Those cliffs restor'd once more to these moist eyes, 4285 O'er sea again to die on England's soil, 4290 Like shadows come, so all thy friends are fled, Great souls by instinct to Columbia turn, 4295 Court her embrace, and for her friendship burn, 4300 XIV. THE EDDYSTONE. 4305 4310 Tracing a line of foam from Cape to Cape, Beyond the stars, releas'd from mortal state. Q Of Eddystone-and, as the fair lamp gleams, 4330 While on the deep the moonlight sweetly sleeps, * The Eddystone light-house stands on a rock in the sea, about 14 miles S. S. W. of Plymouth, and is exposed in tempests to such tremendous waves, that they fly up, at short intervals, in white columns, above the beacon, and totally intercept it from the sight. The first edifice erected on the rock was the achievement of Mr. Winstanley, who had such a conviction of its power to resist the fury of the elements, that he expressed his wish to be there in the greatest storm that could blow under the face of the Heavens. This was fatal presumption; for in the almost unprecedented hurricane of the night of November 26th, 1696, the confident architect being in the light-house, was deplorably swept with it into the deep, together with all his ill-fated associates. The present structure is a monument of the genius of Smeaton. With wind direct our course we eastward trace, 4345 *The loss of the Halsewell was attended with such peculiar scenes of affliction, that poetry performs a hallowed office in recording them. She sailed from the Downs on the 1st of January, 1786, and Captain Pierce was taking out his two daughters with him, Miss Eliza Pierce, aged sixteen, and Miss Mary Anne Pierce, a year younger, on a visit to a brother opulently settled at Bengal. Besides these, there were on board five other young ladies: namely, Miss Anne and Miss Mary Paul, nieces of Captain Pierce, Miss Mary Haggard, Miss Elizabeth Blackburn, and Miss Anne Mansell. Every thing augured an agreeable voyage; the breeze was fair, and the water smooth; all were in high spirits, and the harp and song resounded in the cabin. But this flattering prospect soon changed to one of terror and dismay. On the 3d a fatal storm lighted upon the ship, and, in bearing up for Portsmouth, she was driven on shore and wrecked, at two in the morning of the 6th, near St. Adhelm's Head, on the Purbeck coast, under "Hence, captain-fly the soul subduing strife "Of fruitless love-bethink thee of thy life"Hence with me, Pierce-behold the bowsprit bends "No more delay-or, hope in ocean ends."— "Hie thee aloft, my Meriton," he cries, "To-morrow's sun may pleasure yield thine eyes, "But mine would all a gloomy blank behold, "Without the innocents these arms infold"The more their peril, frenzy and distress, "Their forms the closer to my heart I press." More loud the tempest, and more fierce the thrall Of the huge waves that rise, and burst, and fall, Each maid in agony, with upborne eye, Silent implores the succour of the sky, But Pity long has fled in dire dismay, 4365 And may not come where Havoc holds his sway. perpendicular rocks 400 feet in height. The ship came with her broadside on the reef, when the horrors of the hurricane were aggravated by intense darkness; and on Mr. Meriton, the chief mate, going below to exhort Captain Pierce to make no delay in endeavouring to get on shore, as the wreck could not hold many minutes together, he found his daughters clinging to him for protection under every accumulation of suffering from the outrageous fury of the blast, the breach of the waves, and the impervious gloom of the morning. Captain Pierce replied to the exhortations of his officer, by asking him whether he thought his daughters could be saved; and, on Mr. Meriton answering that it was impossible for the ladies to escape, he addressed himself to his daughters, and folding them in his arms, said, "Then, my dear children, we will perish together." The wreck disappeared in a few minutes afterwards. |