Henry St. Clair, and the Martyr of Freedom (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1833 edition. Excerpt: ... CANTO III. THE COMBAT. Assailed, o'erwhelmed, but unsubdued, The Pious, driven to solitude, Rejoiced in silent life apart, To write the Word upon his heart, Each dangerous day, or wakeful night, His solace and severe delight. And who may tell what commerce high, The mortal mingled with the sky, Or, while his pilgrim path he trod, How near that intercourse with God, Which, o'er bis breast a radiance shed, Divine, as touched the Prophet's head, When, on the Mount, the thunder-cloud Robed him within its flashing shroud, Who, singly with Jehovah spake, Whilst heaven was bowed, and earth did quake So when the suffering Martyr knelt Upon the wild, and, chastened, felt How life's illusions wane away When grief refines the grosser clay, A halo round his spirit shone, Conversing with the Lord alone II. It is the high and holy Day. Henry and Mary take their way To join the persecuted men Who, from their fastness, cave, or glen, Advance to meet at morning tide, And worship on the mountain side. A rite of danger; for they stake Their forfeit lives for conscience sake, And carry--strangely blended gear--The Bible with the gun or spear. There is an ash, whose loftiest bough The level ray illumines now Beside a grey crag, not yet shewn Blood-baptized as the Martyr's Stone. The Sun-rise was the hour agreed To congregate upon the mead; For, nought these outlaws of the wold, Of Time's revolving progress know, Save what they learn, as they behold His footstep round creation go. No art have they, and no device To measure moments as he flies; Alike their days, and months, and years, They number as they scan the spheres. By the bright sun they tell the hour, Reading his height, or shade, or power; Upon the pale moon's argent shield, Or in the sparkling, ...