thy greatness? Are thy sons Torn from the walks of peace, thy treasure drain'd And thy vast genius circumscrib'd with laws Abhorrent to thy nature, but impos'd
By the stern times, and wilt thou not inquire
How thou hast sinn'd to Heav'n, nor weep th' offence.
Of cold indifference in a sacred cause ?
Yet, Britain, know, whether thy hallow'd hand Shall usher in the dawn, or, fearful still,
Curtain its beams, the sun of truth shall rise, Shine from the orient, light those scatter'd isles, Which, like green emeralds, sparkle on the breast Of the Pacific and Atlantic seas,
Blazing from Greenland to the southern pole, O'er Apalachian mountains, on the top Of Andes, on the high Riphoan rocks, O'er the long chain which shoots from Caucasus To sea-wash'd Anadir; where India's hills
Stop the monsoon's strong current, to the heights Of Ethiopia, where the Nile collects Her waters inexhaustible, shall sound The echoing lauds of universal man
Hymning one common God, the God of peace, And purity, and fellowship, and love.
THE BATTLE OF THE TITANS.
[From Mr. ELTON's Translation of Hesiod.]
TE ceas'd. The gift-dispensing Gods around Heard, and in praise assented: nor till then So burn'd each breast with ardour to destroy. All on that day roused infinite the war, Female and male: the Titan Deities,
The Gods from Saturn sprung, and those whom Jove From subterraneous gloom released to light : Terrible, strong, of force enormous; burst A hundred arms from all their shoulders huge : From all their shoulders fifty heads upsprang O'er limbs of sinewy mould. They then array'd Against the Titans in fell combat stood, And in their nervous grasp wielded aloft Precipitous rocks. On th' other side alert The Titan Phalanx clos'd: then hands of strength Join'd prowess, and display'd the works of war. Tremendous then th' immeasurable sea
Roar'd; earth resounded: the wide heaven throughout Groan'd shattering: from its base Olympus vast Reel'd to the violence of Gods: the shock Of deep concussion rock'd the dark abyss Remote of Tartarus: the shrilling din Of hollow tramplings, and strong battle-strokes, And measureless uproar of wild pursuit. So they reciprocal their weapons hurl'd Groan-scattering; and the shout of either host Burst in exhorting ardour to the stars
Of heaven; with mighty war-cries either host Encountering clos'd.
Nor longer then did Jove Curb his full power; but instant in his soul There grew dilated strength, and it was fill'd With his omnipotence. At once he loos'd His whole of might, and put forth all the God. The vaulted sky, the mount Olympian, flash'd With his continual presence; for he pass'd Incessant forth, and scattered fires on fires. Hurl'd from his hardy grasp the lightnings flew Reiterated swift; the whirling flash Cast sacred splendour, and the thunderbolt Fell: roar'd around the nurture-yielding earth In conflagration, far on every side Th' immensity of forest crackling blaz'd :
Yea, the broad earth burn'd red, the streams that mix With ocean, and the deserts of the sea,
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