Then shall the desart lift her voice, The palm branch bend to kiss the breeze, The wilderness, in songs rejoice, And lovely garlands deck her trees; Her glory bright as Lebanon, When blazing 'neath a mid-day sun. Then feeble knees shall sturdy grow, And fearful hearts in faith be strong, On sightless eyeballs light shall flow, And tongues, once mute, burst forth in song: The lame man bound, on limbs restor❜d; The deaf man hear and bless the Lord! Where scorching heats parch up the plain, Or ever to those haunts repair. As sweet this vision to my sight, Beneath the dog-star's fierce controul: But Life's last flick'ring beam decays, And gathering thoughts obscure its rays. Fair Zabulon, beside the sea, Where gallant vessels safely ride, Shall spread his sails in commerce free, And o'er the tideless ocean glide; No dashing surge, nor billows roar, But Issachar―thy doom to trace, Benumbs my small remaining pow'r, Unworthy offspring of my race! How shall I tell thy coming hour? In pleasant lands contented thou, Though iron bondage gird thy brow. In vain! shall future boasters say, "From Abram we our freedom hold." Hence! hated phantom! hence! away! Ere yet my ebbing life grows cold. Ah!-onward in the roll of years, Another spectre still appears. Dan is a serpent in the way; An adder fierce whom none may trust; Who makes the flying steed his prey, Gad yields at first, and fearful flies Before the thronging warrior bands, But, stronger grown, his triumphs rise; Unnumber'd vict'ries fill his hands. His marshall'd hosts, in bright array, Their conqu'ring spoilers turn to prey. For Asher royal dainties spread, And fields of waving corn extend; The clust'ring vine-branch binds his head, A hind let loose is Naphtali, With flocks in fold and steer in stall, On Jordan's banks to wander free; Now waving o'er my dying dream, Like Alpine shrub on mountain's brow, I see a branch, beside a stream Where, living waters, gently flow: In vain! the archer draws his string For Joseph's God is Israel's king. Benoni as a wolf shall stray, And in the forest pant and toil; THE BROKEN LAW. "And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing; and Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount."Exodus xxxii. 19. NO MORTAL EYE could live and see When Moses pierc'd the veiling cloud, A flame, alone, his vision met; |