Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1826-11-14

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For The .Nem- York Salesman.
MILLIONS INTERVIEW WITH CALLED

arrived IL Florence, says the puc,"i sought ahu '"u
famous Calico grown old, prisoner to The inquSi''
thinking IN astronomy otherwise than the fIa"e's'
Dominican licenserS thought
Celestial Genius. a, thy throne
Oh mental glory, where, alone,
Gather the great OF ages gone,
Two mighty spirits bemd the knee.
Who were they, when upon the cai'h,
In Geshy forms Of mortal birth,
they broke the loaf, aud round the hearth
CouvcrSng, gesturd cen as we:
There is u passage in their lives
So beautiful il still survives.
Twas in the soft Tuscauian CLINE
OF the red orange and green lime,
in lone dungeon, black with time,
An old man sat like mountain snow;
Bleach d tho his locks with years fuur-scorr,
Ills eye aneagle brightness bore,
w hlle his high brow grandeur wore
Like fallen kings in crowness woe.
iuuccd, for picture or for stone,
That face would be noble one.
And bark. footsteps are on the floor:
The clankiug bars fall from the door
1t opens;-and tho tapcrs pour
Their light upon fair-haired youth,
Whose glowing cheek of rudy red
Announced, that he had wandered
From Aibion's distant isle, To read
The world and men in scholar truth
But why should he this dark cell Srek
Is IT some wild romantic freak?
lie enters, softly, with slow pace;
inst looks around the desert place,
Then, while tears o'erllowed his face,
knces down and takes the old mans hand,
And kisses it, and sobs aloud,
Till, overpowered with crowd
OF thought, bursting like some storm cloud,
Life's palsied pulse seems at n stand.
When loi voice that struck mis- ear,
Soon made the weakness disappea
''Who art thou?" said the prisoner
"MiltonS my name; am come here,
a hayward pilgrim, worshipper
or the Venus and the Apollo
The marble columns to behold,
Those remnants OF the times of old,
But chief of all, converse 10 hold
With thee, the world known Calico.
I sought him in the princes halls,
But found him in tn dungeons walls
Much peril lay in those last words:
They seemed like doublc1cdged swords
To cut the captive's tendorest chords,
For from his soul went up groan.
Zig drous Of water filled his eye,
Aud in mans bitter agony
His heart knockd loud, though 'twould : lie
But suddenly his frame its tone
Reraincd; at once. he looked inspired,
While eve aud voice with Heaven fired.
lit the ma TN from star star,
Showed every planet, near and frt,
Aud my lightning winged
Rode up the clouds 10 meet the sun,
a universe of worlds of GOLD
Above, around, below rolld,
And things to mortal man untold
Familiarly by me were known.
Knowledge, mysterious, wonderful,
Was common language my soul!
C;odlikc / looked sublimty,
Darkness turned pale beneath my eye,
Chaos appalld made haste TO Gy,
Till half caught the angels mirti.,
Oh why, Oh why did 4eturn,
Ear from The blue celestial bourne
With radiant nemory's holy urn,
And pour it cruel eath?
'roy made my oracles my bane,
nd gave for thanks an iron chain!'
How burned the blood OF the young bard!
~ as this the damuable reward
FOR all thy gifts' the fate is hard,
That genius other air should breathe
Than heaven; or leave its own CLINE
For cold material things of time,
But he not sad: nations shall chime
Thy drge OF horror after death.
For present glory heave no sigh,
Regard upright futurty."
Milton! thou little knew the fate,
That would in coming years await
Thine own descent, from Heavens bright gate,
Through fields of stars to Eden's bower
They parted; ne'er TO meet again;
Save in the ethereal domain
or God; where, n0w, unknowu TO PAIN
They suiile and think of ie's past hour.
Though gone from us, yet forgot,
For where's the land that knows them not: