Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1865-03-14
t)oetrp.
The Lesson of the Sky.Lark.

rsrSJINrs r. TAYLOR
The following is an extract from an unpublished
poem" Heroes and Heroism
! held in my hand wonder--a hymn OF a thou
sand years.
It was bora IN an Eoglish meldow--it was oloef
than English cheers
Twas hymn for the Roman eagles, ana psalm
for the Norman line
1t was sung through the wars OF the Roses, "hen
the York turned red as wine
It was heard on Bosworth field, when Glosler'
flint struck fire,
And Richards soul to Rehmonds steel did glim'
mer and expire
When the pans for the thaDe drowned the dr.
ges for the thing,
And he swept across the planet on James e'eroa
wing,
Who waged the battle as an earl and won it as d
king,
And plucked the crown OF England from Tue
hawthorn where it hung,
And lightly to his longing brow Gocond4' Gus
ter swuEg,
The crown upon the cOronet, I'LL the light OF i''
pearls grew thin, ,,
Aud pale as a morning star that had led the day
light in.
Charge! and MaBton Moor was drum by gal
looping cavalry beat,
Halt and each iron rank brought up with
clank, and each trooper sat still IN his seat
Harkl and down from the blue to the red was
floating that exquisite strain,
As II every rider had ridden, and never drawn
sabre or rein,
Right out of the hell Of the battle to the door OF
heaven ajar,
And thought he heard before his time the singing
OF a star,
And thought he saw 10 the downy cloud tho truant
from the holy choir,
As it hung in sweet yibIaton-an anthem 10 the
air
And | held in my hand that wonder book with
single psalm,
That would not brim the hollow Of a woman low
ing palmj
And the lyric was brown breasted, and the lids 0
the book were wing',
And the bird was an English sky-atk, and the
feeblest Of Gods things,
That had fallen out Of the azure like a mote iron
Almighty eye,
And had shared the fate Of the sparrow, for ih'
Father saw him die.
Oh, bayest bird Of Britain IA Little ounce 0
death
Oh, song born out Of heaven IA clod without
breath.
And then my soul grew reverent-my heart bea
strong and grand,
As thought Of the broad commission Of the atom
10 my hand
That the Admiral OF the fleets at anchor of tn
world,
Flung out His pennant with the touch that ll'tl
pnion iurled--
Unrolled the scrolls OF thunder 'twxt the serapI
and the sod
Dashed down word Of FIRE in the running han
OF God,
And stamped the stormy margins With lis RIM
80 broad and brave,
One half 10 in the welkin-the other on the wave
BY him to meet that bird mid-alr, the misty NOR
was driven,
Lest it should break away from earth, and SIN
itself to hesyenj
He sowed the Grand Armada like grain upon tn
breeze,
But gave to lark and lightning the freedom Of III
seas
The cattle asleep In the meadow, and the shade"
asleep on the hill,
And the msts, like gray franciscans, all Standln
ghostly still
And the stars are drowsily shutting their eyes,
weary watchers will
And the crescent moon in the west shows Il
fash Of a silver shoe,
And the steed that brought over the mldalght,
bearing it down the blue.
And out Of the silence and shadow there quver'
the dend.res song,
And bird going up into morning, exulantly f
lowed along
And the mountains stood down IN their plac'
and the clouds all timidiy chung,
But strand Of Jehovah untwisted wherein
lost Pleads are strung
When the bird with its music and molten, ere
dawn had blooded its breast
Up direct from the sod TO the glory OF God,
umphsntly burst from the n'st
Jast held TO the earth by hbre-a single inv
bic thread,
AZ II some Elijah had fingered, and sent up as
in his stead,
It has taught us the secret Of dying without be
utterly dead.
How the rings Of horizons, like water, roll a'
10 the edge OF the earth
How the blue shell OF heaven is broken, TO give
this bird new birth
Oh pendulum, timing true glory-swing on '
thy music, be ween
The dust that hs, drihed in graves, and
houses sternsl, unse-n--
For Of such are the kingdom heroic-bray
faith, in sword and in song,
That forever in grspdest vibration, to no "
and no age can belong