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266
M'LLE. LENORMAND.
What strange power, to us unknown,
O'er her early years was thrown,
That, within the convent's cell,
She should study charm and spell,
To discern the things that lie
Hidden from our mortal eye—
Wisely from us still concealed
Till their time to be revealed?
O'er her early years was thrown,
That, within the convent's cell,
She should study charm and spell,
To discern the things that lie
Hidden from our mortal eye—
Wisely from us still concealed
Till their time to be revealed?
By what witchery did she bring
Statesmen, soldier, priest, and king,
In their hour of gloom or hope,
To consult her horoscope—
Thus to learn the good or ill
Waiting in their future still?
How could she assign their parts
By her dark forbidden arts?
Statesmen, soldier, priest, and king,
In their hour of gloom or hope,
To consult her horoscope—
Thus to learn the good or ill
Waiting in their future still?
How could she assign their parts
By her dark forbidden arts?
267
Haply, she could not discern
More than they who came to learn,
Could not understand or tell
What her power, or whence her spell;
Haply, she who spake, believed,
If deceiving, still deceived;
And in her we only find,
That the blind can lead the blind.
More than they who came to learn,
Could not understand or tell
What her power, or whence her spell;
Haply, she who spake, believed,
If deceiving, still deceived;
And in her we only find,
That the blind can lead the blind.
For it may be, He whose power
Shuts from us the future hour,
Keeping e'en from angels' ken
What he hath prepared for men;
When we seek in ways forbid
For the knowledge he has hid,
Leaves us to believe a lie,
And to be destroyed thereby.
Shuts from us the future hour,
Keeping e'en from angels' ken
What he hath prepared for men;
When we seek in ways forbid
For the knowledge he has hid,
Leaves us to believe a lie,
And to be destroyed thereby.
For we gain no wisdom higher
Than the wisdom we desire,
Never loud voice from the sky
Answers to a feeble cry;
Only does the Father speak
To the waiting souls that seek
Only they his truth have heard
Who have sought it in his word.
Than the wisdom we desire,
Never loud voice from the sky
Answers to a feeble cry;
Only does the Father speak
To the waiting souls that seek
Only they his truth have heard
Who have sought it in his word.
268
And but this we learn of thee,
Child of mournful destiny:
Knowledge gained, where faith is lost,
Is not worth the fearful cost.
God saith, “Every child who pleads,
Shall have answer to his needs;
Trust the future unto me,
As thy day, thy strength shall be.”
Child of mournful destiny:
Knowledge gained, where faith is lost,
Is not worth the fearful cost.
God saith, “Every child who pleads,
Shall have answer to his needs;
Trust the future unto me,
As thy day, thy strength shall be.”
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