Madmoments: or First Verseattempts :: :: University of Virginia Library

From rank and unpruned Wishes, naught save Shame
And Disappointment fruit: if Folly sow,
Destruction's Sickle will the Harvest mow!
Poised on his giant Wing of Ages, o'er
Life's changeful Scene Time flies, at every Sweep
The Dust of dull Oblivion piling deep
On Crowns and Sceptres, and the Pomp of Yore,
Shattered beneath his kingdomcrushing Step!

2.

Empires from out the Dust of Empires spring,
Unborn, undying Substance, still the same,
Yet everchanging, purg'd by penal Flame,
And scourging Miseries, due to Crimes that bring
A Curse of Vengeance on their bloodstained Wing,
And call from Earth to Heaven, on the Name
Of watchful Justice: and as if there came
A Voice from out their Depths, the Heavens ring
In Answer, tho' to Man's untunëd Ear,
'Tis allunheard, or seems but lost in Air:
Whereat he laugheth to himself, in Scorn
Hardening his Heart— but Heaven, quick to hear,
Shall register, and of Time's Fullness born,
Vengeance shall smite him, and his Pride be shorn!

3.

For God, allwise, alljust, whose boundless Sight
Can grasp the vast and dread Immensity
Of Worlds unborn, to whom all Space is nigh,
All Times are «Now,» deigns not to stoop his Might
To crush Sin's mightiest ones, but to the Blight
Of their own evil Counsels leaves them, by
Their own Snares caught at last, a Mockery
And Byeword to all Time! when at the Height
And selfo'erbalanced Summit of his Power,
(For with allmeasuring Compass evernigh,
Wisdom marks out to future Worlds their Hour
And Space unto a Hair, as easily

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As she congeals the Snowflake, or on high
Gathers the Clouds, or paints Earth's tiniest Flower,)

4.

When at the topmost Aim, and fullest Swing
Of his permitted Licence, Crime shall bite
The Dust he spurns, hurled from his dazzling Height
By the same Whirlwind whose so sudden Wing
Had borne him thither from Men's wondering Sight!
When Time is ripe, the Elements of Light
Bestir their Agencies, and gathering,
Like Summerthunderclouds surcharged with Fire,
The good and evil Principles in dire,
But brief, Collision hurtle, 'till once more
The moral Atmosphere be as before.

5.

For Light and Truth are in their Nature free
From Contact and Contamination: tho'
The Powers of Hell were leagued to lay them low,
They mount direct, in stainless Purity,
As purer Flames from gross, and join the Sky;
While Evil, like the Thundercloud below
On downward and earthladen Wing, can show
Wrath but to kindred Matter, that may be
Corrupted like itself, and wreaks its Ire
On the Earth's prone and sinpolluted Breast,
Strewn with its base, material Bolts, the Fire
Stolen from grosser Elements, opprest
By its own Earthliness, and in the Mire,
From which't was drawn, soon spent: thus Earth has Rest!
The Spirit of eternal Wisdom o'er
The troublous Waves of Time pursues his Flight,
Gathering the Thought of Ages, while the Light
Of Truth falls on his bright Wings more and more!
Empires have crumbled, like sere Leaves, and save
The pregnant Moral speaking from their Grave,
What Truths have thence enriched Man's slowhiv'd Lore?

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6.

Time's mighty Panorama still moves on,
A Dream of Ages: Empries, Cities, Kings,
Ambition's Triomphs, Pride's vain Boasts, are Things
Which pass away, like Clouds that with the Sun,
In Thunderfragments rent, when Day is done,
Sink in the Womb of Night, which Morn back brings,
Moulded to other Semblance: thus Time rings
His mighty Changes, 'till his Race be run!
Phantom succeedeth Phantom, Shadow Shade,
Coming we know not whence, and pass we know
Not where or how, like Sounds the Wind has made,
Dying in boundless Space: the Strife, the Woe,
The Crimes and Pomps of Ages fleet, and lo!
Time's gone— Eternity is in his Stead!