But the voice of the weeper Wails manhood in glory. The autumn winds, rushing,
Waft the leaves that are searest; But our flower was in flushing, When blighting was nearest.
Fleet foot on the correi, Sage counsel in cumber, Red hand in the foray,
How sound is thy slumber! Like the dew on the mountain, Like the foam on the river, Like the bubble on the fountain, Thou art gone, and forever.
WHEN Israel, of the Lord beloved, Out from the land of bondage came, Her father's God before her moved,
An awful guide in smoke and flame. By day, along the astonished lands, The cloudy pillar glided slow; By night, Arabia's crimsoned sands Returned the fiery column's glow.
There rose the choral hymn of praise, And trump and timbrel answered keen; And Zion's daughters poured their lays, With priest's and warrior's voice be-
No portents now our foes amaze,
Forsaken Israel wanders lone; Our fathers would not know thy ways, And thou hast left them to their own.
But, present still, though now unseen, When brightly shines the prosperous day,
Be thoughts of thee a cloudy screen,
To temper the deceitful ray. And O, when stoops on Judah's path In shade and storm the frequent night, Be thou, long-suffering, slow to wrath, A burning and a shining light!
Our harps we left by Babel's streams, The tyrant's jest, the Gentile's scorn; No censer round our altar beams,
And mute are timbrel, trump, and horn. But thou hast said, The blood of goats, The flesh of rams, I will not prize, A contrite heart, and humble thoughts, Are mine accepted sacrifice.
HEAP on more wood !-the wind is chill; But let it whistle as it will,
We'll keep our Christmas merry still. Each age has deemed the new-born year The fittest time for festal cheer: Even heathen yet, the savage Dane At lol more deep the mead did drain; High on the beach his galleys drew, And feasted all his pirate crew; Then in his low and pine-built hall, Where shields and axes decked the wall,
They gorged upon the half-dressed steer; Caroused in seas of sable beer; While round, in brutal jest, were thrown The half-gnawed rib and marrow-bone, Or listened all, in grim delight, While scalds yelled out the joys of fight. Then forth in frenzy would they hie, While wildly loose their red locks fly; And, dancing round the blazing pile, They make such barbarous mirth the while,
As best might to the mind recall The boisterous joys of Odin's hall.
And well our Christian sires of old Loved when the year its course had rolled, And brought blithe Christmas back again, With all his hospitable train. Domestic and religious rite Gave honor to the holy night:
On Christmas eve the bells were rung; On Christmas eve the mass was sung; That only night, in all the year, Saw the stoled priest the chalice rear. The damsel donned her kirtle sheen; The hall was dressed with holly green; Forth to the wood did merry-men go, To gather in the mistletoe.
Then opened wide the baron's hall To vassal, tenant, serf, and all; Power laid his rod of rule aside, And Ceremony doffed his pride. The heir, with roses in his shoes, That night might village partner choose; The lord, underogating, share The vulgar game of "post and pair." All hailed, with uncontrolled delight And general voice, the happy night That to the cottage, as the crown, Brought tidings of salvation down.
The fire, with well-dried logs supplied, Went roaring up the chimney wide;
The huge hall-table's oaken face, Scrubbed till it shone the day to grace, Bore then upon its massive board No mark to part the squire and lord. Then was brought in the lusty brawn, By old blue-coated serving-man; Then the grim boar's head frowned on high,
Crested with bays and rosemary. Well can the green-garbed ranger tell How, when, and where the monster fell; What dogs before his death he tore, And all the baiting of the boar. The wassail round, in good brown bowls, Garnished with ribbons, blithely trowls. There the huge sirloin reeked; hard by Plum-porridge stood, and Christmas pie; Nor failed old Scotland to produce, At such high-tide, her savory goose. Then came the merry maskers in, And carols roared with blithesome din; If unmelodious was the song, It was a hearty note, and strong. Who lists may in their mumming see Traces of ancient mystery; White skirts supplied the masquerade, And smutted cheeks the visors made: But, O, what maskers richly dight Can boast of bosoms half so light! England was merry England, when Old Christmas brought his sports again. 'T was Christmas broached the mightiest ale;
'T was Christmas told the merriest tale; A Christmas gambol oft could cheer The poor man's heart through half the year.
And she was there, my hope, my joy, My own dear Genevieve!
She leaned against the arméd man, The statue of the arméd knight; She stood and listened to my lay,
Amid the lingering light.
Few sorrows hath she of her own, My hope my joy! my Genevieve! She loves me best, whene'er I sing
The songs that make her grieve.
I played a soft and doleful air, I sang an old and moving story, - An old rude song, that suited well That ruin wild and hoary.
She listened with a flitting blush, With downcast eyes and modest grace; For well she knew, I could not choose But gaze upon her face.
I told her of the Knight that wore Upon his shield a burning brand; And that for ten long years he wooed The Lady of the Land.
I told her how he pined: and ah! The deep, the low, the pleading tone With which I sang another's love Interpreted my own.
She listened with a flitting blush, With downcast eyes, and modest grace; And she forgave me, that I gazed Too fondly on her face.
But when I told the cruel scorn That crazed that bold and lovely Knight,
SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE. And that he crossed the mountain-woods,
ALL thoughts, all passions, all delights, Whatever stirs this mortal frame, All are but ministers of Love,
And feed his sacred flame.
Oft in my waking dreams do I Live o'er again that happy hour, When midway on the mount I lay
Beside the ruined tower.
The moonshine stealing o'er the scene Had blended with the lights of eve;
Nor rested day nor night;
That sometimes from the savage den, And sometimes from the darksome shade, And sometimes starting up at once
In green and sunny glade,
There came and looked him in the face An angel beautiful and bright; And that he knew it was a Fiend,
This miserable Knight!
And that unknowing what he did, He leaped amid a murderous band, And saved from outrage worse than death, The Lady of the Land;
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