While thus untroubled thoughts his words confess'd,
All-anxious fears disturb'd his boding breast.
The host he knew distrustful of the sky,
Propense to terror, and prepar❜d to fly;
He saw them sad move lingering o'er the plain,
New arm their foes, and double all their train:
And the great Chief a strong injunction gave,
Each post with care to guard, each band to save,
Each opening fair for wise retreat t' imbrace
To tempt no loss, and hazard no disgrace.
But far beyond his thoughts, the sound of war,
The clash of arms, the shouts that rend the air,
Th' inspiring tumults of the dreadful plain,
New strung their nerves, and rous'd their hopes again.
In quick oblivior, flight and fear were lost;
Increasing ardours every bosom toss'd;
Firm-wedg'd, unshaken, rush'd the darkening train;
Spears flew; air murmur'd; corses heap'd the plain;
One flight of twinkling arms, all ether shone;
Earth roar'd one shout confus'd, one mingled groan;
Each host press'd eager; each disdain'd to fly;
And wide confusion blended earth and sky.
Mean time the storm, along dark mountains driven,
Hung o'er the plain, and wrapp'd the mid-day heaven;
More frequent lightnings blaz'd the skies around,
And peals more dreadful shook the solid ground.
From the black clouds the whirlwinds burst amain,
Scour'd all the groves, and rag'd along the plain;
Beneath, huge shouts the murmuring concave rend,
And drifts of dust in gloomy pomp ascend.
With boding hearts, the chiefs of Ai survey'd The sun's pure splendor lost in cloudy shade; The sun, their god, his smiling face withdrew, And round the world a fearful darkness flew: Hence unapprov'd they doom'd the doubtful day, And scann'd, with careful looks their homeward way: As thus they backward gaz'd, the driving rain Rush'd, with impetuous fury, o'er the plain;
Fierce down th' expansion streaming torrents shower'd,
And blood-stain'd brooks along the champain pour'd.
The clash of arms, the long-resounding cries,
Wav'd o'er the world a hoarse, tumultuous noise;
From heaven's huge vault loud-rolling thunders came,
And lightnings blazed unsufferable flame.
Then sad, dishearten'd, from the dreadful fire
Ai's generous leaders bade their host retire.
Reluctant, slow, disdaining base defeat,
From Israel's sons the grisly ranks retreat;
Surpriz'd, fierce Israel see their backward course,
Hang o'er their rear, and press with gathering force;
Intenser shouts ascend; the lightning's flame
Casts o'er the shields a strong alternate gleam;
Loud thunders roll; the fields all quake around:
And the rain rushing roars along the ground.
Then Zimri's piercing voice, with stern commands,
Restrains the fury of his eager bands.
So fierce the thousands burn for raging war,
Even single warriors urge their foes afar;
'Till near the chief, they see the standard rise,
While yet the tempest fills the midway skies,
Then deep-embosom'd in th' obscuring rain,
Their foes untroubled cross the homeward plain.
Mean time the winds were pass'd, the storm was o'er,
And streaming torrents ceas'd from heaven to pour;
Strait to the camp, by Zimri's voice compell'd,
The bands slow-moving cross'd the spacious field.
With joy, the chief resolv'd the troubled day,
The fate, and influence of the fierce affray;
Ai, in fierce conflict, fail'd the wreath to gain,
And Israel, dauntless, trod the skirmish'd plain;
He saw the host again to combat won
Their hopes new-kindled, and their terror gone;
Thence his own bosom boding fear dispell'd,
And promis'd triumph on the future field.
And now the Youth they pass'd, as, with fond eyes, He saw the varying fate of combat rise;
To him, deep-pondering, blew the storm in vain,
Scarce heard the peals, or mark'd the battering rain:
'Till Ai, retir'd, the doubtful strife resign'd,
And calm'd the tumults of his anxious mind.
Then gentler scenes his rapt attention gain'd,
Where God's great hand in clear effulgence reign'd,
The growing beauties of the solemn even,
And all the bright sublimities of heaven.
Above tall western hills, the light of day
Shot far the splendors of his golden ray;
Bright from the storm, with tenfold grace he smil'd,
The tumult soften'd, and the world grew mild.
With pomp transcendant, rob'd in heavenly dies,
Arch'd the clear rainbow round the orient skies;
Its changeless form, its hues of beam divine,
Fair type of truth, and beauty; endless shine,
Around th' expanse, with thousand splendors rare,
Gay clouds sail'd wanton through the kindling air;
From shade to shade, unnumber'd tinctures blend;
Unnumber'd forms of wonderous light extend;
In pride stupendous, glittering walls aspire,
Grac'd with bright domes, and crown'd with towers of fire,
On cliffs cliffs burn; o'er mountains mountains roll:
A burst of glory spreads from pole to pole:
Rapt with the splendor, every songster sings,
Tops the high bough, and claps his glistening wings:
With new-born green, reviving nature blooms,
And sweeter fragrance freshening air perfumes.
Far south the storm withdrew its troubled reign;
Descending twilight dimm'd the dusky plain;
Black night arose; her curtains hid the ground;
Less roar'd, and less, the thunder's solemn sound;
The bended lightning shot a brighter stream,
Or wrapp'd all heaven in one wide, mantling flame;
By turns, o'er plains, and woods, and mountains, spread
Faint, yellow glimmerings, and a deeper shade.
From parting clouds, the moon out-breaking shone,
And sate, sole empress, on her silver throne;
In clear, full beauty, round all nature smil'd,
And claim'd o'er heaven, and earth, dominion mild;
With humbler glory, stars her court attend,
And bless'd, and union'd, silent lustre blend.
THE VILLAGE CHURCH AND THE VILLAGE SCHOOL
Beside yon church, that beams a modest ray,
With tidy neatness reputably gay,
When, mild and fair, as Eden's seventh-day light,
In silver silence, shines the Sabbath bright,
In neat attire, the village households come,
And learn the path-way to the eternal home.
Hail solemn ordinance! worthy of the SKIES;
Whence thousand richest blessings daily rise;
Peace, order, cleanliness, and manners sweet,
A sober mind, to rule submission meet,
Enlarging knowledge, life from guilt refin'd,
And love to God, and friendship to mankind.
In the clear splendour of thy vernal morn,
New-quicken'd man to light, and life, is born;
The desert of the mind with virtue blooms;
It's flowers unfold, it's fruits exhale perfumes;
Proud guilt dissolves, beneath the searching ray,
And low debasement, trembling, creeps away;
Vice bites the dust; foul Error seeks her den;
And God, descending, dwells anew with men.
Where yonder humbler spire salutes the eye,
It's vane slow turning in the liquid sky,
Where, in light gambols, healthy striplings sport,
Ambitious learning builds her outer court;
A grave preceptor, there, her usher stands,
And rules, without a rod, her little bands.
Some half-grown sprigs of learning grac'd his brow:
Little he knew, though much he wish'd to know,
Inchanted hung o'er Virgil's honey'd lay,
And smil❜d, to see desipient Horace play;
Glean'd scraps of Greek; and, curious, trac'd afar, Through Pope's clear glass, the bright Mæonian star. Yet oft his students at his wisdom star'd, For many a student to his side repair'd, Surpriz'd, they heard him Dilworth's knots untie, And tell, what lands beyond the Atlantic lie. Many his faults; his virtues small, and few; Some little good he did, or strove to do; Laborious still, he taught the early mind, And urg'd to manners meek, and thoughts refin'd; Truth he impress'd, and every virtue prais'd; While infant eyes, in wondering silence, gaz'd; The worth of time would, day by day, unfold, And tell them, every hour was made of gold. Brown Industry he lov'd; and oft declar'd How hardy Sloth, in life's sad evening, far'd.
THE MUTABILITY OF EARTHLY THINGS
Ah me! while up the long, long vale of time,
Reflection wanders towards th' eternal vast,
How starts the eye, at many a change sublime,
Unbosom'd dimly by the ages pass'd!
What Mausoleums crowd the mournful waste!
The tombs of empires fallen! and nations gone!
Each, once inscrib'd, in gold, with "AYE TO LAST"
Sate as a queen; proclaim'd the world her own,
And proudly cried, "By me no sorrows shall be known."
Soon fleets the sunbright Form, by man ador❜d.
Soon fell the Head of gold, to Time a prey;
The Arms, the Trunk, his cankering tooth devour'd;
And whirlwinds blew the Iron dust away.
Where dwelt imperial Timur? - far astray,
Some lonely-musing pilgrim now enquires:
And, rack'd by storms, and hastening to decay,
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