180G.] 



[ 539 ] 



ORIGINAL POETRY. 



GLENDALLOCH. 



JULY 1802. 



n^H' enchantment of the place has bound 



All nature in a deep profound ; 

 And filence of the ev'ning hour 

 Hangs o'er Glendalloch's luUow'd tow'r : 

 A mighty grave-ftone, fct fay Time, 

 That, 'midft thefe ruins, ftands fublime, 

 To point the elfe-forgotcsn he;ip, 

 Where princes and vvheie prelates deep ; 

 Where Juathal refts th' unnoted head, 

 And Reivin finds a fofter bed : 

 ' Sods of the foil," that verdant fprings 

 Within the fepukhre of kings. 



Here-^in the circling mountain's fhade, 

 In this vaft vault, by Nature made, 

 Whofe tow'ring roof excludes the ilties 

 With favage Ryle's ftupendous fize ; 

 While Lugduft" heaves his moory height, 

 And giant Broccagh bars the light ; 

 Here — when the Briti/h fpirit broke. 

 Had fled from Neio's iron yoke. 

 And fought this dreary dark abode, 

 To fave their altars and their God, 

 From cavern black with myftic gloom, 

 (Cradle of Science, and its tomb) 

 Where Magic had its early birth, 

 Which drew the Sun and Moon to earth, 

 From hoUow'd rock, and devious cell, 

 Where Myftery was fond to dwell, 

 And, in the dark and deep profound, 

 To keep th' eternal fecret bound, 

 (Recorded by no written art 

 The deep memorial of the heart) 

 In flowing robe, of fpotlefs white, 

 Th' arch-druid iflaed forth to light ; 

 Erow-bound with leaf of holy oak, 

 That never felt the woodman's llioke. 

 Behind bis head a crefcent flione. 

 Like to the new-difcover'd Moon j 

 While, flaming, from his fnowy veft. 

 The plate of judgment tlal'p'd his bread. 

 Around him ptefs'd the illumin'd throng, 

 Abqve him rofe the light of foo); ; 

 And from the rocks and woods around 

 Return'd the fleet-wing'd fons of found, 

 «< Maker of Time! ue" mortals wait 

 To hail thee at thy eaftern gate j 

 Where, thefc huge mountains thrown afide, 

 Expands for thct a portal wide. 

 Uefre.id upon this altar, plac'd 

 Amid'ft Glendalloch's awful wafte : 

 So ftiall the P<eanof thy praife 

 Arife, to meet thy rifing rays, 

 From Elephanta's fculptur'4 cave, 

 To Eiren, of tiie wcftern wave. 

 And ^he rejoicing earth prolong 

 The orbit of fuccefllve fong : 

 For we by thy reflexion Ihine ! 

 Who knows ou( God becomts divine. 



<« But ah ! what dim and difmal (haie 

 Caflsthis ftrange horror o'er the glade f 

 Caufes e'en hearts of brutes to quake. 

 And ihudderso'er the aagnant lake i 

 What demon, enemy of good, 

 Rolls back oneuth this night of blood i 

 What dragon, of enormous fize, 

 Devours thee in thy native ikies ? 

 Oh, dvit thy children from his bieath. 

 From chaos, and eternal death." 



The Druid mark'd the dellin'd hour- 

 He mounted flow yon facred tow'r ; 

 Then flood upon its cap fablime 

 A hoary chronicler of tim; ; 

 His held, aixiidft the deathful gloom, 

 Secm'd Hope new-rifen from the tomb; 

 And, while he riis'd to Heav'n his hand. 

 That minifter of high command 

 The terrors of the crowd reprefs'd, 

 And fmooth'd their troubled wave to reft— 

 Then fpoke— and round the pillow'd ftone 

 Deep filence dr.nik his filver tone. 

 " He who from elementaUlrife 

 Spoke all thefe worlds to light and life, 

 Who guides them through th' abyfs above 

 In circles of ccleftial love, _ 

 Has this valt panorame defign'd 

 A rr.irror of th' eternal mind. 

 To view of fuperficial eyes, 

 In broken points this mirror lies : 

 And knowledge, to thefe points apply'd, 

 Are lucid fpecks of human pride. 

 From beams of truth diftorted, crofs'd. 

 The image of our God is lolt. 

 Thofe, only thofe become divine _ 

 Who can the fraflur'd parts combine : 

 Nature to them, and them alone, 

 Reflefls from ev'ry part but one ; 

 Thsir eagle-eye, around them caft, 

 Detcries the future from the paft. 

 Juftice will not annihilate 

 What goodnefs did at firft create. 

 Ihe mirror fully'd with the breath 

 Sufl'ers flight cliange— it is not death 

 That (hadows yon Lr.ght orb of day : 

 See ! while I fpe.ik, the orient ray 

 Breaks, fudden, through the darkiome fcene, 

 And Heav'ii regains its t)lue fcrene. 

 And foon the mild propitious pow'r, 

 Which confecrates th" ev'ning hour, 

 Shall bend again her filver bow, 

 Again her fofter dny Ihjll throw. 

 Smooth the dark brow of lavage Ryls, 

 And grim GUnJalloch -each to tmile. 

 Now, Druids, hail the joyous li«ht ; ^ 

 Feir God- he bold— anu do the right.' 



He c<rji,'d— their chorus, fwcet ar.d ftrong, 

 Roll'd its full flr -'n of fainted fo.ig. 

 '< Oh, fountain of our facreo lire, 

 Jo whom our kindred fouls afpire, 

 (htruckfrom the valf chaotic dark, 



Ab from ihefc fli..is wcftrike the lpa'») 



3 Y » T"*" 



