 | Valentine Verses |  |
177
MAN.
Woman, behold! how great, how grand, how good,Man when created midst the creatures stood.
To him in earth all living beings bow'd,
Their names distinctions to his wisdom ow'd;
Created lovely, godlike, pure in mind,
To nature, virtue, love, and truth inclin'd,
His was a paradise of health and soul,
A conscience free from burthen of controul:—
As o'er the vast-created far-devoted throng
Of humble quadrupeds, he cast along
The glance of thought, his spirit sought to find
Some sweet companion suited to his mind:—
For him the creatures of the earth might move,
Pass, come, and go, they could not talk of love;
They could not dwell on elevated thought,
By sight of wonder, sight of nature taught,
Instinct was all, and instinct bade them pay
Devoted homage to the man of sway:—
'Twas thee he sought,—he sought thee not in vain,
God gave him thee,—thou wast his joy his bane.
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Man's spirit writes not vainly to upbraid,
For thee he suffered in degraded sphere,
The loss of bliss,—for thee he first felt fear.
Weep thou, O no! Be glad, be good, be pure,
Man will continue all things to endure,
Still cherish thee; he knows that perfect bliss
On earth, can never certainly be his;
Still in thy love whilst life is sweetly given,
He will abide, and move with thee to heaven.
As sin of thee first found its way to man,
So love of thee has made affection plain.
O woman, kindred spirit! mayst thou be
Beloved of man, of man who would be free.
May he respect, be ardent, be sincere,
And thou, companion of his heart, be dear,
As much he lov'd thee ere the morn he fell,
The eve's Atonement bids him wish thee well.
The day will come, when love exalted shines,
When spirit with the body so combines
The life with liberty, that thou and he,
In love united, shall be ever free.
At present wait thou; man with thee will wait,
Patient in honor, patient in his state;
As God to him is merciful in love,
So he to thee, as merciful will prove.
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