On my bended knee, I recognize Thy purpose, clearly shown; I have naught to fear; This darkness is the shadow of Thy wing; Can come no evil thing. O! I seem to stand Trembling, where foot of mortal ne'er hath been. Wrapped in the radiance from Thy sinless land, Which eye hath never seen. Visions come and go Shapes of resplendent beauty round me throng; It is nothing now, When heaven is opening on my sightless eyesWhen airs from Paradise refresh my brow; That earth in darkness lies. In a purer clime, My being fills with rapture-waves of thought Give me now my lyre! I feel the stirrings of a gift divine; VULTURE AND INFANT. (ANON.) I've been among the mighty Alps, and wandered thro' their vales, And heard the honest mountaineers-rel te their dismal tales, As round the cotters' blazing hearth, when their daily work was o'er, They spake of those, who disappeared, and ne'er were heard of more. And there, I, from a shepherd, heard a narrative of fear, A tale to rend a mortal heart, which mothers-might not hear; The tears were standiug in his eyes, his voice-was tremulous; But wiping all those tears away, he told his story thus: "It is among these barren cliffs-the ravenous vulture dwells, Who never fattens on the prey, which from afar he smells; But, patient, watching hour on hour, upon a lofty rock, He singles out some truant lamb, a victim, from the flock. One cloudless Sabbath summer morn, the sun was rising high, When, from my children on the green, I heard a fearful cry, As if some awful deed were done, a shriek of grief, and pain, cry, I humbly trust in God, I ne'er may hear again. hurried out to learn the cause; but, overwhelmed with fright, he children never ceased to shriek; and, from my frenzied sight, I missed the youngest of my babes, the darling of my care; But something caught my searching eyes, slow sailing thro' the air. Oh! what an awful spectacle-to meet a father's eye, His infant-made a vulture's prey, with terror to descry; And know, with agonizing heart, and with a maniac rave, That earthly power-could not avail-that innocent to save! My infant-stretched his little hands-imploringly to me, And struggled with the ravenous bird, all vainly to get free: At intervals, I heard his cries, as loud he shrieked and screamed! Until, upon the azure sky, a lessening spot he seemed. The vulture-flapped his sail-like wings, though heavily he flew ; A mote, upon the sun's broad face, he seemed unto my view; But once, I thought I saw him stoop, as if he would alight, 'Twas only a delusive thought, for all had vanished quite. All search was vain, and years had passed; that child was ne'er forgot, When once a daring hunter climbed unto a lofty spot, From thence, upon a rugged crag-the chamois never reached, He saw-an infant's fleshless bones-the elements had bleached! I clambered up that rugged cliff-I could not stay away, I knew they were my infant's bones-thus hastening to decay; A tattered garment-yet remained, though torn to many a shred: The crimson cap-he wore that morn-was still upon his head." That dreary spot-is pointed out to travelers, passing by, Who often stand, and musing, gaze, nor go without a sigh; And as I journeyed, the next morn, along my sunny way, The precipice was shown to me, whereon the infant lay. OTHELLO'S APOLOGY. Most potent, grave, and reverend seigniors Rude am I in speech, Of my whole course of love; what drugs, what charms, (For such proceedings I am charg'd withal) I won his daughter with. Her father lov'd me; oft invited me; Still questioned me the story of my life, I ran it through, e'en from my boyish days, Of hairbreadth 'scapes, in the imminent deadly breach; And sold to slavery; of my redemption thence, All these to hear, Would Desdemona seriously incline; But still the house affairs would draw her thence. I did consent; And often did beguile her of her tears, When I did speak of some distressful stroke, She swore in faith, 'twas strange, 'twas passing strange, "Twas pitiful; 'twas wondrous pitiful; She wish'd she had not heard it; yet she wish'd She thank'd me, And bade me, if I had a friend that lov'd her, |