The closing scene

Front matter

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T H E

IMSlii SBSi

BOOK I. Clje Closing Bctwt

BOOK I.

First Cause of every cause — Almighty Cause I

Forever present, always Ancient One, —

The life of all, great Being's dawn and end —

All-making Lord — the All in All and Sire,

From everlasting to e'erlasting — God!

Incomprehensible and infinite —

The fullness of Immensity for aye I

To whom, the Heaven of Heavens is but a scat,

A footstool Earth, and Hell — a spark of fire !

Of Thee, bereft, how dumb is every joy I

All life how dead, and worlds unnumber'd — nought !

Or speck of dust 'mid Chaos' deep profound,

A mote on bosom of Nonentity —

Too small a fiber for the scales of Nought!

And Man — (immortal image of his Sire,)

A grain of sand on vast Atlantic-wave!

Life-bubble toss'd by Being's rapid tide

To wreck on ocean of Calamity!

Atom in chamber of Infinity!

A fleeting shade on shoreless deep of Space!

A shadow-spectre in the night of Time, —

Eternal Torment's never-dying worm

On sulphurous surge in tempest-tossing Hell!

Thro' Love-divine and boundless Mercy, what?

A saint, an angel, seraph and a god

Eternal as— Thyself! When Man rebell'd,

Had sinn'd and stray'd with A'^ice to wretchedness

As far as Hell, — at war with God and fast

To Satan wed, — ruined, lost, and almost damn'd —

Incapable to purchase with his all

Redemption, — wishing not to be redeemed !

Wondrous in mercy. Thou in mercy gave

THE CLOSING SCENE. \f

And — infinite of love ! Man, with Thyself, And Earth with Heaven redeemed in their despite ! From mites of wrath, exalted men to gods ! For endless death, us life eternal gave ! For flames of Hell — home blissful in the Heavens!

Number'd with saints instead of demons damn'd. And Mercy smiled to smile forever-more !

O ! how shall Man love, venerate, adore

Thee as he ought Almighty? How for Thy

Love infinite? amazing mercy how?

For full atonement made — accession free

Thro' suff"ering Savior's blood on Calvary shed

Poor Fallen Nature's fell death- wound to heal?

Restoring Earth so near to God and Heaven

That rapture-breathing Prayer, spirit-soaring flies

To audience-chamber of Emmanuel,

And mingling with day-glories 'round the throne

Celestial blessings feast Contrition's heart

Melting at presence near of Deity!

And — Faith! with Heaven-besieging eye full-fix' d,

Sun-bri{]rht beholds the great Eternal there —

Full-noon of glory burning infinite — Light, life and heaven of all the Heaven of Heavens !

O, rise my soul ! with holy Rapture rise

To adoration mute, astonishment;

With sacred awe and spirit-trembling breathe

Thy thoughts too hallow'd all for utterance,

In deep, dead-silence dumb with reverence

His name eternal musing — lost in Him!

This world from thine immortal pinions shake,

Shake imperfection — mix with Purities

Whose every thought 's a prayer and breath a

psalm, And God their all in all eternally.

! lean my weakness on Omnipotence,

My ignorance on Wisdom perfect lean

And imperfections all on spotless Purity; —

! wake Thou good desires, unhallow'd chase,

And sanctify this luke-warm heart — Almighty!

Thy will to do with humbleness and love, —

O, guide an atom 'mid Creation's dust!

THE CLOSINU SCENE. 11

My being be an end, my all in all —

Supporter, father, friend, — deliverer

In danger, guide to every duty, shield

From troubles all, — my rock, defence and tow'r

Of strength thro' life, thro' death — eternity

Of endless blessedness in loving Heaven.

Spirit of Grod ! thou — Light Ineffable !

Brood o'er the dark of my chaotic mind

As ^^o'er the water's face'' when Nature's self

Confusion lay the bosom of Old Night: —

With Glory's flame and Thy divinity

Illume me as Thou did'st Creation then

That rose complete to magnify Thy pow'r —

Stupendous wonder grand to Angel-eye,

To mortal sight another Deity!

And me inspire the hallow'd mount sublime

Of Holy Song to soar, and tread at will

Her loftiest heights, familiar and at home.

Me, judgment give and wide expanse of thought.

Give wisdom, spirit — flaming Harp of fire

Strung with immortal rays of light divine.

Oblivion to illume brisjht as this world

By glory-gleaming lamp of day lit up, Whiles vast of endless gloom night-hidden yet From mortal sight, I rove by Vision led; That dread unknown of wonder to unveil, And mysteries beyond the deep grave's brink By sacred Song divinely to reveal — Sinijers to wake from the dark-death of Sin (To which compar'd all darkness else is light) To Virtue's heavenly day, that they may live To Wisdom, — hand in hand with Duty walk Religion's paths of piety and peace To endless life-of-bliss with God in Heaven.

The Closing Scene, in wondrous Visions wild

Give me to sing assisted by Thy power

T' sonorous note of tempest-melody,

Or deep-ton' d organ of Eternity

That smites the listless ear of hideous Ghosts

In Den of Night, and stuns the Wo-gnaw'd soul

Of Melancholy, wreck'd, in chamber damn'd.

Full on my downy couch at eventide

I lay me wearisome. Night's dull-ey'd god

In balmy arms embrac'd a hemisphere. To death-like stillness hush'd the busy hum Of men. The Miser, talking o'er gold bags Till soul's delight to painful labor turn'd, Clos'd weary- watching eye and prostrate lay On yellow-hoards, and dream' d that Mammon was The universe. Dread Midnight came — all gloom! Look'd o'er his staff with frown Cimmerian; Grim Darkness felt, down-pouring from his face Night's noon — allusive of Eternity! His iron tongue told twelve. Great Nature closed Her eye, — in arms of dreamless Stillness sank With noiseless finger press' d to breathless lip Of Quietness. But still I slumber'd not — Sleep ivas denied me! Untold burdens crush'd My spirit-tower, and hurl'd from bosom's god Heaven-breathing Peace, and gave my heart to wo. Rolling and toss'd by Restlessness I lay Impatient quite for death-desir'd and sweet Oblivion, from tortur'd Thoughtfulness All earthly ills to chase, and plunge to deep Forgetfulness life-woes — sin-wounds of soul ! Care-breeding Time had given; when orient

To spirit-sight — all-seeing Vision came! Her wing celestial plum'd, and to me gave The Valley of the Shade of Death! Roll'd up The curtain dark of Doom. Mind's startl'd eye Affrighted sore, drank in — Eternal Scenes !

Half way from Earth — that busy stage of Man ! From Heaven, too, and fiend-howling Hell half

way, Pois'd 'like by all and equally remote — A World of Wbnde?' leaped hefore ray sight ! Where Night Eternal plumes her dragon-wing O'er Horror's wastes and Melancholy's seas, That fill'd all space 'twixt Chaos increate And Being's bounds: it was — Oblivion's Vale. One rageless terror all alive with deaths! Where silver moon, nor planet's ray, nor morn Nor day, with Heaven's life-giving smile may

come The brow of black Despair with light to crown And unto Desolation desolate New being give whiles endless ages roll. Blackness of Darkness mighty on her wings

T H E L O S I N G S E N E . l5

Broods on eternal and eternal frowns Gloom frightfulj killing Mist and deadly Shade O'er regions dark and Shadow foul of Death Where Ruin wide with Midnight Darkness stalks Thro' Silence' halls and fell Destruction's home.

No life is here! No happiness, no joy; No love-enamor'd youth and sweet-lip'd maid That live and feast upon the nectar-kiss Stray thro' the mournful desolation vast: — Love's eye hath lost its fire, his cheek its smile, And song of Mirth is hush'd by mourning Wo, The nimble-footed Dance by trembling Age — A stranger Sport, and Pleasure never known I Nor voice hath Joy, nor smile Festivity, Sunshine of Affluence cloud-obscurity — E'en Hope lies bleeding vanquished by Despair! Here Slumber sleeps with dreamless Quietude, While Spirit wings its sentence to receive — • To bask in glory or to rave in fire.

No giant Forests robed in living green, Like mighty armies stand majestic here

16 THE C L O H 1 N G SCENE.

The Storm-clouds battling for a century.

No Muse-inspired Wood, to wake the Breeze

To all the melting melody of Song,

And woo the Dew-drop from her heaven-high

home And wed her to his flowery breast till morn. Nor towering Oak, with cloud-uplifting head To bid defiance to the raging Storm, — To cradle fiery Lightning in his arms, And hush to (piet, bellowing Thunder's roar. Whiles giant bosom lulls to sleep profound! Or Mountain Fir! to wave sublime her arms Of fadeless green and head immortal, high 'Mid Ether's home ! and play at will and mock The wasteful Whirlwind in his battle-car Sweeping in might and thundering in his ire, And lash the scolding fury into calm. Nor whispering Grove, nor love-inviting Dale, Or Mead where Violets sip fresh tears of Dawn And sunbeams lend their beauty to the rose, Wake Zephyr's lute to melodies of Heaven. Or Grot, or Glen where Love breathes wedlockvows

THE L <) S T N (i S C E N K . 17

While bright-eyed Eve high sits her star-gem'd

throne And feeds the thirsty Flowers with balmy dew 'Hind curtains fair of oriental Day. No crystal Brook — no heaven-reflecting Pool Where fishes show their silvery sides in sport,— Nor Nightshade, nor the baneful Hemlock grows, But unto mountain-flights — towers Dust instead That Death's right arm of strength had robb'd

of life And hurl'd from Earth six thousand years ago.

No Spring to wake her little infants up I

No Summer paints her blushings on the pink

And rose's cheek, or heavens the violet's lip;

Nor yellow Autumn breathes to ripe her fruit,

Or view her leafy-honors fly the breeze.

But Winter reigns sole monarch of the year.

No crowing cock tells day's awakening hour; No feather'd songster hymns of rapture sings, — Not e'en the sombre raven croaks his song, Or hoarsely hoots the ominous bird of night,

But all is silence felt — Oblivion ! Where Stillness stands with finger to his lip A-hush; aghast — voiceless, nor dares to breathe While brooding Melancholy ever reigns Quiet as death and solemn as the grave.

No cities vast to boast of massive gates To many walls of hundred steeples high; Nor man, nor beast, nor any thing that lives Or moves upon the flowery Earth that eye Hath ever seen, or ear heard is here; 'Tis wonder all and mystery yet unveiFd To spirit-sight — Eternity alone I Ne'er see can Life, man living never know : — What living ye know not, dying shall know, Nor then, but this : What is — E-t-e-r-n-i-t-y I E-ter-ni-tyl Enough for Saints to know — Eternity can know Eternity.

How awful, silent, vast, is this dread world ! Above, below, around — leaping all bounds "lis one vast wild of solitude and night, Immensitv of loneliness and death

Bordering the horrors of Inferual-world I One dismal void of Emptiness and Nought — Amaze and lifeless-night — Oblivion !

O, Universe of Wonder and Dismay ! Region of Shadow and of doleful Shade ! Gloom-wilderness and cave forlorn of death 1 Sin-frown and Devastation's reign supreme! Chaos-confusion — end of ruin void — The home of nothing, yet — the home of all I The shuddering blank of Grim Forgetfulness Where thought is lost as wand'ring Chaos-wilds, And dismal Night and endless Quiet lower Dense-darkness Day-god's fires could ne'er illume I Where Wind lives not, nor Storm is known to

breathe ; Where Whirlwind sleeps and Tempest is not

found — E'en the light-coated, silent-tripping Breeze And Zephyrus stand dumb as Silence' self And — eating their own breath! All is — Death's

hour !

Forever-more is frightful Vacuum,

Eternal Stillness and the deadly Damps — Fell Desolation and Nonentity!

This is Eternity's lorn home of gloom, Dread home, and by him call'd — ' Oblivions Vale.' Mausoleum of Nature's every dust, Where all Earth's ashes sleep — a harmless pile, — Together mingle friendly and beloved With Peace and Quietude till Judgment-dawn To life and immortality shall wake. EtermtT/'s long, long-lone bed of sleep! Where all mankind (Sleep's own true votaries) Eternity shall find filling desire. That bed, already made, calls loud for Man, And Death awaits to lull him to repose Till Gabriel's trump with jarring sound shall rend Creation huge, and all her massive Worlds .From their deep-rooted spheres shall fall headlong ! 0, drowsy mortals — wake I to duty rise While yet arise, while yet awake ye may. And tremble at the voice that calls ye hence, — Ye wicked — tremble ! all ye righteous — smile I

Now, all Oblivion roU'd before my sight, And Night-frowns dismal and Death-vallies look'd, All stirless, breathless, soulless solitude — Ohlivion! it lay huge — lengthened out! Eye-straining heights down to sight-loosing

depths — Infinity's flight-boundless, countless width ! As wild and lone — sear too and terrible As great Sahara is whiles Simoon rolls His hell-car on to gorge whole caravans Of Arabs at a meal I Around I gazed But nothing saw save Death's down-crumbling heaps Mould'ring in ruin. Cell to cell and cave To cavern gaping deep profounds. Dungeons And labyrinths of wo — mad'ning to thought I Many a ruinous, many a craggy maze Of dismal Ruin frowning peril 'round ! Bays lash'd to waves and inward-groaning lakes. G-host-dreariness. Fell Horror's hideousness. Hell-shade. Pale Fear look'd terror thro' the

gloom !

I saw a Sea! Fierce-raging sea and deep,

And wide as deep, and dreadful too as wide !

Oblivion's Vale its fearful billows dash'd —

Dividing vast Eternity from Time,

And Life from Death, tlie soul from Spirit-land;

Mortality from Immortality —

From Substance, Shadow all, and nam'd — Death's

Brink !

Where waves distracted with distracted waves Wage war eternal with uproar of Hell, Whiles Alpine-mountains rise the dwellers dark Of Limbo-skies ! The foamy Brink to depth Boils like Atlantic's mad, shipwrecking waves Cloud-pil'd by Storm, and wild Confusion reigns. In wrestlings hot of rage the gale-born surge White-leaps, and bounding from loud-roaring

rocks Afar bursts thund'ring and dissolves to foam. Grim Death, each billow rides exalted high, And with a life-annihilating look On like wide waste of Desolation rolls With Devastation in his grin! While huge With horrors, wide beneath opes realms of Wo Mad'ning to thought of less than Angel-mind!

T H E C L O S I N a S C E N E . 23

Appalling seems its swell, and Man affrights ! Deep dread to all that live upon the Earth. But sure, to fallen man it should be sweet This Brink to cross in bless' d Religion's bark With all its silken sails for Glory spread I Tremendous, tho' it even seems to rage And fur'ous beat and lash and rend the shore Of Time with jarring sound of horror dread And wo — it only seems: its stunning voice Of melancholy, as an empty sound The much-mistaken ear of man alarms — Like Spirits sent with warnings for our good. Life's dream is tempest all where death finds calm ; Man thinks it bitter till he tastes it sweet — Sees Horror only till he's hail'd by Peace! The good have nought to fear, their loss is

gain- Eternal gain! 0, journey most beloved! The passage pleasure and reward immense.

Wide is the Brink — too wide to see beyond ! Upon its bosom's fiercely heaving swell I saw a broad-wing'd Vessel sweetly glide

By waves iiiitoiich'd, uiiliarm'd. Storm held his

breath At her approach, the mighty billows slept As she drew near, and mirror'd water's face Smil'd gentle Calm, love-greeting her in peace. A gallant Vessel tall, strong, mighty she : Her timbers, cedars vast from sunny shore That knoweth no decay, fram'd, finish' d are With such celestial order all complete That Beauty spake to Harmony — ' Divine,^ Her yards the virgin-gold ; her air-wed sails Are as space-losing wings of Spirits bless'd Bath'd in Redeeming Love and glowing out And sparkling with the smile of God ! E'er

fann'd By spicy gales of Grace they swell full, round As moon — nor wind, nor wave adverse, oppose. Prow adamant, by a celestial hand Divinely form'd! where pictur'd Loveliness In beauty pure appears as orient As Morning's light; and bright Seraphic bands Grace-form'd, love-cheek' d, blaze thick as stars of

night —

THE CLOSING SCENE. Z£i

Sunny with halo-floods divine, that days With Immortality the Heaven of Heavens I They seem alive — inspired with action, sense And speech just less than gods, and far above All grasp of mortal mind. They, glory smile, And with immortal palms — 'Kind icelcomes' Vf awe To white-rob' d Purities when forth they leap From prison-dens of frail Mortality. Perfection, from her masthead loud proclaims: ^Ship Zion, built by heavenly Architect.'

For Light-house bound and haven of Repose ! Fleet sailor for Eternal Glory's port — Sure sailor for bright Eden of our God! Upon her deck and in her cabin large Whose floors were gold with diamonds thickly set, I saw a heavenly band all rob'd in white Bright as a sun, yet mild as moon full-orb' d With Heaven's divinity of loveliness. Each face, with fires celestial lit and love Eternal, blossom'd out a Paradise That Eden-bow' rs and Youth Immortal look'd Majestic, soft, seraphic and God-crown' d !

26 T H E C L U « I N (I S C E N E .

With soul-rejoicing sound they shouted loud, Till hymn-re-echoing halls of Old Ship Zion too Found spirit-voice harmonious as they, And vocal-joy with speaking-shouts replied; While Angel-songs and notes of bright Redeem'd, Roll'd praise melod'ous thro' the Heaven of

Heavens T' Eternal Spirit and the Lamb; amen.

The iciched, were not there I They, from the shore Of Time, Death plung'd headlong in his own

Brink— His boisterous Brink and stormy Sea of Wo For fiery home in tempest-world of Wrath Where Hell-of-sulphur rolls without a shore — Distraction-lash' d and howling hideously! Where Dying-death lives reigning a proud seat. And Torment fierce and Vengeance never sleep While Woe's enormous howl counts years with

Hell: Where mountain-waves as thousand oceans huge War waves as fell, and hot in fury pour Perdition manifold — vindictive fire.

THE CLOSING SCENE. Zt

AVan Spirit-troops by Wrath Divine pursued,

The wavy Brink hot-speeding o'er, I saw.

In all the sad varieties of wo —

Anguish unutterable deep pondering on

And bitterness of Hell. Beginning now

The harvest dire to reap sins manifold

Have sown: first Hell-smite from Despair's fell

frown !

First taste from the gall-brimming cup of Wo ! First death-pang from Undying Worm's dread

tooth Soul-rending sore to endless evermore ! Eternal Wrath's first arrow — drinking spirit ! Destruction's dawn whose woes are Legion all — All blasting, w^ithering, wasting, countless deaths. Groanings commenc'd to groan to groan for aye. Their voice of wail, their bowlings of despair. Infernal growls, annihilating shrieks One bedlam-roaring wild, horrific made Storm-loud, and fell as thunder — crushingly I Whiles their damn'd looks of everlasting grief Spake spirit-death and soul asunder riv'n By fell Damnation's fire-claw ruinous

And lightning- wrath of dread Omnipotence. High o'er the mountain-rolling waves they leap'd Dash'd, mourn'd and wept and gnash'd their

teeth In misery consummate and ruin damn'd ! Some, plung'd headlong beneath the angry surge Struggling with death-of-fire flame-gnawing sore As Death-worm's sting tremendous, convuls'd. But vain each effort — all their labor vain, As soon might wash all Ethiopia white As one lost soul from deep corruption's stain. And some, lone-wander'd 'mong loud-roaring waves In deepest gloom — to dumb despair sunk mute And look'd enormous wo whiles toiling hard And long and vain to estimate the vast Immensity of trouble, pain, despair And agony that in one moment liv'd. 'Twas nonsense all and most absurd and vain ; No tongue can tell, no language can express, No spirit-mind conceive and no harp sing, — Imagination's canvass picture forth. Or Fancy's flight e'er bound the boundless void, Nor star-computing Wisdom e'er sum up

The vast, the deep afflictions of an hour.

Soul-wreck' d, on boily-billows, darkling burn'd

As sparks in sulphur den of Erebus,

And shrieking out to each their deep, dire tales

Of wretchedness, whiles sin-uproarous Brink

With demon-rush and voice infernal, gave

No heed, but belch'd new torments on its damn'd —

Forlorn in grief and dismal in despair.

Between Death's boist'rous Brink and Shore of

Time Wide lay — The Valley of the Shade of Death. Death's shade-land bord'ring the Eternal-world I Gloom-veil and shroud of Sin that darkling clouds The coast of Time, and hides from eye of Life The AVonder-myst'ries of Eternity! Mad Horror's fen and gulf of Night, where troops Of Ghosts aghast, pale, gaping flit fire-eyed, And shrieking vanish in a groan so dire That caverns of Eternal Night resound ! The shadow of Eternal Night's dread wing Whose sable rustle is Creation's sigh And Nature's piteous moan thro' all her works!

Sin-ruin void, Crime-oped at fall of man — By Disobedience delv'd and Satan's power. Outcast of Being waste and bare and lone As skeleton of Beatb! Desolation's Sad seat all desolate, where the grim King Of Terrors like a tempest sits his throne Of skulls, wide looking desolation round With Devastation's power — frowning for aye Annihilation to the heart of Life!

Vale of Affright and Dread— black Shade of

Ghosts !

Where Darkness ever plumes her dragon wings And Horror's shriek gives terror to Despair. Two Roads I saw. At Gate of Death that wild Of wo began — 'Destruction's Broad Boad'

call'd— Death, Hell uniting! Satan's own dismiss'd From their Sin-vault speed howling. Death Gate

opes.

This Broad Bead's hideousness full on their sight Falls stunningly. Fear-smote roar out the damn'd. Confusion is and wild uproar — clamor !

THE C L O S I N <1 SCENE. 31

Tliey fly — they fall o'erwhelm'd and down plunge

lost In deadly fangs and jaws of Agony. They ^scape — they shriek, they howl! and on

speed, leap O'er fen, or crag, o'er bog — Chaotic-wilds ! Thro' Demon-haunted ravines curs' d from Eld And 'live with Wretchedness, Wo, Death they

rush Where Dragons roar and Devils sweep as storm ; While howly Fiends fire-eyed upon them leap With tempest in their look and wo — mad'ning! They speed along — confounded speed sin-scourg'd, While black, grim Night eternal frowns full-faced With Impy-spectres dangling on each hair! And Thunder dread from sulphur den beneath Wakes roar of vengeance and eternal Curse: — They quake — affrighted fly — shrunk to a groan ! From Death Vale's horrors rise all thunderscathed, Climb rocks — huge as a world! Fell rocks that

shake As things infirm, and tumble to and fro —

Bend, bow, toss, reel as forests lasli'd by storm, And heart-convuls'd as burning mountains are When Fire-fiend rends their vitals like a Hell, Or the Atlantic-isles in Earthquake's grasp. From peak to peak, from cliff to cliff they leap Still tow'ring — toiling on and upward still Unto crag-clad, cave-yawning Mount of Mist Whose arrow-like flight height-loosing point waves The canopy of Night rending! Here stand Wail-voic'd, fell, ravy, fierce — battling Despair Till flames volcanic meet them and ingulf. And with Niagara-voice and Malstrom-roar To Depth's profound hurl spirit-crushingly, Where fell Damnation waits the soul's deathplunge To Wrath Infernal — glaring out Hell-fire ! Here, Shadows fierce of grim Departed Joys Meet every view with loosing gape and grin Of devils damn'd, while huge in every groan And mad'ning lives and raves Eternal Death. Kage-lash'd and horror-struck, look — death of wo! Thro' Den of Spectres rush — thro' Gloom of Doubt—

Pass Terror's Wilds and Fear's and pale Affright's And Desperation's Cave ope to devour. Then Shade of Dread and the Undying Worm; Life's Wreck where green Remorse sits stupefied, And Horror's Fen reflecting Hell, where fierce Screams palsy-smitten Shadow of Despair. Cloud-rangling, here, arise to Chaos Mist — Death Cliffs ! high o'er Destruction's Cavernhome And Devastation's morbid Den lowering, Where fell Despair awaits Sin's woful plunge. Then, lastly, thee — Lake of Eternal Fire.

The EigJiteous, are not so. Their grave of peace By Spirits watch'd and hovering Virtues all Attended, is the love that marries Earth To Heaven, and saves the Sin-curs'd world from

Death Eternal, in dark Den of Wo. All round The Christian's Angel-guarded tomb, wide opes — The Narrow Path to Life ! where Virtue's

smile

Halos Death Shades with light of Deity, 3

As rosy dawn with twiliglit blending soft

Or moon in dim eclipse. Life's Narrow Path —

Wide as the world ! where cliff with cliff and

crag With crag join like entangling clouds, till mix'd They roll united all. Great mystery Of rock — vast myriads yet one I Heavenly And all of adamant, where ever dwells Elysium, with song of the Redeem' d, — Fresh-falling manna from the Tree of Life, And Life Eternal ripening into bloom. The Grod-like Christians blest as men can be Have little else to do than shouting go From New-birth on to endless evermore; Grim Death but opes his iron gate to wake Them into life of Heaven, and give their cheek The Eden-rose of Immortality.

I saw a Cave — forlorn of wretchedness !

Death Shades have not another like to it.

So gloomy, dark, foul, dreary, desolate —

So huge and wild — Death Valley's horror, groan !

Pil'd mountain-high with dust of Aneient-yoars —

Kuin's flight and Devastation's reign supreme! Girt all sides round by wall tremendous, vast Of human bones — of princes and of kings I Dried and cemented by the breath of Age — The mighty labor of six thousand years ! And this is Death's — Death^s oicn all direful

Home, Where fell Disease hath birth, and hell-tooth' d

Pain Affliction woke, and tempest-footed Plague War, Pestilence and Famine learn to live.

Hard by Death's Home is smooth and silvery

Lake, Asleep from fall of man till present time Without a mote or wrinkle on its face. Unknown to wing of storm, or wind's rough

breath, And looks the surface of a waveless sea: — Death's Mirror true, that shows his hollow eye Eternal Scenes : — Bell's mighty agony Without an end ; her deep distress — her vast Of troubles deep, affliction sore and fell;

Soul-gnawing jaws of fire! lier utter wratli Interminable and deep'ning evermore — Despair despairing — Darkness dark'ning still! Her groans, her tears that burn as living fire And fill with drops of gall sad Sorrow's cup; Her writhings of Eemorse, dire shrieks of Fiends; Her Demons damn'd and hot Infernals fierce; Her raging billows and her sulphur flame; Her desperate grief and everlasting death — Eternal wo and infinite despair!

It shows him Heaven — with all her blessedness! Where Love and Mercy bask in fount of Life And sing and shout with full of joy aloud Eternal praise to God e'er sweet and new In floods of glory 'round tV eternal throne. Where Seraph-choirs with Angel-bands converse, While bright Redeemed in snowy vesture clad And diamond-crown' d wave palms of victory, And grasp their deep-toned lyres with love-smiles

strung From bless'd Kedeemer's lip, and on o'er streets Pearl-gem' d of Zion fair — hymning the Lamb

In all the melting melodies of Heaven. Shows all the blessedness of that bless'd world I Her whispering brooks and mildly talking streams; Her limpid pools and silver-bosom' d lakes; Her rosy seats of love and bowers of bliss ; Her grassy meads and violet-smiling lawns; Her downy plains and lotos-laughing vales; Her sweetly singing groves and landscapes fair; Her Zephyr-breathing grots, peace-lisping dales And silk-leaved glens and lily-gardens pure, With flowery walks by Angel-foot perfum'd, Where bright, celestial hosts do oft retire And reap a harvest rich of perfect joy.

It shows him Earth! her empires and her kings;

Her government and laws; her changes all —

Vicissitudes ; her life and death, glory

Decay and happiness and misery.

Death's telescope revealing Mystery !

His eye of augury and of knowledge deep

That makes him true philosopher indeed —

Historian and prophet, magi, sage !

His Shadow-glass reflecting every chance

From Nature's birth e'en on until the now — With mysteries else that sleep in embryo. And here, that fleeting shade of substance, Earth, Sheds Fashion's garb and tinsel-mask of base Deceit, and palsy-struck, with Vanity And Vice on totters — Fool'ry, Frailty Outshaming all vile rags of Wretchedness, — Haunted by Winding-sheets and famin'd Graves Wide ope around and gaping hideously, While fierce Disease with death-bells all a-ring Howl at her heels loud groaning to devour. This world, the shadow of a shadow seems — Illusion of false dream, alluring to Elude the grasp of Life forever-more; Yet Folly-chas'd from thoughtless Infancy To dotard Age ! if Chance the phantom stays She 's Hell's enchanting Mammon sent to damn The soul and body both eternally. Earth 's like an egg-shell, seeming to be bulk While all is empty, hollowness within — Air-bubble full of utter emptiness ! An Ignis-fatuus show of nothingness ! Limbo of phantom-fleeting vacuum !

Gewgaw complete of perfect vanity Where nought is certain but uncertainty! A fairy-tale of base absurdities, Or romance huge, with contradictions full I A dark enigma never understood I A worm-wood bower where honey-dews invite — The honey-cup of Sin with death in it ! The putrid ulcer of Corruption deep Where Mankind feast themselves to feed graveworms, And on Life's fickle hour air-castles build Whiles they dream it away to wake in death ! A dunce-block vile where all play fool in turn ! Hot-bed that ripes for endless life or death I Affliction's depth of beggary and want, — Her gold, by Miser's careful hand pil'd high Seems fell Corruption's deadly sting, and each Adorer stings — killing eternally I Her titles, crowns, appear of nothing worth — All tatter'd rags on back of Poverty! Her highest honors splendid vanities, Or golden fetters fastening on the soul. Bed of Affliction and the tent of Death