The Vision of Prophecy and Other Poems By James D. Burns ... Second Edition |
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| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
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| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
| XIII. | XIII. |
| XIV. |
| XV. |
| XVI. |
| XVII. |
| XVIII. |
| XIX. |
| XX. |
| XXI. |
| XXII. |
| XXIII. |
| XXIV. |
| XXV. |
| XXVI. |
| XXVII. |
| XXVIII. |
| XXIX. |
 | The Vision of Prophecy and Other Poems |  |
251
XIII.
“The light that led astray
Was light from heaven!”
Was light from heaven!”
It could not be; no light from heaven
Has ever led astray,—
Its constant stars to guide are given,
And never to betray.
The meteor in the marish bred
May lure the foot afar,
But never wayfarer misled
Would say it was a star.
Has ever led astray,—
Its constant stars to guide are given,
And never to betray.
The meteor in the marish bred
May lure the foot afar,
But never wayfarer misled
Would say it was a star.
When passion drives to wild excess,
And folly wakes to shame,
It cannot make the madness less
To cast on heaven the blame.
O blindly wander if thou wilt,
And break from virtue's rule,—
But add not blasphemy to guilt,
And doubly play the fool.
And folly wakes to shame,
It cannot make the madness less
To cast on heaven the blame.
O blindly wander if thou wilt,
And break from virtue's rule,—
But add not blasphemy to guilt,
And doubly play the fool.
The light that seemed to shine on high,
And led thee on to sin,
Was but reflected to thine eye
From passion's fire within.
And Conscience warned thee of the guide,
And Reason raised her voice;
Thou wert not forced to turn aside,
But freely mad'st the choice.
And led thee on to sin,
Was but reflected to thine eye
From passion's fire within.
252
And Reason raised her voice;
Thou wert not forced to turn aside,
But freely mad'st the choice.
Thy Will its false enchantment drew
Before thy clearer sight,
And round the hovering tempter threw
An angel's robe of light.
And thus from virtue's peaceful way
So far by passion driven,
How could the light that led astray
Be light that shone from heaven?
Before thy clearer sight,
And round the hovering tempter threw
An angel's robe of light.
And thus from virtue's peaceful way
So far by passion driven,
How could the light that led astray
Be light that shone from heaven?
Why, reckless of its native aim,
Should genius, throned so high,
E'er lend the sanction of its name
To consecrate a lie,
If not that a corrupted heart
Degrades the noblest mind,
And turns to shame the glorious art
That should have blessed mankind?
O spurn the guilty thought away!
Eternity will tell
That every light that led astray
Was light that shone from hell.
Should genius, throned so high,
E'er lend the sanction of its name
To consecrate a lie,
If not that a corrupted heart
Degrades the noblest mind,
And turns to shame the glorious art
That should have blessed mankind?
O spurn the guilty thought away!
Eternity will tell
That every light that led astray
Was light that shone from hell.
| The Vision of Prophecy and Other Poems | |