What harp of boundless, deep, exhaustless wo, Shall utter forth the groanings of the damned! 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; 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, sufficient bliss; when lost, despair : Break up the fountains of your tears;' your tears, 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 dismal vales; And dismal vales, sigh to the sorrowing brooks; And sorrowing brooks, weep to the weeping stream: And weeping stream, awake the groaning deep; Long, loud, deep, piercing, dolorous, immense : But we have overleaped our theme: behind A little season waits a verse or two : The years that followed the millennial rest. Bad years they were; and first, as signal sure, That at the core religion was diseased, The sons of Levi strove again, for place, And eminence, and names of swelling pomp, And slumbering in the lap of civil power; And second sign, sure sign, whenever seen, The Sabbath was profaned, and set at nought: In quackish pomp of noisy words, the ear 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. Ambition early rose, and, being up, Toiled ardently, and late retired to rest; Sloth lay till mid-day, turning on his couch, |