Let Yaith arise, and climb the hills, “ Testor paternum Numen, et hoc caput And from afar descry Æquale testor," dixit; et ætheris How distant are his chariot-wheels, Inclinat ingens culmen, alto And tell how fast they fly. Desiliitque ruens Olympo. Lo, I behold the scattering shades, Mortale corpus impiger induit The dawn of Heaven appears, Artusque nostros, heu tenues nimis The sweet immortal morning spreads Nimisque viles ! Vindicique Corda dedit fodienda ferro. Vitamque morti : Proh dolor! O graves Tonandis iræ ! O Lex satis aspera ! The trumpet shakes the ground. Mercesque peccati severa Adamici, vetitique fructus. Non pæna lenis ! Quò, ruis impotens ! Quò, Musa ! largas fundere lacrymas, Salute th' expected day. Bustique divini triumphos They leave the dust, and on the wing Sacrilego temerare fletu? Rise to the middle air, Sepone questus, læta Deum cane In shining garments meet their King, Majore chordà. Psalle sonoriùs And low adore him there. Ut ferreas Mortis cavernas O may my huinble spirit stand Et rigidam pepetravit aulam. Among them cloth'd in white ! Sensêre Numen regna feralia, The meanest place at his right hand Mugit barathrum, contremuit chaos, Is infinite delight Dirum fremebat rex Gehennæ, Perque suum tremebundus orcum. Latè refugit, “ Nil agis, impie, Mergat vel imis te Phlegethon vadis, Et patrios jaculatus ignes. Umbræque flammas æthereas pavent Dudum perosæ, ex quo corusco Præcipites cecidere cælo. Immane rugit jam tonitru ; fragor Te, magna magni progenies Patris, Latè ruinam mandat: ab infimis Nomen verendum nostri Jesu Lectæque designata genti Vox citharæ, calami sonabunt. Tartara disjiciuntur antris. Aptentur auro grandisonæ fides, Heic strata passim vincula, et heic jacent Christi triumphos incipe barbite, Unci cruenti, tormina mentium Fractosque terrores Averni, Invisa ; ploratuque vasto Spicula Mors sibi adempta plangit, En, ut resurgit victor ab ultimo Ditis profundo, curribus aureis Gaudia mille bibens Jesus; Astricta raptans monstra noctis Perdomitumque Erebi tyrannum, Quanta angelorum gaudia jubilant Victor paternum dum repetit polum ; Heu nimium miseros nepotes ! En qualis ardet, dum beati Vidit minaces vindicis angeli Limina scandit ovans Olympi! Ignes et ensem, telaque sanguine Io triumphe plectra seraphica, T'ingenda nostro, dum rapina Io triumphe Grex Hominum sonet, Spe fremuere Erebæa monstra, Dum læta quaquaversus ambos Astra repercutiunt triumphos. Æthereum calet igne pectus. SUI-IPSIUS INCREPATIO. EPIGRAMMA. CORPORE cur hæres, Wattsi? cur incola terra? * Mergantur undis, et redeat chaos : Quid cupis indignum, mens habitare lutum? Ant ipse disperdam Satanæ dolos, Te caro mille malis premit; hinc juvenes gravat Aut ipse disperdar, et isti artus Sceptra dabo moderanda dextræ. | Languor, et hinc vegetus crimina sanguis alit. THE Cura, amor, ira, dolor mentem malè distrahit; 1 Here I put off the chains of Deatk auceps My soul too long has worn : Undique adest Satanas retia sæva struens. - Friends, I forbid one groaning breath, Suspice ut æthereum signant tibi nutibus astra Or tear to wet my urn. Tramitem, et aula vocat parta cruore Dei. Raphael, behold me all undrest, Te manet Uriel dux; et tibi subjicit alas Here gently lay this flesh to rest ; Stellatas Seraphin officiosa cohors. Then mount, and lead the path unknown, Te superûm chorus optat amans, te invitat lesus, Swift I pursue thee, flaming guide, on pinions of “ Huc ades, et nostro tempora conde sinû.” my own. Verè amat ille lutum quem nec dolor aut Satan arcet Inde, nec alliciunt Angelus, Astra, Deus. HUNDREDTH EPIGRAM OF CASIMIRE. ON SAINT ARDALIO, Who from a stage-player became a Christian, EXCITATIO CORDIS CŒLUM VERSUS. and suffered martyrdom. 1694. Ardalio jeers, and in his comic strains Heu quot sêcla teris carcere corporis, The mysteries of our bleeding God profanes, Wattsi ? quid refugis limen et exitum? While his loud laughter shakes the painted scenes. Nec mens æthereum culmen, et atria Heaven heard, and straight around the smoking Magni Patris anhelitat ? throne Corpus vile creat mille molestias, The kindling lightning in thick flashes shone, Circum corda volant et dolor, et metus, And vengeful thunder murmur'd to be gone. Peccatumque malis durius omnibus Mercy stood near, and with a smiling brow [you; Cæcas insidias struit. Calm'd the loud thunder: “ There's no need of Non hoc grata tibi gaudia de solo Grace shall descend, and the weak man subdue.” Surgunt: Christus abest, deliciæ tuæ, Longè Christus abest, inter et angelos Grace leaves the skies, and he the stage forsakes, Et picta astra perambulans. He bows his head down to the martyring axe, And, as he bows, this gentle farewell speaks ; i Coli summa petas, nec jaculabitur. Iracunda tonans fulmina: Te Deus * So goes the comedy of life away; Hortatur ; Vacuum tende per aëra Vain Earth, adieu : Heaven will applaud to day; Pennas nunc homini datas. Strike, courteous tyrant, and conclude the play.” BREATHING TOWARD THE HEAVENLY COUNTRY. WHEN THE PROTESTANT CHURCH AT MONTPELIER WAS DEMOLISHED BY THE FRENCH KING'S ORDER, TAB A LATIN EPIGRAM. Urit me patriæ decor, &c. Immortal love inspires; There glides the Moon her shining way, Upward my heart aspires : . Bright sentinels who guard my Father's court, When will my Father's chariot come? A prisoner of the ground ? Build me a hasty tomb; And shed a sweet perfume. ENGLISHED THUS ; come, laid, THE ANSWER BY A FRENCH PROTESTANT. ENGLISHED THUS: A Christian church once at Montpelier stood, Yet Lewis, the wild tyrant of the age, Shine, thou sweet hour of dear release, Tears down the walls, a victim to his rage. Shine, from the sky, Young faithful hands pile up the sacred stones And call me high (Dear monument !) o'er their dead fathers' bones; To mingle with the choirs of glory and of bliss. The stones shall move when the dead fathers rise, Devotion there begins the flight, Start up before the pale destroyer's eyes, Awakes the song, and guides the way; Trace out new regions in the world of light, I'm in a dream, and Fancy reigns, She spreads her gay delusive scenes; Or is the vision true ? Behold Religion on her throne. In awful state descending down; (spacious view. Roves my Pindaric song : And her dominions vast and bright within my Here she glows like burning noon; She smiles, and with a courteous hand In fiercest fames, and here she plays She beckons me away; [clay, Gentle as star-beams on the midnight seas; I feel mine airy powers loose from the cumbrous Now in a smiling angel's form, And with a joyful haste obey Anon she rides upon the storm, Religion's high command. Loud as the noisy thunder, as a deluge strong. What lengths and heights and depths unknown ! Are my thoughts and wishes free, Broad fields with blooming glory sown, And know no number nor degree? And seas, and skies, and stars her own, Such is the Muse : Lo she disdains In an unmeasur'd sphere! The links and chains, What heavens of joy, and light serene, Measures and rules, of vulgar strains, Which nor the rolling Sun has seen, And o'er the laws of harmony a sovereign queen Where nor the roving Muse has been, she reigns. That greater traveller! If she roves A long farewell to all below, By streams or groves Farewell to all that sense can show, Tuning her pleasures or her pains, To golden scenes, and flowery fields, My passion keeps her still in sight, To all the worlds that Fancy builds, My passjon holds an equal flight And all that poets know. Through Love's or Nature's wide campaigns. Now the swift transports of the mind If with bold attempt she sings Leave the fluttering Muse behind, Of the biggest mortal things, A thousand loose Pindaric plumes fly scattering Tottering thrones and nations slain; down the wind. Or breaks the fleets of warring kings, Among the clouds I lose my breath, The rapture grows too strong: The feeble powers that Nature gave I will no more demand my tongue, [mind, But when from the meridian star | Can trace the boundless flights of an unfetterà Long streaks of glory shine, And raise an equal song. The Muse ascends her heavenly car, [divine. DEDICATED TO DIVINE LOVE. THE HAZARD OF LOVING THE CREATURES. Where-e'er my flattering passions rove, I find a lurking snare; 'Tis dangerous to let loose our love o why is Piety so weak, Beneath th' Eternal Fair. And yet the Muse so strong ? Souls whom the tie of friendship binds, When shall these hateful fetters break And partners of our blood, That have contin'd me long? Seize a large portion of our minds, And leave the less for God. Nature has soft but powerful bands, And Reason she controls; While children with their little hands Thoughtless they act thold Serpent's part; Now I can fix my thoughts above, Wbat tempting things they be | Amidst their flattering charms, Lord, how they twine about our heart, | Till the dear Lord that hath my love And draw it off from thee' Shall call me to his arms. Our hasty wills rush blindly on So Gabriel, at bis King's command, Where rising passion rolls, From yon celestial hill, And thus we make our fetters strong Walks downward to our worthless land, To bind our slavish souis. His soul points upward still. Dear Sovereign, break these fetters off, He glides along my mortal things, And set our spirits free; Without a thought of love, God in himself is bliss enough, Fulfils his task, and spreads his wings For we have all in thee. To reach the realms above, DESIRING TO LOVE CHRIST. MEDITATION IN A GROVE. Come, let me love: or is thy mind Sweet Muse, descend and bless the shade, And bless the evening grove; And every care, but love. Mine is a purer flame; With her unballow'd name. My hopes, my fears, my joys: Shall still command my voice. Shall flock around my song, Sound from a mortal tangue. And hold the falling floods, While Silence sits on every bough, And bends the listening woods. And every wounded tree That Jesus died for me. Inscrib'd on all the grove, To win a mortal's love. THE HEART GIVEN AWAY. I, there are passions in my soul, (And passions sure they be) Now they are all at thy control, My Jesus, all for thee. In hearts so hard as mine, For all my love is thine. Allure my eyes in vain: Ne'er to return again. To all that Earth can boast; For vanity and dust. THE FAIREST AND THE ONLY BELOVED. From every mortal fair; Die at the morning star. And fit to be ador'd, Harmonious in my Lord. And bloom upon his face; And guard around the place, All Nature's art shall never cure Then I could lose successive souls The heavenly pains I found, Past as the minutes fly; And 'tis beyond all Beauty's power So billow after billow rolls To kiss the shore, and die. But charms so much divine The substance of the following copy, and many of the lines, were sent me by an esteemed friend, In vain the envious shades of night, Mr. W. Nokes, with a desire that I would form Or flatteries of the day, them into a Pindaric ode; but I retained his Would veil his image from my sight, measures, lest I should too much alter his sense, A SIGHT OF CHRIST. ANGELS of light, your God and King surround, Through all my veins, With noble songs; in his exalted flesh And, floating round the crimson stream, He claims your worship: while his saints on Eartla Still finds him at my heart. Bless their Redeemer-God with humble tongues. Dwell there, for ever dwell, my love; Angels with lofty honours crown his head; Here I confine my sense ; We bowing at his feet, by faith, may feel His distant influence, and confess his love. Once I beheld his face, when beams divine Broke from his eye-lids, and unusual light Let all my remnant-minutes pass; Wrapt me at once in glory and surprise. Grant, thou Everlasting Fair, My joyful heart high leaping in my breast Grant my soul a mansion there: With transport cried, “This is the Christ of God; My soul aspires to see thy face Then threw my arms around in sweet embrace, Though life should for the vision pay; And clasp'd, and bow'd adoring low, till I was lost in So rivers run to meet the sea, While he appears, no other charms can hold him. And lose their nature in th’ embrace. Or draw my soul, asham'd of former things, Which no remembrance now deserve or name, Thou art my ocean, thou my God; In thee the passions of the mind Though with contempt; best in oblivion hid. With joys and freedom unconfin'd But the bright shrie and presence soon withdrew; Exult, and spread their powers abroad. I sought him whom I love, but found him not; Not all the glittering things on high I felt his absence; and with strongest cries Can make my Heaven if thou remove; Proclaim'd, “ Where Jesus is not, all is vain," I shall be tird, and long to die; Whether I hold him with a full delight, Life is a pain without thy love: Or seek him panting with extreme desire, Who could ever bear to be 'Tis he alone can please my wondering soul; Curst with immortality To hold or seek him is my only choice. If he refrain on me to cast his eye With sweet reflection on the peaceful cross, All in his blood and anguish groaning deep, Not the rich world of minds above Gasping and dying there This sight I ne'er can lose, by it I live: Can pay the mighty debt of love A quickening virtue from his death inspir'd I owe to Christ my God: Is life and breath to me; his fesh my food; With pangs which none but he could feel, His vital blood I drink, and hence my strength. He brought my gailty soul from Hell : Not the first seraji's tongue can tell I live, I'm strong, and now eternal life The value of his blood. Beats quick within my breast; my vigorous mind Spurns the dull Earth, and on her fiery wings Kindly he seiz'd me in his arms, Reaches the mount of purposes divine, Counsels of peace betwixt th’ Almighty Three Conceir'd at once, and sigu'd without debate, In perfect union of th' Eternal Mind. At his demand, With vast amaze I see th' unfathum'd thoughts, With cheerful hand, Infinite schemes, and infinite designs Pd pay the vital treasure down Of God's own heart, in which he ever rests. In hourly tributes at his feet. Eternity lies open to my view; But, Saviour, let me taste thy grace Here the Beginning and the End of all With every fleeting breath; I can discover; Christ the End of all, And through that Heaven of pleasure pane And Christ the great Beginning; he my Head, To the cold arms of Death; My God, my Glory, and my All in All. |