— 104 — 

 III 



And mid a clustering group of feathery palms 



And bright Uraiiias (*) guarded by that tree, 



Primeval Baobab (f) through storms and calms 



Subsisting still, Time's eldest— born, to Thee 



For honor's sake, Commerson, (J) there is piled 



A humble cenotaph ; for science led 



Thy eager steps, and Nature on thee smiled 



Unbosoming all her riches — Thou hast shed 



The light of genius o'er this tropic spot, 



And calm and sinless in thy green retreat 



Thou didst breath forth thy soul, in heaven to meet 



Becoming recompense ; for there is not 



A holier task than to unfold to man 



The plenitude of God in Nature's glorious plan ! 



IV 



And through the foliage of those gorgeous trees (§) 



Whose trembling leaves like gossamers recline 



Against the clear blue sky, v^ljile on them shine 



Vermilioned clustering flowers as each soft breeze 



Strays through them sportive, — the -white larret gleam 



Which crowns the village church in decent pride (If) 



Thus Nature and Religion are allied 



In blissful union ! Thus Earth's beauty beams 



With recreated growth, as if to show 



The glorious resurrection of the mind ; 



For though the body droops with age, and woe 



And mortal sufferings, and here leaves belmid 



Its spoils terrene, high soaring from the tomb 



The spiritual will reign in more than vernal bloom ! 



(*) Urania speciosa. Traveller's Tree. 



(t) Andosonia digitata. 



(t) Commerson, after enriching Mauritius with many fine specimens col- 

 lected in his travels in Madagascar and elsewhere, died tranquilly near Flacq. 

 ^He was a most enthusiastic Botanist. 



(§) Poinciaiva Begia or Flamboyant introduced from Madagascar by my 

 esteemed triend W. Bojer, one of the most learned of Modern Botanists.— 

 When in full flower. I think it is one of the finest trees in the world, not 

 excepting the Amherstia nobilis, 



(^) The readers of Paul 4f Virginie will remember' the •' petite Egliae 

 des Pamplemousses entouree de Bambous," it is the oldest church in the 

 Colony, and much resembles some English village church- 



