University of Virginia Library

It is a lovely, lonely, peaceful place,
A feature fair on Nature's fairest face;
And, oh! how lonely, and how lovely now,
Since Evening's shadows, in procession slow,
Come dimly on—and Stillness calm and deep,
Lies soft in all things, like the dew of sleep.
Erewhile—and but a little while ago,
So swiftly hours into each other flow,
The mirthful song-birds filled the dreamy gloom—
With music that might pierce the impassive tomb;
Now not a sound is heard—save to and fro
These green leaves move—though sure no breeze doth blow,
Soft as some flowery-margined Fountain's flow;
As Heaven and Earth breathed faint the breath of life
Oh! —how unlike our Being's restless strife!
And nature's beauty is around us here,
To thoughtful bosoms ever deeply dear.
Nature—whose glorious Majesty might well
Smite the struck heart with more than magic spell;
For her triumphant greatness and her power,
Beyond Imagination's soarings tower!
Her secrets they are countless—yet behold
How much doth knowledge to our ken unfold!
Her mysteries they are manifold—but still
These have been vanquished by victorious will!
Man hath pierced through the cloud—and raised the veil—
And feareth not her bulwarks to assail;
His eye hath looked upon her—where her throne
Is placed 'mongst worlds more glorious than his own!
Oh! Man! thou—thou hast followed—thou'st pursued
Even to her shadowy courts of solitude—
Majestic nature, by her Lord reviewed!
The mighty Mother's secrets thou canst sound—
And plunge into her sea like depths profound;
But what—save Heaven's stupendous Majesty—
Shall e'er sound thy deep thoughts' all chainless sea?—
The Universe it may be thine to scan—
Thyself—thou'rt the unpierced Universe—Oh! Man!
Not all the Sages that have ever sought
To extend the Empire of the mind and thought—
Nor deep Philosophers—nor Schoolsmen shrewd—
Have compassed yet—howe'er with skill endued—
That mightiest mystery of themselves—or shown
Whate'er of power or knowledge was their own—
The deep dark history of one human heart—
A Universe within itself—apart!

This world—Oh! Death! stern Shadowy King! is thine—
To light thy way the glowing sun doth shine;
To uphold thy foot, this beauteous Earth doth spread—
All things are thine—Oh! dreary one and dread!
Thou hast still mingled with sweet roseate primes,
And verdant spring-tides—all times are thy times;
Thou hast still come unbidden to the feast,
For every where art thou the silent guest;
Where'er man dwells, there hast thou thy abode—
For thee the Tide of all past Life hath flowed!
Yet we must praise thee—thou art strong to draw
Our thoughst towards thee—with interest and with awe!
Thou'rt ever strong to interest and to excite,
Thy dim perspective points towards boundless light!
The Future through the Spirit thou dost press—
The Future—mightiest still to curse—or bless!
And thou the fountains of our thoughts canst chain
To the great mysteries of thy secret reign—
When all we love goes hence—(our soul's blest care—
Its trust and hope—bequeathing us despair;
For all the communings with rapture fraught—
The gentle joys—the luxuries pure—unbought—
Of hallowed love—to which Earth's wealth is naught)—
How do we turn our longing thoughts to thee—
And seek to dwell in thy stern company!
But, Oh! is't not our folly and our fault,
If under thy dull shades we choose to halt,
To shield us from thy sorrows and thy stings—
The Almightiest Dove spreads wide His sheltering wings?
The Eternity its guiding rays emits—
The Godhead breathes through thick starred Infinites—
And our own conscious spirits ceaseless say,
“We yet shall soar—yet break those bonds of clay!”
Shall not the Heavenly and the Almightiest Dove
Fill us with rapturous faith and trustful love?
Shall not the Eternity—with light Sublime—
Illume even the intervening wastes of Time?
Shall not the glorious Godhead o'er our Souls
Shine bright—as where through gladden'd suns it rolls?
Shall not our Spirits still reflect its ray,
And seek the Life that passeth not away?
This world—stern ruthless Death—it is not thine!
The Rule thou hast—ere long must thou resign!