The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-03-24
For the Nati"Dal Era.
DAN AT THE STAK
BY H. B. NORTON.


The early dawnlight gmmered down on hill and over
plain,
The rivers rpplns waters towers of old Rouen
On the bishops miired forehead and the monk with fast
ing pale.
On knigh,ly, bearded warrororms, all cased in e, am
On sturdy British yeomen, and the Normans forehead
brown,
The gray and misty morning rays came dimy struggling
down.
Along the narrow pathway, from tie rivers winding
Up to the huge and gloomy towers of Beaure
The thousands stood in silence till the risen SUMS bright
FIRE
Glowed on the rock walled batements and ba,hed eacb
slender spire;
Then rose from that multitude thousand voices
swell
Bring forth the demon sorceress Bring forth the Child
of HELM 81
The huge key harshly grated, and the gateway omen
swung,
And forth she came to torturing DEATH the beautiful the
young.
She came, the youthful peasant girl whose fercei bla
zng eye
Had led the storm of battle, like the Star of Destiny
That FORM SO frai and slender with the faint and tre
bling breath,
Had sbone, flaming meteor, in the van of strife and
death!
Tie pale hands meekIy folded pale brow heaven
ward turned;
The blue eye dreamy, fathomless with mv.c snlsndo,
burned.
Needless oftorch and got blaze in silence on she ,ro
Needless of priest and eerng throng she looked but to
her God.
The Pas, came sweeping her. with all its dreamy
train
Again child, she roamed the fields and meadows of
Lorraine;
Again in girhood's early DAYS n, mdnivh,,s .o,.,,
Her awesruck soul bowed down before the spir, smell
ofpower;
Again. in radiant GRIT reckless of care. or fears
she led the roaring charge, amid the crash Of
spears;
Again The dungeons rocky walls echoed her mour,fo,
prayer
But still that spot holy ground for One was with her
And TO her vision umned brain yet br ebter pc,re.
She looked beyond the torture stake and fierce
ing fame,
And saw, bright blazing far away, wrought like radiaD,
gem,
The pearly-glowins ea,eways of the New Jerusalem.
The solemn, weird procession paused before the stake
at last ..
And bound amid the whitening flames, her spirit
passed.
But, as she stood, enveiled in FIRE from ,u,ble.
Bent not above her One soohe that fearful agony,
Amid the wasting furnace blase that round her wav.
and rolled,
Stood not like the Son of Godn as in the dav, If
old?
Did not her spirit rise 10 dwell amid the white robed
ihrong,
Who cry, beneath heavens aiar-shrne, "How long. O
Lord, how long,n
Full twice two centuries have rolled in light and sbsd
away,
nu' tpi our Utmost pulses thrill in memory Of the day
ana through the ages yet 10 cone tha name shall ever
lighttoweT on the Sea of Time, a landmark for the
free!
Look FORTH o fair young martyr from thy home above
the skies
The battle RACES round the waves of sorrow rise
The hight 10 Mshthas yielded and Oppression SIM and
Wrong,
Have reared Remembering battlements, and bas,ons
grim and strong
And Faith, and truth, and Honor like the chat re sweep,
away,
BY gassrsd wrongs of centuries and ages dim and gray
come in Rerrution strength, days of yore,
Inspire faint and shattered ranks 10 close in might
once more.
So may the swelling tide of crime back to its source be
TO led.
And and triumph usher in the dawning Age of Gold!