As from the pinnacle of worldly state
Wretched Ambition drops astounded, fell
Into a gulph obscure of silent grief,

And keen heart-anguish of itself ashamed,

Yet obstinately cherishing itself:

And, so consumed, She melted from my arms;
And left me, on this earth, disconsolate.

What followed cannot be reviewed in thought;
Much less, retraced in words. If She, of life
Blameless; so intimate with love and joy,
And all the tender motions of the Soul,

Had been supplanted, could I hope to stand?
Infirm, dependant, and now destitute!

I called on dreams and visions, to disclose

That which is veiled from waking thought; conjured
Eternity, as men constrain a Ghost

To appear and answer; to the Grave I spake
Imploringly-looked up, and asked the Heavens

If Angels traversed their cerulean floors,

If fixed or wandering Star could tidings yield

Of the departed Spirit-what Abode

It occupies-what consciousness retains

Of former loves and interests. Then my Soul
Turned inward,-to examine of what stuff

Time's fetters are composed; and Life was put

To inquisition, long and profitless!

By pain of heart-now checked-and now impelled→→→→ The intellectual Power, through words and things, Went sounding on, a dim and perilous way!

And from those transports, and these toils abstruse, Some trace am I enabled to retain

Of time, else lost-existing unto me

Only by records in myself not found.

From that abstraction I was rouzed, and how?

Even as a thoughtful Shepherd by a flash

Of lightening startled in a gloomy cave

Of these wild hills. For, lo! the dread Bastile,
With all the chambers in its horrid Towers,
Fell to the ground:-by violence o'erthrown
Of indignation; and with shouts that drowned
The crash it made in falling! From the wreck
A golden Palace rose, or seemed to rise,
The appointed Seat of equitable Law

And mild paternal Sway. The potent shock

I felt; the transformation I perceived,

As marvellously seized as in that moment
When, from the blind mist issuing, I beheld
Glory-beyond all glory ever seen,

Confusion infinite of heaven and earth,

Dazzling the soul! Meanwhile, prophetic harps
In every grove were ringing, "War shall cease;

"Did ye not hear that conquest is abjured?

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Bring garlands, bring forth choicest flowers, to deck

"The Tree of Liberty."-My heart rebounded;

My melancholy Voice the chorus joined ;

-"Be joyful all ye Nations, in all Lands, "Ye that are capable of joy be glad!

66

Henceforth, whate'er is wanting to yourselves "In others ye shall promptly find ;—and all "Be rich by mutual and reflected wealth.”

Thus was I reconverted to the world;
Society became my glittering Bride,
And airy hopes my Children.-From the depths
Of natural passion, seemingly escaped,
My soul diffused itself in wide embrace
Of institutions, and the forms of things;

As they exist, in mutable array,

Upon life's surface. What, though in my veins
There flowed no Gallic blood, nor had I breathed
The air of France, not less than Gallic zeal
Kindled and burnt among the sapless twigs

Of my exhausted heart. If busy Men
In sober conclave met, to weave a web
Of amity, whose living threads should stretch
Beyond the seas, and to the farthest pole,
There did I sit, assisting. If, with noise
And acclamation, crowds in open air

Expressed the tumult of their minds, my voice

There mingled, heard or not.

The powers of song

I left not uninvoked; and, in still

groves,

Where mild Enthusiasts tuned a pensive lay

Of thanks and expectation, in accord
With their belief, I sang Saturnian Rule
Returned,- -a progeny of golden years

Permitted to descend, and bless mankind.
-With promises the Hebrew Scriptures teem:
I felt the invitation; and resumed

A long-suspended office in the House

Of public worship, where, the glowing phrase

S

Of ancient Inspiration serving me,

I promised also,—with undaunted trust
Foretold; and added prayer to prophecy;
The admiration winning of the crowd,
The help desiring of the pure devout.

Scorn and contempt forbid me to proceed! But History, Time's slavish Scribe, will tell How rapidly the Zealots of the cause Disbanded-or in hostile ranks appeared;

Some, tired of honest service; these, outdone,
Disgusted, therefore, or appalled, by aims
Of fiercer Zealots-so Confusion reigned,

And the more faithful were compelled to exclaim,
As Brutus did to Virtue," Liberty,

"I worshipped Thee, and find thee but a Shade!"

Such recantation had for me no charm,

Nor would I bend to it; who should have grieved At aught, however fair, which bore the mien

Of a conclusion, or catastrophe.

Why then conceal, that, when the simple good
In timid selfishness withdrew, I sought