Narrative and Legendary Poems: the Vaudois Teacher and Others - From Volume I., the Works of Whittier by John Greenleaf Whittier
page 17 of 82 (20%)
page 17 of 82 (20%)
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The holy presence of Eternal Love!
Sleep on in peace. The earth has not A nobler name than thine shall be. The deeds by martial manhood wrought, The lofty energies of thought, The fire of poesy, These have but frail and fading honors; thine Shall Time unto Eternity consign. Yea, and when thrones shall crumble down, And human pride and grandeur fall, The herald's line of long renown, The mitre and the kingly crown,-- Perishing glories all! The pure devotion of thy generous heart Shall live in Heaven, of which it was a part. 1833. EXTRACT FROM "A NEW ENGLAND LEGEND." (Originally a part of the author's Moll Pitcher.) How has New England's romance fled, Even as a vision of the morning! Its rites foredone, its guardians dead, Its priestesses, bereft of dread, Waking the veriest urchin's scorning! |
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