The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1821-1823, 1821-05-23
The Lamentations Of the Vsrgias Of Israel
for the daughter Of Jephthah:

A HEBREW ECLoGUE.
/. HASTE, Virgins haste to climb yon sun
ny mountains,
And join the dance in these melodious
bowers
Haste crown your urns from Gilead's pur-
est fountains,
And weave your wreaths of Gilead's sweet
est flowers
For once again the slow revolving hours
Have brought the day when weeping Pal
estine,
From wild Idume's groves to Sidon's towers,
Bewail'd the daughter of her noblest line
And Moloch's offerings smek'd upon Jehovah's
shrine.
Q. And ever on the day that view'd herled
To that dire rite, in deepest terrour calm,
Around her grave the youths and damsels
she'd
Rich odorous gums, and Irvine the veniant
palm
While many a sacred dance and mournful
psalm
Bewail the victim of reluctant slaughter
And Ephraim's hills, and Glead's groves Of
balm,
And the green rocks by Jordan's dark blae
water,
Echo the funeral dirge of Israers fairest 6augh-
ter.
3. "oh!- child Of heroes, if in death thou
lowest
The land thy virgin-blood was she'd to save.
Hear from the happy realms, where now
thou royest,
The solemn lay We MARBLE o'er thy gave !;
For prophets tell that to the good and brave
Our fathers God assigns happier dwell
Where gorgeous streams of liquid emerald
lave
Refulgeut groves, all groves of earth excel
ing,
Where heavenly musick floats, through the
rich branches swelling 1s
A. Where heaven IL endless sapphire burns
above,
And earth smiles gaily on the smiling skies !;
Where flowers more radiant than the blush
of love
Are fann'd by breezes softer than its signs ;
Where sersphs furl their wings, whose count
less dyes
Burn with the glories of departing day,
And as in Eden,s earlier Paradise,
Delight with men through those fair scenes
to stray,
And all their Makers works, and all his love
display
5. "Hope views thee liEing-Nature mourns
thee dead
And, fairest, we must weep-tho' not for
thee.
Oh who can stand above the grassy bed
Of that fair form which we no more must
see,
Nor think how thy dark eyes fash'd forth
with glee,
When thy great fathers conquering axmA
were sung
From broad Euphrates to the Western Sea-
BLESSED by each heart, aud prais'd by every
tongue;
And clouds of incense rose, and songs Of TIL
umph rung
6. Haste fling green garlands Though
the crowded street
Roll back the portals-let the trumpet
sound
Throng every battlement, the Chief to greet,
Who comes with glory's brightest chaPlet
crown'd
And, as he passes, scatter odours round.
Heard we the thunders of his gilded car (!
Saw We his milk-white coTsers paw the
ground?
While sobs and shouts, and clapping hands,
afar,
Hail the triumphant track of Israel's saviour's
STAR
2. sSee! from the gates a lovely train adj
To greet then prince with symphony and
Who, who more fit to lead the hallow'd
dance,
Than she, BELOVED SO well, unseen so long
On either side rolls back the gazing throng,
AS those celestial forms, with airy tread
And brandish'd timbrel, blushing, glide a.
long.
But he -- why shakes be with convul-
sive dread,
And heaves that shudd'ring groaa, and hides
his helmed head
g., "oh! daughter of a fathers tenderest
care
Oh, victim Of fathers cruel faith !,
Yes--thou must die! Those snowy brows
must wear
The sacnGcial, not the bridal, wreath.
For Joyful state, for clarioa's jocund breath,
For wedding dance, by kindred maidens led,
Thine is the mournfnl pomp and dige OF
death
Dark is the spouse, fair maid, whom thou
must wed,
And dire the nuptial rite, and cold the nuptial
bed.
o. "Yet, cen while trembling on the brink
Of life,
No voice to cheer her, and no hand to save,
She calmly saw the shrine, ths flame, the
knife,