Autumn is come; seest thou not in the skies, Summer's bright wings shining ere they are furl'd. MRS. BUTLER. ON A TEAR. OH! that the chemist's magic art The little brilliant, ere it fell, Sweet drop of pure and pearly light! Benign restorer of the soul; Who ever fly'st to bring relief, When first we feel the rude controul Of love or pity, joy or grief. The sage's and the poet's theme, That very law which moulds a tear, ROGERS. EVERY-DAY BEAUTIES OF NATURE. YES, and not otherwise, if we indeed And with pure hearts are seeking what is fair In nature, then, believe, we shall not need Long anxious quests, exploring earth and air, Ere we shall find wherewith our hearts to feed: The beauty which is scatter'd everywhere Will in our souls such deep contentment breed, We shall not pine for aught remote or rare. We shall not ask from some transcendant height To gaze on such rare scenes2, as may surpass Earth's common shows, ere we will own delight: While sunshine lies upon our English grass, And dewdrops glitter on green fields at home. The law of gravitation. 2" Needs no show of mountain hoary, Teaches truth to wandering men ; TRENCH. KEBLE. THE BANYAN TREE. "TWAS a fair scene wherein they stood, For o'er the lawn, irregularly spread, Straight, like a plummet, grew towards the ground. Others of younger growth, unmov'd, were hung, Like stone-drops from the cavern's fretted height. Beneath were smooth and fair to sight; Nor weeds nor briars deform'd the natural floor; And through the leafy cope which bower'd it o'er Came gleams of chequer'd light. So like a temple did it seem, that there A pious heart's first impulse would be prayer. SOUTHEY. THE OMNIPRESENCE OF THE DEITY. LORD of all being! where can fancy fly, Where dwell'st Thou not, the boundless, viewless One? Shall Guilt couch down within the cavern's gloom, And quiv'ring, groaning, meditate her doom? Or scale the mountains, where the whirlwinds rest, And in the night-blast cool her fiery breast? Within the cavern-gloom Thine eye can see, The sky-clad mountains lift their heads to Thee! Thy Spirit rides upon the thunder-storms Dark'ning the skies into terrific forms! Beams in the light'ning, rocks upon the seas, Roars in the blast, and whispers in the breeze; In calm and storm, in heaven and earth Thou art, Trace but Thy works - they bring Thee to the heart! The fulness of Thy presence who can see, Man cannot live, great God! and look on Thee; Around Thy form eternal light'nings glow, Thy voice appals the shudd'ring world below. Oh! Egypt felt Thee when, by signs unscar'd, To mock Thy might the rebel monarch dared; Thou look'st · and ocean sever'd at the glance! Undaunted, still the charioteers advance; Thou look'dst again she clash'd her howling waves, And roar'd in stormy triumph o'er their graves! Hill, flood, and forest, mountain, rock, and sea, But who could trace Thine unrestricted course, Though Fancy follow'd with immortal force! There's not a blossom fondled by the breeze, There's not a fruit that beautifies the trees, There's not a particle in sea or air, But Nature owns thy plastic influence there! R. MONTGOMERY. THE TRADESMAN A NATURALIST. OFT have I smil'd the happy pride to see There is my friend the weaver; strong desires 1 The various varieties of the pigeon. |