lIe children of that class of the people in Scotland to which his parents belonged. Being- always fond of reading, he devoted to it the winters' evenings, instead of wasting them in frivolous amuse- ments. , In his fourteenth year he was sent to the. village of Eagles- ham, to learn the business of a cartwright. But an elder brother, who was pursuing his studies for the ministry, it is said, advised him to abandon mechanical pursuits, and pre- pare for die same holy office. The plan was favored by his parents, and in 1813 he commenced the stuJy of the Latin language in a school in the parish of Fenwick. In October, 1815, he was admitted to the University of Glasgow, where, having attended the classes five years, he received the degree of Master of Arts at the age of twenty-two. Here he was a diligent and exemplary student, stood very high in the estimation of his teachers, and obtained several prizes, which were awarded to him by his fellows. Before finishing his literary course, he suffered considerably from XVI MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR. impaired health ; but does not seem to have suspected that he was preparing to be a victim of intense application. In the autumn of 1822, he became a student of theology in the seminary of the United Secession Church, under the Rev. Dr. Dick, of Glasgow. He attended, also, the theological lectures of Dr. Macgill in the University. The discourses prepared by him,, according to the requirements of the Divinity Hall, attracted notice ; but were by some of his fellow-students severely criticised ; because it was impossi- ble for a genius like Pollok's to trammel itself by those rules of division and arrangement, which are of indispensable necessity to common minds, and which are generally impor- tant in a sermon, in order to aid the apprehension and the memory of the hearers. After the usual attendance at the Hall of five sessions, he was licensed to preach, at the same time with his brother, in May, 1827, by the United Associate Presbytery of Edinburgh. It was about this time that his Poem was published, in the preparation of which, he had been much engaged, it is said, during the two preceding years. His first public discourse was delivered at Rose Street Chapel, Edinburgh, of which the Rev. John Brown is minis- ter. It was on the afternoon of Thursday, the third of May, the day of humiliation and prayer, before the celebration of the communion. The text was, 1 Kings, xviii. 21. " How long halt ye between two opinions ? If the Lord be God fol- low him ; but if Baal, then follow him." The sermon is said to have been in some parts awfully grand, and to have pro- duced a most deep impression. " Many, we* doubt not, who heard him that day, will recollect the profound and eloquent discourse, which he delivered, in which there was a brilliant display of poetical imagery, combined with metaphysical acuteness and admirable reasoning ; and many, we doubt not, will recollect his feeble appearance, and the exhaustion * London Memoir. MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR. XVll which was apparent ere he closed. Alas ! disease was then making- " rapid inroads on his constitution, and his public ministrations were soon to end forever." Such was the fatigue occasioned by this single exertion, that he was immediately confined to his bed ; and, although in a few days he was partially restored, he preached afterwards only three times. It was soon manifest to all but himself that an insidious consumption had been preying upon his constitution. " In the summer he removed from Edinburgh to Slateford, a most romantic village in the parish of St. Cuthbert's, delightfully situated on the rivulet called the Water of Leith, about three miles from the city. There, in the family of the Rev. Dr. Belfrage, minister of the United Congregation of Slateford, he was received with the utmost affection and respect. The salubrity of the air, and particular attention to diet, it was fondl}' anticipated, would restore him to vigor, especially as he had youth and the advantage of the season in his favor. The well known medical reputation of Dr. Belfrage, too, was fortunate for him in this delightful retirement. Finding, however, that his health was not returning, he was, during the summer, induced to take an easy tour to Aber- deen, in the hope that change of air and scene might recruit his exhausted frame. But the expectations of his friends were disappointed. He returned, and it was evident that disease was quickly hastening him to the grave." The treatment which he received at this time shows iu what estimation he was held by those who knew him. " Dur- ing Mr. Pollok's residence at Slateford, he experienced the utmost kindness and attention from a gentleman of the most distinguished reputation in the metropolis, Dr. Abercromby. This gentleman frequently visited I.im, and tendered his medical advice with his friendly conversation. Many others in the metropolis, both laity and clergy of various denomi- nations, also e\-inced their respect for him by their solici- 9* XVm MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR. tations. Among the former, llie Right Hon. Sir John Sinclair, who, at a public dinner, expressed his opinion of the 'Course of Time,' and the family of Dr. Monro of the University of Edinburgh, ought not to be forgotten." " His friends and fellow-students in Edinburgh also frequently visited him, and cheered him by their conversations on former days." " Of the kindness of Dr. Belfrage, Mr. Pollok always spoke with the most grateful enthusiasm. Durmg his residence at Slateford, that gentleman acted toward him as a father and a friend. Every thing which was thought conducive to his comfort was at his command." But the assiduities of friends were unavailing. '' The summer hastened on, and ftlr. Pollok was still the subject of disease. It was now thought necessary that a change of climate should be tried, and it was anticipated that the salubrious air of Italy might restore him to health. The city of Pisa, in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, was the place selected for his residence. To a mind like his, deeply stored with classical learning, and capable of appreciating tlie scenes of that delightful country, such a residence must nave possessed the highest interest." Having made suitable preparations, and procured letters to learned men on the Conti- nent, he left Scotland in the month of h ugTist, accompanied by /js sister. "He proceeded by sea to England, and went first to Plymouth ; but the state of his health rendered it. impossible foi- him to go forward, and only the hope remained that if spared till the next summer, he would perhaps be enabled to complete his journey. He therefore took up his residence near Southampton, at Devonshire Place, Shirley Common." Soon, however, all hopes failed, and he wrote to his brother in Scotland respecting his situation, and observed to his sister, that he should not have left his home had he been aware of the state of his disease. Having lingered a few days, he expired on the 18th of September, 1827 j and oefore his brother arrived, his remains were deposited in the MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR. Xix grave. His death was that of the true Christian, character- ized by a calm faith in the leligion he had preached, and a cheerful hope in that redeiiiption, which had been the theme of his song. The character of one thus cut cfl' in the very moment, in which he was bursting from obscurity into the full glory that now rests upon his memory, it may be difficult to dehneate. " His friends, public and private, can bear testi- mony to his many virtues. His excellence lay not in osten- tation, but in the quiet and unobtrusive feelings of the heart. His disposition was generous, his heart, feeling and benev- olent ; and he loved his friends with that affection which is cherished onl}' by a noble mind." " In his intercourse with his friends and familiar acquaintance,* he was cheerful and light-hearted ; and this disposition he retained till disease had altogether disorganized his nervous system. But, like most men of studious habits, he wore an air of distance and re- serve, when in the company cf strangers." ^' His religion was that of the heart ; he was pious, devout, humble, free from the conceits of a fancied perfection, and the impulses of a heated enthusiasm. His mind was cast in too noble a mould to be impressed by the petty distinctions and animos- ities of sectarian prejudice, and his integrity rose superior to the hollow and superficial affectation of a spurious liberality." " His habits t were those of a close student j his reading was extensive 5 he could converse on almost every subject j and had great facility in composition. His college acquaint- ances could perceive that his mind was not wholly devoted to the business of the classes ; he was constantly writing or reading on other subjects. It was his custom to commit to the flames, every now and then, a great number of papers. Be- sides the regular exercises, he composed a number for his own * Magazine of Ref. D. Church, t Christian Review XX MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR. pleasure and improvement, and several of these poetical." " Literary industry and solitary musing were not deemed the most important avocations in his father's house ; and in- trusions on his meditations at home often induced him to go elsewhere to muse. On these occasions, he often retreated to a neighboring- farm, where a. beautiful clump of fir-trees relieved the nakedness of a spot naturally uninviting. There, seated under the fairest of these, he composed a con- siderable part of his Poem. At a little distance in front, though entirely out of sight, a crystal stream of water gushed from a water-spout into a pleasant well, and thence pursued its course without a murmur through the low-lying meadows. The simple music of this little waterfall, mingled at times with the voice of the wind, as it rose or fell among the branches of the fir-trees, awakened emotions, to which may be ascribed a portion of that enthusiasm, which infused ani- mation and wildness into his cherished melancholy. From this seclusion, he had a full view of the '.battlement of hills' formed by the lofty -Ben Lomond' and other mountains, stretching beyond Dumbarton. At the south-east end of his father's house stand the trees Avhich he celebrates in his verse. It is said that many a time he had been seen gazing upon them long and silently, and at length turning from iheni with an air of gladdened pensiveness, indicating the elevat- ed feelings, which, by some mysterious sympathy, they had exc4ted. " Mr. Pollok's mind was certainly of a very superior order ; of this, there need no other proof be given than the encomiums, which his 'Course of Time' has called forth — encomiums, many of them penned before his death was known, but which did not appear till after he had gone beyond the reach of earthly applause." This Poem, although of the four last books he is said to \zxe written nearly a thousand lines weekly, had long occu* MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR. xxi pied his thoughts. The idea was conceived fourteen years before its publication, wlien he was a mere youth. " The reception it has met wiih from the public, is a sufficient testi- mony to the talents of its lamented author. His name is now recorded among ihe list of those illustrious Scotsmen, who have done honor to their country ; who, from obscuilty, have .secured for themselves an unfading reputation j and who will be remembered by distant generations with enthusiasm and admiration." Previously to the " Course of Time," three Sabbath School Tales, written by him while a student of divinity, were pub- lished anonymously, entitled, " Helen of the Glen," '■' Ralph Gemmell" and the ''Persecuted' Family." The two latter are considered as the better specimens of his genias " Ralph Gemmell" is properly a tale of the imagination ; '' The Persecuted Family" is a narrative, the different f\v\s of wliich Ere asserted by the Author to be severally tyue, although he does not pretend that they happened in the very same relation which he has given them. They both fe'ate to events most intensely interesting in the historj' of Scotland — ■ the sufi'eriogs of the Presbyterians in the seventeenth cei> tury. Pollok was a native of one of the districts whef'S the cruelties were practised, which here disgraced the niifi>ory of the persecutors, and caused the names of the pic-'-^s and patriotic victims to be handed down in traditionary -^tory ; and he seems to have formed a just conception of the ---larac- ter of the men who thus suffered wrong fof ConsciciiC*' sake, and to have cherished a most lively st'iise of \ht\l emi- nent worth. ''Every sigh," says he isi his Preface to the "Persecuted Family," "every sigh of our persetuied ances- tors is recorded in heaven ; every tear v/hich ihey ahed is preserved in the bottle of God. Why then should n'^t their memories be dear to us, for whom l^iey bled, aijd fof whom they died ? But it is not only that we m^y pay th^rn our debt of gratitude; that we ought to acquaint ourselves with jaii MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR. 'J.eir lives ; it is that we may gather humility from their low- liness; faith from their trust in God; courage from their heaven-sustained fortitude ; warmth from tlie flame of their d-:;volion, and hope from their glorious success.'' • Another work he had projected, which it is a cause of sincere regret that he did not live to execute. It was a work requiring genius, learning, and piety in the author, and which could not be properly accomplished without extraordinary fidelity and patience. We think it, however, no small honor lo nim, both as a scholar and a Christian, that he had con- ceived the idea of " A Review of Literature in all ages, de- signed to show, that literature must stand or fall in proportion as it harmonizes with Scripture Revelation." We close our glance at the life, character, and works of Pollok, with the language of one, who " loved him while he lived," and to whose brief Memoir we have been so much indebted in preparing it : " He has gone the way of all the earth; and his spirit, we fondly hope, is among the 'spirits cf the just made perfect,' who, ' by faith and patience, are now inheriting the promises.' But he lives in the heans of his friends, who think of him with fond regret ; he lives in the hearts of his countrymen ; and his praise is not only in the church of which he was a liceaiiate, but in all the churches.' INTRODUCTORY NOTICE. The " Course of Time" was published u'^ar the time of the Author's death. It appeared before the public in a manner somewhat singular, without '' apology, proem, argu- ment, or table of contents," with no previous notice, no introduction, no dedication, nothing but its naked self, " A Poem in ten Books." It could not fail, however, to attract the attention of those, who knew how to estimate the preemi- nent worth of piety and genius combined. The enthusiastic approbation of the English Eclectic Review first awakened interest respecting it in this country, and prepared the way for its eager reception. What the decision of the professed literary critics will be is yet uncertain. No one of the brotherhood has condescend- ed to utter his oracle, and we will not predict whether any one will do it. But it will not surprise us, if this Poem shall be assailed with a storm of severest criticism.* For, in the first place, it has many faults. He who chooses may put his finger with a complacent sneer upon bad con- ceptions, bad figures, bad verse, bad syntax. He can cheer his eye with spots, where he may venture to write " frigid," * Since this was written, the " Course of Time" has been violently censured in some of the publications of the cay. I-t it has been reviewed more fully in the Spirit of the Pilgrims, Southern f^uarterly, and PFestern Review, by each of which its high merit !■ ackoowledged. XXIV INTRODUCTORY NOTICE. ''prosaic." There are pages on which, if he has a pencil for such service, he may draw dark lines for defects and blemishes. The whole Poem gives proof, that the author sccu-cely devoted a moment, if he had opportunity, to the duty or drudgery of revision. Every thing dropped from his pen just as it burst on his thought, and is printed just as it was first penned. You have the exact strain poured forth under the original impulses of his inspii^ation, as he took the harp, and '■' rolled its numbers down the tide of Time." In Ihc next place, the fiction of the Poem is exceedingly simple, and perhaps will not comport with the received idea of an Epic. The whole story may be given in a sentence. — Many ages after the end of our world, a Spirit from one of the numerous worlds existing in space, on his flight towards Heaven, discovers the abode of lost men in Hell ; reaching Heaven, he inquires of Two Spirits, who welcome his arrival there, what is the meaning of the wretchedness he ha^ just witnessed} the Two, unable fully to answer, conduct the inquirer to a Bard who once lived on Earth, and he, in an- swering their inquiries, relates the history of man from the Creation to the Judgment. — Now here is no labyrinth of incident, no plot, no hero, no struggle against fated will of gods or wrath of men. And devoted admirers of classical rules may complain of this, and censure Pollok as having no conception of the genuine epic 5 especially as they may appeal to so illustrious an example as Milton to sanction their views of what is essential to epic composition. But we beg leave to say, that we consider Milton's adherence to pagan models, and imitation of heathen fictions, as an actual, and very un- fortunate blemish in his exquisite poem ; and most deeply is it to be regretted, that, to every reader of Paradise Lost, Satan appears to such a degree the Hero of the story, and is so exhibited, that the character of High Archangel ruined," \ "^aring still " excess of glory obscured," has too much power Uj. rP^ ihe sympathy euid the admiration, and to keep out of INTRODUCTORY NOTICE. XXV sig-ht the character of Arch-fiend, foe of God and man. It is one of the points on which the ' Course of Time' preemi- nently deserves approbation, that it rises so fearlessly above the old artificial prescriptions for making up a poem ; that it does not stoop to gather fictions, which, to put them at the best, are frivolous and useless ; that, to secure interest and effect, it has not borrowed the miserable machinery of the stage, but rested wholly upon the intrinsic, incommunicable power of momentous reality. And if it be not shaped, in " beginning, middle, and end," exactly according to the laws of Aristotle's or Horace's Art of Poetry, we do not think it a deed of trespass unpardonable. Yet, we apprehend, others may. There is a still more important reason for apprehending that the ' Course of Time' will by many be condemned, or, at least, much undervalued. The poetry is in the purest and highest sense religious. Its selectest topics are sacred. Its beauty, its sublimity, its pathos, is the peculiar beauty, and sublimity, and pathos felt by pious minds. The inspira- tion of genius blazes and burns along the lines 3 but it is not an inspiration kindled chielly by philosophy, or taste, or clas- sic study, or mere poetic observation of nature; it is the holy rapture which glows in the bosom of him, who has an eye of Faith, and a heart new stamped with the image of the Eternal Excellence. While, therefore, the poetry has a thrilling charm in its spirit, which bears up to the very throne of God every soul in which it strikes a responsive chord, and commu- nicates to such a taste of joys feebly imaged by the crystal water and fruited tree of life, there is a class of readers, we fear not small, who cherish none of the sympathies, with which its choicest notes are in unison. There is in the Poem much of that, which will necessarily waken, in every cultivated mind, high and delightful emotions of taste. But its principal value lies not in this. Its greatest merit, its crowning excel- lence consists in its exhibitiiio- in )h» author, and addressings Jtxvi INTRODUCTORY NOTICE. in the reader, with such mexpressible felicity the pecuhaf emotions of those, who can sing' of Redeeming Love. And to judge properly of such poetry, no matter what other characteristics it may possess, requires a tuning of soul never enjoyed, probably never desired, possibly never thought of, and most certainly never justly conceived, by many who sit in the seat of the learned, and wield the pen of the critic, and count it fitting that they should guide the public in matters of literature. Finally, we are not without expectation that the conscience- riving gleam and flash of truth, which bursts so often and vividly from the verse of Pollok, will arouse the hostility' of hearts not subject to the law of God, There is not merely the glowing of a seraphic fervor, that rises altogether above the experience and the s^Tnpathies of the unsanctified spirit ; there is not merely a beauty and a glory, which lie hid from the discernmeut of the natural man ; but there is also a lucid, bold, cogent, resistless demonstration of revealed truth; we do not mean argumentative, which too often only " plays round the head," and " comes not near the heart," but what is better, poetical demonstration ; a full, bright, vivacious showing of it in something of its native colorings and native power to take hold of men's feelings. Here is the Genius of Poetry wielding the Sword of the Spirit. The author deals not in dreamy fable, ingenious theory, vapid sentiment, or fanciful description; he echoes the simple, sublime, holy, penetrating truth of the Eternal Word. He pours from his harp the streams of Heaven's burning logic. They may not carry conviction to the biased understanding, but must often roll a scorching fire in upon the guilty conscience. We shall not think it strange, if such poetry be spoken against. But whether this Poem shall be left uncensured to its glory, or encounter high attempts to obscure its worth, it will live. It is not an ephemera. It has in it the seeds of immortality. It Is neither secondary nor primary shining with borrowed lustre. INTRODUCTORY NOTICE. xxvii It is a Sun. Spots we see upon it; but it is a sun; a fountain rich of holy, poetic light, whence " other stars may fill their golden urns." The name of the Author will hereafter be as- sociated with those of the noblest bards of England; even cold and careless readers will often mention it together with Cowper and Milton ; and there will seldom be wanting those who will decidedly prefer the poetry of Pollok, " uttering as 'tis, the essential truth." One ground of our prediction is, as just stated, the Inherent excellence of the work as a mere efiusion of poetical talent, It has a reach and grasp, a fearless independence, an original, enchaining power of thought, possessed only by gifted minds. It is studded with pearls not to be gathered in common depths, nor borne from their recesses by common hands. Its very faults indicate the locality of genius ; they are the baser sub- stances, which enter into the precious ore. The interest of the subject, also, is permanent. The Author sings the Destiny of Man. The theme is invested, not only with all the sublimities of Eternity, but also with all the personalities of individual Retribution, It addresses not the sympathies of a hero, or a patriot, or a lover of nature, as such ; of European or American, bond or free, cultivated or rude. These are the accidentals of human nature, which change with circumstances and times. It speaks to the Im- mortal ; to the Something Divine within, which ever whispers of weal or wo to be hereafter in an unending future. Moreover, the poetry is such in its spirit as coming ages will specially demand. The purifying waters, which the Gospel is now pouring over the world, will not cease to flow, when the idol temple, and the crescent and minaret of the false prophet, are trodden m the dust. A change is to be wrought in the commerce, the politics, and the literature of the Christian nations. Shame and sorrow belong to all who use the English language, that, even in this, the literature thus far has exhibited, predominantly, a spirit so utterly at va- ixviii INTRODUCTORY NOTICE. nance with the spirit of the gospel, or at least so utterly destitute of that spirit. We are of those who freely profess to believe, that man's intellect is to reach its highest and noblest, as well as purest, energies, in its nearest moral con- formity to God, the First, Tnfinite, Eternal Intellect ; and that the gospel, just in proportion as the receiver and disciple yields himself to its guidance, carries the intellect upward in this holy approximation. The literature, to which minds thus elevated and inspired give birlh, must excel all other; and such alone, unquestionably, will be adapted to the demands of an age, in which the mass of mind shall be controlled by the principles of ihe Bible. Such a literature has not exist- ed, has not been desired. Men have seemed to consider a cultivated literature and a spiritual religion as incompatible. It has been gravely said, that a man of ardent piety cannot produce a work that will live in after ages. We pronounce this a libel upon the Author of the human mind and the Sane tifier of the human heart. Christianity does, indeed, humble the pride of ambition, and forbid the destined companion of un- fallen angels to waste his redeemed and regenerated energies upon an intellectual toy to amuse the ungodly sons of Time; Dut, in the same act, it opens to him a fount of inspiration infinitely superior to comparison with the fabled haunts of Muses, and presents a field of mental effort broad as creation itself, with motives such as carried the Son of God to the Mediatorial Throne through a Manger and a bloody Cross. And we thank Heaven, that we see the dawning of new days ; that the life and immortality brought to light is be- ginning, in a degree, and with a success most cheering, to spread its deep energy through several departments of social existence, from which it has been hitherto excluded. Among the harbingers of better days to come in the history of refined literature, we joyfully hail the ' Course of Time.' It has the relish of a cluster from the promised land 3 and is au earnest of millennial poetry. It breathes out balmy air, like INTRODUCTORY NOTICE. XXIX breezes of the celestial City. It echoes thrilling' music, as if from sainted choirs above, harping- round the Throne. This poet drank not at pagan wells; but at the crj'stal spring whore stood and drew the gifted seers and bards of Judah, there he quaffed deep and long the living waters. His spirit had an eye to see the Sun of Righteousness, and went up to "feed upon his beams." Soaring to the mount of God, he caught of its altar-fires. To himself may be applied, with as much justice as to the renowned Poet of whom they are written, his own words : — The Bard, by God's own hand anointed, who To Virtue's all-delighting harmony His numbers tuned ; who from tiie fount of truth Poured melody, and beauty poured, and love, In holy stream, into the human heart. To such inspiration the millennial sons of genids, and lovers of poetry and letters, will not, we trust, be strangers, as we are. Under the regenerating and fertilizing influences of such an inspiration, we anticipate in the Reign of Peace a golden harvest of various literature. A-s a sort of first fruits of this, we commend to every reader the Poem which has occasioned our remarks. We dare offer it as a specimen of that which will accord with the taste of a fast-coming age, in which the unsanctified productions of licentious, infidel and impenitent genius will be impartially judged, and correctly estimated ; and we dare urge its repeated perusal on every class of readers. 3* COURSE OF TIME Moot £. ANALYSIS OF BOOK 1 Invocation is made to the Eternal Spirit of Truth, and the subject of the Poem is stated. Long after Time had ceased, and Eternity had rolled on its ages, two youthful sons of Paradise walk on the hills of immortality, enjoying holy converse. A stranger spirit from another world arrives, and is welcomed by them to the abodes of bliss. The stranger desires them to explain the wonderful things he had noticed in his flight from his native world to heaven. Having Bailed through emi)ty, nameless regions, where utter nothing dwelt, he suddenly came to a mountainous wall of fiery ada- ant, on which were horrid figures, traced in fire, imitating 1*0. He entered within, and saw a wide lake of burning fire, and saw most miserable beings walking in the flames, burning continually, yet unconsumed. Filled with horror, he hastened from the dismal prison to the world of light, and now desired to understand this wondrous wretchedness. Tlie Two, unable to explain it, and having their curiosity awakened, propose to visit an " ancient Bard of Earth," who often had sung on this subject to the admiring youth of heaven. They find the Bard alone, in holy musing, and state to him their desire. He informs them that the prison di scribed is Hell, und promises more fully to mee*. their curiosity bj relating to theist the history of Man. THE COURSE OF TIME. 33 It K. Eternal Spirit ! God of truth ! to whom All things seem as they are ; Thou, wlio of old The prophet's eye unsealed, that nightly saw, While heavy sleep fell down on other men In holy vision tranced, the future pass Before him, and to Judah's harp attuned Burdens which made the pagan mountains shake, And Zion's cedars bow, — inspire my song ; My eye unscale ; me what is substance teach, And shadow what, while I of things to come, 10 As past, rehearsing, sing the Course of Time, The second birth, and final doom of man. The muse, that soft and sickly woos the ear Of love, or, chanting loud in windy rhyme Of fabled hero, raves through gaudy tale Not overfraught with sense, I ask not: such A strain befits not argument so high. Me thought, and phrase severely sifting out Tlie whole idea, grant; uttering — as 'tis The essential truth — time gone, the righteous saved,20 The wicked damned, and providence approved Hold my right hand, Almighty ! and me teach To strike the lyre, but seldom struck, to notes Hirmonious with the morning stars, and pure As those by sainted bards and angels sung, 34 THE COURSE OF TIME. Which wake the echoes of Eternity ; That fools may hear and tremble, and the wise, Instructed, listen, of ages yet to come. Long was the day, so long expected, past Of the eternal doom, that gave to each 30 Of all the hmnan race his due reward. The sun, earth's sun, and moon, and stars, had ceased To number seasons, days, and months, and years To mortal man. Hope was forgotten, and fear : And time, with all its chance, and change, and smiles, And frequent tears, and deeds of villany. Or righteousness, once talked of much, as things Of great renown, was now but ill remembered ; In dim and shadowy vision of the past Seen far remote, as country, which has left 40 The traveller's speedy step, retiring back From morn till even ; and long Eternity Had rolled his mighty years, and with his years Men had grown old. The saints, all home returned From pilgrimage, and war, and weeping, long Had rested in the bowers of peace, that skirt The stream of life ; and long — alas ! how long To them it seemed ! — the wicked, who refused To be redeemed, had wandered in the dark Of hell's despair, and drunk the burning cup 50 Their sins had filled with everlasting wo. Thus far the years had rolled, which none but God Doth number, when two sons, two youthful sons Of Paradise, in conversation sweet, — For thus the heavenly muse instructs me, wooed At midnight hour with offering sincere Of all the heart, poured out in holy prayer, — High on the hills of immortality, Whence goodliest prospect looks beyond the walls Of heaven, walked, casting oft their eye far throughGG The pure serene, observant if, returned From errand duly finished, any came, Or any, first in virtue now complete. From other worlds arrived, confirmed in good. BOOK I. 35 Thus viewing, one they saw, on hasty wing Directing towards lieaven liis course ; and now, His fliglit ascending near tlie battlements And lofty hills on which they walked, apprpached. For round and round, in spacious circuit wide, Mountains of tallest stature circumscribe 70 The plains of Paradise, whose tops, arrayed In uncreated radiance, seem so pure, That naught but angel's foot, or saint's, elect Of God, may venture there to walk. Here oft The sons of bliss take morrx or evening pastime, Delighted to behold ten thousand worlds Around their suns revolving in the vast External space, or listen the harmonies That each to other in its motion sings. And hence, in middle heaven remote, is seen 80 The mount of God in awful glory bright. Within, no orb create of moon, or star. Or sun, gives light ; for God's own countenance, Beaming eternally, gives light to all. But farther than these sacred hills, his will Forbids its flow, too bright for eyes beyond. This is the last ascent of Virtue ; here All trial ends, and hope ; here perfect joy, With perfect righteousness, which to tiiese heights Alone can rise, begins, above all fall. 90 And now, on wing of holy ardour strong. Hither ascends the stranger borne upright, — For stranger he did seem, with curious eye Of nice inspection round surveying all, — And at the feet alights of those that stood His coming, who the hand of welcome gave, And the embrace sincere of holy love ; And thus, with comely greeting kind, began Hail, brother ! hail, thou son of happiness, Thou son beloved of God ! welcome to heaven, 100 To bliss that never fades I thy day is past Of trial and of fear to fall. Well done. do THE COURSE OF TIME. Thou good and faithful servant ; enter now Into the joy eternal of thy Lord. Come with us, and behold far higher sight Than e'erihy heart desired, or hope conceived. See, yonder is the glorious hill of God, 'Bove auffel's gaze in brightness rising high. Come, join our wing, and we will guide thy flight To mysteries of everlasting bliss — The tree, and fount of life, the eternal throne, 110 And presence chamber of the King of kings. But what concern hangs on thy countenance, Unwont within this place ? Perhaps thou deemst Thyself unworthy to be brought before The always Ancient One. So are we, too, Unworthy ; but our God is all in all, And gives us boldness to approach his throne. Sons of the Higliest ! citizens of heaven I Began the new-arrived, rigiit have ye judged . 120 Unworthy, most unworthy is your servant, To stand in presence of the King, or hold Most distant and most humble place in this Abode of excellent glory imrevealed. But God Almighty be for ever praised, Who of his fulness, fills me with all grace And ornament, to make me in his sight Well pleasing, and accepted in his court. Bat, if your leisure waits, short narrative Will tell, why strange concern thus overhangs 130 My face, ill seeming here ; and haply, too, Your elder knowledge can instruct my youth, Of what seems dark and doubtful, unexplained. Our leisure waits thee. Speak ; and what we can, Delighted most to give delight, we will ; Though much of mystery yet to us remains. Virtue, I need not tell, when proved and full Matured, inclines us up to God and heaven. By law of sweet compulsion strong and sure ; BOOK I. 37 As gravitation to the larger orb 140 The less attracts, through matter's whole domain. Virtue in me was ripe. 1 speak not this In boast; for what I am to God 1 owe. Entirely owe, and of myself am naught. Equipped and bent for heaven, I left yon world, My native seat, which scarce your eye can reach, Rolling around her central sun, far out. On utmost verge of light. But first, to see What lay beyond the visible creation, Strong curiosity my flight impelled. 150 Long was my way, and strange. I passed the bounds Which God doth set to light, and life, and love ; Where darkness meets with day, where order meets Disorder, dreadful, waste, and wild; and down The dark, eternal, uncreated night Ventured alone. Long, long on rapid wing, I sailed through empty, nameless regions vast, Wkere utter Nothing dwells, unformed and void. There neither eye, no ear, nor any sense Of being most acute, finds object; there 160 For aught external still you search in vain. Try touch, or sight, or smell ; try what you will You strangely find naught but yourself alone. But why should I in words attempt to tell What that is like, which is, and yet is not.'' This passed, my path, descending, led me still O'er unclaimed continents of desert gloom Immense, where gravitation shifting turns The other way ; and to some dread, unknown, Infernal centre downward weighs : and now, — 170 Far travelled from the edge of darkness, far As from that glorious mount of God to light's Remotest limb, — dire sights I saw, dire sounds I heard ; and suddenly before my eye A wall of fiery adamant sprung up, Wall mountainous, tremendous, flaming high Above all flight of hope. I paused, and looked; And saw, where'er I looked upon that mound, Sad figures traced in fire, not motionless, 4 3S8 THE COURSE OF TIME. But imitating life. One I remarked 180 Attentively ; but how shall I describe What naught resembles else my eye hath seen ? Of worm or serpent kind it something looked, But monstrous, with a thousand snaky heads, Eyed each with double orbs of glaring wrath ; And with as many tails, that twisted out In horrid revolution, tipped with stings ; And all its mouths, that wide and darkly gaped. And breathed most poisonous breath, had each a sting-. Forked, and long, and venomous, and sharp; 190 And, in its writhings infinite, it grasped Malignantly what seemed a heart, swollen, black, And quivering with torture most intense ; And still the heart, with anguish throbbing high. Made effort to escape, but could not ; for, Howe'er it turned — and ofl it vainly turned — '■ These complicated foldings held it fast. And still the monstrous beast with sting of head Or tail transpierced it, bleeding evermore. What this could image, much I searclied to know •,200 And while I stood, and gazed, and wondered long, A voice— from whence I knew not, for no one I saw — distinctly whispered in my ear These words : This is the Worm that never dies. Fast by the side of this unsightly thing Another was portrayed, more hideous still: Who sees it once shall wish to see't no more. For ever undescribed let it remain ! Only this much J may or can unfold. Far out it thrust a dart that might have made 210 The knees of Terror quake, and on it hung, Within the triple barbs, a being pierced Through soul and body both. Of heavenly make Original the being seemed, but fallen. And worn and wasted with enormous wo. And still, around the everlasting lance. It writhed, convulsed, and uttered mimic groans ; And tried and wished, and ever tried and wished BOOK I. 39 To die ; but could not die. Oh, horrid sight ! [220 I trembling gazed, and listened, and heard this voice Approach my ear ; This is Eternal Death. Nor these alone. Upon that burning wall, In horrible emblazonry, were limned All shapes, all forms, all modes of wretchedness, And agony, and grief, and desperate wo. And prominent in characters of fire, Where'er the eye could light, these words you read : *' Who comes this way, behold, and fear to sin !" Amazed I stood ; and thought such imagery Foretokened, within, a dangerous abode. 230 But yet to see the worst a wish arose. For virtue, by the holy seal of God Accredited and stamped, immortal all, And all invulnerable, fears no hurt As easy as my wish, as rapidly, I through the horrid rampart passed, unscathed And unopposed ; and, poised on steady wing, I hovering gazed. Eternal Justice ! sons Of God ! tell me, if ye can tell, what then I saw, what then I heard. Wide was the place, " 240 And deep as wide, and ruinous as deep. Beneath, I saw a lake of burning fire. With tempest tost perpetually, and still The waves of fiery darkness 'gainst the rocks Of dark damnation broke, and music made Of melancholy sort; and over head. And all around, wind warred with wind, storm howled To storm, and lightning forked lightning crossed, And thunder answered thunder, muttering sounds Of sullen wrath; and far as sight could pierce, 250 Or down descend in caves of hopeless depth. Through all that dungeon of unfading fire, I saw most miserable beings walk, Burning continually, yet unconsumed ; For ever wasting, yet enduring still; Dying perpetually, yet never dead. Some wandered lonely in the desert flames, 40 THE COURSE OF TIME. And some in fell encounter fiercely met, With curses loud, and blasphemies, that made The cheek of Darkness pale ; and as they fought, 260 And cursed, and gnashed their teeth, and wished to die, Their hollow eyes did utter streams of wo. And there were groans that ended not, and sighs That al\va\s sighed, and tears that ever \vept. And ever fell, but not in Mercy s sight. And Sorrow, and Repentance, and Despair, Among them walked, and to their thirst}'- lips Presented frequent cups of burning gall. And as I listened, I heard these beings curse 270 Almighty God, and curse the Lamb, and curse The earth, the resurrection morn, and seek, And ever vainly seek, for utter death. And to their everlasting anguish still, The thunders from above responding spoke These words, which, through the caverns of perdition Forlornly echoing, fell on every ear : *' Ye knew your duty, but ye did it not." And back again recoiled a deeper groan. A deeper groan ! Oh, what a groan was that ! 1 waited not, but swift on speediest wing, 280 With unaccustomed thoughts conversing, back Retraced my venturous path from dark to light. Then up ascending, long ascending up, I hasted on ; though whiles the chiming spheres, By God's own finger touched to harmony, Held me delaying, till I here arrived, Drawn upward by the eternal love of God, Of wonder full and strange astonishment. At what in yonder den of darkness dwells, Which now your higher knowledge will unfold. 290 They answering said : To ask and to bestow Knowledge, is much of heaven's delight; and now Most joyfully what thou requirst we would: For much of new and unaccountable Thou bringst. Something indeed we heard before, In passing conversation slightly touched, HOOK I. 41 Of such a place ; yet, rather to be taught, Than teaching, answer, what thy marvel asks, We need; for we ourselves, though here, are but Of yesterday, creation's younger sons. 300 But there is one, an ancient bard of Earth, Who, by the stream of life, sitting in bliss, Has ofl beheld the eternal years complete The mighty circle round the throne of God ; Great in all learning, in all wisdom great. And great in song ; whose harp in lofty strain Tells frequently of what thy wonder craves. While round him, gathering, stand the youth of heaven, With truth and melody delighted both. To him this path directs, an easy path, 310 And easy flight will bring us to his seat. So saying, they linked hand in hand, spread out Their golden wings, by living breezes fanned. And over heaven's broad champaign sailed serene. O'er hill and valley, clothed with verdure green, That never fades; and tree, and herb, and flower, That never fades ; and many a river, rich With nectar, winding pleasantly, they passed; And mansion of celestial mould, and work Divine. And oft delicious music, sung 320 By saint and angel bands that walked the vales, Or mountain tops, and harped upon their harps, Their ear inclined, and held by sweet constraint Their wing ; not long, for strong desire awaked Of knowledge that to holy use might turn, Still pressed them on to leave what rather seemed Pleasure, due only when all duty's done. And now beneath them lay the wished-for spot, The sacred bower of that renowned bard ; That ancient bard, ancient in days and song ; 330 But in immortal vigour young, and young In rosy health ; to pensive solitude Retiring oft, as wq.s his wont on earth. 4# <1 THE COURSE OF TIME. Fit was the place, most fit, for holy musingf. Upon a little mount, that gently rose, He sat, clothed in white robes ; and o'er his head A laurel tree, of lustiest, eldest growth. Stately and tall, and shadowing tar and wide, — Not fruitless, as on earth, but bloomed, and rich With frequent clusters, ripe to heavenly taste, — 340 Spread its eternal boughs, and in its arms A myrtle of unfading leaf embraced — The rose and lily, fresh with fragrant dew, And every flower of fairest cheeTc, around Him, smiling flocked. Beneath his feet, fast by, And round his sacred hill, a streamlet walked, Warbling the holy melodies of heaven ; The hallowed zephyrs brought him incense sweet ; And out before him opened, in prospect long, The river of life, in many a winding maze 350 Descending from the lofty throne of God, That with excessive glory closed the scene. Of Adam's race he was, and lonely sat, By chance that day, in meditation deep, Reflecting much of time, and earth, and man. And now to pensive, now to cheerful notes. He touched a harp of wondrous melody. A golden harp it was, a precious gift.*' Which, at the day \>f judgment, with the crown Of life, he had received from God's own hand, 360 Reward due to his service done on earth. He sees their coming, and with greeting kind, And welcome, not of hollow forged smiles, And ceremonious compliment of phrase. But of the heart sincere, into his bower Invites. Like greeting they returned. Not bent In low obeisancy, from creature most Unfit to creature ; but with manly form Upright they entered in ; though high his rank, His wisdom high, and mighty his renown. 370 BOOK I. 4'S And thus, deferring all apology, The two their new companion introduced. Ancient in knowledge ! bard of Adam's race ! We bring thee one, of us inquiring what We need to learn, and with liim wish to learn. His asking will direct thy answer best. Most ancient bard ! began the new-arrived. Few words will set my wonder forth, and guide Thy wisdom's light to what in me is dark. Equipped for heaven, I left my native place. 280 But first beyond the realms of light I bent My course ; and there, in utter darkness, far Remote, I beings saw forlorn in wo, Burning continually, yet unconsumed. And there were groans that ende(i not, and sighs That always sighed, and tears that ever wept And ever fell, but not in Mercy's sight. And still I heard these wretched beings curse Almighty God, and curse the Lamb, and curse The earth, the resurrection morn, and seek. 390 And ever vainly seek, for utter death. And from above the thunders answered still, *' Ye knew your duty, but ye did it not." And every where, throughout that horrid den, 1 saw a form of excellence, a form Of beauty without spot, that naught could see And not admire, admire and not adore. And from its own essential beams it gave Light to itself, that made the gloom more dark. And every eye in that infernal pit 400 Beheld it still ^ and from its face — how fair ! Oh, how exceeding fair ! — for ever sought, But ever vainly sought, to turn away. That image, as I guess, was Virtue ; for Naught else hath God given countenance so fair. But why in such a place it should abide ? What place it is ? What beings there lament ^ 44 THE COURSE OF TIME. Whence came they ? and for what their endless groan' Why curse they God ? why seek they utter death ? And chief, what means the resurrection morn r 410 My youth expects thy reverend age to tell. Thou rightly deemst, fair youth, began the bard. The form thou sawst was Virtue, ever fair. Virtue, like God, whose excellent majesty, Whose glory virtue is, is omnipresent. No being, once created rational, Accountable, endowed with moral sense, With sapience of right and wrong endowed, And charged, however fallen, debased, destroyed ; However lost, forlorn, and miserable ; 420 In guilt's dark shrouding wrapped however thick ; However drunk, delirious, and mad. With sin's full cup ; and with whatever damned, Unnatural diligence it work and toil, — Can banish Virtue from its sight, or once Forget that she is fair. Hides it in night. In central night ; takes it the lightning's wing, And flies for ever on, beyond the bounds Of all ; drinks it the maddest cup of sin ; Dives it beneath the ocean of despair ; 430 It dives, it drinks, it flies, it hides in vain. For still the eternal beauty, image fair. Once stamped upon the soul, before the eye All lovely stands, nor will depart ; so God Ordains ; and lovely to the worst she seems. And ever seems ; and as they look, and still Must ever look, upon her loveliness. Remembrance dire of what they were, of what They might have been, and bitter sense of what They are, polluted, ruined, hopeless, lost, 440 With most repenting torment rend their hearts. So God ordains, their punishment severe, Eternally inflicted by themselves. Tis this, this Virtue, hovering evermore Before the vision of the damned, and, in Upon their monstrous moral nakedness BOOK I. 45 Casting unwelcome light, that makes their wo, That makes the. essence of the endless flame. Where this is, there is hell, darker than aught That he, the bard three-visioned, darkest saw. 450 The place thou sawst was hell ; the groans thou heardst The wailings of the damned, of those who would Not be redeeined, and at the judgment day, Long past, for unrepented sins were damned. The seven loud thunders which thou heardst, declare The eternal wratli of tiie Almigiity God. But whence, or why they came to dwell in wo, Wliy they curse God, what means the glorious morn Of resurrection, these a longer tale Demand, and lead the mournful lyre far back 460 Through memory of sin and mortal man. Yet haply not rewardless we shall trace The dark disastrous years of finished Time. Sorrows remembered sweeten present joy. Nor yet shall all be sad; for God gave peace, Much peace on earth, to all who feared his name. But first it needs to say, that other style And other language than thy ear is wont. Thou must expect to hear — tlie dialect Of man. For each in heaven a relish holds 470 Of former speech, that points to whence he came. But whether I of person speak, or place. Event or action, moral or divine ; Or things unknown compare to things unknown; Allude, imply, suggest, apostrophize ; Or touch, when wandering through the past, on moods Of mind thou never feltst ; — the meaning still, With easy apprehension, thou shalt take. So perfect here is knowledge, and the strings Of sympathy so tuned, that every word 480 That each to other speaks, though never heard Before, at once is fully understood, And every feeling uttered, fully felt. 46 THE COURSE OF TIME. So shall thou find, as from my various song, That backward rolls o'er many a tide of years, Directly or inferred, tliy asking, thou, And wondering doubt, shalt learn to answer, while I sketch in brief the history of man. COURSE OF TIME. JSoolt Sfi ANALYSIS OF BOOK II. The " ancient Bard " begins his story. He relates briefly the creation of ihe Earth, and of Man ; the Apostasy ; and the pro- vision for Man's recovery through the Incarnation and Death of the Son of God. The inquiring spirit breaks out in rapturoua admiration of Redeeming Love, expressing the supposition that the whole race of Adam must have availed themselves of its benefits. The Bard proceeds, correcting this mistake, and stating further the efforts on the part of God to secure the salva- tion of men, and the unwillingness of multitudes to receive mercy. The Bible, proceeding from God himself, was sent to them, containing a full exhibition of God's character and law ; of man's character, condition, duty, and destiny ; of the nature and tendency of sin, and of the method of final pardon ; but many refused to regard this voice from heaven ; many perverted its testimony ; many, after extinguishing the light of revelation, yielded to impious idolatry. Some of the influences which oper- ated to counteract the Bible are noticed ; particularly the criminal abuse of oflice and authority, the admiration of philos- ophy and science, the love of pleasure and indolence. In con- clusion, the " primal cause " and "fountain-head" of all the opposition manifested to God and to his revealed word is found in the Pride of the human heart. THE COURSE OF TIME. 3l5ook K£. This said, he waked the golden harp, and thus, While on him inspiration breathed, began. As from yon everlasting hills that gird Heaven northward, I thy course espied, I judge Thou from the arctic regions came ? Perhaps Thou noticed on thy way a little orb. Attended by one moon, her lamp by night, With her fair sisterhood of planets seven. Revolving round their central sun; she third In place, in magnitude the fourth. That orb, 10 New made, new named, inhabited anew, — Though whiles we sons of Adam visit still. Our native place, not changed so far but we Can trace our ancient walks, the scenery Of childhood, youth, and prime, and hoary age, But scenery most of suffering and wo, — That little orb, in days remote of old, When angels yet were young, was made for man, And titled Earth, her piimal virgin name; — Created first so lovely, so adorned 20 With hill, and dale, and lawn, and winding vale. Woodland, and stream, and lake, and rolling seas, 50 THE COURSE OF TIME. Green mead, and fruitful tree, and fertile grain, And herb and flower; so lovely, so adorned With numerous beasts of every kind, with fowl Of every wing and every tuneful note, And with all rish that in the multitude Of waters swam; so lovely, so adorned, So fit a dwelling place for man, that, as She rose, complete, at the creating word, 30 The morning stars, the sons of God, aloud Shouted for joy ; and God, beholding, saw The fair design, that from eternity His mind conceived, accomplished, and, well pleased, His six days' finished work most good pronounced, And man declared the sovereign prince of all. All else was prone, irrational, and mute, And unaccountable, by instinct led. But man He made of angel form erect, To hold communion with the heavens above ; 40 And on his soul impressed his image fair, His own similitude of holiness. Of virtue, truth, and love ; with reason high To balance right and wrong, and conscience quick To choose or to reject; with knowledge great, Prudence and wisdom, vigilance and strength, To guard all force or guile ; and, last of all, The highest gift of God's abundant grace, With perfect, free, unbiased will. Thus man Was made upright, immortal made, and crowned oii The king of all ; to eat, to drink, to do Freely and sovereignly his will entire ; — By one command alone restrained, to prove. As was most just, his filial love sincere, His loyalty, obedience due, and faith. And thus the prohibition ran, expressed, As God is wont, in terms of plainest truth. Of every tree that in the garden grows Thou mayest freely eat ; but of the tree That knowledge hath of good and ill, eat not, 60 BOOK II. 51 Nor touch ; for in the day thou eatest, thou Sl»alt die. Go, and this one command obey, i^dam, live and be happy, and, with thy Eve, Fit consort, multiply and fill the earth. Thus they, the representatives of men. Were placed in Eden, choicest spot of earth. With royal honour and with glory crowned, Adam, the Lord of all, majestic walked. With godlike countenance sublime, and form Of lofty towering strength ; and by his side 70 Eve, fair as morning star, with modesty Arrayed, with virtue, grace, and perfect love In holy marriage wed, and eloquent Of thought and comely words, to worship God And sing his praise, the Giver of all good : Glad, in each other glad, and glad in hope j Rejoicing in their future happy race. O lovely, happy, blest, immortal pair ! Pleased with the present, full of glorious hope. But short, alas ! the song that sings their bliss ! 80 Henceforth the history of man grows dark ! Shade after shade of deepening gloom descends ; And Innocence laments her robes defiled. Who farther sings, must change the pleasant lyre To heavy notes of wo. Why ! dost thou ask, Surprised ? The answer will surprise thee more. Man sinned ; tempted, he ate the guarded tree ; — Tempted of whom thou afterwards shalt hear ; — Audacious, unbelieving, proud, ungrateful, He ate the interdicted fruit, and fell ; 90 And in his fall, his universal race ; For they in him by delegation were, In him to stand or fall, to live or die. Man most ingrate ! so full of grace, to sin. Here interposed the new-arrived, so full Of bliss, to sin against the Gracious One ! The holy, just, and good ! the Eternal Love ! fid THE COURSE OF TIME. Unseen, unheard, unthought of wickedness ! Why slumbered vengeance ? No, it slumbered not. The ever just and righteous God would let 100 His fury loose, and satisfy his threat. That had been just, replied the reverend bard ; But done, fair youth, thou ne'er hadst met me here, I ne'er had seen yon glorious throne in peace. Thy powers are great, originally great, And purified even at the fount of light. Exert them now, call all their vigour out ; Take room, think vastly, meditate intensely, Reason profoundly; send conjecture forth; Let fancy fly, stoop down, ascend; all length, 110 All breadth explore, all moral, all divine ; Ask prudence, justice, mercy ask, and might; Weigh good with evil, balance right with wrong; With virtue vice compare, hatred with love ; God's holiness, God's justice, and God's truth, Deliberately and cautiously compare With sinful, wicked, vile, rebellious man ; — And see if thou canst punish sin, and let Mankind go free. Thou failst; be not surprised; I bade thee search in vain. Eternal love, — Harp, lift thy voice on high ! — eternal love, 120 Eternal, sovereign love, and sovereign grace, Wisdom, and power, and mercy infinite. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, God, Devised the wondrous plan, devised, achieved, And in achieving made the marvel more. Attend, ye heavens ! ye heaven of heavens, attend ! Attend and wonder, wonder evermore ! When man had fallen, rebelled, insulted God; Was most polluted, yet most madly proud; 130 Indebted infinitely, yet most poor; Captive to sin, yet willing to be bound ; To God's incensed justice and hot wrath Exposed, due victim of eternal death And utter wo — Harp, lift thy voice on high I BOOK II. 5*1 Ye everlasting hills ! ye angels ! bow ; Bow, ye redeemed of men ! — God was made flesh, And dwelt with man on earth ! The Son of God, Only begotten and well beloved, between Men and his Father's justice interposed ; 140 Put human nature on ; His wrath sustained ; And in their name suffered, obeyed, and died, Making his soul an offering for sin ; Just for unjust, and innocence for guilt. By doing, suffering, dying unconstrained, Save by omnipotence of boundless grace, Complete atonement made to God appeased Made honourable his insulted law. Turning the wrath aside from pardoned man. Thus Tmth with Mercy met, and Righteousness, 150 Stooping from highest heaven, embraced fair Peace, That walked the earth in fellowship with Love O love divine ! O mercy infinite ! The audience here in glowing rapture broke ; O love, all height above, all depth below. Surpassing far all knowledge, all desire. All tiiought ! The Holy One for sinners dies ! Tlie Lord of life for guilty rebels bleeds. Quenches eternal fire witli blood divine ! Abundant mercy ! overflowing grace ! 160 There, whence I came, I something heard of men ; Their name had reached us, and report did speak Of some abominable horrid thing. Of desperate offence they had committed. And something too of wondrous grace we heard. And oft of our celestial visitants What man, what God had done, inquired; but they. Forbid, our asking never met directly, F^xhorting still to persevere upright, [170 And we should hear in heaven, though greatly blest Ourselves, new wonders of God's wondrous love. This hinting, keener appetite to know Awaked ; and as we talked, and much admired What new we there should learn, we hasted each 5* 54 THE COURSE OP TIME. To nourish virtue to perfection up, That we might have our wondering resolved, And leave of louder praise to greater deeds Of loving kindness due. Mysterious love ! God was made flesh, and dwelt with men on earth Blood holy, blood divine for sinners shed ! 180 My asking ends, but makes my wonder more. Saviour of men I henceforth be thou my theme ; Redeeming love, my study day and night. Mankind were lost, all lost, and all redeemed ! Thou errst again, but innocently errst, Not knowing sin's depravity, nor man's Sincere and persevering wickedness. All were redeemed .' Not all, or thou hadst heard No human voice in hell. Many refused, Although beseeched, refused to be redeemed, 190 Redeemed from death to life, from wo to bliss ! Canst thou believe my song when thus I sing ? When man had fallen, was ruined, hopeless, lost — Ye choral harps ! ye angels that excel In strength ! and loudest, ye redeemed of men ! To God, to Him that sits upon the throne On high, and to the Lamb, sing honour, sing Dominion, glory, blessing sing, and praise ! — When man had fallen, was ruined, hopeless, lost, Messiah, Prince of Peace, Eternal King, 200 Died, that tlie dead might live, the lost be saved. Wonder, O heavens ! and be astonished, earth ! Thou ancient, thou forgotten earth ! ye worlds, admire . Admire and be confounded ! and thou hell. Deepen thy eternal groan ! — men would not be Redeemed, — I speak of many, not of all, — Would not be saved for lost, have life for death ! Mysterious song ! the new-arrived exclaimed, Mysterious mercy ! most mysterious hate ! To disobey was mad, this madder far, 210 Incurable insanity of will ! BOOK [I. 55 What now but wrath could guilty men expect ? What more could love, what more could mercy do? No more, resumed the bard, no more they could. Thou hast seen hell. The wicked there lament ! And why ? for love and mercy twice despised. The husbandman, who sluggishly forgot In spring to plough and sow, could censure none, Though winter clamoured round his empty barrts. But he who, having thus neglected, did 220 Refuse, when autumn came, and famine threatened, To reap the golden field tiiat charity BestoAved ; nay, more obdurate, proud, and blind, And stupid still, refused, though much beseeched. And long entreated, even with Mercy's tears, To eat what to his very lips was held. Cooked temptingly, — he certainly, at least, Deserved to die of hunger, unbemoaned. So did the wicked spurn the grace of God ; And so were punished with the second death. 230 The first, no doubt, puiiition less severe Intended; death, belike, of all entire. But this incurred, by God discharged, and life Freely presented, and again despised, Despised, though bought with Mercy's proper blood — 'Twas this dug hell, and kindled all its bounds With wrath and inextinguishable fire. Free was the offer, free to all. of life And of salvation ; but the proud of heart, Because 'twas free, would not accept; and still 210 To merit wished ; and choosing, thus unsliipptd, Uncompassed, unprovisioned, and bestormed To swim a sea of breadth immeasurable. They scorned the goodly bark, whose wings the breath Of God's eternal Spirit filled for heaven. That stopped to take them in, — and so were lost ! What wonders dost thou tell ! To merit, how I Of creature meriting in sight of God, 66 THE COURSE OF TIME. As right of service done, I never heard Till now. We never fell ; in virtue stood 250 Upright, and persevered in holiness ; But stood by grace, by grace we persevered. Ourselves, our deeds, our holiest, highest deeds. Unworthy aught; grace worthy endless praise. If we fly swift, obedient to his will. He gives us wings to fly ; if we resist Temptation, and ne'er fall, it is his shield Omnipotent that wards it off; if we, With love unquenchable, before him burn, 'Tis he that lights and keeps alive the flame 260 Men surely lost their reason in their fall, And did not understand the offer made. They might have understood, the bard replied; They had the Bible. Hast thou ever heard Of such a book.'' The author, God himself; The subject, God and man, salvation, life And death — eternal life, eternal death — Dread words ! whose meaning has no end, no bounds- Most wondrous book ! bright candle of tlie Lord ! Star of eternity ! the only star 270 By which the bark of man could navigate The sea of life, and gain the coast of bliss Securely ! only star which rose on Time, And, on its dark and troubled billows, still, As generation, drifting swiftly by, Succeeded generation, threw a ray Of heaven's own light, and to the hills of God, The eternal hills, pointed the sinner's eye. By prophets, seers, and priests, and sacred bards, Evangelists, apostles, men inspired, 280 And by the Holy Ghost anointed, set Apart and consecrated to declare To Earth the counsels of the Eternal One, This book, this holiest, this sublimest book, Was sent. Heaven's will, Heaven's code of laws entire, To man, this book contained; defined the bounds Of vice and virtue, and of life and death ; BOOK II. 57 And what was shadow, what was substance taught. Much it revealed ; important all , the least [290 Worth more than what else seemed of highest worth, But this of plainest, most essential truth : That God is one, eternal, holy, just, Omnipotent, omniscient, infinite ; Most wise, most good, most merciful and true; Jn all perfection most unchangeable : That man, that every man of every clime And hue, of every age and every rank, Was bad, by nature and by practice bad ; In understanding blind, in will perverse, In heart corrupt ; in every thought, and word, 300 Imagination, passion, and desire, Most utterly depraved throughout, and ill. In sight of Heaven, though less in sight of man; At enmity with God his maker born. And by his very life an heir of death : That man, that every man was, farther, most Unable to redeem himself, or pay One mite of his vast debt to God ; nay, more, Was most reluctant and averse to be Redeemed, and sin's most voluntary slave : 310 That Jesus, Son of God, of Mary born In Bethlehem, and by Pilate crucified On Calvary, for man*, thus fallen and lost, Died; and, by death, life and salvation bought. And perfect righteousness, for all who should In his great name believe : That He, the third In the eternal Essence, to the prayer Sincere should come, should come as soon as asked, Proceeding from the Father and the Son, To give faith and repentance, such as God 320 Accepts ; to open the intellectual eyes, Blinded by sin ; to bend the stubborn will. Perversely to the side of wrong inclined. To God and his commandments, just and good; The wild, rebellious passions to subdue. And bring them back to harmony with heaven; To purify the conscience, and to lead 68 THE COURSE OF TIME. The mind into all truth, and to adorn "With every holy ornament of grace, And sanctify the whole renewed soul, 330 Which henceforth might no more fall totally, But persevere, though erring oft, amidst The mists of Time, in piety to God, And sacred works of charity to men : That he who thus believed, and practised thus, Should have his sins forgiven, however vile ; Should be sustained at mid-day, morn, and even, By God's omnipotent, eternal grace ; And in the evil hour of sore disease, Temptation, persecution, war, and death, — 340 For temporal death, although unstinged, remained, — Beneath the shadow of the Almighty's wings Should sit unhurt, and at the judgment-day, Should share the resurrection of the just, And reign with Christ in bliss for evermore : That all, however named, however great, Who would not thus believe, nor practise thus, But in their sins impenitent remained. Should in perpetual fear and terror live ; Should die unpardoned, unredeemed, unsaved; 350 And, at the hour of doom, should be cast out To utter darkness in the night of hell, By mercy and by God abandoned; there To reap the harvests of eternal wo. This did that book declare in obvious phrase, In most sincere and honest words, by God Himself selected and arranged, so clear. So plain, so perfectly distinct, that none, "Who read with humble wish to understand, And asked the Spirit, given to all who asked, 360 Could miss their meaning, blazed in heavenly light This book, this holy book, on every line Marked with the seal of high divinity, On every leaf bedewed with drops of love Divine, and with the eternal heraldry BOOK 11. 59 And signature of God Almighty stamped From first to last, this ray of sacred light, This lamp, from oiFthe everlasting throne, Mercy took down, and, in the night of Time Stood, casting on the dark her gracious bow ; 370 And evermore beseeching men, with tears And earnest sighs, to read, believe, and live. And many to her voice gave ear, and read, Believed, obeyed ; and now, as the Amen, True, Faithful Witness swore, with snowy robes And branchy palms, surround the fount of life, And drink the streams of immortality, For ever happv, and for ever young. Many believed ; but more the truth of God Turned to a lie, deceiving and deceived; 380 Fiach with the accursed sorcery of sin, To his own wish and vile propensity Transforming still the meaning of the text. Hear, while I briefly tell what mortals proved, By effort vast of ingenuity. Most wondrous, though perverse and damnable. Proved from the Bible, which, as thou hast heard, So plainly spoke that all could understand. First, and not least in number, argued some. From out this book itself, it was a lie, 390 A fable, framed by crafty men, to cheat The simple herd, and make them bow the knee To kings and priests. These, in their wisdom, left The light revealed, and turned to fancies wild ; Maintaining loud, that ruined, helpless man, Needed no Saviour. Others proved that men Might live and die in sin, and yet be saved. For so it was decreed ; binding the will. By God left free, to unconditional. Unreasonable fate. Others believed 400 That he who was most criminal, debased. Condemned, and dead, unaided might ascend The heights of virtue ; to a perfect law 60 THE COURSE OF TIME. Giving a lame, half-way obedience, which By useless effort only served to show The impoLcnce of him who vainly strove Witii finite arm to measure infinite ; Most useless effort, when to justify In sight of God it meant, as proof of faith Most acceptable and worthy of all praise. 410 Another held, and from the Bible held, He was infallible, most fallen by such Pretence ; that none the Scriptures, open to all, And most to humble-hearted, ought to read. But priests ; that all who ventured to disclaim His forged authority, incurred the wrath Of Heaven; and he who, in the blood of such, Though father, mother, daughter, wife, or son, Imbrued his hands, did most religious work, Well pleasing to the heart of the Most High. 420 Others in outward rite devotion placed, In meats, in drinks, in robe of certain shape. In bodily abasements, bended knees ; Days, numbers, places, vestments, words, and names; Absurdly in their hearts imagining. That God, like men, was pleased with outward show. Another, stranger and more wicked still, With dark and dolorous labor, ill applied. With many a gripe of conscience, and with most Unhealthy and abortive reasoning, 430 That brought his sanity to serious doubt, 'Mong wise and honest men, maintained that He, First Wisdom, Great Messiah, Prince of Peace, The second of the uncreated Three, Was naught but man, of earthly origin : Thus making void the sacrifice divine. And leaving guilty men, God's holy law Still unatoned, to work them endless death. These are a part ; but to relate thee all The monstrous, unbaptized fantasies, 440 Imaginations fearfully absurd, Hobgoblin rites, and moon-struck re\'^rie3, BOOK II. 01 Distracted creeds, and visionary dreams, More bodiless and hideously misshapen Than ever fancy, at the noon of night, Playing at will, framed in the madman's brain, That from this book of simple trutli were proved, Were proved, as foolish men were wont to prove, Would bring my word in doubt, and thy belief Stagger, though here I sit and sing, within 450 The pale of truth, where falseliood never came. The rest, who lost the heavenly light revealed, Not wishing to retain God in their minds. In darkness wandered on. Yet could they not, Though moral night around them drew her pall Of blackness, rest in utter unbelief. The voice within, the voice of God, that naught Could bribe to sleep, though steeped in sorceries Of hell, and much abused by whisperings Of evil spirits in the dark, announced 460 A day of judgment and a Judge, a day Of misery or bliss : and, being ill At ease, for gods they chose them stocks and stones, Reptiles, and weeds, and beasts, and creeping things. And spirits accursed, ten thousand deities ! Imagined worse than he who craved their peace ; And, bowing, worshipped these, as best beseemed, With midnight revelry obscene and loud. With dark, infernal, devilish ceremonies, And horrid sacrifice of human flesh, 470 That made the fair heavens blush. So bad was sin ; So lost, so ruined, so depraved was man. Created first in God's own image fair. Oh, cursed, cursed Sin ! traitor to God, And miner of man ! mother of Wo, And Death, and Hell ! wretched, yet seeking worse , Polluted most, yet wallowing in the mire ; Most mad, yet drinking Frenzy's giddy cup ; Depth ever deepeninp;, darkness darkening still ; Folly for wisdom, guilt for innocence j 480 6 m THE COURSE OF TIME Anguish for rapture, and for hope despair ; Destroyed, destroying ; in tormenting, pained ; Unawed by wrath, by mercy unreclaimed ; Thing most unsightly, most forlorn, most sad, Thy time on earth is passed, thy war with God And holiness. But who, oh, who shall tell, Thy unrepentable and ruinous thoughts ! Thy sighs, thy groans ! who reckon thy burning tears, And damned looks of everlasting grief, [490 Where now, with those who took their part with thee, Thou sittst in hell, gnawed by the eternal Worm, To hurt no more, on all the holy hills ! That those, deserting once the lamp of truth. Should wander ever on, from worse to worse Erroneously, thy wonder needs not ask : But that enlightened, reasonable men. Knowing themselves accountable, to whom God spoke from heaven, and by his servants warned, Both day and night, with earnest, pleading voice. Of retribution equal to their works, 500 Should persevere in evil, and be lost, — This strangeness, this unpardonable guilt, Demands an answer, which my song unfolds, In part, directly ; but, hereafter, more. To satisfy thy wonder, thou shalt learn, Inferring much from what is yet to sing. Know, then, of men who sat in highest place, Exalted, and for sin by others done Were chargeable, the king and priests were chief. Many were faithful, holy, just, upright, 510 Faithful to God and man, reigning renowned In righteousness, and, to the people, loud And fearless, speaking all the words of life. These, at the judgment-day, as thou shalt hear, Abundant harvest reaped. But many, too, Alas, how many ! famous now in hell, Were wicked, cruel, tyrannous, and vile ; Ambitious of themselves, abandoned, mad ; BOOK II. 63 And still from servants hasting to be gods, Such gods as now they serve in Erebus. 520 1 pass their lewd example by, that led So many wrong, for courtly fashion lost, And prove them guilty of one crime alone. Of every wicked ruler, prince supreme, Or magistrate below, the one intent. Purpose, desire, and struggle, day and night, Was evermore to wrest tlie crown from off Messiah's head, and put it on his own ; And in His place give spiritual laws to men; To oind religion, free by birth, by God 530 And nature free, and made accountable To none but God, behind the wheels of state; To make the holy altar, where the Prince Of life, incarnate, bled to ransom man, A footstool to the throne. For this they met, Assembled, counselled, meditated, planned ; Devised in open and secret ; and for this Enacted creeds of wondrous texture, creeds The Bible never owned, unsanctioned too, And reprobate in heaven ; but, by the power 540 That made, — exerted now in gentler form. Monopolizing rights and privileges. Equal to all, and waving now the sword Of persecution fierce, tempered in hell, — Forced on the conscience of inferior men : The conscience, that sole monarchy in man, Owing allegiance to no earthly prince ; Made by the edict of creation free ; Made sacred, made above all human laws ; Holding of heaven alone ; of most divine 55C And indefeasible authority ; An individual sovereignty, that none Created might, unpunished, bind or touch , Unbound, save by the eternal laws of God, And unamenable to all below. Thus did the uncircumcised potentates Of earth debase religion in the sight 64 THE COURSE OF TIME. Of those they ruled, who, looking up, beheld The fair celestial gift despised, enslaved; And, mimicking the folly of the great, 560 With prompt docility despised her too. The prince or magistrate, however named Or praised, who, knowing better, acted thus, Was wicked, and received, as he deserved, Damnation. But the unfaithful priest, what tongue Enough shall execrate ? His doctrine may Be passed, though mixed with most unhallowed leaven, That proved, to those who foolishly partook, Eternal bitterness. But this was still His sin, beneath what cloak soever veiled, 570 His ever growing and perpetual sin. First, last, and middle thought, whence every wi.sh, Whence every action rose, and ended both : To mount to place, and power of worldly sort; To ape the gaudy pomp and equipage Of earthly state, and on his mitred brow To place a royal crown. For this he sold The sacred truth to him who most would give Of titles, benefices, honours, names; For this betrayed his Master ; and for this 580 Made merchandise of the immortal souls Committed to his care. This was his sin. Of all who office held unfairly, none Could plead excuse ; he least and last of all. By solemn, awful ceremony, he Was set apart to speak the truth entire, By action and by word ; and round him stood The people, from his lips expecting knowledge. One day in seven, the Holy Sabbath termed, They stood ; for he had sworn, in face of God 590 And man, to deal sincerely with their souls ; To preach the gospel for the gospel's sake ; Had sworn to hate and put away all pride, All vanity, all love of earthly pomp ; To seek all mercy, meekness, truth, and grace -, BOOK II. 65 And being so endowed himself, and taught, In them hke workb of holiness to move ; Dividing faithfully the word of life. And oft indeed the word of life he taught; But practising as thou hast heard, who could 600 Believe ? Thus was Religion wounded sore At her own altars, and among her friends. The people went away, and, like the priest, Fulfilling what tiie prophet spoke before, For honour strove, and wealth, and place, as if The preacher had rehearsed an idle tale. The enemies of God rejoiced, and loud The unbeliever laughed, boasting a life Of fairer character than his who owned, For king and guide, the undefiled One. GIO Most guilty, villanous, dishonest man 1 Wolf in the clothing of the gentle lamb ! Dark traitor in Messiah's holy camp ! Leper in saintly garb ! assassin masked In Virtue's robe ! vile hypocrite accursed ' I strive in vain to set his evil forth ! The words that should sufficiently accurse And execrate such reprobate, had need Come glowing from the lips of eldest hell. Among the saddest in the den of wo, 620 Thou sawst him saddest, 'mong the damned most damned. But why should I with indignation burn. Not well beseeming here, and long forgot.'* Or why one censure for another's sin ? Each had his conscience, each his reason, will. And understanding, for himself to search. To choose, reject, believe, consider, act. And God proclaimed from heaven, and by an oath Confirmed, that each should answer for himself- And as his own peculiar work should be, 630 Done by his proper self, should live or die. 6# 66 THE COURSE OF TllME. But sin, deceitful and deceiving still, Had gained the heart, and reason led astray. A strange belief, that leaned its idiot back On folly's topmost twig, — belief that God, Most wise, had made a world, had creatures made, Beneath his care to govern and protect, — Devoured its thousands. Reason, not the true, Learned, deep, sober, comprehensive, sound; But bigoted, one-eyed, short-sighted Reason, 640 Most zealous, and sometimes, no doubt, sincere. Devoured its thousands. Vanity to be Renowned for creed eccentrical, devoured Its thousands; but a lazy, corpulent, And over-credulous faith, that leaned on all It met, nor asked if 'twas a reed or oak ; Stepped on, but never earnestly inquired Whether to heaven or hell the journey led. Devoured its tens of thousands, and its hands Made reddest in the precious blood of souls. 650 In Time's pursuits men ran till out of breath. The astronomer soared up, and counted stars. And gazed, and gazed upon the heaven's bright face, Till he dropped down dim-eyed into the grave. The numerist, in calculations deep. Grew gray. The merchant at his desk expired. The statesman hunted for another place, Till death o'ertook him, and made him his prey. The miser spent his eldest energy In grasping for another mite. The scribe 660 Rubbed pensively his old and withered brow, Devising new impediments to hold In doubt the suit that threatened to end too soon. The priest collected tithes, and pleaded rights Of decimation to the very last. In science, learning, all philosophy. Men laboured all their days, and laboured hard, And, dying, sighed how little they had done. BOOK II. 67 But in religion, they at once grew wise. A creed in print, though never understood; 670 A theologic system on the shelf, Was spiritual lore enough, and served their turn; But served it ill. They sinned, and never knew. For what the Bible said of good and bad, Of holiness and sin, they never asked. Absurd, prodigiously absurd, to think That man's minute and feeble faculties. Even in the very childhood of his being, With mortal shadows dimmed and wrapped around. Could comprehend at once the mighty scheme, 680 Where rolled the ocean of eternal love ; Where wisdom infinite its master-stroke Displayed ; and where omnipotence, oppressed, Did travail in the greatness of its strength ; And everlasting Justice lifted up The sword to smite the guiltless Son of God ; And Mercy smiling bade the sinner go ! Redemption is the science and the song Of all eternity. Archangels, day And night, into its glories look. The saints, 690 The elders round the Throne, old in the years Of heaven, examine it perpetually ; And, every hour, get clearer, ampler views Of right and wrong; see virtue's beauty more; See vice more utterly depraved and vile ; And this, with a more perfect hatred, hate ; That daily love with a more perfect love. But whether I for man's perdition blame Office administered amiss, pursuit Of pleasure false, perverted reason blind, 700 Or indolence that ne'er inquired ; I blame Effect and consequence, the branch, the leaf. Who finds the fount and bitter root, the first And guiltiest cause whence sprung this endless wo, Must deep descend into the human heart, And find it there. Dread passion ! making men On earth, and even in hell, if Mercy yet 68 THE COURSE OF TIME. Would stoop so low, unwilling to be saved, If saved by grace of God. Hear, then, in brief, What peopled hell, what holds its prisoners there. 710 Pride, self-adoring pride, was primal cause Of all sin passed, all pain, all wo to come. Unconquerable pride ! first, eldest sin. Great fountain-head of evil ! highest source, Whence flowed rebellion 'gainst the Omnipotent, Whence hate of man to man, and all else ill. Pride at the bottom of the human heart Lay, and gave root and nourishment to all That grew above. Great ancestor of vice ! Hate, unbelief, and blasphemy of God ; 720 Envy and slander, malice and revenge ; And murder, and deceit, and every birth Of damned sort, was progeny of pride.^ It was the ever-moving, acting force, * The constant aim, and the most thirsty wish * Of every sinner unrenewed, to be A god ; in purple or in rags, to have Himself adored. Whatever shape or form His actions took, whatever phrase he threw About his thoughts, or mantle o'er his life, 730 To be the highest, was the inward cause Of all ; the purpose of the heart to be Set up, admired, obeyed. But who would bow The knee to one who served and was dependent Hence man's perpetual struggle, night and day, To prove he was his own proprietor. And independent of his God ; that what He had might be esteemed his own, and praised As such. He laboured still, and tried to stand Alone, unpropped, to be obliged to none ; 740 And in the madness of his pride, he bade His God farewell, and turned away to be A god himself; resolving to rely. Whatever came, upon his own right hand. O desperate frenzy ! madness of the will ! And drunkenness of the heart ! that naught could quench BOOK II. 69 But floods of wo, poured from the sea of wrath. Behind which mercy set. To think to turn The back on hfe original, and live ! The creature to set up a rival throne 750 In the Creator's realm ! to deify A worm ! and in the sight of God be proud ! To lift an arm of flesh against the shafts Of the Omnipotent, and, midst his wrath, To seek for happiness ! — insanity Most mad ! guilt most complete ! Seest thou those worlds That roll at various distance round the throne Of God, innumerous, and fill the calm Of heaven with sweetest harmony, when saints And angels sleep ? As one of these, from love 760 Centripetal withdrawing, and from light. And heat, and nourishment cut off, should rush Abandoned o'er the line that runs between Create and increate, from ruin driven To ruin still, through the abortive waste ; So pride from God drew off the bad ; and so, Forsaken of him, he lets them ever try Their single arm against the second death ; Amidst vindictive thunders lets them try The stoutness of their hearts, and lets them try 770 To quench their thirst amidst the unfading fire ; And to reap joy where he has sown despair ; To walk alone, unguided, unbemoaned. Where Evil dwells, and Death, and moral Nigh^ In utter emptiness to find enough ; In utter dark find light; and find repose, Where God with tempest plagues for evermore. For so they wished it, so did pride desire. Such was the cause that turned so many off Rebelliously from God, and led them on 780 From vain to vainer still, in endless chace. And such the cause that made so many cheeks Pale, and so many knees to shake, when men Rose from the grave ; as thou shalt hear anon. COURSE OF TIME 3Sao«: ££». ANALYSIS OF BOOK lU. The Bard proceeds to a more full description of the " ways of Time," " the fond pursuits and vanities of men." Desire of happiness was universal in every age ; but the star of God shin- ing upon the only path to it was not heeded. The Bible taught ♦,hat happiness was indissolubly connected with virtue ; that it was a fruit to be gathered only from the tree of holiness, up- rooted by the apostasy, but planted again by the Son of God, and nourished by the dewy influences of the Spirit. But, dis- regarding this, men pursued happiness in ten thousand mistaken routes, grasping at lying shades until the grave received them. Many "sweat and bled for Go/d ," most for tlie luxuries it bought, but some with the miser's craving avarice. Blinded votaries also chased the Shadow Pleasure; who, with her thousand changing forms and varying robes, allured to her thousand fatal haunts ; to the hall of giddy dance, the scene of inoughtless revel, the harlot's treacherous bed. Another Phan- tom fleeting in the mist of Time was Earthly Fame, whose voice of empty breath oft deceived the man of science, and tiie poet, the reverend divine, the simple artisan, the vain fair one, the haughty warrior, the proud usurper. Even the Drunkard's bowl and the Sceptic's holmless bark were tried in the wild pursuit of happiness. This was done, too, notwithstanding the warning voice of wisdom speaking to man loudly in the Sea- sons, the Day, the Night, the Grave, the Word of God ; not- withstanding all the pangs of Kemorse, and all the sorrows of Disappointment. Against these, recklefs men closed their ears and their hearts, until Death revealed to each his folly, and too late convinced him of the grand lesson of the Bible, " Eternity is all." In the description of Disappointment the Author is happily intro- duced, and mention made of interesting circumstances in bit history TUB COURSE OF TIME. asoofe KSfi. Beholdst thou yonder, on the crystal sea, Beneath the throne of God, an image fair, And in its hand a mirror large and bright? 'Tis truth, immutable, eternal truth, In figure emblematical expressed. Before it Virtue stands, and smiling sees, Well pleased, in her reflected soul, no spot. The sons of heaven, archangel, seraph, saint, There daily read their own essential worth ; And, as they read, take place among the just; 10 Or high, or low, each as his value seems. There each his certain interest learns, his true Capacity ; and, going thence, pursues. Unerringly, through all the tracts of thought, As God ordains, best ends by wisest means. The Bible held this mirror's place on earth. But, few would read, or, reading, saw themselves. The chase was after shadows, phantoms strange, That in the twilight walked of Time, and mocKed The eager hunt, escaping evermore ; 20 Yet with so many promises and looks Of gentle sort, that he whose arms returned 74 THE COURSE OF TIME. Empty a thousand times, still stretched them out, And, grasping, brought them back again unlilled. In rapid outline thou hast heard of man. His death, his offered life, that life by most Despised, the Star of God, tiie Bible, scorned, That else to happiness and heaven had led, And saved my lyre from narrative of wo. Hear now more largely of the ways of Time, 30 The fond pursuits and vanities of men. " Love God, love truth, love virtue, and be happy. These were the words first uttered in the ear Of every being rational made, and made For thought, or word, or deed accountable. Most men the first forgot, the second none. Whatever path they took, by hill or vale, By night or day, the universal wisli. The aim, and sole intent, was happiness. But, erring from the heaven-appointed patli, 40 Strange tracks indeed they took through barren wastes, And up the sandy mountain climbing toiled. Which pining lay beneath the curse of God, And naught produced. Yet did the traveller look And point his eye before him greedily. As if he saw some verdant spot, where grew The heavenly flower, where sprung the well of life, Where undisturbed felicity reposed ; Though Wisdom's eye no vestige could discern, That Happiness had ever passed that way, 50 Wisdom was right, for still the terms remained Unchanged, unchangeable, the terms on which True peace was given to man, unchanged as God, Who, in his own essential nature, binds Eternally to virtue happiness. Nor lets them part through all his universe Philosophy, as thou shalt hear, when she Shall have her praise, her praise and censure too, BOOK III iO Did much, refining and exalting man ; But could not nurse a single plant tliat bore 60 True happiness. From age to age slie toiled. Shed from her eyes the mist that dimmed them still, Looked forth on man, explored the wild and tame, The savage and polite, the sea and land, And starry heavens ; and then retired far back To meditation's silent, shady seat ; And there sat pale, and thoughtfully, and vfeighed With wary, most exact, and scrupulous care, Man's nature, passions, hopes, propensities. Relations, and pursuits, in reason's scale ; 70 And searched and weighed, and weighed and searched again, And many a fair and goodly volume wrote. That seemed well worded too, wherein were found Uncountable receipts, pretending each, If carefully attended to, to cure Mankind of folly, to root out the briers. And thorns, and weeds, that choked the growth of joy; And showing too, in plain and decent phrase. Which sounded much like Wisdom's, how to plant. To shelter, water, culture, prune, and rear 80 The tree of happiness; and oft their plans Were tried ; but still the fruit was green and sour. Of all the trees that in Earth's vineyard grew, And with their clusters tempted man to pull And eat, one tree, one tree alone, the true Celestial manna bore, which filled the soul, The tree of holiness, of heavenly seed, A native of the skies ; though stunted much And dwarfed, by Time's cold, damp, ungenlal soil, And chilling winds, yet yielding fruit so pure, 90 So nourishing and sweet, as, on his way, Refreshed the pilgrim; and begot desire Unquenchable to climb the arduous path To where her sister plants, in their own dime, Around the fount, and by the stream of life, 76 THE COURSE OF TIMR. Blooming beneath the Sun that never seta, Bear iriut of perfect relish fully ripe. To plant this tree, uprooted by the fall, To eartii the Son of God descended, shed His precious blood ; and on it evermore, 100 From off his living wings, the Spirit shook The dews of heaven, to nurse and hasten its growth. Nor was this care, this infinite expense, Not needed to secure the holy plant. To root it out. and wither it from earth, Hell strove with all its strength, and blew with all Its blasts ! and Sin, with cold, consumptive breath, Involved it still in clouds of mortal damp. Yet did it grow, thus kept, protected thus ; And bear the only fruit of true delight ; 110 The only fruit worth plucking under heaven. But few, alas ! the holy plant could see, For heavy mists that Sin around it threw Perpetually; and few the sacrifice Would make, by which alone its clusters stooped, And came within the reach of mortal man. For this, of him who would approach and eat. Was rigorously exacted to the full : To tread eind bruise beneath the foot the world Entire ; its prides, ambitions, hopes, desires ; 120 Its gold and all its broidered equipage ; To loose its loves and friendships from the heart, And cast them off; to shut the ear against Its praise, and all its flatteries abhor; And, having thus behind him thrown what seemed So good and fair, then must he lowly kneel, And with sincerity, in which the Eye Tliat slumbers not, nor sleeps, could see no lack, This prayer pray : " Lord, God ! thy will be done, Thy holy will, howe'er it cross my own." 130 Hard labour this for flesh and blood ! too hard For most it seemed. So, turning, they the tree Derided as mere bramble that couM bear BOOK III. 77 No fruit of special taste ; and so set out Upon ten thousand different routes to seek What tliey had left behind, to seek what they Had lost. For still as something once possessed And lost, true happiness appeared. All thought They once were iiappy ; and even while they smoked And panted in the chase, believed themselves 140 More miserable to-day than yesterday, To-morrow than to-day. When youth complained, The ancient sinner shook his hoary head, As if he meant to say. Stop till you come My length, and then you may have cause to sigh. At twenty, cried the boy, who now had seen Some blemish in his joys, How happily Plays yonder child that busks the mimic babe, And gathers gentle flowers, and never sighs ! At forty, in the fervor of pursuit. 150 Far on in disappointments dreary vale, The grave and sage-like man looked back upon The striplincr youth of plump unseared hope, Who galloped gray and briskly up behind, And, moaning, wished himself eighteen again. And he of threescore years and ten. in wnose Chilled eye, fatigued with gaping after hope, Earth's freshest verdure seemed but blasted leaves, Praised childhood, youth, and manhood; and denounced Old age alone as barren of all joy. 160 Decisive proof that men had let\ behind The happiness they sought, and taken a most Erroneous path; since every step they took Was deeper mire. Yet did they onward run, Pursuincr Hope that danced before them still, And beckoned them to proceed : and with their hands, That shook and trembled piteously with age, Grasped at the Iving Shade, even till the earth Beneath them broke, and wrapped them in the grave. Sometimes indeed, when Wisdom in their ear 170 Whispered, and with its disenchanting wand, Effectually touched the sorcery of their eyes, 78 THE COURSE OF TIME, Directly pointing to the holy tree, Where grew the food they sought, they turned, surprised, That they had missed so long what now they found As one upon whose mind some new and rare Idea glances, and retires as quick, Ere memory has time to write it down ; Stung with the loss, into a thoughtful cast He throws his face, and rubs his vexed brow ; 180 Searches each nook and corner of his soul With frequent care ; reflects, and re-reflects, And tries to touch relations that may start The fugitive again ; and oft is foiled ; Till something like a seeming chance, or flight Of random fancy, when expected least, Calls back the wandered thought, long sought in vain ; Then does uncommon joy fill all his mind ; And still he wonders, as he holds it fast, What lay so near he could not sooner find : 190 So did the man rejoice, when from his eye The film of folly fell, and what he, day And night, and far and near, had idly searched, Sprung up before him suddenly displayed; So wondered why he missed the tree so long. But, few returned from Folly's giddy chase, Few heard the voice of Wisdom, or obeyed. Keen was the search, and various and wide, Without, within, along the flowery vale, And up the rugged cliiF, and on the top 200 Of mountains high, and on the ocean wave. Keen was the search, and various, and wide, And ever and anon a shout was heard : " Ho ! here's the tree of life ! come, eat, and live !" And round the new discoverer quick they flocked In multitudes, and plucked, and with great haste Devoured ; and sometimes in the lips 't was sWeet, And promised well ; but in the belly gall. Yet after him that cried again, " Ho ! here's The tree of life !" again they ran, and pulled, 210 And chewed again, and found it bitter still. BOOK 1[T. 79 From disappointment on to disappointment, Year after year, age after age, pursued, The child, the youth, the hoary-headed man^ AUke pursued, and ne'er grew wise. For it Was folly's most peculiar attribute, And native act, to make experience void. But hastily, as pleasures tasted, turned To loathing and disgust, they needed not Even such experiment to prove them vain. 220 In hope or in possession. Fear, alike. Boding disaster, stood. Over the flower Of fairest sort, that bloomed beneath the sun. Protected most, and sheltered from the storm. The Spectre, like a dark and thunderous cloud, Hung dismally, and threatened, before the hand Of him that wished could pull it, to descend, And o'er the desert drive its withered leaves ', Or, being pulled, to blast it unenjoyed, While yet he gazed upon its loveliness 230 And just began to drink its fragrance up. Gold many hunted, sweat and bled for gold ; Waked all the night, and laboured all the day. And what was this allurement, dost thou asli ? A dust dug from the bowels of the earth, Which, being cast into the fire, came out A shining thing that fools admired, and called A god ; and in devout and humble plight Before it kneeled, the greater to the less; And on its altar sacrificed ease, peace, 240 Truth, faith, integrity ; good conscience, friends, Love, charity, benevolence, and all The sweet and tender sympathies of life ; And, to complete the horrid murderous rite, And signalize their folly, offered up Their souls and an eternity of bliss, To gain them — what.'' — an hour of dreaming joy, A feverish hour, that hasted to be done, And ended in the bitterness of wo. 80 THE COURSE OF TIME. Most, for the luxuries it bought, the pomp, 250 The praise, the ghtter, fashion, and renown, This yellow phantom followed and adored. But there was one in folly farther gone, "With eye awry, incurable, and wild, The laughing-stock of devils and of men, And by his guardian angel quite given up, — The miser, who with dust inanimate Held wedded intercourse. Ill guided wretch ! Thou mightst have seen him at the midnight hour. When good men slept, and in light winged dream32C0 Ascended up to God, — in wasteful hall, "With vigilance and fasting worn to skin And bone, and wrapped in most debasing rags. — Thou mightst have seen him bending o'er his heaps, And holding strange communion with his gold ; And, as his thievish fancy seemed to hear The night-man's foot approach, starting alarmed, And in his old, decrepit, withered hand. That palsy shook, grasping the yellow earth To make it sure. Of all God made upright, 270 And in their nostrils breathed a living soul, Most fallen, most prone, most earthy, most debased; Of all that sold Eternity for Time, None bargained on so easy terms with Death. Illustrious fool ! nay, most inhuman wretch 1 He sat among his bags, and, with a look "Which hell might be ashamed of, drove the poor Away unalmsed, and midst abundance died, Sorest of evils ! died of utter want. Before this Shadow, in the vales of earth, 280 Fools saw another glide, which seemed of more Intrinsic worth. Pleasure her name ; good name, Though ill applied. A thousand forms she took, A thousand garbs she wore , in every age And clime, changing, as in her votaries changed Desire ; but, inwardly, the same in all. Her most essential lineaments we trace , Her general features everywhere alike. BOOK III. 81 Of comely form she was., and fair efface ; And underneath her eyelids sat a kind 290 Of witching sorcery that nearer drew Whoever, with unguarded look, beheld ; A dress of gaudy hue loosely attired Her loveliness ; her air and manner frank, And seeming free of all disguise ; her song Enchanting ; and her words, which sweetly dropped, As honey from the comb, most large of promise, Still prophesying days of new delight, And rapturous nights of undecaying joy ; And in her hand, where'er she went, slie held 300 A radiant cup that seemed of nectar full ; And by her side, danced fair, delusive Hope. The fool pursued, enamoured; and the wise, Experienced man, who reasoned much and thought, Was sometimes seen laying his wisdom down, And vying with the stripling in the chase. Nor wonder thou, for she was really fair, Decked to the very taste of flesh and blood, And many thought her sound within, and gay And healthy at the heart: but thought amiss. 310 For she was full of all disease : her bones Were rotten ; Consumption licked her blood, and dranli Her marrow up ; her breath smelled mortally ; And in her bowels plague and fever lurked ; And in her very heart, and reins, and life, Corruption's worm gnawed greedily unseen. Many her haunts. Thou mightst have seen her now With Indolence, lolling on the mid-day couch, And whispering drowsy words ; and now at dawn, Loudly and rough, joining the sylvan horn ; 320 Or sauntering in the park, and to the tale Of slander giving ear; or sitting fierce, Rude, blasphemous, malicious, raving, mad. Where fortune to the fickle die was bound. But chief she loved the scene of deep debauch, Where revelry, and dance, and frantic song, '82 THE COURSE OF TIME. Disturbed the sleep of honest men ; and where The drunkard sat, she entered in, well pleased, With eye brimful of wanton mirthfulness, And urged him still to fill another cup. 330 And at the shadowy twilight, in the dark And gloomy night, I looked, ar.d saw her come Abroad, arrayed in harlot's soft attire; And walk without in every street, and lie In wait at every corner, full of guile : And as the unwary youth of simple heart, And void of understanding, passed, she caught And kissed him, and with lips of lying said, I have peace-offerings with me ; I have paid My vows this day ; and therefore came I forth 340 To meet thee, and to seek thee diligently, To seek thy face, and I have found thee here. My bed is decked with robes of tapestry, "With carved work and sheets of linen fine ; Perfumed with aloes, myrrh, and cinnamon. Sweet are stolen waters ! pleasant is the bread In secret eaten! the goodman is from home. Come, let us take our fill of love till morn Awake ; let us delight ourselves with loves. With much fair speech, she caused the youth to yield ; 350 And forced him with the flattering of her tongue. I looked, and saw him follow to her house, As goes the ox to slaughter ; as the fool To the correction of the stocks; or bird That hastes into the subtle fowler's snare, And knows not, simple tiling, 'tis for its life. I saw him enter in, and heard the door Behind them shut ; and in the dark, still night, When God's unsleeping eye alone can see. He went to her adulterous bed. At morn 360 I looked, and saw him not among the youths. I heard his father mourn, his mother weep. For none returned that went with her. The dead Were in her house, her guests in depths of hell. BOOK III. 83 She wove the winding-sheet of souls, and laid Them in the urn of everiastino; death. Such was the Shadow fools pursued on earth, Under the name of Pleasure; iair outside. Within corrupted, and corruptinir still. Ruined and ruinous, her sure reward, 370 Her total recompense, was still, as he, The bard, recorder of Earth's Seasons, sung, *' Vexation, disappointment, and remorse." Yet at her door the young and old, and some Who held high character among the wise, Together stood, and strove among themselves, Who first should enter, and be ruined first. Strange competition of immortal souls ! To sweat for death ! to strive for misery ! But think not Pleasure told her end was death. 3S0 Even human folly then Irid paused at least. And given some sig.ns of hesitation ; nor Arrived so hot, and out of breath, at wo. Though contradicted every day by facts That sophistry itself would stumble o'er, And to the very teeth a liar proved. Ten thousand times, as if unconscious still Of inward blame, she stood and waved her hand, And pointed to her bower, and said to all Who passed, Take yonder flowery path, my steps 390 Attend ; 1 lead the smoothest way to heaven ; This world receive as surety for the next : And many simple men, most simple, though Renowned for learning much, and wary skill, Believed, and turned aside, and were undone. Another lea.f of finished Time we turn. And read of fame, terrestrial fame, wliich died, And rose not at the resurrection morn ; Not that by virtue earned, the true renown, Begun on earth, and lasting in the skies, 400 Worthy the lofly wish of seraphim, — 84 THE COURSE OF TIME. The approbation of the Eye that sees The end from the beginning, sees from cause To most remote effect. Of it we read In book of God's remembrance, in the book Of life, from which the quick and dead were jua^ed i The book that hes upon the Throne, and tells Of glorious acts by saints and angels done; The record of the holy, just, and good. Of all the phantoms fleeting in the mist 410 Of Time, though meagre all, and ghostly thin, Most unsubstantial, unessential shade Was earthly Fame. She was a voice alone, And dwelt upon the noisy tongues of men. She never thought, but gabbled ever on, Applauding most what least deserved applause. The motive, the result, was naught to her. The deed alone, though dyed in human gore. And steeped in widow's tears, if it stood out To prominent display, she talked of much, 420 And roared around it with a thousand tongues. As changed the wind her organ, so she changed Perpetually ; and whom she praised to-day, Vexing his ear with acclamations loud. To-morrow blamed, and hissed him out of sight. Such was her nature, and her practice such. But, O ! her voice was sweet to mortal ears, And touched so pleasantly the strings of pride An.d vanity, which in the heart of man Were ever strung harmonious to her note, 430 That many thought, to live without her song Was rather death than life. To live unknown, Unnoticed, unrenowned I to die unpraised, Unepitaphed ! to go down to the pit. And moulder into dust among vile worms. And leave no whispering of a name on earth ! — Such thought was cold about the heart, and chilled The blood. Who could endure it? who could choose, Without a struggle, to be swept away BOOK III. 85 From all remembrance, and have part no more 440 With living men? Philosophy failed here, And self-approving pride. Hence it became The aim of most, and main pursuit, to win A name, to leave some vestige as they passed, That following ages might discern, they once Had been on earth, and acted something there. Many the roads they took, the plans they tried. The man of science to the shade retired. And laid his head upon his hand, in mood Of awful though tfulness, and dived, and dived 450 Again, deeper and deeper still, to sound The cause remote ; resolved, before he died, To make some grand discovery, by which He should be known to all posterity. And in the silent vigils of the night. When uninspired men reposed, the bard, Ghastly of countenance, and from his eye Oft streaming wild unearthly fire, sat up. And sent imagination forth, and searched The far and near, heaven, earth, and gloomy hell, 460 For fiction new, for thought, unthought before ; And when some curious, rare idea peered Upon his mind, he dipped his hasty pen, And by the glimmering lamp, or moonlight beam That through his lattice peeped, wrote fondly down, What seemed in truth imperishable song. And sometimes too, the reverend divine, In meditation deep of holy things And vanities of Time, heard Fame's sweet voice Approach his ear ; and hung another flower, 470 Of earthly sort, about the sacred truth ; And ventured whiles to mix the bitter text, With relish suited to the sinner's taste. And oft-times too, the simple hmd, who seemed Anibitionlesa, arrayed in humble garb, 8 80 THE COURSE OP TIME. While round him, spreading, fed his harmless flock, Sitting was seen, by some wild warbling brook, Carving his name upon his favourite staff; Or, in ill-favoured letters, tracin and of priestly tyrannv. BOOK V. 151 That bruisel the nations long. As yet. no state Beneath the heavens had tasted freedom's wine, Though loud of freedom was the talk of all. 820 Some groaned more deeply, being heavier tasked ; Some wrought with straw, and some without; but all Were slaves, or meant to be ; for rulers, still, Had been of eaual mind, excepting few. Cruel, rapacious, tyrannous, and vile. And had with equal shoulder propped the Beast. As yet, the Church, the holy spouse of God, In members few, had wandered in her weeds Of mourning, persecuted, scorned, reproached, And buffeted, and killed ; in members few, 830 Though seeming many whiles ; then fewest, oft. When seeming most. She still had hung her harp Upon the willow-tree, and sighed, and wept From age to age. Satan began the war. And all his angels, and all wicked men. Against her fought by wile, or fierce attack, Six thousand years ; but fought in vain. She stood Troubled on every side, but not distressed ; Weeping, but yet despairing not ; cast down. But not destroyed : for she upon the palms 840 Of God was graven, and precious in his sight. As apple of his eye ; and, like the bush On Midia's mountain seen, burned unconsumed ; But to the wilderness retiring, dwelt. Debased in sackcloth, and forlorn in tears. As yet had sung the scarlet-coloured Whore, Who on the breast of civil power reposed Her harlot head, (the Church a harlot then. When first she wedded civil power,) and drank The blood of martyred saints, — whose priests were lords, . 850 WHiose coffers held the gold of every land, Who held a cup of all pollutions full. Who with a double horn the people pushed, And raised her forehead, full of blasphemy, Above the holy God, usurping ofl 152 THE COURSE OF TIME. Jehovah's incommunicable names. The nations had been dark; the Jews had pined, Scattered without a name, beneath the Curse ; War had abounded, Satan raged, unchained ; And earth had still been black with moral gloom. 860 But now the cry of men oppressed went up Before the Lord, and to remembrance came The tears of all liis saints, their tears, and groans. Wise men had read the number of the name ; The prophet-years had rolled ; the time, and times, And half a time, were now fulfilled complete ; The seven fierce vials of the wrath of God, Poured by seven angels strong, were shed abroad Upon the earth and emptied to the dregs ; The prophecy for confirmation stood ; S70 And all was ready for the sword of God The righteous saw, and fled without delay [nto the chambers of Omnipotence. The wicked mocked, and sought for erring cause, To satisfy the dismal state of tilings ; The public credit gone, the fear in time Of peace, the starving want in time of wealth, The insurrection muttering in the streets, And pallid consternation spreading wide ; And leagues, though holy termed, first ratified 880 In hell, on purpose made to under-prop Iniquity, and crush the sacred truth. Meantime, a mighty angel stood in heaven, And cried aloud, " Associate now yourselves, Ye princes, potentates, and men of war. And mitred heads, associate now yourselves, And be dispersed ; embattle, and be broken. Gird on your armour, and be daslied to dust. Take counsel, and it shall be brought to naught. Speak, and it shall not stand." And suddenly 890 The armies of the saints, imbannersd, stood On Zion hill ; and with tliem angels stood uooK V. 153 In squadron bright, and chariots of fire ; And with them stood the Lord, clad Hke a man Of war, and, to the sound of thunder, led Tiie battle on. Earth shook, the kingdoms shook ; The Beast, the lying Seer, dominions, fell ; Thrones, tyrants fell, confounded in the dust. Scattered and driven before the breath of God, As chaff of summer threshing floor, before 900 The wind. Three days the battle wasting slew. The sword was full, the arrow drunk with blood; And to the supper of Almighty ^xod. Spread in Hamonah's vale, the fowls of heaven, And every beast, invited, came, and fed On captains' flesh, and drank the blood of kings. And, lo ! another angel stood in heaven, Crying aloud with mighty voice, " Fallen, fallen, Is Babylon the Great, to rise no more. Rejoice, ye prophets! over her rejoice, 91^ Apostles ! holy men, all saints, rejoice ! And glory give to God and to the Lamb." And all the armies of disburdened earth, As voice of many waters, and as voice Of thunderings, and voice of multitudes, Answered, Amen. And every hill and rock, And sea, and every beast, answered. Amen. Europa answered, and the farthest bounds Of woody Chili, Asia's fertile coasts. And Afric's burning wastes, answered. Amen. 920 And Heaven, rejoicing, answered back, Amen. Not so the wicked. They afar were heard Lamenting. Kings, who drank her cup of whoredoms, Captains, and admirals, and mighty men. Who lived deliciously ; and merchants, rich With merchandise of gold, and wine, and oil ; And those who traded in the souls of men. Known by their gaudy robes of priestly pomp; — All these afar off" stood, crying, Alas ! [930 Alas ! and wept, and gnashed their teeth, and groaned, 154 THE COURSE OF TIME. And, with th;i owl that on her ruins sat, Made dolor JU3 concert in the ear of Night. And over her ctgoin the Heavens rejoiced, And Earth r'.-ti .r/ied again the loud response. Thrice happ/ oays ! thrice blessed the man who saw Their dawn ! The Church and State, that long had held Unholy intorcouvfie, were now divorced ; Princes wer:' rif^'hteous men, judges upright; And first, in general, now — for in the worst Of times tb'ijro were s'^nie honest seers — the priest 940 Sought othev tha/i the fleece among his flocks, Best paid v/hen (.iod was honoured most; and, like A cedar, nourished well, Jerusalem grew, And towered on high, and spread, and flourished fair) And underneath her boughs the nations lodged. All nations iodged, and sung the song of peace. From the fjor winds, the Jews, eased of the Curse, Pteturned, r.nd dwelt with God in Jacob's land, And drank of Sharon and of Carmel's vine. [950 Sat^n waj bound, though bound, not banished quite, Put lurkefi about the timorous skirts of things, ill lo'^ged, ind thinking whiles to leave the earth, Ano Wxth t'le wicked, — for some wicked were, — Held m'dr.'^ht meetings, as the saints were wont, Fearfvl ri f.ay, who once was as the sun, An'l Wjr? -lipped more. The bad, but few, became A ta'^n* arJ hissing now, as heretofore Thd jgjod ; and, blushing, hasted out of sight. Disease was none ; the voice of war forgot ; f he Bword, a share ; a pruning-hook, the spear. 960 Men grew and multiplied upon the earth. And filled the city and the waste; and Death 36tood waiting for the lapse of tardy Age, That mocked him long. Men grew and multiplied, But lacked not bread ; for God his promise brought To mind, and blessed the land with plenteous rain. And made it blessed for dews and precious things Of heaven, and blessings of the deep beneath. And blessings of the sun and moon, and fruits BOOK V. 155 Of day and night, and blessings of the vale, 970 And precious things of the eternal hills, And all the fulness of perpetual spring. The prison-house, where chained felons pined, Threw open his ponderous doors, let in the light Of heaven, and grew into a church, where God Was worshipped. None were ignorant, selfish none Love took the place of law; where'er you met A man, you met a friend, sincere and true. Kind looks foretold as kind a heart within ; Words as tliey sounded, meant; and promises 980 Were made to be performed. Thrice happy days ! Philosopiiy was sanctified, and saw Perfections that she thought a fable, long. Revenge his dagger dropped, and kissed the hand Of Mercy ; Anger cleared his cloudy brow, And sat with Peace ; Envy grew red, and smiled On Worth ; Pride stooped, and kissed Humility; Lust washed his miry hands, and, wedded, leaned On chaste Desire ; and Falsehood laid aside His many-folded cloak, and bowed to Truth; 990 And Treachery up from his mining came. And walked above tlie ground with righteous Faith; And Covetousness unclenched his sinewy hand. And opened his door to Charity, the fair; Hatred was lost in Love ; and Vanity, With a good conscience pleased, her feathers cropped Sloth in the morning rose with Industry ; To Wisdom Folly turned ; and Fashion turned Deception off, in act as good as word. The hand that held a whip was lifted up 1000 To bless ; slave was a word in ancient books Met, only; every man was free ; and all Feared God, and served him day and night in love. How fair the daughter of .Jerusalem then ! How gloriously from Zion Hill she looked ! Clothed with the sun, and in her train the moon, And on her head a coronet of stars, 156 THE COURSE OF TIME. And girdling round her waist, with heavenly grace, The bow of Mercy bright ; and in her hand Immanuel's cross, her sceptre and her hope. JOIO Desire of every land ! the nations came, And worshipped at her feet; all nations came, Flocking like doves : Columbas painted tribes, That from Magellan to the Frozen Bay, Beneath the Arctic, dwelt ; and drank the tides Of Amazona, prince of earthly streams ; Or slept at noon beneath the giant shade Of Andes' mount; or, roving northward, heard Nigara sing, from Erie's billow down To Frontenac, and hunted thence the fur 1020 To Labrador : and Afric's dusky swarms, That from Morocco to Angola dwelt. And drank the Niger from his native wells, Or roused the lion in Numidia's groves ; The tribes that sat among the fabled cliffs Of Atlas, looking to Atlanta's wave ; With joy and melody, arose and came. Zara awoke and came, and Egypt came, Casting her idol gods into the Nile. Black Ethiopia, that, shadowless, 1030 Beneath the Torrid burned, arose and came. Dauma and Medra, and the pirate tribes Of Algeri, with incense came, and pure Offerings, annoying now the seas no more. The silken tribes of Asia, flocking, came, Innumerous : Ishmael's wandering race, that rode On camels o'er the spicy tract that lay From Persia to the Red Sea coast ; the king Of broad Cathay, with numbers infinite, Of many lettered casts ; and all the tribes 1040 That dwelt from Tigris to the Ganges' wave, And worshipped fire, or Brahma, fabled god ; Cashmeres, Circassians, Banyans, tender race ! That swept the insect from their path, and lived On herbs and fruits ; and those who peaceful dwelt Along the shady avenue that stretched BOOK V. 157 From Agra to Lahore ; and all the hosts That owned the Crescent late, deluded long ; The Tartar hordes, that roamed from Oby's bank, Ungoverned, southward to the wondrous Wall. 1050 The tribes of Europe cime : the Greek, redeemed From Turkish thrall, the Spaniard came, and Gaul, And Britain with her ships, and, on his sledge, The Laplander, that nightly watched the bear Circling the Pole ; and those who saw the flames Of Hecla burn the drifted snow ; the Russ, Long-whiskered, and equestrian Pole ; and those Who drank the Rhine, or lost the evening sun Behind the Alpine towers ; and she that sat By Arno, classic stream ; Venice ; or Rome, 1060 Head quarters long of sin ! first guileless now, And meaning as she seemed, stretched forth her hands ; And all the Isles of ocean rose and came, Whether they heard the roll of banislied tides, Antipodes to Albion's wave, or watched The Moon, ascending chalky Teneriffe, And with Atlanta holding nightly love. The Sun, the Moon, the Constellations, came : Thrice twelve and ten that watched the Antarctic sleep, Twice six that near the Ecliptic dwelt, thrice twelve And one, that with the Streamers danced, and saw[1070 The Hyperborean Ice guarding the Pole. The East, the West, the South, and snowy North, Rejoicing met, and worshipped reverently Before the Lord, in Zion's holy hill ; And all the places round about were blessed. The animals, as once in Eden, lived In peace. The wolf dwelt with the lamb, the bear And leopard with the ox. With looks of love. The tiger and the scaly crocodile 1080 Together met, at Gambia's palmy wave. Perched on the eagle's wing, the bird of song. Singing, arose, and visited the sun ; And with the falcon sat the gentleMark. The little child leaped from his mother's arms, 14 158 THE COURSE OF TIME. And stroked the crested snake, and rolled unhurt Among his speckled waves, and wished him home; And sauntering school-boys, slow returning, pluyed At eve about the lion's den. and wove, Into his shaggy mane, fantastic flowers. 1080 To meet the husbandman, early abroad, Hasted the deer, and waved its woody head. And round his dewy steps, the hare, uni^cared, Sported ; and toyed familiar with his dog. The flocks and herds, o'er hill and valley spread, Exulting, cropped the ever-budding herb. The desert blossomed, and the barren sung. Justice and Mercy, Holiness and Love, Among the people walked, Messiah reigned, And Earth kept Jubilee a thousand years. 1100 COURSE OF TIME asoofe 17X. ANALYSIS OF BOOK VI. At the opening of the Book, the Bard glances at the final de- struction of the Earth, as if the astonisiiing change were actu- ally again taking place under his eye. But, checking himself, he proceeds to describe the years which followed the millennial rest. Ungodliness again abounded. Ambition and love of ease, prin- ciples which had always struggled for the mastery of man, re- gained their ascendency. Every form of sin, which had existed before the reign of Messiah, was renewed, and new forms were invented. The age was, however, enlightened and polished, and the universal contempt of God was wholly wilful. In the meantime strange phenomena and disasters gave presage of Earth's approaching dissolution. Men disturbed, not re- formed, inquired the meaning in alarm ; but soon forgot the whole in their guilty pleasures ; and Earth hasted to fill up the measure of her wickedness. Here the Bard pauses in his narrative, as the numerous occu]iant3 of heaven suspend their various employments to join in an evening hymn of praise. All are represented as turning towards the unvailed Godhead, while the sainted Isaiah takes the harp, and, standing before the throiie, utters the holy song. At its close the thousands infinite, who ' circling stand, bowing afar ' devoutly respond their assent. THE COURSE OF TIME asoofe vn. Resume thy tone of wo, immortal Harp ! The song of mirth is past, the Jubilee Is ended, and the sun begins to fade ! Soon passed, for Happiness counts not the hours: To her a thousand years seem as a day ; A day, a thousand years to Misery. Satan is loose, and Violence is heard, And Riot in the street, and Revelry Intoxicate, and Murder, and Revenge. Put on your armour now, ye righteous ! put I0 The helmet of salvation on, and gird Your loins about with truth ; add righteousness, And add the shield of faith, and take the sword Of God — awake and watch ! — The day is near, Great day of God Almighty and the Lamb ! The harvest of the earth is fully ripe ; Vengeance begins to tread the great wine-press Of fierceness and of wrath ; and Mercy pleads, Mercy that pleaded long, she pleads — no more ! Whence comes that darkness ? whence those yelT» of wo ? 2& What thunderings are these that shake the world ?■ Why fall the lamps from heaven as blasted figs.? 14* 162 THE COURSE OP TIME. Why tremble righteous men ? why angels pale ? Why is all fear? what has become of hope ? God comes ! God, in his car of vengeance, comes !— Hark ! louder on the blast, come hollow shrieks Of dissolution ! in the fitful scowl Of night, near and more near, angels of death Incessant flap their deadly wings, and roar Through all the fevered air ! the mountains rock, 30 The moon is sick, and all the stars of heaven Burn feebly ! oft and sudden gleams the fire, Revealing awfully the brow of Wrath I The Thunder, long and loud, utters his voice, Responsive to the Ocean's troubled growl ! Night comes, last night, the long, dark, dark, dark night, That has no morn beyond it, and no star ! No eye of man hath seen a night >ike this ! Heaven's trampled Justice girds itself for fight ! Earth, to thy knees, and cry for mercy ! cry 40 With earnest heart, for thou art growing old And hoary, unrepented, unforgiven ! And all thy glory mourns ! The vintage mourns ! Bashan and Carmel, mourn and weep ! and mourn, Thou Lebanon ! with all thy cedars, mourn. Sun ! glorying in thy strength from age to age. So long observant of thy hour, put on Thy weeds of wo, and tell the Moon to weep ; Utter thy grief at mid-day, morn, and even; Tell all the nations, tell the Clouds that sit 50 About the portals of the east and west, And wanton with thy golden locks, to wait Thee not to-morrow, fur no morrow comes ! Tell men and women, tell the new-born child. And every eye that sees, to come, and see Thee set behind Eternity, for thou Shalt go to bed to-night, and ne'er awake ! « Stars ! walking on the pavement of the sky, Out-sentinels of heaven, watching the earth, Cease dancing now ; your lamps are growing dim, 60 Your graves are dug among the dismal clouds, BOOK VI. 163 And angels are assembling round your bier ! Orion, mourn ! and Mazzaroth, and thou, Arcturus ! mourn, with all thy northern sons, Daughters of Pleiades ! that nightly shed Sweet influence, and thou, fairest of stars ! Eye of the morning, weep ! and weep at eve I Weep setting, now to rise no more, " and flame On forehead of the dawn," — as sung the bard. Great bard ! who used on Earth a seraph's lyre, 70 Whose numbers wandered through eternity. And gave sweet foi-etaste of the heavenly harps ! Minstrel of sorrow ! native of tlie dark, Shrub-loving Philomel, that wooed the Dews, At midnight from their starry beds, and, charmed, Held them around thy song till dawn awoke, Sad bird ! pour through the gloom thy weeping song, Pour all thy dying melody of grief, And with the turtle spread the wave of wo ! Spare not thy reed, for thou shalt sing no more ! 80 Ye holy bards ! — if yet a holj' bard Remain, — what chord shall serve you now ! what harp ' What harp shall sing the dying Sun asleep. And mourn behind the funeral of the Moon ! What harp of boundless, deep, exhaustless wo, Shall utter forth the groanings of the damned I And sing the obsequies of wicked souls ! And wail their plunge in the eternal flre ! — Hold, hold your hands ! hold, angels ! — God laments, And draws a cloud of mourning round his throne ' 90 The Organ of Eternity is mute ! And there is silence in the Heaven of Heavens ! Daughters of beauty ! choice of beings made ! Much praised, much blamed, much loved ; but fairer far Than aught beheld, than aught imagined else Fairest, and dearer than all else most dear ; Light of the darksome wilderness ! to Time As stars to night, whose eyes were spells that held The passenger forgetful of his way, 164 THE COURSE OF TIME. [100 Whose steps were majesty, whose words were song, Whose smiles were hope, whose actions, perfect grace. Whose love, the solace, glory, and delight Of man, his boast, his riches, his renown ; When found, sutRcient biiss ! when lost, despair I — Stars of creation ! images of love ! Break up the fountains of your tears, your tears, More eloquent than learned tongue, or lyre Of purest note ! your sunny raiment stain, Put dust upon your heads, lament and weep, And utter all your minstrelsy of wo ! 110 Go to, ye wicked, weep and howl ; for all That God hath written against you is at hand. The cry of Violence hath reached his ear. Hell is prepared, and Justice whets his sword Weep all of every name ! Begin the wo. Ye woods, and tell it to the doleful winds ; And doleful winds, wail to the howling hills ; And howling hills, mourn to the disnlal vales ; And dismal vales, sigh to the sorrowing brooks ; [120 And sorrowing brooks, weep to the weeping stream And weeping stream, awake the groaning deep ; And let the instrument take up the song. Responsive to the voice, harmonious wo ! Ye Heavens, great arch-way of the universe. Put sackcloth on ; and Ocean, clothe thyself In garb of widowhood, and gather all Thy waves into a groan, and utter it, Long, loud, deep, piercing, dolorous, immense: The occasion asks it ! — Nature dies, and God And angels come to lay her in the grave ! 1 30 But we have overleaped our theme ; behind, A little season waits a verse or two. The years that followed the millennial rest. ]Jad years they were ; and first, as signal sure, Tliat at the core religion was diseased. The sons of Levi strove again for place. And eminence, and names of swelling pomp; BOOK VI. 165 Setting their feet upon the people's neck, And slumbering in the lap of civil power, Of civil power again tyrannical : 140 And second sign, sure sign, whenever seen, That holiness was dying in a land, The Sabbath was profaned and set at naught ; The honest seer, who spoke the truth of God Plainly, was left with empty walls ; and round The frothy orator, who busked his tales In quackish pomp of noisy words, the ear Tickling, but leaving still the heart unprobed. The judgment uninformed, — numbers immense [150 Flocked, gaping wide, with passions high inflamed j And on the way returning, heated, home. Of eloquence, and not of truth, conversed — Mean eloquence that wanted sacred truth. Two principles from the beginning strove In human nature, still dividing man, — Sloth and activity; the lust of praise. And indolence that rather wished to sleep. And not unfrequently in the same mind They dubious contest held; one gaining now, And now the other crowned, and both again 160 Keeping the field, with equal combat fought. Much different was their voice. Ambition called To action. Sloth invited to repose. Ambition early rose, and, being up. Toiled ardently, and late retired to rest ; Sloth lay till mid-day, turning on his couch, Like ponderous door upon its weary hinge, And, having rolled him out with much ado, And many a dismal sigh, and vain attempt, He sauntered out, accoutred carelessly, — 170 With half-oped, misty, unobservant eye. Somniferous, that weighed the object down On which its burden fell, — an hour or two, Then with a groan retired to rest again. The one, whatever deed had been achieved, Thought it too little, and too small the praise ; J 66 THE COURSE OF TIME. The other tried to think — for thinking so Answered his purpose best — that what of great Mankind could do had been already done ; And therefore laid him calmly down to sleep. 180 Different in mode, destructive both alike. Destructive always indolence ; and love Of fame destructive always too, if less Than praise of God it sought, content with less : Even then not current, if it sought his praise From other motive than resistless love ; Though base, main-spring of action in the world ; And, under name of vanity and pride, Was greatly practised on by cunning men. It opened the niggard's purse, clothed nakedness, 190 Gave beggars food, and threw the Pharisee Upon his knees, and kept him long in act Of prayer ; it spread the lace upon the fop, His language trimmed, and planned his curious gait It stuck the feather on the gay coquette, And on her finger laid the heavy load Of jewellery; it did — what did it not.' The gospel preached, the gospel paid, and sent The gospel ; conquered nations, cities built, Measured the furrow of the field with nice 200 Directed share, shaped bulls, and cows, and rams, And threw the ponderous stone ; and, pitiful, Indeed, and much against the grain, it dragged The stagnant, dull, predestinated fool Through learning's halls, and made him labour much Abortively ; though sometimes not unpraised He left the sage's chair, and home returned. Making his simple mother think that she Had borne a man. In schools, designed to root Sin up, and plant the seeds of holiness 210 In youthful minds, it held a signal place. The little infant man, by nature proud. Was taught the Scriptu.res by the love of praise, And grew religious as he grew in fame. And thus the principle, which out of heaven > BOOK VI. 167 The devil threw, and threw him down to hell, And keeps him there, was made an instrument To moralize and sanctify mankind, And in their hearts beget humility ; With wliat success it needs not now to say. 220 Destructive both we said, activity And sloth: behold the last exemplified, In literary man. Not all at once, He yielded to the soothing voice of sleep; But, having seen a bough of laurel wave, He effort made to climb ; and friends, and even Himself, talked of his greatness, as at hand, And, prophesying, drew his future life. Vain prophecy ! his fancy, taught by sloth, Saw, in the very threshold of pursuit, 230 A thousand obstacles ; he halted first. And while he halted, saw his burning hopes Grow dim and dimmer still; ambition's self, The advocate of louaest tongue, decayed ; His purposes, made daily, daily broken. Like plant uprooted oft, and set again. More sickly grew, and daily wavered more , Till at the last, decision, quite worn out. Decision, fulcrum of the mental powers. Resigned the blasted soul to staggering chance ; 240 Sleep gathered fast, and weighed him downward still ; His eye fell heavy from the mount of fame ; His young resolves to benefit the world Perished and were forgotten; he shut his ear Against the painful news of rising worth; And drank with desperate thirst the poppy's juice ; A deep and mortal slumber settled down Upon his weary faculties oppressed ; He rolled from side to side, and rolled again ; [250 And snored, and groaned, and withered, and expired. And rotted on the spot, leaving no name. The hero best example gives of toil Unsanctified. One word his history writes. 1(38 THE COURSE OF TIME. *• Me was a murderer above the laws, And greatly praised for doing murderous deeds." And now he grew, and reached his perfect growth, And also now the sluggard soundest slept, And by him lay the uninterred corpse. Of every order, sin and wickedness, Deliberate, cool, malicious villany, 260 This age, attained maturity, unknown Before ; and seemed in travail to bring forth Some last, enormous, monstrous deed of guilt, Original, unprecedented guilt. That might obliterate the memory Of what had hitherto been done most vile. Inventive men were paid, at public cost, To plan new modes of sin ; the holy Word Of God was burned, with acclamations loud ; New tortures were invented for the good ; — 270 For still some good remained, as whiles through sky Of thickest clouds, a wandering star appeared; — New oaths of blasphemy were framed and sworn ; And men in reputation grew, as grew The stature of their crimes. Faith was not found. Truth was not found, truth always scarce, so scarce That half the misery which groaned on earth, [n ordinary times, was progeny Of disappointment, daily coming forth From broken promises, that might have ne'er 280 Been made, or, being made, might have been kept} Justice and mercy, too, were rare, obscured In cottage garb : before the palace door. The beggar rotted, starving in his rags ; And on the threshold of luxurious domes, The orphan child laid down his head, and died / Nor unamusing was his piteous cry To women, who had now laid tenderness Aside, best pleased with sights of cruelty ; Flocking, when fouler lusts would give them time, 290 To horrid spectacles of blood, where men, Or guiltless beasts, that seemed to look to heaven, BOOK VI. 169 With eye imploring vengeance on the earth, Were tortured for the merriment of kings. The advocate for him who offered most Pleaded ; the scribe, according to the hire, Worded the lie, adding, for every piece, An oath of confirmation ; judges raised One hand to intimate the sentence, death, Imprisonment, or fine, or loss of goods, 300 And in the other held a lusty bribe, Which they had taken to give the sentence wrong, So managing the scale of justice still, That he was wanting found who poorest seemed. But laymen most renowned for devilish deeds, Laboured at distance still behind the priest; He shore his sheep, and, having packed the wool, Sent them unguarded to the hill of wolves; And to the bowl deliberately sat down, And with his mistress mocked at sacred things. 310 The theatre was, from the very first, The favourite haunt of Sin, though honest men, Some very honest, wise, and worthy men, Maintained it might be turned to good account, And so perhaps it might, but never was. From first to last, it was an evil place : And now such things were acted there, as made The devils blush; and from the neighbourhood, Angels and holy men, trembling, retired : And what with dreadful aggravation crowned 320 This dreary time, was sin against the light. All men knew God, and, knowing, disobeyed ; And gloried to insult him to his face. Another feature only we shall mark. It was withal a highly polished age, And scrupulous in ceremonious rite. When stranger stranger met upon the way, First, each to each bowed most respectfully, And large profession made of humble service, 170 THE COURSE OF TIME. And then the stronger took the other's purse, 330 And he that stabbed his neighbour to the heart, Stabbed him pohtely, and returned the blade Reeking into its sheath with graceful air. Meantime the earth gave symptoms of her end, And all the scenery above proclaimed, That tlie great last catastrophe was near. The Sun at rising stai^gered and fell back, As one too early up, after a night Of late debauch; then rose, and shone again, [340 Brighter than wont ; and sickened again, and paused In zenitli altitude, as one fatigued ; And shed a feeble twilight ray at noon, Rousing the wolf before his time to cliase Tlie shepherd and his sheep, that sought for light, And darkness found, astonished, terrified ; Then, out of course, rolled furious down the west. As chariot reined by awkward charioteer ; And, waiting at the gate, he on the earth (lazed, as he thought he ne'er might see't again. The bow of mercy, heretofore so fair, 350 Ribbed with the native hues of heavenly love, Disastrous colours showed, unseen till now ; Changing upon the watery gulf, from pale To fiery red, and back again to pale ; And o'er it hovered wings of wrath. The Moon Swaggered in midst of heaven, grew black, and dark Unclouded, uneclipsed. The Stars fell down. Tumbling from off their towers like drunken men. Or seemed to fall ; and glimmered now, and now Sprang out in sudden blaze and dimmed again, 360 As lamp of foolish virgin lacking oil. The heavens, this moment, looked serene ; the next, Glowed like an oven with God's displeasure hot. Nor less, below, was intimation given, Of some disaster great and ultimate. The tree tliat bloomed, or hung with clustering fruit. Untouched by visible calamity BOOK VI. 171 or frost or tempest, died and came again. 'J'lie flower and herb fell down as sick; then rose And fell again. The fowls of every hue, 370 Crowding together, sailed on weary wing ; And, hovering, oil they seemed about to light; Then soared, as if tliey thought the earth unsafe. The cattle looked with meaning face on man. Dogs howled, and seemed to see more than their mas- ters. And there were sights that none had seen before ; And hollow, strange, unprecedented sounds. And earnest whisperings ran along the hills At dead of night; and long, deep, endless sighs, Came from the dreary vale ; and from the waste 380 Came horrid shrieks, and fierce unearthly groans, Tiie wail of evil spirits, that now felt Tlie hour of utter vengeance near at hand. The winds from every quarter blew at once. With desperate violence, and, whirling, took The traveller up, and threw him down again, At distance from his path, confounded, pale ; And shapes, strange shapes I in winding sheets were seen, Gliding through night, and singing funeral songs, And imitating sad, sepulchral rites ; 390 And voices talked among the clouds, and still The words that men could catch were spoken of them, And seemed to be the words of wonder great, And expectation of some vast event. Earth shook, and swam, and reeled, and opened her jaws. By Earthquake tossed, and tumbled to and fro ; And, louder than the ear of man had heard, The Thunder bellowed, and the Ocean groaned. The race of men, perplexed, but not reformed. Flocking together, stood in earnest crowds, 400 Conversing of the awful state of things. Some curious explanations gave, unlearned; Some tried affectedly to laugh, and some 172 TUB COURSE OF TIME. Gazed stupidly ; but all were sad and pale, And wished the comment of the wise. Nor less These prodigies, occurring night and day, Perplexed philosophy. The magi tried, — Magi, a name not seldom given to fools, In the vocabulary of earthly speech, — They tried to trace them still to second cause, 410 But scarcely satisfied themselves ; though round Their deep deliberations, crowding came, And, wondering at their wisdom, went away, Much quieted and very much deceived. The people, always glad to be deceived. These warnings passed, they, unregarded, passed, And all in wonted order calmly moved. The pulse of Nature regularly beat. And on her cheek the bloom of perfect health Again appeared. Deceitful pulse ! and bloom 420 Deceitful ! and deceitful calm ' The Earth Was old, and worn within ; but, like the man Who noticed not his mid-day strength decline, L>liding so gently round the curvature Of life, from youth to age, — she knew it not. The calm was like the calm, which oft the man. Dying, experienced before his death; The bloom was but a hectic flush, before The eternal paleness. But all these were taken, J}y this last race of men, for tokens of good; 430 ^\ad blustering public News aloud proclaimed — News always gabbling ere they well had thought — Prosperity, and joy, and peace; and mocked The man who, kneeling, prayed, and trembled still i And all in earnest to their sins returned. It was not so in heaven. The elders round The Throne conversed about the state of man. Conjecturing — for none of certain knew — That Time was at an end. They gazed intense Upon the Dial's face, which yonder stands 440 In gold, before the Sun of Righteousness, BOOK VI. 173 Jehovah, and computes time, seasons, years And destinies, and slowly numbers o'er The mighty cycles of eternity ; By God alone completely understood, But read by all, revealing much to all. And now, to saints of eldest skill, the ray, Which on the gnomon fell of Time, seemed sent From level west, and hasting quickly down. The holy Virtues, watching, saw, besides, 450 Great preparation going on in heaven, ' Betokening great event, greater than aught That first-created seraphim had seen. The faithful messengers, who have for wing TJie lightning, waiting, day and night, on God, Before his face, beyond their usual speed, On pinion of celestial light were seen. Coming and going, and their road was still From heaven to earth, and back again to heaven: The angel of Mercy, bent before the Throne, 460 By earnest pleading, seemed to hold the hand Of Vengeance back, and win a moment more Of late repentance for some sinful world In jeopardy : and, now, the hill of God, The mountain of his majesty, rolled liames Of fire, now smiled with momentary love. And now again with fiery fierceness burned ; And from behind the darkness of his Throne, Through which created vision never saw, The living Thunders, in their native caves, 470 Mutteredlhe terrors of Omnipotence, And ready seemed, impatient to fulfil Some errand of exterminating wrath. Meanwhile the Earth increased in wickedness, And hasted daily to fill up her cup. Satan raged loose. Sin had her will, and Death Enough. Blood trode upon the heels of Blood, Revenge, in desperate mood, at midnight met Revenge, War brayed to War, Deceit deceived Deceit, Lie cheated Lie, and Treachery 480 15* 174 THE COURSE OF TIME. Mined under Treachery, and Perjury Swore back on Perjury, and Blasphemy Arose with hideous Blasphemy, and Curse Loud answered Curse ; and drunkard, stumbling, fell O'er drunkard fallen ; and husband husband met, Returning each from other's bed defiled ; Thief stole from thief, and robber on the way Knocked robber down, and Lewdness, Violence, And Hate, met Lewdness, Violence, and Hate. Oh, Earth"! thy hour was come ! the last elect 490 Was born, complete the number of the good, And the last sand fell from the glass of Time. The cup of guilt was full up to the brim ; And Mercy, weary with beseeching, had Retired behind the sword of Justice, red With ultimate and unrepenting wrath ; But man knew not : he o'er his bowl laughed loud, And, prophesying, said, •' To-morrow shall As this day be, and more abundant still !" [500 As thou shalt hear — But, hark ! the trumpet sounds. And calls to evening song ; for, though with hymn Eternal, course succeeding course extol In presence of the incarnate, holy God, And celebrate his never-ending praise, — Duly at morn and night, the multitudes Of men redeemed, and angels, all the hosts Of glory, join in universal song. And pour celestial harmony, from harps Above all number, eloquent and sweet, , Above all thought of melody conceived. 510 And now behold the fair inhabitants. Delightful sight ! from numerous business turn, And round and round through all the extent of bliss Towards the temple of Jehovah bow, And worship reverently before his face ! Pursuits are various here, suiting all tastes, Though holy all, and glorifying God. Observe yon band pursue the sylvan stream : Mounting among the cliffs, they pull the flower, iJOOK VI. 175 Springing as soon as pulled, and, marvelling, pry 520 Into its veins, and circulating blood. And wondrous mimicry of higher life ; Admire its colours, fragrance, gentle shape ; And thence admire the God who made it so — So simple, complex, and so beautiful. Behold yon other band, in airy robes Of bliss. They weave the sacred bower of rose And myrtle shade, and shadowy verdant bay, And laurel, towering high ; and round their song, The pink and lily bring, and amaranth, 530 Narcissus sweet, and jessamine ; and bring The clustering vine, stooping with flower and fruit, The peach and orange, and the sparkling stream, Warbling with nectar to their lips unasked; And talk the while of everlasting love. On yonder hill, behold another band, Of piercing, steady, intellectual eye, And spacious forehead of sublimest thought. They reason deep of present, future, past; And trace effect to cause ; and meditate 540 On the eternal laws of God, which bind Circumference to centre ; and survey, With optic tubes, that fetch remotest stars Near them, the systems circling round immense Innumerous. See how. — as he, the sage, Among the most renowned in days of Time, Renowned for large, capacious, holy soul. Demonstrates clearly motion, gravity. Attraction, and repulsion, still opposed ; And dips into the deep, original, 550 Unknown, mysterious elements of things, — See how the face of every auditor Expands with admiration of the skill. Omnipotence, and boundless love of God ! These other, sitting near the tree of life. In robes of linen flowing white and clean, 176 THE COURSE OF TIME. Of holiest aspect, of divinest soul, Angels and men, — into the glory look Of the Redeeming Love, and turn the leaves 560 Of man's redemption o'er, the secret leaves, Which none on earth were found worthy to open, And, as they read the mysteries divine, The endless mysteries of salvation, wrought By God's incarnate Son, they liumbler bow Before the Lamb, and glow with warmer love. These other, there relaxed beneath the shade Of yon embowering palms, with friendship smile, And talk of ancient days, and young pursuits, Of dangers passed, of godly triumphs won ; And sing the legends of their native land, 570 Less pleasing far than this their Father's house Behold that other band, half lifted up Between the hill and dale, reclined beneath The shadow of impending rocks, 'mong streams, And thundering waterfalls, and waving boughs; That band of countenance sublime and sweet, Whose eye, with piercing, intellectual ray. Now beams severe, or now bewildered seems, Left rolling wild, or fixed in idle gaze. While Fancy and the Soul are far from home ; 580 These hold the pencil, art divine ! and throw Before the eye remembered scenes of love ; Each picturing to each the hills, and skies, And treasured stories of the world he left j Or, gazing on the scenery of heaven, They dip their hand in colour's native well. And, on the everlasting canvass, dash Figures of glory, imagery divine. With grace and grandeur in perfection knit. But, whatso'er these spirits blessed pursue, 590 Where'er they go, whatever sights they see Of glory and bliss through all the tracts of heaven, — The centre, still, the figure eminent, BOOK VI. 177 Whither they ever turn, on whom all eyes Repose with infinite delight, is God, And his incarnate Son, the Lamb once slain On Calvary, to ransom ruined men. None idle here. Look where thou wilt, they all Are active, all engaged in meet pursuit; Not happy else. Hence is it that the song 600 Of heaven is ever new ; for daily thus, And nightly new discoveries are made Of God's unbounded wisdom, power, and love, Which give the understanding larger room. And swell the hymn with ever-growing praise. Behold they cease ! and every face to God Turns ; and we pause from high poetic theme, Not worthy least of being sung in heaven ; And on unvailed Godhead look from this. Our oft- frequented hill. He takes the harp, 610 Nor needs to seek befiting phrase : unsought, Numbers harmonious roll along the lyre ; As river in its native bed, they flow Spontaneous, flowing with the tide of thought. He takes the harp — a bard of Judah leads, This night, the boundless song, the bard that once, When Israel's king was sad and sick to death, A message brought of fifteen added years. Before the Throne he stands sublime, in robes Of glory ; and now his fingers wake the chords 620 To praise, which we and all in heaven repeat. Harps of Eternity ! begin the song, Redeemed and angel harps ! begin to God, Begin the anthem ever sweet and new. While I extol Him, holy, just, and good. Life, beauty, light, intelligence, and love Eternal, uncreated, infinite ! Unsearchable Jehovah ! God of truth, Maker, upholder, governor of all ! Thyself unmade, ungoverned, unupheld! 630 178 THE COURSE OF TIME. Omnipotent, unchangeable, G^-eat God ! Exhaustless fulness ! giving unimpaired ! Bounding immensity, unspread, unbound ! Highest and best ! beginning, middle, end ! All-seeing Eye ! all-seeing, and unseen ! Hearing, unheard ! all-knowing, and unknown ! Above all praise I above all height of thought ! Proprietor of immortality ! Glory ineffable ! bliss underived I Of old thou builtst thy throne on righteousness, 640 Before the morning Stars their song began, Or silence heard the voice of praise. Thou laidst Eternity's foundation stone, and sawst Life and existence out of Thee begin. Mysterious more, the more displayed, where still Upon thy glorious Throne thou sitst alone, Hast sat alone, and shalt for ever sit Alone, Invisible, Immortal One ! Behind essential brightness unbeheld. Incompi-ehensible ! what weight sliali weigh, 650 What measure measure Thee ! What know we more Of Thee, what need to know, than Thou hast taught, And bidst us still repeat, at morn and even ? — God ! Everlasting Father ! Holy One ! Our God, our Father, our Eternal All ! Source whence we came, and whither we return; Who made our spirits, who our bodies made. Who made the heaven, who made the flowery land, Who made all made, who orders, governs all. Who walks upon the wind, who holds the wave 6C0 In hollow of thy hand, whom thunders wait. Whom tempests serve, whom flaming fires obey. Who guides the circuit of the endless years. And sitst on high, and makest creation's top Thy footstool, and beholdst, below Thee, all — All naught, all less than naught, and vanity. Like transient dust that hovers on the scale, Ten thousand worlds are scattered in thy breath. Thou sitst on high, and measurest destinies. And days, and months, and wide-revolving years* 670 BOOK VI. 179 And dost according to thy holy will ; And none can stay thy hand, and none withhold Thy glory ; for in judgment, Thou, as well As mercy, art exalted, day and night. Past, present, future, magnify thy name. Thy works all praise Thee, all thy angels praise, Thy saints adore, and on thy altars burn The fragrant incense of perpetual love. They praise Thee now, their hearts, their voices praise, And swell the rapture of the glorious song. 680 Harp ! lift thy voice on high ! shout, angels, shout ! And loudest, ye redeemed ! glory to God, And to the Lamb who bought us with his blood, From every kindred, nation, people, tongue ; And washed, and sanctified, and saved our souls; And gave us robes of linen pure, and crowns Of life, and made us kings and priests to God. Shout back to ancient Time ! Sing loud, and wave Your palms of triumph! sing. Where is thy sting, O Death ! where is thy victory, O Grave i 690 Thanks be to God, eternal thanks, who gave Us victory through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Harp ! lift thy voice on high ! shout, angels, shout ( And loudest, ye redeemed ! glory to God, And to the Lamb, all glory and all praise, All glory and all praise, at morn and even, That come and go eternally, and find Us happy still, and Thee for ever blessed ! Glory to God and to the Lamb. Amen. For ever, and for evermore. Amen. 700 And those who stood upon the sea of glass, And those who stood upon the battlements And lofty towers of New Jerusalem, And those who circling stood, bowing afar, Exalted on the everlasting hills. Thousands of thousands, thousands infinite, With voice of boundless love, answered. Amen, And through Eternity near, and remots. The worlds, adoring, echoed back, Amen 180 THE COURSE OF TIME. And God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, 710 The One Eternal, smiled superior bliss ! And every eye, and every face in heaven. Reflecting and reflected, beamed with love. Nor did he not, the Virtue new arrived. From Godhead gain an individual smile. Of high acceptance, and of welcome high, And confirmation evermore in good. Meantime the landscape glowed with holy joy. Zephyr, with wing dipped from the well of life, Sporting through Paradise, shed living dews ; 720 The flowers, the spicy shrubs, the lawns, refreshed, Breathed their selectest balm, breathed odours, such As angels love ; and all the trees of heaven, The cedar, pine, and everlasting oak. Rejoicing on the mountains, clapped their hands. COURSE OF TIME B00& 17£fi 16 ANALYSIS OF BOOK VII Afler the Hymn of praise, the Bard resumes his story. He relatei the destruction of the Earth, the Resurrection of the dead, and the Transformation of the living. On the morn of the final day every appearance of Nature veas as usual; but at mid-day universal darkness prevailed, and every action and motion ceased ; an Angel from Heaven proclaimed the end of Time, and another blew the Trump of God, at which the dead awoke and the living were changed. The remainder of the Book is occupied with a description of cir- cumstances connected with the momentous scene ; the living surprised in the midst of their thousand various occupations of study, iaoor, pleasure, crime ; the dead of every age and nation springing to life, in the wilderness, the cultivated field, amid ancient ruias. in the streets of populous cities, from the depths of the mignty vy&.tera. THE COURSE OF TIME aSoofe 17KK. As one who meditates at evening tide, Waiwiering alone by voiceless solitudes, And flies, in fancy, far beyond the bounds Of visible and vulgar things, and things Discovered hitherto, pursuing tracts As yet untravelled and unknown, through vast Of new and sweet imaginings; if chance Some airy harp, waked by the gentle sprites Of twilight, or light touch of sylvan maid. In soft succession fall upon his ear, 10 And fill the desert with its heavenly tones ; He listens intense, and pleased exceedingly, And wishes it may never stop ; yet when It stops, grieves not ; but to his former thoughts With fondest haste returns : so did the Seer, So did his audience, after worship passed. And praise in heaven, return to sing, to hear Of man, not worthy less the sacred lyre, Or the attentive ear ; and thus the bard, Not unbesought, again resumed his song. 20 In customed glory bright, that morn, the Sun Rose, visiting the earth with light, and heat, 184 THE COURSE OF TIMF And joy; and seemed as full of youth, and strong To mount the steep of heaven, as when the Stars Of morning sung to his first dawn, and niglit Fled from his face ; the spacious sky received Him, blushing as a bride, when on her looked The bridegroom ; and, spread out beneath his eye. Earth smiled. Up to his warm embrace, the Dews, That all night long had wept his absence, flew ; 30 The herbs and flowers their fragrant stores unlocked, And gave the wanton breeze, that, newly woke. Revelled in sweets, and from its wings shook health, A thousand grateful smells ; the joyous woods Dried in his beams their locks, wet with the drops Of night ; and all the sons of music sung Their matin song — from arboured bower, the thrush, Concerting with the lark that hymned on high. On the green hill the flocks, and in the vale The herds, rejoiced ; and, light of heart, the hind 40 Eyed amorously the milk-maid as she passed, Not heedless, though she looked another way. No sign was there of change. All nature moved In wonted harmony. Men, as they met, In morning salutation, praised the day. And talked of common things. The husbandman Prepared the soil, and silver-tongued Hope Promised another harvest. In the streets, Each wishing to make profit of his neighbour, Merchants, assembling, spoke of trying times, 50 Of bankruptcies, and markets glutted full, Or, crowding to the beach, — where, to their ear. The oath of foreign accent, and the noise Un<*,outh of trade's rough sons, made music sweet, Elate with certain gain, — beheld the bark, Expected long, enriched with other climes. Into the harbour safely steer *, or saw, Parting with many a weeping fo.rewell sad. And blessing uttered rude, and sacred pledge. The rich-laden carack, bound to distant shore, 60 And hopefully talked of her coming back, BOOK VII. 185 With richer fraught ; or sitting at the desk, In calculation deep and intricate Of loss and profit balancing, relieved, At intervals, the irksome task, with thought Of future ease, retired in villa snug. With subtle look, amid his parchments, sat The lawyer, weaving his sophistries for court To meet at mid-day. On his weary couch, Fat Luxury, sick of the night's debauch, 70 Lay groaning, fretful at the obtrusive beam, That through his lattice peeped derisively. The restless miser had begun again To count his heaps. Before her toilet stood The fair, and, as with guileful skill she decked Her loveliness, thouglit of the coming ball, New lovers, or the sweeter nuptial night. And evil men, of desperate, lawless life, By oath of deep damnation leagued to ill Remorselessly, fled from the face of day, 80 Against the innocent their counsel held, Plotting unpardonable deeds of blood, And villanies of fearful magnitude. Despots, secured behind a tiiousand bolts, The workmanship of fear, forged chains for man. Senates were meeting, statesmen loudly talked Of national resources, war and peace. And sagely balanced empires soon to end ; And faction's jaded minions, by the page Paid for abuse and ofl-repeated lies, 90 In daily prints, the thoroughfare of news. For party schemes made interest, under cloak Of liberty, and right, and public weal. In holy conclave, bishops spoke of tithes, And of the awful wickedness of men. Intoxicate with sceptres, diadems. And universal rule, and panting hard For fame, heroes were leading on the bravo To battle. Men, in science deeply read, And academic theory, foretold 100 16* It86 THE COURSE OF TIME. Improvements vast ; and learned sceptics proved That earth should with eternity endure — Concluding madly, that there was no God. No sign of change appeared : to every man That day seemed as the past. From noontide path The sun looked gloriously on earth, and all Her scenes of giddy folly smiled secure, When suddenly, alas, fair earth ! the sun Was wrapped in darkness, and his beams returned Up to the throne of God, and over all 110 The earth came night, moonless and starless night. Nature stood still. The seas and rivers stood, And all the winds and every living thing. The cataract, that, like a giant wroth, Rushed down impetuously, as seized at once, By sudden frost, witli all his hoarj' locks, Stood still ; and beasts of every kind stood still. A deep and dreadful silence reigned alone I Hope died in every breast, and on all men [120 Caine fear and trembling. None to his neighbour spoke. Husband thought not of wife, nor of her child The mother, nor friend of friend, nor foe of foe. In horrible suspense all mortals stood ; And, as they stood and listened, chariots were heard Rolling in heaven. Revealed in tlaming fire, The angel of God appeared in stature vast. Blazing, and, lifting up his hand on high, By Him that lives for ever, swore, that Time Should be no more. Throughout, creation heard And sighed ; all rivers, lakes, and seas, and woods, 130 Desponding waste, and cultivated vale, Wild cave, and ancient hill, and every rock. Sighed. Earth, arrested in her wonted path, As ox struck by the lifted axe, when naught Was feared, in all her entrails deeply groaned. A universal crash was heard, as if The ribs of Nature broke, and all her dark Foundations failed ; and deadly paleness sat On every face of man, and every heart BOOK VII. 187 Grew chill, and every knee his fellow smote. 140 None spoke, none stirred, none wept; for horror held All motionless, and fettered every tongue. Again, o'er all the nations silence fell : And, in the heavens, robed in excessive light, That drove the thick of darkness far aside. And walked with penetration keen, through all The abodes of men, another angel stood, And blew the trump of God : Awake, ye dead, Be changed, ye living, and put on the garb Of immortality. Awake, arise ! — 150 The God of judgment comes! This said the voice, And Silence, from eternity that slept Beyond the sphere of the creating Word, And all the noise of Time, awakened, heard. Heaven heard, and earth, and farthest hell, through all Her regions of despair ; the ear of Death Heard, and the sleep that for so long a night Pressed on his leaden eyelids, fled; and all The dead awoke, and all the living changed. Old men, that on their staff, bending, had leaned. 160 Crazy and frail, or sat, benumbed with age. In weary listlessness, ripe for the grave, Felt through their sluggish veins and withered limbs, New vigour flow ; the wrinkled face grew smooth; Upon the head, that Time had razored bare, Rose bushy locks ; and as his son in prime Of strength and youth, the aged father stood. Changing herself, the mother saw her son Grow up, and suddenly put on the form Of manhood ; and the wretch, that begging sat, 170 Limbless, deformed, at corner of the way. Unmindful of his crutch, in joint and limb, Arose complete ; and he, that on the bed Of mortal -iickness, worn with sore distress, Lay breathing forth his soul to death, felt now The tide of life and vigour rushing back ; And, looking up, beheld his weeping wife, And daughter fond, that o'er him, bending, stooped 188 THE COURSE OF TIME. To close his eyes. The frantic madman, too, In whose confiised brain reason had lost 180 Her way, long driven at random to and fro, Grew sober, and his manacles fell off. The newly-sheeted corpse arose, and stared On those who dressed it ; and the coffined dead, That men were bearing to the tomb, awoke, And mingled with their friends ; and armies, which The trump surprised, met in the furious shock Of battle, saw the bleeding ranks, new fallen, Rise up at once, and to their ghastly cheeks Return the stream of life in healthy flow ; 190 And as the anatomist, with all his band Of rude disciples, o'er the subject hung. And impolitely hewed his way, through bones And muscles of the sacred human form, Exposing barbarously to wanton gaze. The mysteries of nature, joint embraced His kindred joint, the wovmded flesh grew up, And suddenly the injured man awoke, Among their hands, and stood arrayed complete In immortality — forgiving scarce 200 The insult offered to his clay in death. That was the hour, long wished for by the good. Of universal jubilee to all The sons of bondage : from the oppressor's hand The scourge of violence fell, and from his back, Healed of its stripe^;, the burden of the slave. The youth of great religious soul, who sat Retired in voluntary loneliness, in reverie extravagant now wrapped, Or poring now on book of ancient date, 210 With filial awe, and dipping ofl his pen To write immortal things ; to pleasure deaf, And joys of common men, working his way With mighty energy, not uninspired, Through all the mines of thought; reckless of pain, And weariness, and wasted health, the scoff BOOK VII. 189 Of Pride, or growl of Envy's hellish brood ; While Fancy, voyaged far beyond the bounds Of years revealed, heard many a future age, With commendation loud, repeat his name, — 220 False prophetess ! the day of change was come, — Behind the shadow of eternity. He saw his visions set of earthly fame, For ever set; nor sighed, while through his veins, In lighter current, ran immortal life ; His form renewed to undecaying healih ; To undecaying health his soul, erewhile Not tuned amiss to God's eternal praise. All men, in field and city, by the way, On land or sea, lolling in gorgeous hall, 220 Or plying at the oar ; crawling in rags Obscure, or dazzling in embroidered gold; Alone, in companies, at home, abroad ; In wanton merriment surprised and taken, Or kneeling reverently in act of prayer ; Or cursing recklessly, or uttering lies ; Or lapping greedily, from slander's cup. The blood of reputation ; or between Friendships and brotherhoods devising strife; Or plotting to defile a neighbour's bed ; 240 In duel met with dagger of revenge ; Or casting on the widow's heritage The eye of covetousness; or, with full hand, On mercy's noiseless errands, unobserved, Administering ; or meditating fraud And dee-ds of horrid barbarous intent; In full pursuit of unexperienced hope. Fluttering along the flowery path of youth; Or steeped in disappointment's bitterness. The fevered cup tliat guilt must ever drink, 250 When parched and fainting on the road of ill ; Beggar and king, the clown and haughty lord j The venerable sage, and empty fop; The ancient matron and the rosy bride ; The virgin chaste, and shrivelled harlot vile ; 190 THE COURSE OP TIME. The savage fierce, and man of science, mild; The good and evil, in a moment, all Were changed, corruptible to incorrupt, And mortal to immortal, ne'er to chancre. [260 And now, descending from the bowers of heaven, Soft airs o'er all the earth, spreading, were heard, And Hallelujahs sweet, the harmony Of righteous souls that came to repossess Their long-neglected bodies : and anon Upon the ear fell horribly the sound Of cursing, and the yells of damned despair, Uttered by felon spirits, that the trump Had summoned from the burning glooms of hell To put their bodies on, reserved for wo. Now, starting up among the living changed, 270 Appeared innumerous the risen dead. Each particle of dust was claimed : the turf. For ages trod beneath the careless foot Of men, rose, organized in human form ; The monumental stones were rolled away ; The doors of death were opened ; and in the dark And loathsome vault, and silent charnel house, Moving, were heard the mouldered bones, that sought Their proper place. Instinctive, every soul Flew to its clayey part : from grass-grown mould, 280 The nameless spirit took its ashes up. Reanimate ; and, merging from beneath The flattered marble, undistinguished rose The great, nor heeded once the lavish rhyme. And costly pomp of sculptured garnish vain. The Memphian mummy, that, from age to age Descending, bought and sold a thousand times, In hall of curious antiquary stowed. Wrapped in mysterious weeds, the wondrous theme Of many an erring tale, shook off" its rags; 290 And the brown son of Egypt stood beside The European, his last purchaser. In vale remote, the hermit rose, surprised BOOK VII. 191 At crowds that rose around him, where he thought His slumbers had been single j and the bard, Who fondly covenanted with his friend, To lay his "bones beneath the sighing bough Of some old lonely tree, rising, was pressed By multitudes that claimed their proper dust From the same spot; and he, that, richly hearsed, 300 With gloomy garniture of purchased wo. Embalmed, in princely sepulchre was laid, Apart from vulgar men, built nicely round And round by the proud heir, who blushed to think His father's lordly clay should ever mix With peasant dust, — saw by his side awake The clown that long had slumbered in his arms. The family tomb, to whose devouring mouth Descended sire and son, age after age, In long, unbroken, hereditary line, 310 Poured forth, at once, the ancient father rude, And all his offspring of a thousand years. Refreshed from sweet repose, awoke the man Of charitable life — awoke and sung : yVnd from his prison house, slowly and sad, As if unsatisfied with holding near Communion with the earth, the miser drew His carcass forth, and gnashed his teeth, and howled, Unsolaced by his gold and silver then. From simple stone in lonely wilderness, 320 That hoary lay, o'er-lettered by the hand Of oft-frequenting pilgrim, who had taught The willow tree to weep, at morn and even. Over the sacred spot, — the martyr saint. To song of seraph harp, triumphant, rose, Well pleased that he had suffered to the death. *' The cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces," As sung the bard by Nature's hand anointed. In whose capacious giant numbers rolled The passions of old Time, fell lumbering down. 330 All cities fell, and every work of man, And gave their portion forth of human dust, 192 THE COURSE OF TIME. Touched by the mortal finger of decay. Tree, herb, and flower, and every fowl of heaven, And fish, and animal, the wild and tame, Forthwith dissolving, crumbled into dust. Alas ! ye sons of strength, ye ancient oaks, Ye holy pines, ye elms, and cedars tall, Like towers of God, far seen on Carmel mount, Or Lebanon, that waved your boughs on high, 340 And laughed at all the winds, — your hour was come ! Ye laurels, ever green, and bays, that wont To wreath the patriot and the poet's brow, Ye myrtle bowers, and groves of sacred shade, Where Music ever sung, and Zephyr fanned His airy wing, wet with the dews of life, And Spring forever smiled, the fragrant haunt Of Love, and Health, and ever-dancing Mirth, — Alas ! how suddenly your verdure died, And ceased your minstrelsy, to sing no more ! 350 Ye flowers of beauty, penciled by the hand Of God, who annually renewed your birth, To gem the virgin robes of Nature chaste, Ye smiling-featured daughters of the Sun ! Fairer than queenly bride, by Jordan's stream Leading your gentle lives, retired, unseen ; Or on the sainted cliffs on Zion hill Wandering, and holding with the heavenly dews, In holy revelry, your nightly loves, Watched by the stars, and olfering, every morn, 360 Your incense, grateful both to God and man; — Ye lovely, gentle things, alas! no spring Shall ever wake you now ! ye withered all, All in a moment drooped, and on your roots The grasp of everlasting winter seized ! Children of song, ye birds that dwelt in air, And stole your notes from angel's lyres, and first In levee of the morn, with eulogy Ascending, hailed the advent of the dawn; Or, roosted on the pensive evening bough, 370 In melancholy numbers, sung the day BOOK VI T. 193 To rest; — your little wings, failing, dissolved, In middle air, and on your harmony Perpetual silence fell ! Nor did his wing, That sailed in track of gods sublime, and fanned The s>un, avail the eagle then ; quick smitten, His plumage withered in meridian height. And, in the valley, sunk the lordly bird, A clod of clay. Before the ploughman fell His steers, and in midway the furrow left. 380 The shepherd saw his flocks around him turn To dust. Beneath his rider fell the steed To ruins : and the lion in his den Grew cold and stiff, or in the furious chase, With timid fawn, that scarcely missed his paws. On earth no living thing was seen but men. New-changed, or rising from the opening tomb. Athens, and Rome, and Babylon, and Tyre, And she that sat on Thames, queen of the seas. Cities once famed on earth, convulsed through all 390 Their mighty ruins, threw their millions forth. Palmyra's dead, where Desolation sat. From age to age, well pleased, in solitude, And silence, save when traveller's foot, or owl Of night, or fragment mouldering down to dust, Broke faintly on his desert ear, — awoke. And Salem, holy city, where the Prince Of Life, by death, a'second life secured To man, and with him, from the grave, redeemed, A chosen number brought, to retinue . 400 His great ascent on high, and give sure pledge, That death was foiled, — her generations, now. Gave up, of kings and priests, and Pharisees ; Nor even the Sadducee, who fondly said. No morn of resurrection e'er should come. Could sit the summons ; to his ear did reach The trumpet's voice, and, ill prepared for what He oft had proved should never be, he rose Reluctantly, and on his face began To burn eternal shame. The cities, too, 410 17 194 THE COURSE OF TIME. Of old ensepulchred beneath the flood, Or deeply slumbering under mountains huge, That Earthquake, servant of the wrath of God, Had on their wicked population thrown ; And marts of busy trade, long ploughed and sown, By history unrecorded, or the song Of bard, yet not forgotten their wickedness, In heaven ; — poured forth their ancient multitudes, That vainly wished their sleep had never broke. From battle-fields, where men by millions met 420 To murder each his fellow, and make sport To kings and heroes, things long since forgot, Jnnumerous armies rose, unbannered all, Unpanoplied, unpraised ; nor found a prince, Or general, then, to answer for their crimes. The hero's slaves, and all the scarlet troops Of antichrist, and all that fought for rule, — Many high-sounding names, liimiliar once On earth, and praised exceedingly, but now Familiar most in hell, their dungeon fit, 430 Where they may war eternally with God's Almighty thunderbolts, and win them pangs Of keener wo, — saw, as they sprung to life, The widow and the orphan ready stand, And helpless virgin, ravished in their sport, To plead against them at the coming Doom. The Roman legions, boasting once, how loud ! Of liberty, and fighting bravely o'er The torrid and the frigid zone, the sands Of burning Egypt, and the frozen hills 440 Of snowy Albion, to make mankind Their thralls, untaught that he who made or kept A slave could ne'er himself be truly free, — That morning, gathered up their dust, which lay Wide-scattered over half the globe ; nor saw Their eagled banners then. Sennacherib's hosts, Embattled once against the sons of God, With insult bold, quick as the noise of mirth And revelry, sunk in their drunken camp. When death's dark angel, at the dead of night, 450 BOOK VII. 195 Their vitals touched, and made each pulse stand still, — Awoke in sorrow; and the multitudes Of Gog, and all the fated crew that warred Against the chosen saints, in the last days, At Armageddon, wlien the Lord came down, Mustering his host on Israel's holy hills, And, from the treasures of his snow and hail. Rained terror, and confusion rained, and death, And gave to all the beasts, and fowls of heaven, Of captains' flesh, and blood of men of war, 460 A feast of many days, — revived, and, doomed To second death, stood in Hamonah's vale. Nor yet did all that fell in battle rise. That day, to wailing. Here and there were seen The patriot bands that from his guilty throne The despot tore, unshackled nations, made The prince respect the people's laws, drove back The wave of proud invasion, and rebuked The frantic fury of the multitude. Rebelled, and fought and fell for liberty 470 Right understood, true heroes in the speech Of heaven, where words express the thoughts of him Who speaks ; not undistinguished, these, though few, That morn, arose, with joy and melody. All woke — the north and south gave up their dead. The caravan, that in mid-journey sunk. With all its merchandise, expected long, And long forgot, ingulfed beneath the tide Of death, that the wild Spirit of the winds Swept, in his wrath, along the wilderness, 480 In the wide desert, — woke, and saw all calm Around, and populous with risen men ; Nor of his relics thought the pilgrim then, Nor merchant of his silks and spiceries. And he, far voyaging from home and friends, Too curious, with a mortal eye to peep Into the secrets of the Pole, forbid 196 THE COURSE OF TIME. By nature, whom fierce Winter seized, and froze To death, and wrapped in winding sheet of ice, And sung the requiem of his shivering ghost, 490 "With the loud organ of his miglity winds, And on his memory threw the snow of ages, — Felt the long-absent warmth of life return, And shook the frozen mountain from his bed. All rose, of every age, of every clime. Adam and Eve, the great progenitors Of all mankind, fair as they seemed, that morn. When first they met in Paradise, unfallen, Uncursed, — from ancient slumber broke, where once Euphrates rolled his stream ; and by them stood, 500 In stature equal, and in soul as large, Their last posterity, though poets sung. And sages proved tnem far degenerate. Blessed sight ! not unobserved by angels, nor Unpraised, — that day, 'mong men of every tribe And hue, from those who drank of Tenglio's stream, To those who nightly saw the Hermit Cross, In utmost south retired, — rising, were seen The fair and ruddy sons of Albion's land, [510 How glad ! — not those who travelled far, and sailed, To purchase human flesh, or wreath the yoke Of vassalage on savage liberty. Or suck large fortune from the sweat of slaves; Or, with refined knavery, to cheat. Politely villanous, untutored men Out of their property ; or gather shells, Intaglios rude, old pottery, and store Of mutilated gods of stone, and scraps Of barbarous epitaphs defaced, to be Among the learned the theme of warm debate, 520 And infinite conjecture, sagely wrong! — But those, denied to self, to earthly fame Denied, and earthly wealth ; who kindred left, And home, and ease, and all the cultured joys, Conveniences, and delicate delights, BOOK VII. 197 Of ripe society ; in the great cause Of man's salvation greatly valorous, — The warriors of Messiah, messengers Of peace, and light, and life, whose eye, unsealed, Saw up the path of immortality, 530 Far into bliss, saw men, immortal men. Wide wandering from the way; eclipsed ''n night, Dark, moonless, moral night ; living like beasts, Like beasts descending to the grave, untaught Of life to come, unsanctified, unsaved ; Who, strong, though seeming weak; who, warlike, though Unarmed with bow and sword ; appearing mad. Though sounder than the schools alone e'er made The doctor's head ; devote to God and truth. And sworn to man's eternal weal, beyond 540 Repentance sworn, or thought of turning back; And casting far behind all earthly care. All countryships, all national regards, And enmities, all narrow bourns of state And selfish policy ; beneath their feet Treading all fear of opposition down. All fear of danger, of reproach all fear. And evil tongues ; — went forth, from JBritain went, A noiseless band of heavenly soldiery, From out the armoury of God equipped 550 Invincible, to conquer sin, to blow The trump of freedom in the despot's ear. To tell the bruted slave his manhood high. His birthright liberty, and in his hand To put the writ of manumission, signed By God's own signature ; to drive away From earth the dark, infernal legionry Of superstition, ignorance, and hell ; High on the pagan hills, where Satan sat. Encamped, and o'er the subject kingdoms threw 560 Perpetual night, to plant Innnanuel's cross. The ensign of the Gospel, blazing round Immortal truth ; and, in the wilderness Of human waste, to sow eternal life ; 17* 198 THE COURSE OF TIME. And from the rock, where Sin, with horrid yell, Devoured its victims unredeemed, to raise The melody of grateful hearts to Heaven: To falsehood, truth; to pride, humility ; To insult, meekness ; pardon to revenge ; To stubborn prejudice, unwearied zeal; 570 To censure, unacc using minds ; to stripes, Long suffering ; to want of all things, hope ; To death, assured faith of life to come ; — Opposing. These great worthies, rising, shone Through all the tribes and nations of mankind, Like Hesper, glorious ovce among the stars Of twilight, and around them, flocking, stood, Arrayed in white, the people they had saved. Great Ocean ! too, that morning, thou the call Of restitution heardst, and reverently 580 To the last trumpet's voice, in silence, listened. Great Ocean ! strongest of creation's sons Unconquerable, unreposed, untired, That rolled the wild, profound, eternal bass. In Nature's anthem, and made music, such As pleased the ear of God ! original, Unmarred, unfaded work of Deity, And unburlesqued by mortal's puny skill, From age to age enduring and unchanged, Majestical, inimitable, vast, 590 Loud uttering satire, day and night, on each Succeeding race, and little pompous work Of man ! — unfallen, religious, holy Sea ! Thoubowedst thy glorious head to none, fearedst none, Heardst none, to none didst honour, but to God Thy Maker, onl}' worthy to receive Thy great obeisance ! Undiscovered Sea ! Into thy dark, unknown, mysterious caves, And secret haunts, unfathomably deep Beneath all visible retired, none went, 600 And came again, to tell the wonders there. Tremendous Sea ! what time thou lifted up Thy waves on high, and with thy winds ani storms BOOK VII. 199 Strange pastime took, and shook thy mighty sides Indignantly, — the pride of navies fell ; Beyond the arm of help, unheard, unseen, Sunk friend and foe, with all their wealth and war; And on thy shores, men of a thousand tribes, Polite and' barbarous, trembling stood, amazed, Confounded, terrified, and thought vast thoughts 610 Of ruin, boundlessness, omnipotence, Infinitude, eternity ; and thought And wondered still, and grasped, and grasped, and grasped Again ; beyond her reach, exerting all The soul, to take thy great idea in, To comprehend incomprehensible ; And wondered more, and felt their littleness, Self-purifying, unpolluted Sea ! Lover unchangeable, thy faitliful breast For ever heaving to the lovely Moon, 620 That, like a shy and holy virgin, robed In saintly white, walked nightly in the heavens, And to the everlasting serenade Gave gracious audience ; nor was wooed in vain. That inorning, thou, that slumbered not before, Nor slept, great Ocean ! laid thy waves to rest, And hushed thy mighty minstrelsy. No breath Thv deep composure stirred, no fin, no oar; Like beauty newly dead, so calm, so still. So lovely, thou, beneath the light that fell 630 From angel-chariots, sentinelled on high. Reposed, and listened, and saw thy living change, Thy dead arise. Charybdis listeiied, and Scylla ; And savage Euxine, on the Thracian bc-ach, Lay motionless : and every battle-ship Stood still, and every ship of merchandise, And all that sailed, of every name, stood still. Even as the ship of war, full-fledged, and swift, Like some fierce bird of prey, bore on her foe, Opposing with as fell intent, the wind C40 Ff 11 withered from her wings that idly hung ; The stormy bullet, by the cannon thrown 200 THE COURSE OF TIME. Uncivilly against the heavenly face Of men, half sped, sunk harmlessly, and all Her loud, uncircumcised, tempestuous crew, How ill prepared to meet their God ! were changed, Unchangeable — the pilot at the helm Was changed, and the rough captain, while he mouthed The huge, enormous oath. The fisherman. That in his boat, expectant, watched his lines, 650 Or mended on the shore his net, and sung, Happy in thoughtlessness, some careless air, Heard Time depart, and felt the sudden change. In solitary deep, far out from land. Or steering from the port with many a cheer, Or while returning from long voyage, fraught With lusty wealth, rejoicing to have escaped The dangerous main, and plagues of foreign climes, — The merchant quaffed his native air, refreshed ; And saw his native hills, in the sun's light, 660 Serenely rise ; and thought of meetings glad, And many days of ease and honour, spent Among his friends — unwarned man ! even then, The knell of Time broke on his reverie. And, in the twinkling of an eye, his hopes, All earthly, perished all. As sudden rose, From out their watery beds, the Ocean's dead, Renewed ; and, on the unstirring billows, stood From pole to pole, thick covering all the sea — Of every nation blent, and every age. 670 Wherever slept one grain of human dust. Essential organ of a human soul, Wherever tossed, obedient to the call Of God's omnipotence, it hurried on To meet its fellow particles, revived, Rebuilt, in union indestructible. No atom of his spoils remained to Death. From his strong arm, by stronger arm released, Immortal now in soul and body both. Beyond his reach, stood all the sons of men, 680 And saw, behind, his valley lie, unfeared. BOOK VII. mi O Death ! with what an eye of desperate lust, From out thy emptied vaults, thou then didst look Afler the risen multitudes of all Mankind ! Ah ! thou hadst been the terror long, And murderer, of all of woman born. None could escape thee ! In thy dungeon house, Where darkness dwelt, and putrid loathsomeness, And fearful silence, villanously still, And all of horrible and deadly name, — 690 Thou satst, from age to age, insatiate, And drank the blood of men, and gorged their flesh, And with thy iron teeth didst grind their bones To powder, treading out, beneath thy feet. Their very names and memories. The blood Of nations could not slake thy parched throat. No bribe could buy thy favour for an hour, Or mitigate thy ever-cruel rage For human prey. Gold, beauty, virtue, youth. Even helpless, swaddled innocency, failed 700 To soften thy heart of stone ! the infant's blood Pleased well thy taste, and, while the mother wept, Bereaved by thee, lonely and waste in wo, Thy ever-grinding jaws devoured her too. Each son of Adam's family beheld. Where'er he turned, whatever path of life He trode, thy goblin form before him stand, Like trusty old assassin, in his aim Steady and sure as eye of destiny, With sithe, and dart, and strength invincible, 710 Equipped, and ever menacing his life. He turned aside, he drowned himself in sleep. In wine, in pleasure ; travelled, voyaged, sought Receipts for health from all he met ; betook To business, speculate, retired ; returned Again to active life, again retired ; Returned, retired a^ain ; prepared to die, Talked of thy nothingness, conversed of life To come, laughed at his fears, filled up the cup, Drank deep, refrained ; filled uo, refrained again j 720 THE COURSE OF TIME. Planned, built him round with splendour, won applausej Made large alliances with men and things, Read deep in science and philosophy, To fortify his soul ; heard lectures prove The present ill, and future good ; observed His pulse beat regular, extended hope ; Thought, dissipated thought, and thought again ; Indulged, abstained, and tried a thousand schemes, To ward thy blow, or hide thee from his eye ; But still thy gloomy terrors, dipped in sin, 730 Before him frowned, and withered all his joy. Still, feared and hated thing ! thy ghostly shape Stood in his avenues of fairest hope ; Unmannerly and uninvited, crept Into his haunts of most select delight. Still, on his halls of mirth, and banqueting. And revelry, thy shadowy hand was seen Writing thy name of— Death. Vile worm, that gnawed The root of all his happiness terrene, the gall Of all his sweet, the tJiorn of every rose 740 Of earthly bloom, cloud of his noon day sky. Frost of his spring, sigh of his loudest laugh, Dark spot on every form of loveliness, Rank smell amidst his rarest spiceries. Harsh dissonance of all his harmony. Reserve of every promise, and the if Of all to-morrows ! — now, beyond thy vale. Stood all the ransomed multitude of men. Immortal all : and, in their visions, saw Thy visage grim no more. Great payment day ! 750 Of all thou ever conquered, none was left In thy unpeopled realms, so populous once. He, at whose girdle hang the keys of death, And life, not bought but with the blood of Him Who wears, the eternal Son of God, that morn, Dispelled the cloud that sat so long, so thick, So heavy o'er thy vale ; opened all thy doors. Unopened before ; and set thy prisoners free. Vain was resistance, and to follow vain. In thy unveiled caves, and solitudes 760 BOOK VII, 203 Of dark and dismal emptiness, thou satst, Rolling thy hollow eyes, disabled thing ! Helpless, despised, unpitied, and unfeared, Like some fallen tyrant, chained in sight of all The people ; from thee dropped thy pointless dart, Thy terrors withered all, thy ministers, Annihilated, fell before thy face, \nd on thy maw eternal Hunger seized. Nor yet, sad monster ! wast thou left alone. In thy dark dens some phantoms still remained,— 770 Ambition, Vanity, and earthly Fame, Swollen Ostentation, meagre Avarice, Mad Superstition, smooth Hypocrisy, And Bigotry intolerant, and Fraud, And wilful Ignorance, and sullen Pride, Hot Controversy, and the subtle ghost Of vain Philosophy, and worldly Hope, And sweet-lipped, hollow-hearted Flattery. All these, great personages once on earth, And not unfollowed, nor unpraised, were left, 780 Thy ever-unredeemed, and with thee driven To Erebus, through whose uncheered wastes, Thou mayest chase them, with thy broken sithe Fetching vain strokes, to all eternity. Unsatisfied, as men who, in the days Of Time, their unsubstantial forms pursued. COURSE OF TIME asoofe uxriK. 18 ANALYSIS OF BOOK VIII. The Bard describes the appearance of the vast Assembly of men gathered for the Final Judgnient. AH were divested of the extraneous circumstances by which they were distinguished in life, each retaining simply his moral char- acter. Various classes in the assembly are particularized ; the lover of fame, the logician, the recluse, the bigot, the indolent, the sceptic, the dupe of fashion,»the unforgiving parent, the se- ducer, the dishonest juage and advocate, the liar, duellist, sui- cide, hypocrite, the slanderer, the ungodly minister, the man of envy. When the Bard has named these classes, and presented their char- ttcior, ana meir reelings in the awful Assembly, the Spirit whose inquiries had given occasion for the Bard's communi- cations, asks whether any of the several classes of the unholy ever actually believed themselves advancing to a future Bar of Judgment. The answer is given that they did not. The word of God was properly and perfectly believed by none of them; the necessary and certain fruit of faith being obedience and holiness. THE COURSE OF TIME 3Soofe UJJI'fi. Rkani.matkd, now, and dressed in robes Of everlaslin