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COMETS.

THE COMET.

CONDER.

MYSTERIOUS visitant! whose beauteous light
Among the wondering stars so strangely gleams;
Like a proud banner in the train of night,
The unblazoned flag of Deity it streams;
Infinity is written in thy beams;

And thought in vain would thro' the pathless sky
Explore thy secret course; thy circle seems

Too vast for time to grasp;-O can that eye
Which numbers hosts like thee, this atom earth desery?

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He guides the Comet's course,-He marks the sparrow's fall.

Man-man, tho' in the dust his insect-birth,

Beholds his nature unto God allied,

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MAN.

ADAM'S DESCRIPTION OF HIS
FIRST FEELINGS.

MILTON.

FOR man to tell how human life began
Is hard; for who himself beginning knew?

As new-wak'd from soundest sleep
Soft on the flowery herb I found me laid
In balmy sweat, which with his beams the

sun

Soon dried, and on the reeking moisture fed:
Straight toward Heav'n my wond'ring eyes
I turn'd,

Knew not; to speak I tried, and forthwith
spake;

My tongue obeyed, and readily could name
Whate'er I saw. Thou Sun, said I, fair light,
And thou enlighten'd Earth, so fresh and gay,
Ye hills, and dales, ye rivers, woods, and
plains,

And ye that live and move, fair creatures tell,
Tell, if ye saw, how came I thus, how here?
Not of myself; by some great Maker then,
In goodness and in power pre-eminent :
Tell me, how may I know him, how adore
From whom I have, that thus I move and
live,

And feel that I am happier than I know?
While thus I call'd, and stray'd, I knew not
whither,

From where I first drew air, and first beheld This happy light, when answer none return'd,

And gaz'd awhile the ample sky, till rais'd By quick instinctive motion up sprung, As thitherward endeavouring, and upright Stood on my feet; about me round I saw Hill, dale, and shady woods, and sunny plains, And liquid lapse of murm'ring streams; by On a green shady bank profuse of flowers, these Pensive I sat me down: there gentle Sleep Creatures that liv'd and mov'd, or walk'd First found me, and with soft oppression or flew, Birds on the branches warbling; all things My drowsed sense, untroubled, tho' I thought: smil'd, I then was passing to my former state

seiz'd

With fragrance, and with joy my heart o'er- Insensible, and forthwith to dissolve:

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ADAM AND EVE IN PARADISE.

MILTON.

Two of far nobler shape, erect and tall,
Godlike erect! with native honour clad
In naked majesty, seem'd lords of all:
And worthy seem'd; for in their looks di-
vine

From their Creator, and transgress his will
For one restraint, lords of the world besides?
Who first seduc'd them to that foul revolt?
Th' Infernal Serpent; he it was, whose guile,
Stirr'd up with envy and revenge, deceiv'd
The Mother of Mankind:-Her hand in evil
hour

Forth reaching to the fruit, she pluck'd, she

ate:

Earth felt the wound, and Nature from her

seat

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The image of their glorious Maker shone,
Truth, wisdom, sanctitude, severe and pure;
Severe, but in true filial freedom plac'd,
Whence true authority in men: though both Sighing thro' all her works, gave signs of wo,
Not equal, as their sex not equal seem'd :
For contemplation he, and valour form'd;
For softness she, and sweet attractive grace;
He, for God only; she for God in him.
His fair large front, and eye sublime de-

clar'd

Absolute rule; and hyacinthine locks
Round from his parted forelock manly hung
Clust'ring, but not beneath his shoulders
broad;

She as a veil, down to the slender waist
Her unadorned golden tresses wore
Dishevel'd; but in graceful ringlets wav'd,
As the vine curls her tendrils, which imply'd
Subjection, but requir'd with gentle sway;
And by her yielded, by him best receiv'd.

ADAM'S DESCRIPTION OF EVE.
MILTON.

SHE was adorn'd

With what all Earth or Heaven could bestow
To make her amiable: on she came,
Led by her Heav'nly Maker, though unseen,
And guided by his voice.

Grace was in all her steps, Heav'n in her eye,

In every gesture dignity and love.

THE FIRST TRANSGRESSION.

MILTON.

SAY what cause Moved our first Parents in their happy state,

Favour'd of Heav'n so highly to fall off

That all was lost.

She gave to Adam that enticing fruit
With liberal hand: He scrupled not to eat
Against his better knowledge, not deceiv'd.
Earth trembled from her entrails, as again
In
pangs, and Nature gave a second groan,
Sky low'rd, and muttering thunder, some
drops

Wept at completing of the mortal sin
Original.

CHARACTER OF ADAM.

MONTGOMERY.

WITH him his noblest sons might not com-
pare

In godlike features and majestic air;
Not out of weakness rose his gradual frame,
Perfect from his Creator's hand he came ;
And as in form excelling, so in mind
The sire of men transcended all mankind.
A soul was in his eye, and in his speech
A dialect of heaven, no art could reach;
For oft of old, to him the ev'ning breeze
Had borne the voice of God among the trees,
Angels were wont their songs with his to
blend,

And talk with him as their familiar friend.
But deep remorse for that mysterious crime
Whose dire contagion, through elapsing time
Diffus'd the curse of death beyond control,
Had wrought such self-abasement in his soul,
That he, whose honours were approach'd by
none,

Was yet the meekest man beneath the sun.
From sin, as from the serpent that betray'd
Eve's early innocence, he shrunk afraid;

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His soothing hand, and clasp'd his honour'd feet;

May'st thou know the gracious Donor;
Early know, and love, and praise!
Then shall real wealth and honour,
Peace and pleasure crown thy days.

CAIN AND ADAH ON THE SIGHT
OF THEIR SLEEPING INFANT.

BYRON.

ADAH.

While 'midst their fearless sports supremely Of leaves, beneath the cypress,—
OUR little Enoch sleeps upon yon bed

blest,

Its branches

Shut out the sun like night, and therefore

seem

He grew in heart a child among the rest :
Yet as a parent, nought beneath the sky
Touch'd him so quickly as an infant's eye; Fitting to shadow slumber.
Joy from its smile of happiness he caught,—
Its flash of rage sent horror through his
thought,

His smitten conscience felt as fierce a pain-
As if he fell from innocence again.

TO AN INFANT.

STEELE.

CAN I bid thee, little stranger,
Welcome to a world of care?
Where attends thee many a danger,
Where awaits thee many a snare?

Hence away, ye dark surmises,
Hope presents a fairer seene;
Many a blooming pleasure rises,
Many a sunbeam shines serene.

Oh, may Providence defend thee!
Circled in his guardian arms,
Dangers shall in vain attend thee,-
Safe amid surrounding harms.

Shall I wish the world caressing?
Wish thee pleasure, grandeur, wealth?
No-but many a nobler blessing-
Wisdom, virtue, friendship, health.

CAIN.

How lovely he appears! his little cheeks,
In their pure incarnation, vying with
The rose leaves strewn beneath them.

ADAH.

And his lips, too,

How beautifully parted! No, you shall not
Kiss him, at least not now: he will awake

soon

His hour of mid-day rest is nearly over,
But it were pity to disturb him till
'Tis closed.

CAIN.

You have said well; I will contain
My heart till then. He smiles, and sleeps!
-Sleep on

And smile, thou little, young inheritor
Of a world scarce less young: sleep on, and
smile!

Thine are the hours and days when both
are cheering,

And innocent.
* * Sleep on!—
His cheeks are reddening into deeper smiles,
And shining lids are trembling o'er his long
Lashes, dark as the cypress which waves

o'er them;

Half open, from beneath them the clear blue
Laughs out, although in slumber.

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