The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-11-25

In the South, where the POle-star shines not,
but the cross is reared high, the inspiring en-
blem of faith rules the Storm-King. There he
perpetually drills his battling forces, that they
may be ready to assail whatever venturous
ones ihsanely dare to pass through his domain
Overhead, as if canopies for his throne, blaze
the wondrous consultations of the Southern
Sphere " brightly beaming Argo," the glowing
splendors of the southern cross, to the ancients
known as " Caesars Thyonoa,'' of which Dante
wrote:
10 mi vosi man destra, posi- mente
Alkaline polo, vidi qua ro steiic
Non viste mai fuOr ch'alla prima genie - y
there too Centaurus, Scorpio, Campus; the
mystic light of the Magellanic clouds, mildly
effulgent as the milky way, the white OK ;" Eel
bakar) of Abdurrahman Soft, the imaginative
Arab the inscrutable @ al-bags,' ca,opo
fdsco of Vespucci-all these glories that men
long after, and become wanderers to behold:
Sod. pareva il ciel d lor fammelle:
settenirional vedovo sito,
Poi che private Sc d mirar quelle.n
Endless bright stellar contrasts and artistic
groupings combine to illuminate and beautify
his mighty realm. But little reeks he of these
like an old robber-knight, he sits aloft in his
cloud-eyrie, where never ray of sunshine pene
trates, watching ever for victims upon whom to
hurl down his malevolent storm-blast. Never
sleeps he, for the perpetual chorus of his satel
ites combines in wild enwoven strophe and anti
strope of storm-shriek to keep him ever watchful
Rest he needs not, for he is winged like the al
batross that dances over his own high waves
never grieves he at wall of drowned mariner
nor the echo of that wall from broken homes
for fate-fraught tempests are the Joy Of his som
bre heart, and he calls for them as kings in the
olden time used call for Journeys to drown
their ennui, no matter how man teeth Isaac o
York must lose to bear expenses The misty
eastwind comes to him with its whirl of mois
vapor, and the grim King laughs, for is not thi,
his jester, who maketh his heart merry Will
frequent joke? And the South Wind, from hi
blue iee-felds, attends the Court, his blacl
huge body cased in Antarctic glaciers, his gra,
beard heavy with icicles of the wild-dashec
wave-like some Norway pine upon a firth ii
winter, its sturdy trunk all grown with moss anC
lichen, its spines and branches hoar with frozer
spray-attends the, Court in honor, STYLED
"good and faithful sery ant" for be is castelar,
of the domain, Lord Wa den of the Marches, anC
his well-guarded keep l,ristles detiantly agains
all assailants. And the North W ind, warm ant
languid from the Pampas and B razilian forests
is the slave of the royal hate, for he never muir
murs but of flowers, and dreamly whispers il
his sleep of fair joys de MED the King forever
But the Southwest Win d is the Champion of hi,
Realm, who whirls down in mad charge upor
every intruder, whrls down with retinue o
fnty iceberg and white crested wave, and hail
| and snow, and misty attendance of benun,bin2
spray. And he it is that the Storrm-ki fos
tereth, and calleth "niy son" and promised
his downy-bosomed daughter in marriage.
A gay festive realm hath the black -broweC
old Ruler in these latter days. Time was wher
he had to waste his rage upon the waters, OF
| upon some luckless whale that perchance hat
strayed into his dominion, for no nobler game
came in his way to hunt down. But from tn,
days of LIE MAR and Shouten, and gallant Si
Francis Drake, mans whitewinged messenger.
have been his glorious quarry. Eager they
plunge into thy realm In quest of gain, of gold
reckless of the bones bleaching at the bottom
of thy waters, and of the tossed spars anC
| timbers that rise upon thy swell Gold dotl
aid thee, oh stormy one, give thanks to gold
All the fends bless it, do thou bless it also
They have tried to study thy ways, oh King, tC
| solve thy mysteries, to circumvent thee, bu
thou art inscrutable, unfathomable, lord of the
mighty tempests, and they cannot read in thy
book.
Into thy woeful kingdom, oh lord of "Tene
brifc Cape" went tall and stately ship. High
hearted were her crew, for they loved and trust
ed fhpir nnhla craft an6 bod prnpa1 bar ny
ers. In white squall, and sudden hurricane o
Caribbee, they had seen her dance, gripping OF
light fantastic toe" as if 'twere but the anguit
sigh of summer eve. And now, confident
venturous, they tempt thy realm. Hoarse voice.
drown even the means of the zephyrs warning
them away-hOarse voices ordering spars dow
and sails reefed. "Clew up, and haul down
furl and reef! for the dread Cape is near, the
Storm Kings throne All around them haiti
| thy icy-bearded CASTELAR, summoned up cloud
forms to shut out the light of day, and haiti
brought up all his forces, cold, and snow, anC
| hail
"And now there come both mist and snow,
And II grows wondrous cold
And 're, mast high come, fa:oa,,ungpy'
Wildly he yells his mad anger, wildly warn:
them back, yet they will on. Thy South Wind
oh King, is impotent against these hardy mar
iners this stout and goodly ship. They battl,
him roughly, and already are victors. Feathery
light, the proud Clipper dances over waves boil
ing, seething in vain wrath about her, hurting
icy spray into her frozen rigging, and roaring
their fierce anger at her successful progress
Vainly tolls thy South Wind, oh King for two
brawny backs are at the helm, and they bring
thy CASTELAR, into service, oh Lord of Storms, t.
| lift them on their course! What dost murmur
IL. a. Al
over thy gray eyrie? Let them pass on
Ominous are such words on thy lips, ruthless
| one, ominous in meaning as in style. Let then
pass on, that thy Champion may tilt at them il
full career? that thou mayst, tapping thu
black storm wings over them, launch Upon them
thy mob Of tempest Pass ON, gallant ship
pass on, sturdy mariners, pass on in watching
and in prayer, for the dark hour of trial drawetf
very near.
Thou whisperest yet more, dismal monarch
What Thou wilt send thy Jester, thy misty
frivolous East Wind, to toy with and cajole
them, so that thy Champion NAV catch them
unawares Oh, thou foul traitori shall no hui
man art ever west thy castle from thee? Oh
fated ones already the chorus of the Storm
King, and the wild notes of his downy -bosomed
daughter, exulting in paans and victorious
verses over your ruin. Already doth the Cham.
pion grid on his armor of mist, and ice, and
storm, and hail, fitting TO his hand his sword q
numbing frost, his mace of crushing wave, and
mounting astride this black tempest steed, who
is 6eeter in charge than the hurting bullet
even now is he thus making ready, while We,
cheated into security, reset your spars, unloose
your frozen sails, and congratulate yourselves,
saying, The Storm. Cape is passed, and this is
called Pacific! +" Oh, fated ones, fearing not
Oh doomed ones that vet smile iovouslyT Oh
drowning men, who cast so recklessly from
your hands the saviour spar! "
"Sail on yet little further sayeth the Alba
-, he 1a,,h ~ He (f>r bic