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 | Three hours ; or, the vigil of love : and other poems |  |
115
THE HISTORY OF THE PLANETS.
Jehovah spoke through the inbreathing fire,
Nature's vast realms for ever to inspire
With the deep worship of a living soul.
Hemans.
Nature's vast realms for ever to inspire
With the deep worship of a living soul.
Hemans.
“Creation is finished!”—In worship profound,
The Angels bowed down at the word;
Then on the bright Planets their eyes wandered round,
But rested with joy on the third;
They knew that the Earth held the Paradised pair,
Jehovah's own breath had endued,
The crowning perfection of all that was fair,
Where all had been hallowed as “good!”
They knew from this Fountain of Being would rise,
Like dews from the ocean, Life's Hosts for the skies.
The Angels bowed down at the word;
Then on the bright Planets their eyes wandered round,
But rested with joy on the third;
They knew that the Earth held the Paradised pair,
Jehovah's own breath had endued,
The crowning perfection of all that was fair,
Where all had been hallowed as “good!”
They knew from this Fountain of Being would rise,
Like dews from the ocean, Life's Hosts for the skies.
Each Planet was fair—but their Queen, as they rolled,
Was Earth with its Eden of bliss;
God's children were here—and the angels behold
All Planets do homage to this;—
Swift Mercury shed from its sun-hidden way,
On the mind of the Woman its light,—
And Venus was blushing with love's purple ray,
It sent to her heart warm and bright,—
Thus the tribute of matter to life was begun
By the Planets that move 'twixt the Earth and the Sun.
Was Earth with its Eden of bliss;
116
All Planets do homage to this;—
Swift Mercury shed from its sun-hidden way,
On the mind of the Woman its light,—
And Venus was blushing with love's purple ray,
It sent to her heart warm and bright,—
Thus the tribute of matter to life was begun
By the Planets that move 'twixt the Earth and the Sun.
Beyond rolled red Mars, like the tocsin of war,
To action man's spirit it cheered;—
Then followed the largest and loveliest Star,
Pure diamond its lustre appeared;
Its beautiful ray was the mirror of Truth,—
Sweet Innocence played in the light;
Wherever it shone bloomed the freshness of youth,
Unshadowed by sorrow or blight,—
Its beams o'er the soul of the Woman were thrown,—
On Earth as her Guardian Planet 'twas known.
To action man's spirit it cheered;—
Then followed the largest and loveliest Star,
Pure diamond its lustre appeared;
Its beautiful ray was the mirror of Truth,—
Sweet Innocence played in the light;
Wherever it shone bloomed the freshness of youth,
Unshadowed by sorrow or blight,—
Its beams o'er the soul of the Woman were thrown,—
On Earth as her Guardian Planet 'twas known.
117
Next Jupiter, regal in splendour, swept by,
Man's reason to raise and refine,
While lifting, untroubled, his gaze to the sky,
He welcomed the Presence Divine;—
Then, coursing an orbit that circled the whole,
Came Saturn, like Patience, untired,
And through its broad range giving light to the soul
Of Man, a calm wisdom inspired;—
And all these fair Planets in harmony move
Round the Sun, as their centre of light, life and love.
Man's reason to raise and refine,
While lifting, untroubled, his gaze to the sky,
He welcomed the Presence Divine;—
Then, coursing an orbit that circled the whole,
Came Saturn, like Patience, untired,
And through its broad range giving light to the soul
Of Man, a calm wisdom inspired;—
And all these fair Planets in harmony move
Round the Sun, as their centre of light, life and love.
In wonder the angels bent over the Earth,
And sought for the human abode,
When the Stars of the morning together sang forth
Their anthem of “Glory to God!”
And a shout of rejoicing was heard to arise,
It burst like a torrent of sound,
As the harps of the Seraphim poured from the skies
The music of Heaven around;—
The melody through the Empyrean flowed,
“Creation is finished!—all glory to God!”
And sought for the human abode,
When the Stars of the morning together sang forth
Their anthem of “Glory to God!”
And a shout of rejoicing was heard to arise,
It burst like a torrent of sound,
As the harps of the Seraphim poured from the skies
The music of Heaven around;—
The melody through the Empyrean flowed,
“Creation is finished!—all glory to God!”
118
'T was glorious all—the beauty of peace
Smiled over the Earth and the skies;—
But the harps of the Seraphim suddenly cease,
And wailings of terror arise!
The Shadow of Death over Eden comes down,—
The Earth from its centre is whirled,—
Creation is darkened and shook by the frown
Jehovah has thrown on the world!
It passed!—but the Guardian Planet was gone,
While, dim in the distance, cold Herschel crept on!
Smiled over the Earth and the skies;—
But the harps of the Seraphim suddenly cease,
And wailings of terror arise!
The Shadow of Death over Eden comes down,—
The Earth from its centre is whirled,—
Creation is darkened and shook by the frown
Jehovah has thrown on the world!
It passed!—but the Guardian Planet was gone,
While, dim in the distance, cold Herschel crept on!
Awe-stricken, the Angels recoiled at the sight,—
A sigh through the Universe ran,—
The Stars of the morning were shrouded in night,—
As mourning the ruin of Man!
But out of the darkness there issued a Dove,
Like Hope from the breast of Despair;
Its white wings beat time to its breathings of love,
While a voice thrilled the listening air—
“Though Sin has the prime of Creation destroyed,
And the Guardian Planet is gone,
Yet the Star of Redemption shall rise through the void,
And the Heavens new glory put on—
A glory to banish Man's sorrows and fears,
When the Saviour, the Seed of the Woman, appears!”
A sigh through the Universe ran,—
The Stars of the morning were shrouded in night,—
As mourning the ruin of Man!
119
Like Hope from the breast of Despair;
Its white wings beat time to its breathings of love,
While a voice thrilled the listening air—
“Though Sin has the prime of Creation destroyed,
And the Guardian Planet is gone,
Yet the Star of Redemption shall rise through the void,
And the Heavens new glory put on—
A glory to banish Man's sorrows and fears,
When the Saviour, the Seed of the Woman, appears!”
Between Mars and Jupiter move four planets, viz., Ceres, Pallas, Juno, and Vesta. It has been conjectured, by learned astronomers, that these small planets were formed by the disruption of a large planet, once revolving in that region of space. This planet we have assumed to be “the Guardian,” and that the catastrophe of its disruption was coincident with—“Man's first disobedience.”
| Three hours ; or, the vigil of love : and other poems | |