SUPPOSED TO BE WRITTEN BY AN EYE-WITNESS.
When flaxen locks curled o'er my youthful brow,
And I sat playing with my infant joys,
My Mother caught me in her hasty arms
And mingled with a-Crowd!
In every look, and Victory on each lip;
Ah, smiles! ah, joys! how soon to fade and die!
And dying-leave the sting of death behind!
'Tis victory weak that mocks its foe's last groan;
'Tis fiendish joy that laughs at dying sighs—
Infernal smile that smiles on Agony.
Accurs'd the heart that doth not sorrow feel
When soul bids clay farewell with parting pang;
Accurs'd the hand that would not turn aside
The dart of death from penitential tears;
Accurs'd the eye that fondly loves to see
The tooth of fell Disease in sunder gnaw
The soul and body of its enemy;
Accurs'd the God-defying wretch that mocks
While breaking heart strings fluttering murmur 'death!'
That monster curs'd, who loves, or joys to see
Fell Death astride the pillow of his foe
With pangs that break frail Nature utterly.
That Crowd's great joy was fiendishness like this!
Joy sat sublim'd and climax'd on her soul,
And smiles of triumph blossom'd on her cheek:-
That Crowd's heart-love was cruelty and blood,
The sweetest music to her dragon-ear,
And bath'd her soul in new delight and bliss!
The scene on which her eye long loved to dwell!
A field from which her hand reap'd richest fruits!
Garden replete with prospect beautiful
Of fruits and flowers of every kind and hue
That towering thought could think, or mind conceive, And standard full of every luxury!
Ah, Crowd most damn'd, at war with God and man!
Ne'er look'd on Sorrow's sob, or Pity's tear!
Ne'er sigh'd with Sympathy! nor wept with Woe!
Ne'er smiled with Joy, or walk'd with Love to bliss,
Nor perch'd on flowery wing of Hope to soar
Above her home of perfect wretchedness!
But loved to feast where blood and slaughter roll'd
While death-pangs rent the cords that held in life,
And Carnage's hand enrichen'd all the plains!
Now, busy Hate, with fiery eyes fierce stalk'd
And gave to Pride's high arm his thirsty spear,
Whiles foamy Wrath rose high and stir'd the fires
That fiercely burned in hot Revenge's breast;
And Vengeance dread whet sharp his desperate lance,
And gave it barb'd to fell Destruction's hand.
Hot cruelty shrieked out to Violence,
And look'd fierce daggers down on Mercy's brow:—
Defiance, Boasting, (as Heaven's thunderbolts
Aloud above the whirlwind's dreadful roar-
Death-horrors giving to the Elements!)
So they sped forth outrageous to destroy,
Defying Earth and Heaven-demoniacs!
Till Death-their woful captain! huge uprose
Apollyon-fierce outraging Devils damn'd
And shook a dart of fury indignation-fired,
With earthquake-bellow, roaring-"CRUCIFY!"
All, firmly grasp'd their hot-avenging spears
And swords that sighed for blood, with demon-claws,
And swept forth tempests raging to devour,
Till Murder and Revenge just hot from Hell,
Nail'd JESUS to the cross of Agony,
And crucifi'd Emanuel—God with us!
Whose cross, became the only key, to ope
For Man, the pearly gates of Paradise.
And I was there! among that horrid crowd!
O, woful thought! dark story of my life!
That hour be torn from Time's great calendar;
That time, from rolling years be blotted out;
That hateful scene, from Nature's book erased,-
O! be the day burn'd up in endless Hell!
That Crowd, sink in Oblivion's grave forgot!
Let awful Horror gnaw upon her there,
And desperate Woe forever howl her deeds!
Come-Pity! drop thy gall on Calvary,
For there the deed was done that shook the world-
O, wash that blood from her polluted tòp!
Mourn-0, my soul! in doleful sorrow mourn
Ah! bleed afresh my heart! and ever bleed,
For woe is me-O, wretched and undone!
Flow out my tears-in quick succession flow
And drown mine eyes in deep, exhaustless streams,
For they, alas! they saw my Savior die!
Mine ears! forget to hear,-strike deaf, O, Death!
They heard Him groan: REDEMPTION IS COM-
He hung aloft-the subject of all sport!
He bled upon a Cross twixt heaven and earth,——
The cross of Death by Murder planted firm-
Huge wooden cross from Aspen's silent grove,
But since renown'd for melancholy song.
He hung with Prayer, and bless'd His enemies!
Whose tongue was Truth, whose words redeeming love;
Whose actions grace, whose looks tranquillity;
Whose smiles were heaven, whose joy was bliss indeed;
Whose dying groans made dark the sun himself,
And bade great Nature weep in loud convulse.
He cried, I THIRST!" They gave him gall to drink;
'I THIRST FOR HEAVEN! He groaned in agony;
Then, with that dragon-crowd, my Mother-laughed !
And I too-0, forgive me Jesus! laughed
Tho' little was my lip! He groan'd! the sun
In sorrow wept, and weeping hid his face;
But Man, with Devils grin'd, and mock'd and howl'd
Whiles Pain and Anguish rent his heart in twain!
A with Revile reviled, with Scoff they scoff'd-
With Mockery and Eternal Mockery mock'd!
Sin's demon-claw, steep'd in Damnation's brink
Fell Envy, Scorn and Man, in friendship shook
With fiendish leer, and with such horrid grin
As show'd their snakish tongues and sulphur eyes
As flames of fire from their own native Hell.
He bow'd his head; Day tumbled from his throne
In deep and dead eclipse! whiles Midnight drear
On Darkness' ebon-wings vail'd earth as Hell,
And Peace and Quiet in their graves found Rest.
Now, deep Affliction sat upon His brow,
Whose deadly tusk gnaw'd greedily at heart,
Whiles Crucifixion's rod of anguish rent
Life's golden bands that soul to body bound,
Till faint Humanity with Wonder cried:-
"ELI! ELI! LAMA-SABACHTHANI?"
In loudest note! Then bowed His sacred head,
And bowing bade His spirit-God, farewell,
And Light of all things darken'd into death.
The hellish mob, with triumph howl'd aloud;
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