I heard my own mountain-goats bleating aloft, And knew the sweet strain that the cornreapers sung. Then pledged we the wine-cup, and fondly I swore, From my home and my weeping friends never to part; My little ones kiss'd me a thousand times o'er, And my wife sobb'd aloud in her fulness of heart. Stay, stay with us,-rest, thou art weary and worn; And fain was their war-broken soldier to stay ; But sorrow return'd with the dawning of morn, And the voice in my dreaming ear melted away. TO THE RAINBOW. TRIUMPHAL arch, that fill'st the sky When storms prepare to part, I ask not proud Philosophy To teach me what thou art Still seem, as to my childhood's sight, A midway station given For happy spirits to alight Betwixt the earth and heaven. Can all that Optics teach, unfold When Science from Creation's face Enchantment's veil withdraws, What lovely visions yield their place To cold material laws! And yet, fair bow, no fabling dreams, When o'er the green undeluged earth Heaven's covenant thou didst shine, How came the world's gray fathers forth To watch thy sacred sign! And when its yellow lustre smiled Each mother held aloft her child Methinks, thy jubilee to keep, Nor ever shall the Muse's eye Be still the prophet's theme! The earth to thee her incense yields, How glorious is thy girdle, cast As fresh in yon horizon dark, For, faithful to its sacred page, Nor lets the type grow pale with age That first spoke peace to man. 1819. THE LAST MAN. ALL worldly shapes shall melt in gloom, I saw a vision in my sleep, That gave my spirit strength to sweep Adown the gulf of Time! I saw the last of human mould The Sun's eye had a sickly glare, Some had expired in fight,-the brands In plague and famine some! Earth's cities had no sound nor tread; Yet, prophet-like, that lone one stood, That shook the sere leaves from the wood |