Queen Berengaria's Courtesy, and Other Poems By the Lady E. Stuart Wortley. In Three Vols |
 | I, II, III. |
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THOUGHTS. |
 | Queen Berengaria's Courtesy, and Other Poems |  |
401
THOUGHTS.
Thoughts!—winged wanderers—ye that proudly travel
Fast and far as Light on your strong quest,
Mystery after mystery bent to unravel—
Ye that know not or to pause or rest!
Fast and far as Light on your strong quest,
Mystery after mystery bent to unravel—
Ye that know not or to pause or rest!
Dread, and kingly, and illustrious Mysteries!
Ye yourselves beyond all others far!—
Heaven enfolds your myriad-volumed histories,
Published never under Sun and Star!
Ye yourselves beyond all others far!—
Heaven enfolds your myriad-volumed histories,
Published never under Sun and Star!
Strong, and fervent, and victorious Founders
E'en of all Earth boasts of proud and great—
Thoughts!—ye unexpounded bright expounders
Of all secrets of throned Time and Fate!
E'en of all Earth boasts of proud and great—
Thoughts!—ye unexpounded bright expounders
Of all secrets of throned Time and Fate!
Ye! of Life's strange chaos—mightiest quellers!
Stars! scarce seen in your own gathered blaze—
Suns of Glory!—Earth's Heaven-haunting dwellers—
Your linked Light blots out your separate rays!
Stars! scarce seen in your own gathered blaze—
Suns of Glory!—Earth's Heaven-haunting dwellers—
Your linked Light blots out your separate rays!
402
Powers and Thrones—and Victories and Dominions!—
Thoughts! ye reign with a surpassing might;
Worlds have known the sweep of your dread pinions,
That ne'er yet have beamed on mortal sight.
Thoughts! ye reign with a surpassing might;
Worlds have known the sweep of your dread pinions,
That ne'er yet have beamed on mortal sight.
Far ye soar into th' enshrouded regions—
Nought too high—too far for your free race!
Oh! th' unnumbered, th' unimagined legions!—
That might crowd even the avenues of space!
Nought too high—too far for your free race!
Oh! th' unnumbered, th' unimagined legions!—
That might crowd even the avenues of space!
Still the Invisible and the Immaterial
Space, with more than lightning-leap surmount.
Thoughts! ye children of the Soul, etherial,
Fiery spray of Being's ocean-fount!
Space, with more than lightning-leap surmount.
Thoughts! ye children of the Soul, etherial,
Fiery spray of Being's ocean-fount!
Lo! how sweep ye, dauntless and victorious,
E'en where nought but ye might dare to move—
Proudly piercing with a yearning glorious,
Thus to depths beneath or heights above!
E'en where nought but ye might dare to move—
Proudly piercing with a yearning glorious,
Thus to depths beneath or heights above!
403
What is there of glorious in Creation,
That ye seize not—make not all your own?
In your majesty of exultation,
Loosening mighty Nature's gordianed zone!
That ye seize not—make not all your own?
In your majesty of exultation,
Loosening mighty Nature's gordianed zone!
Ye, within the immortal Soul are springing—
Wonderous births!—that triumph in your sway!
But, far, far from her, how seem ye winging,
Past all tracking, your rejoicing way!
Wonderous births!—that triumph in your sway!
But, far, far from her, how seem ye winging,
Past all tracking, your rejoicing way!
Nay, not so!—on wings of Morning rising,
Borne to realms that never know a bound—
Still herself, with bright amaze surprising,
There the Soul, as in her sphere, is found!
Borne to realms that never know a bound—
Still herself, with bright amaze surprising,
There the Soul, as in her sphere, is found!
Thoughts! the mighty mother is before ye,
Though ye flash with energy untamed;
In her stillness e'en doth she outsoar ye—
She framed ye!—herself, Heaven, Heaven hath framed!
Though ye flash with energy untamed;
In her stillness e'en doth she outsoar ye—
She framed ye!—herself, Heaven, Heaven hath framed!
404
Winged Thoughts, from space to space swift leaping,
Ye may boast your wonderous journeyings free;
But that Soul, when silent e'en and sleeping,
Is herself the Immense—the Infinity!
Ye may boast your wonderous journeyings free;
But that Soul, when silent e'en and sleeping,
Is herself the Immense—the Infinity!
Ye she sends forth, armed with powers transcendant,
All to subject to your sovereign sway!—
And ye enter on the realms resplendent—
Realms and Regions of Eternal Day!
All to subject to your sovereign sway!—
And ye enter on the realms resplendent—
Realms and Regions of Eternal Day!
And ye pierce through shadowings deep and solemn,
Still rejoicing in your splendid toil;
Then ye raise the curtain—shake the column—
Force the strong holds—seize upon the spoil!
Still rejoicing in your splendid toil;
Then ye raise the curtain—shake the column—
Force the strong holds—seize upon the spoil!
Forth ye go in strength, like banded nations;
All around ye shall be taught to yield!
Heaven's stupendous work of dread Creations
Not for ye may prove too wide a field!
All around ye shall be taught to yield!
Heaven's stupendous work of dread Creations
Not for ye may prove too wide a field!
405
Forth ye go, like armed and banded nations,
Forth—untouched by shadow of a fear,
Shaking the Universe on its foundations,
Ye and Glory joined in one career.
Forth—untouched by shadow of a fear,
Shaking the Universe on its foundations,
Ye and Glory joined in one career.
Ye the Soul sends forth, thus armed, victorious,
Fired with fervent inspiration's glow,
She remaining in herself more glorious
Than all worlds that she may seek to know!
Fired with fervent inspiration's glow,
She remaining in herself more glorious
Than all worlds that she may seek to know!
Gorgeous, Proud, and Beatific Treasures!
Thoughts! with all your mysteries and your powers,
All your starry and empyreal pleasures,
Well the Soul may prize these bright, bright dowers!
Thoughts! with all your mysteries and your powers,
All your starry and empyreal pleasures,
Well the Soul may prize these bright, bright dowers!
Ye! that all things claim—and all inherit,
Ye, your tasks exultingly fulfil—
Oh! ye living lightnings of the Spirit,
Myriad-sided—many coloured still!
Ye, your tasks exultingly fulfil—
Oh! ye living lightnings of the Spirit,
Myriad-sided—many coloured still!
406
Strong, Triumphant, and Majestic Splendours,
Making one bright galaxy of Mind—
Nature's fortress to your might surrenders—
With the treasures in its holds enshrined!
Making one bright galaxy of Mind—
Nature's fortress to your might surrenders—
With the treasures in its holds enshrined!
Strange, and Sovereign, and Mysterious Lightnings,
Lending Suns of Glory heavenlier rays,
Scattering round your colourings and your brightenings,
Till the Light is Darkness to your blaze!
Lending Suns of Glory heavenlier rays,
Scattering round your colourings and your brightenings,
Till the Light is Darkness to your blaze!
Crowned, Illustrious, and Mysterious Strengtheners!—
Ye!—that mock Zeal's fire and Passion's rage—
Ye—Life's labyrinthine lightning-lengtheners!—
Brief and swift—yet making the Hour—an Age!
Ye!—that mock Zeal's fire and Passion's rage—
Ye—Life's labyrinthine lightning-lengtheners!—
Brief and swift—yet making the Hour—an Age!
| Queen Berengaria's Courtesy, and Other Poems | |