The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-12-06
JOHN UNDERHILL.
BY JOHN G. WHITTIER.

BY JOHN G. WHITTIER.
A score of years had come and gone
Since the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth
When Captain Underhill, bearing scars
From Indian ambush and Flemish wars,
Left three-hilled Boston and wandered
down,
East by north, to Cocheco town.
With Vance the younger, in counsel sweet
He sat at Anna Hutchinson's feet,
And, when the bolt of Punishment fell
On the head of his sanity oracle,
He shared her i'll as her good report,
And braved the wrath of the General
Court.
He shook from his feet as he rode away
The dust of the Massachusetts, Bay.
The world might bless and the world might
ban,
What did it matter the perfect man,
To whom the freedom of earth was given,
Proof against sin, and sure Of heaven?
He cheered his heart as he rode along
With screed of Scripture and holy song,
Or thought how he rode with his lances
free
By the Lower Rhine and the Zuyder Zee,
Till his wood path grew to a trodden road,
And Hilton Point in the distance showed.
He saw the church with the block-house
nigh,
The two fair rivers, the flakes thereby,
And, lacking to windward, low and crank,
The little shallop from the Strawberry
Bank;
And he rose in his stirrups and looked
abroad
Over land and water, and praised the Lord
Goodly and stately and grave to see
Into the clearing's space rode he,
With the sun ON the hilt of his sword in
sheath,
And his silver buckles and spurs beneath,
And the settlers welcomed him, one and
ALL
From swift Quampeagan to Comic Fall.
And he said to the elders: "Lo, l come
AS the way seemed open to seek home.
Somewhat the Lord hath wrought by my
hands
In the Narragansett and Netherlands,
And if here We have work for Christian
man,
will tarry, and serve We as best can.
81 boast not of gifts, but fain would own
The wonderful favor God hath shown,
The special mercy vouchsafed one day
On the shore of Narragansett Bay,
AS sat, with my pipe, from the camp
aside
And unused like Isaac at eventide.
&C A cuJdon croo+pacS IF ,,oooo found
A garment of gladness wrapped me round ;
felt from the law Of works released,
The strife of flesh and spirit ceased,
My faith to full assurance grew
And all had hoped for myself knew.
CHOW, as God appointeth, keep my way,
| shall not stumble, shall not stray;
He hath taken away my fig-leaf dress,
| wear the robe Of his righteousness;
And the shafts of Satan no more avail
Than Pequot arrows on Christian mall
"Tarry with u.s." the settlers cried.
"ThOu man of God, as our ruler and
guide"
And Captain Underhill bowed his head.
" The will of the Lord be done!" he said.
And the morrow beheld him sitting down
In the rulers seat in Cocheco town.
And he judged therein as a just man
should;
His words were wise and his rule was good;
He coveted not his neighbours land,
From the holding of brides he shook his
hand;
And through the camps of the heather
ran
A wholesome fear of the valiant man.
But the heart is deceitful the good Book
saith,
And life hath ever SAVIOR of death.
Through hymns of triumph the tempter
calls,
And whose thinketh he standetl falls.
Alas! ere their round the seasons ran,
There was grief in the soul of the sanity
man.
The tempter's arrows that rarely fail
Had found the joints of his spiritual mail;
And men took note of his gloomy air,
The shame in his eye, the halt in his
prayer,
The signs of battle lost within,
The pain of a soul in the coils Of sin.
With broken vows and life of blame;
AS he walked among them sullen and grim.
III at ease, and bitter of word,
And prompt Of quarrel with hand Or sword.
None knew how, with prayer and fasting
still,
He stroye in ths bonds Of his evil will;
But he shook himself like Samson at
length,
And girded anew his loins of strength,
And babe the crier 60 up and down
And call together the wondering town.
Jeer and murmur and shaking of head
Ceased as he rose in his place and said:
Men, brethren and fathers, well we know
How came among you year ago,
Strong in the faith that my soul was freed
From sin of feeling, or thoaght, OF deed.
81 have sinned, l own it with grief and
shame. ! - > ''.''
But not with lie on my lips l came.
In my blindness ! verify though my heart
Swept and garnished in every part,
He ohargeth his angel with folly; He sees
The Heavens unclean. Was more than
these!
90. 81 urge no plea. At your feet lay
lhn ssifust you gave me and go my way.
Hate me or pity me, as you will,
The Lord will have mercy on sinners still;
And |, who am chiefest. say TO all
"at?rt Chg Pray test e also 'lali:'..
No voice made answer, but from the crowd,
The sound Of woman sobbing loud
Smote his heart with bitter pain,
AS into the forest he rode again,
And the veil of its oaken leaves shut down
On his latest glimpse of Cocheco town.
Crystal clear on the man of sin
The streams flash up, and the sky shoaa IN;
On his cheek CT fever tue cool .wind blew,
The leaves dropped on him their tears of
dew,
And angels of God, in the pure, sweet
guise
Of flowers, looked on him with sad sur
prise.
Was his ear at fault that brock aud breeze
Sang in their saddest Of minor keys p
What was it the mournful wood-thrush
said?
What whispered the pine-trees overhead 2
4 l. I. A.. l..