To Noah, for a sign the Flood was gone;

And, lo! the Ark still nearest Heaven sat,

Like a proud Monarch on his earthly throne,
Upon the pinnacles of Ararat!

Then God commanded Noah to go forth;

And, with him, all things that were in the Ark.

And he, and his, were blessed, of Heavenly Worth,
Beyond all understanding! And the Lark

Sung loud his mounting hymn of praise and love:
And all the other song-birds joined in one

Great swell of minstrelsy, that waked the Grove
From her long rest, to meet the smiling Sun,
Which, in his brightest glory, showering threw
His wealth of golden light upon the sod,

Where, 'midst this wond'rous harmony, anew,

Man once more raised an altar to his GOD!

And Noah found great favour in the sight

Of the MOST HIGH, and, for his love, all things

That walked and crawled upon the earth-of flight

And all the finny tribes the river brings

Or the great sea contains, to man were given,

To be by him controlled and subjugate:

And, for his use, dominion under Heaven,

O'er all in Earth remained, interminate.
And GoD a covenant established,

With Man, that He would ne'er again infold
The world with waters of a flood; and said,
"In token of this covenant, behold!

When I shall bring a cloud over the earth,
There will I set my bow!" and still 'tis seen,
In many-coloured beauty, prism'd-birth,
When sets the gorgeous Sun to rest at e'en,
In the great rain-cloud as it sails in space
Full laden with its treasure, from the sea
Caught up, to fertilize the land-there trace

GOD's promise made to all posterity.

And all things had increased, and multiplied :

And man knew but one language; and, at length,

He grew in worldly consequence and pride.

Forgetful of his MAKER's word; in strength

Of very wayward wilfulness, he dared,
In dread presumption, to upraise on high

A mighty Tower, whose vast summit reared

Its impious head to Heaven, irreverently,

As Man's defiance to his MAKER'S will

To drown the world again! Then, on his tongue Fell down confusion; that at once did fill

The earth with language various; and among

All men, not one did know his fellow's speech: And they left off to build this City, strange,

Of Babel, and were scattered, each from each, O'er the broad surface of the world's wide range. Thus was all concord in the land, for ill,

Destroyed, and broken. Man, his several way,

Departed, and was separate; and still

It is the same, down to this very day!

And wars, and rumours of great wars, had died, And were again renewed. The soil had grown Full rich with murdered victims; and the tide Of wasteful blood and cruelty, was strewn

For did the nations bend beneath one rod,

And own one earthly master-where the gain?— When there would still exist a Power, high

Above his own, that, with a thought, strikes down,

And levels with the dust, the tyranny

Would win with human blood a worthless crown!

Oh! dread impiety, that takes a life

From GOD! cuts off a mind- -a sea of thought

That rolls to greatest actions, midst the strife

Of warring elements, together brought

In this fair frame; which, by especial grace,

Is after formed in the celestial mould

Of HIM we guess of, through the human face,

Lit with Divine Intelligence, as told

In every feature His impression sealed!

Oh! impious, then, to smite the Cherubim!

A Life, man has no right to claim,—nor yield,
Except at His behest Who gave it him!

I call upon Thee, thou most perfect man,
Who followed in thy MAKER's footsteps, through

A sinless and long-honoured life,—that can

Be granted, in great wisdom, unto few,

The place of thy so dear-loved child, and spread

A perfume of sweet holiness, denied

To us, by distance through the myriad dead.

That form the surface of the wond'rous way,

Old time and Nature, in close unity,

Are working, outward still, to that Great Day,

Shall teach us of a bright Eternity!