Part 2 (2/2)

When the Creator banished from his sight Frail man to dark mortality's abode, And granted him a late return to light, Only by treading reason's arduous road,-- When each immortal turned his face away, She, the compa.s.sionate, alone Took up her dwelling in that house of clay, With the deserted, banished one.

With drooping wing she hovers here Around her darling, near the senses' land, And on his prison-walls so drear Elysium paints with fond deceptive hand.

While soft humanity still lay at rest, Within her tender arms extended, No flame was stirred by bigots' murderous zest, No guiltless blood on high ascended.

The heart that she in gentle fetters binds, Views duty's slavish escort scornfully; Her path of light, though fairer far it winds, Sinks in the sun-track of morality.

Those who in her chaste service still remain, No grovelling thought can tempt, no fate affright; The spiritual life, so free from stain, Freedom's sweet birthright, they receive again, Under the mystic sway of holy might.

The purest among millions, happy they Whom to her service she has sanctified, Whose mouths the mighty one's commands convey, Within whose b.r.e.a.s.t.s she deigneth to abide; Whom she ordained to feed her holy fire Upon her altar's ever-flaming pyre,-- Whose eyes alone her unveiled graces meet, And whom she gathers round in union sweet In the much-honored place be glad Where n.o.ble order bade ye climb, For in the spirit-world sublime, Man's loftiest rank ye've ever had!

Ere to the world proportion ye revealed, That every being joyfully obeys,-- A boundless structure, in night's veil concealed, Illumed by naught but faint and languid rays, A band of phantoms, struggling ceaselessly, Holding his mind in slavish fetters bound, Unsociable and rude as be, a.s.sailing him on every side around,-- Thus seemed to man creation in that day!

United to surrounding forms alone By the blind chains the pa.s.sions had put on, Whilst Nature's beauteous spirit fled away Unfelt, untasted, and unknown.

And, as it hovered o'er with parting ray, Ye seized the shades so neighborly, With silent hand, with feeling mind, And taught how they might be combined In one firm bond of harmony.

The gaze, light-soaring, felt uplifted then, When first the cedar's slender trunk it viewed; And pleasingly the ocean's crystal flood Reflected back the dancing form again.

Could ye mistake the look, with beauty fraught, That Nature gave to help ye on your way?

The image floating on the billows taught The art the fleeting shadow to portray.

From her own being torn apart, Her phantom, beauteous as a dream, She plunged into the silvery stream, Surrendering to her spoiler's art.

Creative power soon in your breast unfolded; Too n.o.ble far, not idly to conceive, The shadow's form in sand, in clay ye moulded, And made it in the sketch its being leave.

The longing thirst for action then awoke,-- And from your breast the first creation broke.

By contemplation captive made, Ensnared by your discerning eye, The friendly phantom's soon betrayed The talisman that roused your ecstasy.

The laws of wonder-working might, The stores by beauty brought to light, Inventive reason in soft union planned To blend together 'neath your forming hand.

The obelisk, the pyramid ascended, The Hermes stood, the column sprang on high, The reed poured forth the woodland melody, Immortal song on victor's deeds attended.

The fairest flowers that decked the earth, Into a nosegay, with wise choice combined, Thus the first art from Nature had its birth; Into a garland then were nosegays twined, And from the works that mortal hands had made, A second, n.o.bler art was now displayed.

The child of beauty, self-sufficient now, That issued from your hands to perfect day, Loses the chaplet that adorned its brow, Soon as reality a.s.serts its sway.

The column, yielding to proportion's chains, Must with its sisters join in friendly link, The hero in the hero-band must sink, The Muses' harp peals forth its tuneful strains.

The wondering savages soon came To view the new creation's plan ”Behold!”--the joyous crowds exclaim,-- ”Behold, all this is done by man!”

With jocund and more social aim The minstrel's lyre their awe awoke, Telling of t.i.tans, and of giant's frays And lion-slayers, turning, as he spoke, Even into heroes those who heard his lays.

For the first time the soul feels joy, By raptures blessed that calmer are, That only greet it from afar, That pa.s.sions wild can ne'er destroy, And that, when tasted, do not cloy.

And now the spirit, free and fair, Awoke from out its sensual sleep; By you unchained, the slave of care Into the arms of joy could leap.

Each brutish barrier soon was set at naught, Humanity first graced the cloudless brow, And the majestic, n.o.ble stranger, thought, From out the wondering brain sprang boldly now.

Man in his glory stood upright, And showed the stars his kingly face; His speaking glance the sun's bright light Blessed in the realms sublime of s.p.a.ce.

Upon the cheek now bloomed the smile, The voice's soulful harmony Expanded into song the while, And feeling swam in the moist eye; And from the mouth, with spirit teeming o'er, Jest, sweetly linked with grace, began to pour.

Sunk in the instincts of the worm, By naught but sensual l.u.s.t possessed, Ye recognized within his breast Love-spiritual's n.o.ble germ; And that this germ of love so blest Escaped the senses' abject load, To the first pastoral song he owed.

Raised to the dignity of thought, Pa.s.sions more calm to flow were taught From the bard's mouth with melody.

The cheeks with dewy softness burned; The longing that, though quenched, still yearned, Proclaimed the spirit-harmony.

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