THE DESTINY OF NATIONS. A VISION. AUSPICIOUS REVERENCE! Hush all meaner song, Such symphony requires best instrument. -THE Seize, then, my soul! from Freedom's trophied dome The Harp which hangeth high between the Shields Of Brutus and Leonidas! With that Strong music, that soliciting spell, force back Earth's free and stirring spirit that lies entranced. For what is Freedom, but the unfettered use Of all the powers which God for use had given? But chiefly this, him First, him Last to view Through meaner powers and secondary things For infant minds; and we in this low world Placed with our backs to bright Reality, That we may learn with young unwounded ken Infinite Love Whose latence is the plenitude of All, Thou with retracted Beams, and Self-eclipse But some there are who deem themselves most free When they within this gross and visible sphere Chain down the winged thought, scoffing ascent Their subtle fluids, impacts, essences, Those blind Omniscients, those Almighty Slaves, But properties are God: the naked mass (If mass there be, fantastic Guess or Ghost) Acts only by its inactivity. Here we pause humbly. Others boldlier think That as one body seems the aggregate And what if some rebellious, o'er dark realms Arrogate power? yet these train up to God, And on the rude eye, unconfirmed for day, Flash meteor-lights better than total gloom. As ere from Lieule-Oaive's vapoury head The Laplander beholds the far-off Sun Or Balda-Zhiok,* or the mossy stone Of Solfar-kapper,t while the snowy blast * Balda Zhiok ; i. e. mons altitudinis, the highest mountain in Lapland. + Solfar Kapper; capitium Solfar, hic locus omnium, quotquot veterum Lapponum superstitio sacrificiis religiosoque cultui dedicavit, celebratissimus erat, in parte sinus australis situs, semimilliaris spatio a mari distans. Ipse locus, quem curiositatis gratia aliquando me invisisse memini, duabus prealtis lapidibus, sibi invicem oppositis, quorum alter musco circumdatus erat, constabat.-LEEMIUS De Lupponibus. The Lapland women carry their infants at their back in a piece of excavated wood, which serves them for a cradle. Opposite to the infant's mouth there is a hole for it to breath through.—Mirandum prorsus est et vix credibile nisi cui vidisset contigit. Lappones hyeme iter facientes per vastos montes, perque horrida et invia tesqua, eo presertim tempore quo omnia perpetuis nivibus obtecta sunt et nives ventis agitantur et in gyros aguntur, viam ad destinata loca absque errore invenire posse, lactantem autem infantem, si quem habeat, ipsa mater in dorso bajulat, in excavato ligno (Gieed'k ipsi vocant) quod pro cunis utuntur: in hoc infans pannis et pellibus convolutus colligatus jacet.-LEEMIUS De Lapponibus. Scream in its scanty cradle: he the while Of the present impulse, teaching Self-controul, Pierces the untravelled realms of Ocean's bed Jaibme Aibmo. |