66 66 O pity, great Father of light," then I cried, Thy creature, who fain would not wander from Thee! "Lo! humbled in dust, I relinquish my pride: “From doubt and from darkness thou only canst free.” And darkness and doubt are now flying away : So breaks on the traveller, faint, and astray, The bright and the balmy effulgence of morn. On the cold cheek of Death smiles and roses are blending, ODE TO PEACE. WRITTEN IN THE YEAR 1758. I. 1. PEACE, heaven-descended maid! whose powerful voice From antient darkness called the morn; And hushed of jarring elements the noise, Far, far was hurled the void abyss along; And all the bright angelic choir, Striking, through all their ranks, the eternal lyre, And wide, through Night's dark solitary reign, Rebounding long and deep, the lays triumphant rung! I. 2. Oh, whither art thou fled, Saturnian Age! To break the sceptre of tyrannic rage; From Woe's wan cheek to wipe the bitter tears; Hark! from afar what desolating sound, With dire presage the throbbing heart assails! Murder, deep-roused, with all the whirlwind's haste, Her tangled serpents girds around her waist, Smiles ghastly fierce, and shakes her gore-distilling wings. I. 3. The shouts, redoubling, rise In thunder to the skies; The nymphs, disordered, dart along, Sweet powers of solitude and song, Stunned with the horrors of discordant sound; And all is listening, trembling round. Torrents, far heard amid the waste of night, That oft have led the wanderer right, Are silent at the noise. The mighty Ocean's more majestic voice, Drowned in superior din, is heard no more; The surge in silence seems to sweep the foamy shore. II. 1. The bloody banner, streaming in the air, Bursts out, by frequent fits, the expansive flame; The surging smoke o'er all the darkened skies; And Night's foul birds along the sullen twilight sail. II. 2. Involved in fire-streaked gloom, the car comes on. His forehead writhed to a relentless frown, A mace tremendous desolates the land; II. 3. How startled Phrenzy stares, Bristling her ragged hairs! Revenge the gory fragment gnaws ; See, with her griping vulture claws |