Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1865-01-31
i)ottrp.
From the Atlantic Monthly for TsbrIAry.I
The Mantle of St. John de Malta.

ID. ll51-lSO4.
pTJo WHITTIER
A strong and mighty angel,
Calm, terrible and bright,
The cross in blended red and blue
Upon bis mantle white
Two captives by him kneeling,
E,ch on his broken chain,
Sacg praise to God who raseth
The dead to life again
Dropping his cross-wrought msRte,
Wear his, the angel taid
"Toke thou, o freedom priest, It's sign
The white, the blue, and red"
Then up rost John de Matha
10 the strength The Lord Christ gave,
And begged, through all the land Of France
The ransom Of a slave.
The gates Of lower and castle
Before him open flew,
The drawbridge at his coming fell
Toe dooibOt backward drew.
For oil men owned bis errand,
And paid his righteous tax;
And the hearts OF lord ard peasant
Were in his hands as wax.
A, las, outbound from Tunis,
His bafk her anchor weighed,
Fnighted with seven score Christian souls
W1ose ranso he had paid.
But, torn by PaJnim hatred,
Her sails in tatters hung;
Aud on the wild waves rudcerless,
A shattered hulk she swung.
"Gad save US !" cried the captain,
For nought can man avail
o woe betide the ship That lacks
Her rudder aud her sail!
"Behind US are the Moormen,
At sea we sink or strand;
There's death upon the water,
There's death upon the land =
Then up spake John de Malta:
Goods erisnds never fill
Take thou the mantle which wear,
And make Of it sail"
They raised the wrought mantle,
] he blue, the white, the red
And sta ght before the wind of.shore
The .hip OF Freedom sped.
"God help US cried the seamen,
For vain is mortal skill
The good ship on a stormy sea
Is drifting at It's will"
Then ny spake John de Malta
MY mariners, never fear
The Lord vi ose breath has filed her sail
May well our vessel steer
So on through storm and darkness
They drove for weary houfsj
And 10 the third gray morning ,hone
On 0sIia's friendly towers.
And on the walls the watchers
The ship Of mercy knew
They knew lar off its holy cross,
The red, the white, and blue.
And the bells in all the steeples
Ring out in glad accord,
To welcome home TO Christian soil
The iansomed Of the Lord.
So runs the ancient legend
BY bard and painter told:
And lol tie cycle rounds again,
The new is us the old
With rudder ioul'y broken,
And sails by traitors torn,
Our codnlry un a midnight sea
Is waiting for the morn.
Before her, nameless terror
b, hind, the pirate foei
The clouds are black above her,
The sea is white below.
The hope of all who suffer,
The dread Of all who wrongj
She drifts 10 darkness and in storm,
How long, o Lord how longP
But courage, . my mariners
Ye shall not suffer wreck
While up to God the fIesdman's prayers
Are rising from your deck.
Is no, your sail the banner
Which God hath blest anew,
The mantle that De Matha wore,
he red, the white, the blue3
Its hues are al of heaven
The r., Of sunsets dye,
The wilderness Of the noonli, cloud,
The blue OF mornings ky.
Wal, ebesrily, then, q mariners,
For daylight and for land
The breath Of God is in your sail,
Your rudder is His hand.
Sail on, sail on, dsep.freighted
Wnh blessings aud With hopes
The saints OF old With shadoWy hands
Are pulling at your ropes.
Behind ye holy martyrs
Upllil the palm and crown
Biure ye unborn ages send
Tue ben, dlellons down.
T,ke hear, f om ,hn de Malta -
Coos .iTanas btyer t.il
S",p on through storm aud darkness,
TIE hunder aud the hail d!
Sail on the morning come,b,
The port ye yet shall wiz;
And all the bells Of God shall ring
The good ship brayely in!
agricultural.
Planting Peas Deep.