The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-06-08
From The Nep Yorker
THE LOST PLEAD.

The singular constellation Of the Pleiades (he
seven stdrs) is first mentioned in the book OF Job
CHI Up. tx, verse 8. He asks, Who shall contend
with the Almighty, Who made Arclurus Orion. and
Pleiades, and seale,h up The s,ars ~ This book is
OF great antiquity indeed. Even in his day. Peiades
had name, and was a remarkable object in The
heavens II is known that, by comparing the starry
armament with the tradition and history OF ancient
times some stars missing from the heavens,
and have been SO for centuries. Whether they will
ever appear again, or whether the absences have
burnt out, expired by the Limitation assigned TO
them by their Maker or gone 10 tighten up adorn
other parts Of The great empyrean cannot be known
Whether or not they have travelled away into space,
and, alter revolutionary lustraon, will return
aud lake their station is alike unknown; or whether
veil Is thrown over their disc, by Him who
:" seaieth up the stars" we know not. They are in
visible to mortaleye> now. For more than eighteen
centuries, the Lost ea id has been celebrated New
stars have often appeared in The galaxy, or milky
way and aiter wards disappeared; but there is none
OF all The heavenly lights, which has attracted so
much attention the departure of this one of the
seven Stars Ovid was born for,ylhree years before
CHRIST. 1 his lain poet speaks of IL: "Qua
Septem-Sex" Those which tcere seven are now
six. The changeeSS state oil society in the East
until lately, would seem 10 have enabled the shep-
herds on The plains and mountains OF Judea in their
the hour when the bright waTder left fer spite re-
The fact seems admitted, although the lime OF its
occurrence is unknown.
HeSiod furnished in the age OF Homer, 901 years
before Christ. The writings Of job He>iod and
Homer, are among the most ancient known to the
world. Hesiod speaks of the Occanides, (sea
nymphsl dau2 hters of Oceanus TO whom prayers
were offered 10 protect sailors from storms and dan.
geTouS tempeStS. These daughters were seven.-
Pieone was their mother. Their names were Ce
leyone, Merope, Male, Electra, Tagela, Slerope,
and Ceeno. Alter dcata they were placed IN The
heavens, where they formed constellation called
Pleaides. Six of these daughters were eSpoused TO
distinguished heroes, who were apotheosized or del
fled, as was then common 10 such men, Meiope
married Sphus, son Of Eolus mortal; and az
though she was changed into constellation alter
death, the star OF MeroPe looked more dim and OBJ
than the rest the poets said it was for that
reason. Merope has at last disappeared. She is the
Lost Plead.
One who writes beautiful poetry in our own
country has given his version OF This wonderful
in nature in the most pleasing manner 10 the
following short poeical ehusion 10 introduce which
the foregoing remarks were penned. Its myho-
logical structure is his own
THE LOST Plead.
There were seven sisters; and each wore
A starry crown, as, hand in hand,
BY HeSper woke they led the Hours,
The MINISTRIES of his virgin band.
And love would come at eve, as they
Were met their vesper hymn to sing,
And liDger till it ceased with eye
OF raptured gaze, and folded wing.
For meier on earth, in air were heard
More thrilling tones than, 10 tne Tyre
OF heaven tuned, rose nightly from
The lips Of that young virgin choir.
But they were coy, or seeming coy
Those minStrelS Of the twilight hour
Nuns OF The sky, as cold and shy
As blossoms Of the woodland bower.
Twas eve, and Hesper came to wake
His starry troop, but wept; for one
The brightest iarest Of the group
Where all were bright and iair-was gonel
They found within her bower the harp
To which was tuned her vesper hymn;
The stare gems OF her coronet;
And one was with tear-drop dim.
They told how Love had at the gate
Ottwight fingered long before
The daylight set; but he was gone,
And she, the lost one seen no more.
George Hits Poems.