Northern star, and Warren and Bristol gazette. [volume] (Warren [R.I.]) 1826-1830, 1826-09-02
YpetrQ.


The following poem from the pen.
of Mr.. Willis. editor Of the Boston
Recorder. is the most beautiful picture
Of the human form, and the most cor
rect deleniation of the human passions,
which we ever perused. The style,
like that Of all the productions of Mr..
Willis, 10 excellent, and the language
chaste. Whoever reads these lines
we are confident, will admire them.
JEPTHATs DAUGHTER.
She stood before her fathers gorgeous tent,
Td listen to his coming Her loose. hair
Was resting on her shoulders, like cloud
Floating around a statute, and the wind,
Just sway.us her light robe. rcveald a shape
Fraxiteless might worship She had claspd
Her hands upon her bosom, and had raised
Her beautiful, dark, Jewish eyes TO Heaven.
Y'ill the long lashes laid upon her brow,
Her lip was slightly parted like the cleft
Ofa pomegranate blossom aud her neck,
Just where the cheek wns meeting toits curve,
With the unearthly beauty son,e,.ses there
Was shaded, as if light had fallen off,
Its surface was so polisha. She was quel-
Her light, quick breath, to hear: and the
white rose
Scarce movu upon her bosom, as it swell'd
Like nothing but lovely dream of light,
To meet the asching OF her queeny neck.
Her countenance was radiant with love-
She lookd thing to die for it. A being
Whose whole ex noe was the pouring cut
Ofrich and deep affections. have thought
A brothers and sisters love was much.
] know brother is-for have been
A sisters idol and know how broke
The heart may be with its own tenderness
But the affection of u delicate child
For fond father, gushing as it does
With the sweet springs Of life, and pouring on
Through all earth's changes like priuci-
pie,
Chasten'd with reverence, and made more
pure
BY the worlds discipline Of light uid shade
1T must be holer.
The wind bore on
The lcaden tramp ofthousands. Clarion note.
Rang sharply on the ear at intervcls:
And the low, mingled din of mighty hosts
Returning from the battle pourd from far,
Like the deep murmur Of restless sea-
They came, as, earthly conquerors always
come,
With blood and splendor, revelry and wo,
The stately horse treads proully-he hath
tod
The brow of death, as we'll The chariot
wheels
OF warriors rool magnifoently on
Their weight hath crushd the fallen. Man
Majestic, loudly man-with his sublime
And elevated brow, and goililfo frame;
Lifting his crest in trumph---for his boe
Hath trod the dying like a wine-press down
The mighty Jepthah led his warriors on
Thro' Mspeh's streets. His helm was proud
ly set;
And his stern lip curld lightly, as if praise
We're for the hero's scorn. His step was firm,
But free as Inda's leopard and his mail,
Whose shekes none in Israel might bear,
Was like cedar's tasse on his frame,
his crest was Judah's hingliest. Aud the
look
OF his dark, lofty eye, and bended brow,
Might quel the hon. lie LED on; but
thoughts
6eemd gathering round which troubled him.
The veins
Grew visible upon his swarthy brow,
And his proud lip was pressI as if with pain
He trod less firmly; and his restless eye
Glaned forward frequently, as if some i'll
lie dar'd not meet, were there. His home
was near;
And men were thronging with that strange
delight
They have in human passions to observe
The struggle Of his feelings with his pride.
lie gazd intensly forward. The tall frs
Before his tent were notionless. The leaves
OF the sweet aloe, and the clustering vines
Which half concealed his threshold met his
eye
Unchanged and beautiful and one by one,
The balsom with its sweet-distilling stems,
And the Circassan rose, and all the crowd
OF silent and familiar things, stole up
Like the recovered passages of dreams.
He strobe on rapidly. A moment more,
And he had reach'd his home when 10;
there spraug
One with bounding footstep, and brow
Oflisht, to meet him. o how beautiful!
Her dark eye flashing like SUM- lit gem