Narrative and Legendary Poems: Bay of Seven Islands and Others - From Volume I., the Works of Whittier by John Greenleaf Whittier
page 27 of 43 (62%)
page 27 of 43 (62%)
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Tender as mother, beautiful as wife,
Amidst the throngs of prisoned crime she stood In modest raiment faultless as her life, The type of England's worthiest womanhood. To melt the hearts that harshness turned to stone The sweet persuasion of her lips sufficed, And guilt, which only hate and fear had known, Saw in her own the pitying love of Christ. So wheresoe'er the guiding Spirit went She followed, finding every prison cell It opened for her sacred as a tent Pitched by Gennesaret or by Jacob's well. And Pride and Fashion felt her strong appeal, And priest and ruler marvelled as they saw How hand in hand went wisdom with her zeal, And woman's pity kept the bounds of law. She rests in God's peace; but her memory stirs The air of earth as with an angel's wings, And warms and moves the hearts of men like hers, The sainted daughter of Hungarian kings. United now, the Briton and the Hun, Each, in her own time, faithful unto death, Live sister souls! in name and spirit one, Thuringia's saint and our Elizabeth! 1885. |
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