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Hymns and Poems

Original and Translated: By Edward Caswall ... Second Edition
Caswall, Edward (1814-1878)

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DRAMATIC PIECES. ODES. POEMS
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DRAMA ANGELICUM:
  
PRELUDE.
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THE MASQUE.
 I. 
SCENE I.
 II. 
SCENE II.
 III. 
SCENE III.
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SCENE IV.
  
MARY'S SONG.
  
SONG OF THE HERMITS OF MOUNT CARMEL.
  
[section]
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THE MINSTER OF ELD.
  
PROLOGUE.
 I. 
SCENE I.
 II. 
SCENE II.
 III. 
SCENE III.
  
EPILOGUE.
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ODES.
 I. 
I. TO THE POWERS OF THE UNIVERSE.
 II. 
II. TO THE SKY.
 III. 
III. TO THE EARTH.
 IV. 
IV. TO THE HEAT AND COLD.
 V. 
V. TO THE DEW AND RAIN.
 VI. 
VI. TO THE SEASONS.
 VII. 
VII. TO THE FLOWERS.
 VIII. 
VIII. TO THE WINDS.
 IX. 
IX. TO A SPRING.
 X. 
X. A VISION OF ANIMALS.
 XI. 
XI. A VISION OF WATERS.
 XII. 
XII. THE PAST.
 XIII. 
XIII. THE SOUL.
 XIV. 
XIV. THE ANGELS.
 XV. 
XV. AJALON.
 XVI. 
XVI. THE WORLD.
 XVII. 
XVII. THE SANCTUARY OF THE CHURCH.
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POEMS.
 I. 
I. THE EASTER SHIP, A LEGEND.
 II. 
II. ST. KENELM'S WELL.
 III. 
III. ON HEARING THE NIGHTINGALE SING IN THE DAY-TIME.
 IV. 
IV. EVENING.
 V. 
V. SPRING.
 VI. 
VI. AUTUMN.
 VII. 
VII. ASSOCIATIONS WITH PLACES.
 VIII. 
VIII. ON AN ANCIENT STONE-QUARRY.
 IX. 
IX. NATURE'S MYSTERIES.
 X. 
X. A DREAM OF CHILDHOOD.
 XI. 
XI. ON PASSING BY A FORMER HOME ON A RAILWAY.
 XII. 
XII. SUMMER'S DEPARTURE.
 XIII. 
XIII. ON A SELFISH RETIREMENT.
 XIV. 
XIV. TO ONE COMPLAINING OF LIFE'S MONOTONY.
 XV. 
XV. A VILLAGE INCIDENT.
 XVI. 
XVI. THE UNSHED TEAR.
 XVII. 
XVII. WATER.
 XVIII. 
XVIII. TO ECHO.
 XIX. 
XIX. A SICK PERSON'S COMPLAINT.
 XX. 
XX. A DREAM IN SPRING.
 XXI. 
XXI. THE SOUL. A COMPARISON.
 XXII. 
XXII. TO THE PLUMES ON A HEARSE.
 XXIII. 
XXIII. HOPE AND MEMORY.
 XXIV. 
XXIV. ON VISITING THE ROOM WHERE I WAS BORN.
 XXV. 
XXV. LESSON FROM A CLOUD.
 XXVI. 
XXVI. THE SEASIDE.
 XXVII. 
XXVII. ON SEEING SNOW UPON GOOD FRIDAY.
 XXVIII. 
XXVIII. TO THE HOURS.
 XXIX. 
XXIX. LINES WRITTEN ON LEAVING OXFORD.
 XXX. 
XXX. ON WEEPING WHILE ASLEEP.
 XXXI. 
XXXI. LINES WRITTEN IN MOMENTARY DISGUST WITH METAPHYSICS.
 XXXII. 
XXXII. THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY GOSPELS.
 XXXIII. 
XXXIII. THE SOUL'S ABYSS.
 XXXIV. 
XXXIV. BELIEF OF ANGLICANS IN THE REAL PRESENCE TESTED.
 XXXV. 
XXXV. A REMONSTRANCE.
 XXXVI. 
XXVI. THE ROCK OF PETER.
 XXXVII. 
XXXVII. ST. CLEMENT'S TOMB.
 XXXVIII. 
XXXVIII. THE TEMPLE OF NATURE.
 XXXIX. 
XXXIX. NATURE'S ORATORIES.
 XL. 
XL. THE CATHOLIC CHURCH THE BOND OF THE WORLD.
 XLI. 
XLI. FLOWERS IN THE SACRISTY.
 XLII. 
XLII. FLOWERS ON THE ALTAR OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT.
 XLIII. 
XLIII. ON THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL FLOWERS FOR THE ALTAR.
 XLIV. 
XLIV. LINES ON A CEREMONIAL SANDAL OF HIS HOLINESS.
 XLV. 
XLV. LINES ON A CEREMONIAL CAPELLA OF HIS HOLINESS.
 XLVI. 
XLVI. A SOUL'S LAMENT IN PURGATORY.
 XLVII. 
XLVII. THE GRACIOUSNESS OF PURGATORY.
 XLVIIII. 
XLVIII. IN GOD'S SIGHT.
 XLIX. 
XLIX. FAITH.
 L. 
L. THE TWO MOTHERS.
 LI. 
LI. LOVE.
 LII. 
LII. CHASTISEMENT.
 LIII. 
LIII. SUNDAY.
 LIV. 
LIV. THE ORDER OF PURE INTUITION.
 LV. 
LV. THE CAPTIVE LINNET.
 LVI. 
LVI. CATHOLIC RUINS.
 LVII. 
LVII. ENGLAND'S FUTURE CONVERSION.
 LVIII. 
LVIII. TO THE HAND OF A LIVING CATHOLIC AUTHOR.
 LIX. 
LIX. ST. PHILIP NERI AND THE ROMAN NOBLE.
 LX. 
LX. A PROPHECY.

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XIII. THE SOUL.

Benedicite, spiritus et animæ justorum Domino.

Of God, of Truth, of high celestial things,
Methought one night I heard
The Angel Watchers singing to themselves;
Then sudden changed the strain,
And took a mournful tone;
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As of the soul they sang:—
Her origin sublime;
How nobler far than elemental fire,
Or air, or sea, or first-created light,
Or immaterial principle unknown
Of the brute race, or instinct's force divine,
Or comet's wheeling orb,
Or sun, or blazing star,
She boasts a heavenly birth,
A life immortal, incorruptible,
From the pure fontal essence ever blest
Of Majesty ineffable derived.
O shame, to think that such a pearl of price
Should all unvalued to the swine be cast
By thankless mortal man!
And marvellously was her nature framed,
And still a wonder is,
With awful powers endow'd;
Conscience supreme!
Clear Intellect, and Fancy's airy wand!
Exhaustless Memory!
Skill, and inventive power!
Capacious Science which subdues the world!
Pity soft-eyed! angelic Sympathies
In boundless treasure stored!
Genius sublime!
Thought, Eloquence, Freewill!
‘O marvel of the world!’ (so went the strain)
‘Great miracle of majesty divine!
Image of God, of Angels the high charge
By life-blood of Incarnate God redeem'd!
Bright ray of Heaven piercing this lower deep!
Wherefore so dull become, ethereal soul!
Forgettest thou to shine; but, soil'd and dim,
Trailest in dust, the prey of earthly things?
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Ah, well may nature weep
For thee her highest crown so lowly laid!
Ah, well for thee
May Angels mourn and all creation sigh!’
Then of Eternity
The hidden warblers sang,
Whereat a joyous burst throughout the concave rang;
Anon 'twas sadness all,
Telling of Adam's fall,
Telling of sin and death which us thereby enthral.
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