Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-03-05
ALEXANDRIA GAZETTE.
THE BURIAL OF THE MIGHTY.
BY MRS. HEMANS.

BY MRS. HEMANs.
A glorious voice hath ceased!-
Mounfully, reverently-the funeral chant
Breathe reverently There is dreamy sound,
A hollow murmur Of the dying year.
In the deep woods:--Let it be wild and sad!
A more Eolian meIapcholv tone
Than ever walled DER bright things pprishing!
For that is passing from the darken'd land.
Which the green Summer " i'll not bring US back
Though all her songs return.-The funeral chant
Breathe reverently They hear the mighty forth,
The kngy ruler in the realms of mind
They bear him through the household paths, the
groves,
Where every tree had music Of its own
To his quick ear Of knowledge taught by love-
And he is siIent!-Pa,t the living stream
They bear him now; the stream, whose kindly
vuice
On alien shores his true heart burn'd to hear
And he is silent! Ger the heathery hills.
Which his own soul had mantled with light
Richer than Autumn's purple. now they move
And he is silent!- whose tiexilr lips
Were but unseal'd. and 10! thousand forms,
From every pastoral glen and fern clad height,
In glowing life unsprang:-Vassel and chief,
Rider and steed. with shout and bugle-peal.
Fast rushing through the brightly troubled air.
Like the wild huntsman's band. And still they
live,
To those fair scenes imperishablv bound,
And from the mountain mist flashing by,
Star,le the wanderer who hath listened there
To the Seer's voice: Phantoms of colored thought,
SURVIVING him who edo Eloguence!
o Power, whose brealhlhgs thus could wake the
dead!
Who shall wake Thee? Lord Of the buried past!
And art thou thereto those dim nations join'd
Thy subiecthost so longl-the wand is droppd.
The bright lamp broken, which the gifted hand
Touch'd, and the Gem came-Sing reverently
The funeral-chaut!-T mighty is borue home.
And who shall be his mournersf--Y Youth and
Age,
For each hath felt his magic:-Love and Grief,
For he hath communal with the heart OF each!
Yes-the free spirit OF humanity
Nav join the august procession, tor TO him
Its mysteries have been tributary things
And all ITS accents knoan:-lrom field or wave,
Never was conquerOr on his battle bier
Bv the ve,l'd and the muff1ed drum.
And the proud dropping Of the crested head,
More nobly FOLLOWED home. The last abode,
The voiceless dwelling OF the bard is reached:
A still majestic spot! Srt solemnly
With all the implorins beauty Of decay:
A stately couch midst ruins! meet for him
With his bright fame to rest in, as king
OF other DAYS, laid lonely with his sword
Beneath his head. Sing reverently the chant
Over the bonor'd grave!-the grace! oh! say
Rather the shrine!-An altar for the love.
The light, soft pilgrim steps. the votive wr'aths
or years unborn:-a place where leat ana now
Bv that which dies not Of the sovereign dead,
Shall be made holy things:-where every weed
Shall have its portion Of the inspiring gift
From buried glory breath'd And now' what
strain,
Making victorious melody ascend
High above sorrows dirge. BELTS the tomb,
Wien he that sway'd the nations there is laid,
The crowp'd Of meBI
A lowly, lowly song.
Lowlv and solemn be
Thr chiIdren's cry to Thee,
Father divine!
A HYMN of suppliant breath,
Owning that Life and Death
Alike are thine!
spirit on its way,
Sccpued the earth to sway.
From thee as sent:
Now caii'.t thou back thine own
Hence is that radiance Hown-
10 earth but lent.
Watching in GREATNESS awe
The bright head bowed we saw,
Beneath Thy hand!
Flll'd by one hope, one fear,
Now DER brothers bier,
Weeping we stand.
How hath he passeds-the Lord
OF each deep bosom chord,
To meet thy sight,
Unmarried and alone,
On thy best mercy thrown,
o Infinite!
So from his harvest home,
Must the tired peasant come;
So in our trust,
Leader and king must weld
The naked soul, reveai'd
/ To thee, Adjust!