1823.1 



Original Poetry, 



145 



And ever varying, witliout clieck or stay, 

 Kise to new life, or gradually decay. 

 He saw (lie depths of Matter's darkdomaln. 

 Stormy, and whirling, like the raging main ; 

 Yet well the realms of intellect he knew, 

 Where all is lovely, permanent, and true ; 

 And, certain of the soul's immortal frame. 

 Obscurely told her lapse, and whence she came. 

 Next view Parmeni'les, by Heaven inspir'd. 

 And, from tli' igoo'jle multitude retir'd, 

 Divinely meditate, and sing alone 

 In vene'nible verse the mystic one. 

 Indignant from the realms of sense he flew, 

 Corporeal torms receding from his view, 

 Till, leaving Matter's regions far behind. 

 His piercing sight disceru'd the world of mind. 

 See ! gre.it Empedoclcs with rapture cry, 

 " Farewell ! no mortal, but a god, am I.'' 

 In verse divine he sung the wretched fate 

 Of souls imprison'd, in this mortal state; 

 And Man he call'd, (immers'd in Matter's night,) 

 " Heaven's exile, siraying from his orb of liglit." 

 Next mighty Socrates demands my Lays, 

 Whose life and doctrines claim unbounded praise; 

 He to thelheoryof the realms of mind. 

 All his researches and his views con&u'd; 

 And in the world's Artificer divine 

 Saw the fair series of ideas shine. 

 In depths immense of all-prolific lisht, 

 For ever vig'rous, and for ever bright. 

 See! Plato next in rank of wisdom stand. 

 Whose god-like works unbounded praise demaud; 

 Who rose snblime to Truth's immortal plain, 

 And scoru'd dull Body, and her dark domain. 

 To good Itself he soar'd with ea^er flight, 

 Tiir boundless beauty met his plercinj^ sight : 

 See him, with elegance sublime, unfold 

 Whate'<r was known to men divine of old; 

 Vet but a few the secret sense can find, 

 Aivd wond'rons depth of his capacious mind. 

 Next Aristotle claims our.just applause. 

 Who thought itself confin'd to logic laws; 

 By gradual steps who leaches how to soar, 

 AnUthe bright world of intellect explore : 

 Whose piercing genius, with Lyncean view, 

 Look'd all the ample realms of Science thro'. 

 Saw to what dazzling summits* they extend. 

 And what the darksome barriert where they end. 

 To these I'Uiiosophers succeed a race 

 Ofgloiious tools, adorn'dwith ev'ry grace; 

 All men divine, of ancient Wisdom's train. 

 And justly call'd by some a golden chain. 

 .See ! as tlit leader of the noble band, 

 The greatly wise and good Plotinus stand, 

 (ienius snblime ! whilst bound in mortal ties, 

 i hy soul had freqnent commerce with the skies; 

 And oft you looscn'd the lethargic folds 

 6v which th' indignant mind dark matter holds : 

 V'hat depth of thought, what energy is thine '. 

 What rays of intellect in ev'ry line! 

 The more we fathom thy exalted mind, 

 A stronger light, a greater depth, we find. 

 Thee too, blest Porphyry! my muse shall sing, 

 Mnce from the great Plotinus' school you spring ; 

 What holy thoughts thy sacred books contain ! 

 \\'hat stores of wisdom from thy works we gain ! 

 Urg'd on by thee, we learn from sense to rise,^ 

 To break its fetters, aud its charms despise. 

 Nnr shall my muse the just applause decline. 

 Due to lambliclras, surnam'cl divine ; 

 Whose pierc'd the veil which hid, in dark di-guise. 

 Wisdom's deep mysteries from mortal eyes ; 

 Whose Kodlike soul an ample mirror aieeras, 

 Strongly reflecting mind's unclouded beams: 

 Or like some sphere capacious, nolish'd hriglit. 

 Throughout diaphanous, and full of light, 

 (ireat Syiianus next, O Muse! resound. 

 For depih and subtlety of thought renown'd. 

 fienius acute ! th' exalted task was thine. 

 The concord to display of men divine ; 

 And what in fable was by them conceai'd. 

 Thy piercing mind perspicuously revcal'd. 

 lliit, greailypininent above the rest, 

 Proclus the Coryphaeus stands cunfest. 



• Viz. the divine causes and principles of things, 

 which Arisiolle calls— 



Ta TH i^vrli <})aHf4>T«Ta 9ra»T«j», 

 "things nntnr.illy ilie mo^t hii<;ht and lunni^est of 

 all." And Theupliiastus, In the fragnieills of his 

 Mrlaphysies, calls llieni ati(a,, lummita. 



t Viz. Matter. 



MuNiHLV iMau. No, 379. 



H.ail, mighty genius! of the huniau race 

 Alike the guide, the glory, and the grace; 

 Whose volumes, full of genuine science, shine 

 With thoughts magnificent, and truths divine; 

 Whose periods, too, redundant roll along. 

 Like some clear stream, majestically strong : 

 While genius lives, thy nuin'rous works shall last. 

 Alike the future wonder as the past. 

 The great Hermaias aud Damascius claim 

 Our rev'rence next, as men of mighty name; 

 While yet Philosophy could boast a train 

 Of souls ally'd to Homer's golden thaili : 

 The former for unfolding truth renown'd. 

 The latter for his searching mind profouud. 

 Priscian and great Olympiodoius stand 

 The next in order, and our praise demand. 

 And, with th' acute Simplicius, close the band. 

 Heroes, all hail ! who left your native skies 

 From Lethe's realms t' instruct us how to rise. 

 And thus once more our kindred stars regain. 

 And ancient seats in Truth's immortal plain. 

 From whence we wand'ring fell, thro' mad desire 

 Of Matter's regions, and allotments dire. 

 Let Folly proudly boast her tyrant reign. 

 Her num'rous vot'ries, aud her wide uoinain; 

 Your wisdom scorn, and, with barbaric baud. 

 Spread ftitile theories thro' a venal land. 

 By you inspir'd, the glorious task be mine 

 To soar from sense, and seek a life divine; 

 From Phantasy, the soul's Calypso, free 

 To sail secure on life's tempestuous sea. 

 Led by your doctrines, like the Pleiad's light. 

 With guiding radiance streaming thro' the night. 

 From mighty Neptune's overwhelming ire. 

 Back to tne palace of my lawful sire. 

 Alanor Place, If'alworth. 



SUPPOSED REFLECTIONS OF AN OLD MAN. 

 Where art thou, prop of my declining hours? 



For health, and strength, and friendship, all are 

 flown; 

 And Nature's self doth seem to mock my pow'rs,— 



'Tho' fresh the fields, to me no joy is shown. 

 E'en now, methinks, I hear the curfew's toll. 



And see the grave ivide opening to devour; 

 View future worlds unfolding to my soul. 



Where spirits travel the eternal shore. 



Vet do I mourn my lot ? the lot of all! 



Have 1 no cheering prospect at the last? 

 Have I not leirnt to qnit tills e.irihly ball ? 



Or do I linger still, and love the past? 



No : calmly on those scenes I cast my eye, 

 llesigii'd to leave this world, or longer stay; 



Fearless, not boldly, bid my spirit fly. 

 Nor, over anxious, longer gird my clay. 



Yet, Oh ! when trembling worlds in fiie appear, 

 May'st thou, my present staff, U Virtue ! raise 



Thy poor degenerate worm from terrors near. 

 And fill this heart with fortitude and praise. 



V. M. 



THE ITALIAN EXILE, 



ON DEPARTING FROM HIS NATIVE 

 COUNTRY. 



Again the deluge of the North, 

 Unblest Italia ! rolls o'er thee ; 



Again barbaric hordes are forth, 

 To cloud thy dawn of liberty. 



I'air injur'd land I again mnst thou 



Lay low in dust thy lofty brow. 



Anil, low in dust, by stranger feet 



Be trampled as a thing of nought ; 

 To bear the dread o'erwhehning weight 



Of chains by Cyclop-forgers wrought : 

 And, like the Hydra's hideous coil, 

 Feel each strong link thy struggle foil. 

 Or when the hands of power woidd wring 



Their tribute of thy blood and woe, 

 The precious spoil unniov'd to bring, 



And in the paths of vengeance throw ; 

 U And 



