POETRY* 913 



I'hou palsied earth, with noon-day night o'erspread ! 

 Thou sickening sun, so dark, so deep, so red ! 

 Ye hovering ghosts, that throng the starless air, 

 "Why shakes the earth ? why fades the light ? declare ! 

 Are those His iimbs, with ruthless scourges torn ? 

 His brows all bleeding with the twisted thorn ? 

 His the pale form, the meek, forgiving eye, 

 Rais'd from the cross in patient asiony ? 



Be dark, thou sun, — thou noon-day night arise, 



And hide, oh hide, the dreadful sacrifice ! 



Ye faithful few, by bold affedlion led. 

 Who round the Saviour's cross your sorrows shed. 

 Not for His sake your tearful vigils keep ; — 

 Weep for your country, for your children weep ! 

 — Vengeance ! thy fiery wing their race pursu'd ; 

 Thy thirsty poniard blushed with infant blood. 

 Rous'd at thy call, and panting still for game, 

 The bird of war, the Latin eagle came. 

 Then Judah rag'd, by ruffian Discord led, 

 Drunk with the steamy carnage of the dead : 

 He saw his sons by dubious slaughter fall. 

 And war without, and death within the wall. 

 Wide-wasting plague, gaunt famine, mad despair. 

 And dire debate, and clamorous strife was there : * 



Love, strong as death, retain'd his might no more, 

 And the pale parent drank her children's gore. 

 Yet thev, who wont to roam th' ensanguin'd plain, 

 And spurn with fell delight their kindred slain ; 

 E'en they, when high above the dusty fight, 

 Their burning Temple rose in lurid light, 

 To their lov'd altars paid a parting groan, 

 And in their country's woes forgot their own. 



As, mid the cedar courts and gates of gold 

 The trampl'd ranks in miry carnage roll'd ; 

 To save their Temple cv'ry hand essay'd, 

 And with cold fingers grasp'd the feeble blade: 

 Through their torn veins reviving fury ran, 

 And life's last anger warm'd the dying man. 



But heavier far the fettcr'd captive's doom ! 

 To glut with sighs the iron ear of Rome ; 

 To swell, slow pacing by the car's tall side, 

 The stoic tyrant's philosophic pride ; 

 To flesh the lion's ravenous jaws, or feel 

 The sportive fury of the fencer's steel ; 



Vol.. XLVf. 3 N Or 



