Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

Whence parent earth her fruitfulness maintains.—Blackmore.

"

No more the morn, with tepid rays,
Unfolds the flow'r of various hue;
Noon spreads no more the genial blaze,
Nor gentle eve distils the dew.
The ling'ring hours prolong the night,
Usurping darkness shares the day;
Her mists restrain the force of light,
And Phoebus holds a doubtful sway.
By gloomy twilight, half reveal'd,
With sighs we view the hoary hill,
The leafless wood, the naked field,
The snow-topp'd cot, the frozen rill,
No music warbles through the grove,
No vivid colours paint the plain;
No more, with devious steps, I rove
Through verdant paths, now sought in vain.
Aloud the driving tempest roars,

Congeal'd, impetuous show'rs descend;
Haste, close the window, bar the doors,

Fate leaves me Stella, and a friend.

In nature's aid, let art supply

With light and heat my little sphere;

Rouse, rouse the fire, and pile it high,

Light up a constellation here.

Let music sound the voice of joy,
Or mirth repeat the jocund tale;
Let love his wanton wiles employ,
And o'er the reason wine prevail.
Yet time life's dreary winter brings,

When mirth's gay tale shall please no more,

Nor music charm-though Stella sings;

Nor love nor wine the spring restore.

DECEMBER.

Under the Protection of Vesta.

Hæc cedo ut admoveam templis, et farre litabo.-Persius.

OMNISCIENT SPIRIT! whose all-ruling pow'r
Bids from each sense bright emanations beam;
Glows in the rainbow, sparkles in the stream,
Smiles in the bud, and glistens in the flow'r
That crowns each vernal bow'r;

Sighs in the gale, and warbles in the throat
Of ev'ry bird that hails the bloomy spring,
Or tells his love in many a liquid note,
Whilst envious artists touch the rival string,
Till rocks and forests ring;

Breathes in rich fragrance from the sandal grove,
Or where the precious musk-deer playful rove;
In dulcet juice from clust'ring fruit distils,
And burns salubrious in the tasteful clove:
Soft banks and verd'rous hills

Thy present influence fills;

In air, in floods, in caverns, woods, and plains; Thy will inspirits all, thy sov'reign MAYA reigns.

Blue crystal vault, and elemental fires,

[ocr errors]

That in th' ethereal fluid blaze and breathe,
Thou tossing main, whose snaky branches wreathe
This pensile orb with intertwisted gyres ;

Mountains, whose radiant spires

Presumptuous rear their summits to the skies,

And blend their em'rald hue with sapphire light; Smooth meads and lawns, that glow with varying dyes Of dew-bespangled leaves and blossoms bright,

Hence vanish from my sight:

Delusive pictures, unsubstantial shows!

My soul absorb'd One only Being knows.

[blocks in formation]

This day, be bread and peace my lot:

All else beneath the sun,

Thou know'st if best bestow'd or not,

And let THY WILL be done.-Universal Prayer.

THUS having said, his legs he sheath'd in greaves
Of mountain-brass, resplendent-white; the gift
Glorious of Vulcan: o'er his breast he drew
The corselet, variegated, beautiful,

Of shining gold; this Jove-born Pallas gave.
When first he rush'd to meet the mingling groans

Of battle, then the mighty man athwart

His shoulder slung the sword whose edge repels
Th' approach of mortal harms: and clasp'd around
His bosom, and reclining o'er his back,

He cast the hollow quiver; lurk'd therein
Full many arrows; shuddering horrour they
Inflicted, and the agony of death

Sudden, that chokes the suffocative voice:

The points were barb'd with death, and bitter steep'd
In human tears: burnish'd the lengthening shafts;
And they were feather'd from the tawny plume
Of eagles. Now he grasp'd the solid spear
Sharpen'd with brass; and on his brows of strength
Plac'd the forg'd helm, high-wrought in adamant

That cas'd the temples round, and fenc'd the head divine.
His hands then rais'd THE SHIELD, of disk

Diversified; might none with missile aim
Pierce, or th' impenetrable substance rive

Shattering. A wondrous frame; since all throughout

Bright with enamel, and with ivory,

And mingled metal; and with ruddy gold
Refulgent, and with azure plates inlaid.

The scaly terrour of a Dragon coil'd
Full in the central field; unspeakable;
With eyes oblique retorted, that aslant
Shot gleaming flame: his hollow jaw was fill'd
Dispersedly with jagged fangs of white,
Grim, unapproachable. And next above
The dragon's forehead fell, a haggard Strife
Hung hovering, and array'd the war of men:
Pursuit was there, and fiercely rallying Flight,
Tumult and Terrour: burning Carnage glow'd;
Wild Discord madden'd there, and frantic Rout
Ranged to and fro.-Hesiod's Shield of Hercules.

And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. And I saw no temple therein; for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. Revelation.

Day.

Births.

Deaths.

Cal, Anna Comnena, 1083, Constant. General Rhazates, 627. killed, Nicholas Claude Fabri Peiresc,

1.

1580, Beaugensier.

Ninevah.
Agathon (Pope), 682.

Archbishop (William) King, Henry I. (of England), 1135.

1650, Antrim.

John Keill, 1671, Edinburgh.
Philip Yorke, Earl of Hard-
wicke, 1690, Dover.
John Peter de Bougainville,
1722, Paris.

d. St. Dennis le Forment. (Reading.)

Blanche of Castile, 1252. Maubuisson.

Leo X. John de' Medici (Pope),

1521. d. Magliana.
Margaret (of Savoy), 1530.
Edmund Campian, 1581. ex.
Tyburn.

I have seen in many a country-church, where the con- Michael Vasconcellos, 1640. gregation consisted only of honest Sir James Ware, 1666. Dublin. husbandmen and their families, Susanna Centlivre, 1723. St. more appearance of devotion than is usually visible in the seats of learning and of religion. Knox.

Obits of the Latin Church.
St. Nessan, Patron of Cork,

7th Century.

St. Eligius (or Eloy), Bishop of

Noyon, d. 659, or 665.

Martin's in the Fields. Nicholas Dupré de St. Maur,

1775.

Christian Garve, 1798. Breslau.
Thomas Astle, 1803. Battersea.
Sebald Fulco John Rau, 1807.
Charles Francis Viel, 1819.

Alexander (of Russia), 1825.
d. Taganrog.

And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. Revelation.

« AnteriorContinuar »