And such a beautiful creation makes As renders needless spells and magic wands, Clouds do not name those Visitants; they were The very Angels whose authentic lays, Sung from that heavenly ground in middle air, My ears did listen, 't was enough to gaze; XIX. OUR LADY OF THE SNOW. MEEK Virgin Mother, more benign * Mount Righi. Lone vigils through the hour of sleep, These crowded offerings, as they hang Even these, without intent of theirs, Of many a deep and cureless pang, To thee, in this aerial cleft, And pine, of human hope bereft, And hence, O Virgin Mother mild! Of Winter, but the storms of life, Even for the Man who stops not here, Nor falls that intermingling shade With gleams of fresher, purer light; But on! - a tempting downward way, XX. EFFUSION, IN PRESENCE OF THE PAINTED TOWER OF TELL, AT ALTORF. THIS Tower stands upon the spot where grew the LindenFree against which his son is said to have been placed, when the father's archery was put to proof under circumstances so famous in Swiss story. WHAT though the Italian pencil wrought not here, Nor such fine skill as did the meed bestow On Marathonian valor, yet the tear Springs forth in presence of this gaudy show, While narrow cares their limits overflow. Thrice happy, burghers, peasants, warriors old, And when that calm Spectatress from on high And snow-fed torrents, which the blaze of noon That fosters peace, and gentleness recalls; How blest the souls who when their trials come But face like that sweet Boy their mortal doom, To dignity, XXI. THE TOWN OF SCHWYTZ. By antique Fancy trimmed, though lowly, bred in thee, O SCHWYTZ! are seen The genuine features of the golden mean; Equality by Prudence governèd, Or jealous Nature ruling in her stead; And therefore art thou blest with peace, serene As that of the sweet fields and meadows green In unambitious compass round thee spread. Majesty BERNE, high on her guardian steep, Holding a central station of command, Might well be styled this noble body's HEAD; Thou, lodged 'mid mountainous intrenchments deep, Its HEART; and ever may the heroic Land XXII. ON HEARING THE RANZ DES VACHES ON THE TOP OF I LISTEN, THE PASS OF ST. GOTHARD. but no faculty of mine Avails those modulations to detect, *Nearly five hundred years (says Ebel, speaking of the French Invasion) had elapsed, when, for the first time, foreign soldiers were seen upon the frontiers of this small Canton, to impose upon it the laws of their governors. |