THE SEA. 103 



*T is Truth — Truth only can free slaves ; 

 Mute Thought the despot's mandate braves ; 

 But make the bondsman think, and he 

 Shall leap with inborn liberty. 



'Tis Thought shall burst asi^nder 



The Volga's frozen bar ; 

 Like the flash before the thunder 



It shall beam o*er the mountains far : 

 Then shall the exiles break their chains, 

 And Freedom shout mid Russia's plains, 

 And Poland's eagle from the shore 

 Of ice o'er the Calmuc Vulture soar. 



THE SEA. 



The Sea, the everlasting Sea ! 



Whose billows laugh at Time ; 

 And with the ringing spheres of Heaven 



Whose sounding caverns chime ; 

 Man, the immortal, loves upon 



Thy paths, O Sea, to walk, . 



And call thee brother — with thy waves 



Like harmless children talk. 



When on the bounding surge I ride 



Up to the reeling clouds, 

 I seem no more to feel the clay 



That on the earth enshrouds 

 But am a spirit light and free, 



An Ocean-spirit strong, 

 To buffet with the storm, or wing 



With the booming winds along. 



No sea-bird dips so deep, so high 



There 's not a sky-bird soars ; 

 The petrel feels not half so glad 



W^hen loud the tempest roars — 

 The eagle hath not half such joy 



Under the mid-day sun- 

 As I when the sea-storm raves, as I 



When the waves like mountains run ! 



