The Christian Scholar By the Author of "The Cathedral" [i.e. Isaac Williams] |
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THE ILIAD. |
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 | The Christian Scholar |  |
I. THE ILIAD.
Not for thy rapid action at command,
Nor persons in thy living page inwrought,
Which come forth as beneath the sculptor's hand,
Nor for thy sacred loyalty, nor aught
Of comprehensive reach, whereby thy thought
As like a secret providence lies deep
'Neath incident and character, which taught
The wisdom of philosophers, and steep
Affections in the truths which they are slow to keep.—
Nor persons in thy living page inwrought,
Which come forth as beneath the sculptor's hand,
Nor for thy sacred loyalty, nor aught
Of comprehensive reach, whereby thy thought
As like a secret providence lies deep
'Neath incident and character, which taught
The wisdom of philosophers, and steep
Affections in the truths which they are slow to keep.—
Living expressions start forth into song,
And in one lighted word some mirror bear;
His soul igniting as it speeds along
Kindles with light the glowing hemisphere;
And as he speaks life wakes and forms appear;
Pours itself forth, and like a fiery levin
Melts and moulds all in scene and character,
For ever to retain their impress given,
And scattering golden thoughts which emanate from Heaven.
And in one lighted word some mirror bear;
His soul igniting as it speeds along
Kindles with light the glowing hemisphere;
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Pours itself forth, and like a fiery levin
Melts and moulds all in scene and character,
For ever to retain their impress given,
And scattering golden thoughts which emanate from Heaven.
How like reality the speaking page,
Or some old tale in pictur'd tapestry,
So vividly pourtray'd life's rapid stage,
While fabling verse in colours of the sky
Clothes the pervading God that walks so nigh
As with a garment! Not alone for these,—
Nor like the stars that live and speak on high,
The luminous and beauteous images,
As Nature's wild spring flowers pour'd forth with varied ease.
Or some old tale in pictur'd tapestry,
So vividly pourtray'd life's rapid stage,
While fabling verse in colours of the sky
Clothes the pervading God that walks so nigh
As with a garment! Not alone for these,—
Nor like the stars that live and speak on high,
The luminous and beauteous images,
As Nature's wild spring flowers pour'd forth with varied ease.
Now legions stir in shielded bright array,
As mountain forest blazing in the night ;
Now countless as about Cayster play
The clanging cranes in multitudinous flight,
On wing rejoicing, or on feet alight ;
Or flies on milk-pan's brim in vernal hours ;
Or like the bees' wing'd tribes in morning bright,
Now one by one the rocky hive outpours,
Now clustering here and there they fill the blooming flowers.
As mountain forest blazing in the night ;
Now countless as about Cayster play
The clanging cranes in multitudinous flight,
On wing rejoicing, or on feet alight ;
Or flies on milk-pan's brim in vernal hours ;
Or like the bees' wing'd tribes in morning bright,
Now one by one the rocky hive outpours,
Now clustering here and there they fill the blooming flowers.
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Now camps with watch-towers gleam, as calm and clear
When all the stars in the ethereal space,
And moon breaks forth; heights, cliffs, and woods appear,
The shepherd sees rejoicing . Pleased we trace
Upon thy antique scroll the very face
Of nature—earth, sea, sky; as in the stream
That makes sweet pebbled music every place
Stilly around, and living mirrors teem;
Wondering we gaze, so true to nature every theme.
When all the stars in the ethereal space,
And moon breaks forth; heights, cliffs, and woods appear,
The shepherd sees rejoicing . Pleased we trace
Upon thy antique scroll the very face
Of nature—earth, sea, sky; as in the stream
That makes sweet pebbled music every place
Stilly around, and living mirrors teem;
Wondering we gaze, so true to nature every theme.
Yet not for these alone on thee I dwell,
But strive to catch thy solemn undersong,
Thou who of poets art esteemed well
First, best, and wisest; while the after-throng
Is sentimental colouring, weak of tongue.
There is e'en something of a holier fear
To move within a world to which belong
Such unseen visitants, and ever near
Hear the unspoken word, and oft to sight appear.
But strive to catch thy solemn undersong,
Thou who of poets art esteemed well
First, best, and wisest; while the after-throng
Is sentimental colouring, weak of tongue.
There is e'en something of a holier fear
To move within a world to which belong
Such unseen visitants, and ever near
Hear the unspoken word, and oft to sight appear.
Those fictions of the Unseen would fain pourtray
Care for mankind in Angels of the skies,
And love in Heaven for creatures of a day;
That prayer is answer'd; but a costly price
Must yet be found of offer'd Sacrifice,
To stand 'tween us and Heaven; that strong to save
Presence ethereal lurks beyond our eyes;
The Hero speaks beside the ocean wave,
A Goddess hears afar beneath her watery cave .
Care for mankind in Angels of the skies,
And love in Heaven for creatures of a day;
That prayer is answer'd; but a costly price
Must yet be found of offer'd Sacrifice,
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Presence ethereal lurks beyond our eyes;
The Hero speaks beside the ocean wave,
A Goddess hears afar beneath her watery cave .
And sweet it were—if such sage fantasy
We to a higher wisdom might attune—
To muse beside the solitary sea
Of the cerulean Thetis, like the moon,
Rising from the blue waves with silver shoon:
Or when by funeral pyre in open skies
Achilles prays the Winds, and lo, full soon
To palace of those Winds wing'd Iris hies ;
They speed o'er earth and seas; trees rock, and waves arise.
We to a higher wisdom might attune—
To muse beside the solitary sea
Of the cerulean Thetis, like the moon,
Rising from the blue waves with silver shoon:
Or when by funeral pyre in open skies
Achilles prays the Winds, and lo, full soon
To palace of those Winds wing'd Iris hies ;
They speed o'er earth and seas; trees rock, and waves arise.
Though fabled all and fabling, yet such tales
Lay nearer solemn truths than now may seem
To sensual thoughts; when man gets wing, and sails
On self-roll'd chariots drawn by clouds of steam;
The shores, rocks, valleys speak his power supreme,—
Drown thoughts of things invisible that fill
Shores, rocks, and valleys. Therefore more I deem
Of wisdom in those tales is breathing still,
Which speak of powers unseen that aid the human will.
Lay nearer solemn truths than now may seem
To sensual thoughts; when man gets wing, and sails
On self-roll'd chariots drawn by clouds of steam;
The shores, rocks, valleys speak his power supreme,—
Drown thoughts of things invisible that fill
Shores, rocks, and valleys. Therefore more I deem
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Which speak of powers unseen that aid the human will.
Though much of evil in those gods above,—
Since serpents enter'd Eden, and have striven
By heathen shrines and oracles to move
In men such thoughts as place themselves in Heaven,—
Yet good with ill is mingled, and 'tis given
To trace some wrecks of Eden lingering still,
Whether from lore traditional, or leaven
Of mystic truth beyond the poet's skill,
Which speaks as from a shrine and moulds him to its will.
Since serpents enter'd Eden, and have striven
By heathen shrines and oracles to move
In men such thoughts as place themselves in Heaven,—
Yet good with ill is mingled, and 'tis given
To trace some wrecks of Eden lingering still,
Whether from lore traditional, or leaven
Of mystic truth beyond the poet's skill,
Which speaks as from a shrine and moulds him to its will.
Beings unseen with our unconscious thought
Can blend, we know not how, and help afford;
Achilles, as a lion, frenzy-wrought
Arises, from its sheath just gleams the sword,
Athene, lo, stands by the warrior-lord ,
To him reveal'd;—thus Wisdom at our need
Comes in and stops rash hand or angry word,
'Tis not our own, of One in Heaven we read
Who shapes the saving thoughts which from the heart proceed.
Can blend, we know not how, and help afford;
Achilles, as a lion, frenzy-wrought
Arises, from its sheath just gleams the sword,
Athene, lo, stands by the warrior-lord ,
To him reveal'd;—thus Wisdom at our need
Comes in and stops rash hand or angry word,
'Tis not our own, of One in Heaven we read
Who shapes the saving thoughts which from the heart proceed.
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In man is no success but in Heaven's might,
And oft to mortal eyes made manifest;
As Diomed amid the thickest fight
With a Divine-sent light o'er helm and crest,
Like some clear star when seen o'er Ocean's breast
In Autumn : or with its portentous blaze
The Ægis, and the golden gloom doth rest,
Covering unarm'd Achilles with its rays,
As when red beacon fires a siege-press'd isle displays
And oft to mortal eyes made manifest;
As Diomed amid the thickest fight
With a Divine-sent light o'er helm and crest,
Like some clear star when seen o'er Ocean's breast
In Autumn : or with its portentous blaze
The Ægis, and the golden gloom doth rest,
Covering unarm'd Achilles with its rays,
As when red beacon fires a siege-press'd isle displays
All is Divine,—if 'mid the martial throng
Fierce Rumour stirs the crowds to rapturous fight,
It is Jove's Voice that walks the camps among:
Yea, like a phantom half-reveal'd to sight,
The Jove-sent Dream glides through the ambrosial night.
Alone beside the many-roaring deep
Pelides mourns, soft as the pale moon-light
The spirit of Patroclus with his sleep
In awful sweetness blends, and human tears they weep.
Fierce Rumour stirs the crowds to rapturous fight,
It is Jove's Voice that walks the camps among:
Yea, like a phantom half-reveal'd to sight,
The Jove-sent Dream glides through the ambrosial night.
Alone beside the many-roaring deep
Pelides mourns, soft as the pale moon-light
The spirit of Patroclus with his sleep
In awful sweetness blends, and human tears they weep.
All is Divine,—all Human; we descry
Each form, and e'en each voice is mark'd to sense:
Ulysses as the snow-flakes from the sky
With gradual-falling power of eloquence;
While Nestor's words their honied stores dispense
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Thoughts of great Hector darker shades illume
Touch'd with a human gentleness, and thence
Infuse the love of country and of home;
Achilles towers from sight in a Diviner gloom.
Each form, and e'en each voice is mark'd to sense:
Ulysses as the snow-flakes from the sky
With gradual-falling power of eloquence;
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Thoughts of great Hector darker shades illume
Touch'd with a human gentleness, and thence
Infuse the love of country and of home;
Achilles towers from sight in a Diviner gloom.
As Ocean takes its hues from changing skies,
Thus human characters and Powers Divine
Blend the unseen with life's realities.
Yet strong is mark'd the interposing line
Men's actions and affections to define;
Changes and chance in super-human scale
Are measured, yet mysterious intertwine
With man's deservings; though it seem to fail,
Leaving a hope that Right shall in the end prevail.
Thus human characters and Powers Divine
Blend the unseen with life's realities.
Yet strong is mark'd the interposing line
Men's actions and affections to define;
Changes and chance in super-human scale
Are measured, yet mysterious intertwine
With man's deservings; though it seem to fail,
Leaving a hope that Right shall in the end prevail.
| The Christian Scholar | |