Queen Berengaria's Courtesy, and Other Poems By the Lady E. Stuart Wortley. In Three Vols |
 | I, II, III. |
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THE WORLD OF NATURE. |
 | Queen Berengaria's Courtesy, and Other Poems |  |
365
THE WORLD OF NATURE.
Away from heartless revelries
Unto Nature's pageants calm!
Repose 'twill be for dazzled eyes—
For the wounded Spirit, balm!
Unto Nature's pageants calm!
Repose 'twill be for dazzled eyes—
For the wounded Spirit, balm!
In the deep violet-dingles, lone—
In the haunts of bird and bee,
And by the rill—the mossy stone—
Would I seek tranquillity!—
In the haunts of bird and bee,
And by the rill—the mossy stone—
Would I seek tranquillity!—
And though Storms of wrath went thundering past,
In these haunts—the lone and proud—
No fear should ride upon the blast—
And no gloom upon the cloud!
In these haunts—the lone and proud—
No fear should ride upon the blast—
And no gloom upon the cloud!
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So light and dreadless should they seem,
Compared with those that shake
With fiery breath and tempest-dream,
The heart that pants to break.
Compared with those that shake
With fiery breath and tempest-dream,
The heart that pants to break.
That heart the World, the false, foul World,
Hath wronged with mortal wrong,
'Gainst which its thunderbolts were hurled,
And its armed array was strong!
Hath wronged with mortal wrong,
'Gainst which its thunderbolts were hurled,
And its armed array was strong!
Where that World's persecutions cease,
And where escape the oppress'd—
All must appear as golden peace—
And as happiness and rest!
And where escape the oppress'd—
All must appear as golden peace—
And as happiness and rest!
Still Nature's storms seem mild and bland
By these, the fiercer far,
That rouse up at their stern command
All the Soul to one wild war!
By these, the fiercer far,
That rouse up at their stern command
All the Soul to one wild war!
367
The thunder-pealings—crash on crash—
That crowd their echoing shocks,
And the mountain-waves that roaring dash
'Gainst the iron-fronted rocks—
That crowd their echoing shocks,
And the mountain-waves that roaring dash
'Gainst the iron-fronted rocks—
Are tame and weak, compared with strife,
In the Being's inmost deep—
With the wild storms of tempestuous life—
Storms that there their revels keep!
In the Being's inmost deep—
With the wild storms of tempestuous life—
Storms that there their revels keep!
Away from seeming show of mirth—
And inward deep despair—
If one lone spot be left on Earth,
Oh! but bear me there—even there!
And inward deep despair—
If one lone spot be left on Earth,
Oh! but bear me there—even there!
The World of Nature shall restore
The peace that long since fled!—
Shall bring Hope's starry smile once more,
And shall banish doubts and dread!
The peace that long since fled!—
Shall bring Hope's starry smile once more,
And shall banish doubts and dread!
368
The World of Nature shall repair
That havoc and that waste
Which wronged a Spirit, mid the glare
Of Man's fiery Life misplaced.
That havoc and that waste
Which wronged a Spirit, mid the glare
Of Man's fiery Life misplaced.
World!—Earthly World of Nature bright!—
If thou, thus with influence true,
Canst bless the Soul with such deep might—
Oh! what must the Heavenly do?
If thou, thus with influence true,
Canst bless the Soul with such deep might—
Oh! what must the Heavenly do?
| Queen Berengaria's Courtesy, and Other Poems | |