The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-08-17
Elegant extract from the Power of Solitude, y
A POEM

A POEM.
BIZ JOSEPH STORY, Esq OF SALEN.
Go, view the converts duh monastic gloom,
Cold as despair, and silent, AS the tomb, ''-'
Where harsh religion rules with bigot sway
Thu lingering hour, and damps the tedious
day;
Where rayless horror DER the embrio 10y
Hangs, like some fend, to strangie & destroy
In vain the bosom heaves with PASSIONS sigh,
Rubies the lip, OF melts the azure eye;
In vain the cheek with loves carnation CLOVIS,
Or through the heart voluptuous riot flows;
Since here the virgin pines in Holy dread
Spouse Of despair, and tenant with the dead
Still here are charms by mental truth REIN
To lure affection from the wounded mind:
Here vestal zeal or rapt devotion scars,
With faiths keen eye the future world eX-
plores,
Leads faultering hope through errors dubious
road,
And lights the trembling soul to heavens a.
bode.
Hank, from yon cloisters, wrapt in gloom
profound,
The solemn organ peals It's midnight sound
The choral anthem swells along the aisle,
Bursts the deep vaults and shakes the echorg
pile,
While trembling CLEANS, as distant tapers
move,
Sweep the cold walls, and fringe the cypress
grove.
With cautious reverence round their glimmer.
ing shrine
Press the meek nuns, and raise the prayer di-
Here, weeping penance lifts her Redeemed
eye,
Pours the weak plant, and breathes a heart
felt sigh;
There, wan devotion bends with wistful gaze,
Or chants the vocal hymn of vesper praise
While, pure in thought sweet reposes rise,
Zach grief subsidies, each wild emotion dies,
Heavens calm delights their erring souls EN-
And sweet srcLusIoN whispers promised
Joy.
Else, when bold freedom late in thunder's
Burst their dim cells, and babe the dead re
joice.
Recalled the victims from despair's embrace,
And rent the vestal veil from beauty's tace,
Why did the lingering train, with anxious
view,
Hang DER the walls, and weep and wave a
Why ask with suppliant tears the warlike
brave
To grant cloister's life, a cloister's gravel
All then remembrance with convulsive start
Rene wed those scenes, ere while which sooth
ed the heart,
When kind religion, as the vespers closed,
Each wish attempered, and each care com.
posed.
So chained by tyrant power in cursed BIAS
TILE,
Whose weeping walls uncounted wrongs re.
veal.
Fate's hopeless victim, prey of cankerous care,
On torture feeds, and surfeits on despair
But bark the portal on its hinges jars.
And freedoms arm unbolts the ponderous
bars,
Enwrapt IN flames she melts his chains away,
And leads the astonshed captive forth to day ::
Yet 10, what sadness wastes his shrivelled
cheek,
What strangled utterance nocks the wish to
speak!
His muttered signs implore from generou.
fate
The f1nty pillow, and the ray'ess CRATE.
Alas with light reflection woke her reign,
And turned at memory's touch the whole to
pain
No glance Of welcome meets his searching
eye,
No plying children echo sigh for sigh;
In vain he asks home from door to door,
The place which knew him once, knows him
no more;
Zen the few friends, whom heaven had taught
his woes,
The narrow house had lodged in long repose {:
Nought, pought, remained to sooth the straR-
gers care,
Save the lone walls, his prison, and his pray
eri