Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1875-06-03

IDOTHEA; OR TIRE DIVINE IMAGE, .
poem by Joseph Salyards (Henk,e, Calucrt
b Co.. Heac Markct, Ya.) Fhe singular
beauty and grandeur Of the conception.
the style Of the narrative, description,
sentiments and versifications will most
probably secure for this poem rank with
the works Of the best authors. 1t Is in
truth great moral epic, having for its
hero and other characters the inipersona-
tons o. the Spiritual and Intellectual.
The scope ofthe poem embraces the con-
ception of A Mind infinite and invisible,
as if at one end of creation, an indefinite
number OF finite minds, as if at the other
end. 1t is then conceived that the In
finite invisible Mind manifest itself to the
finite. which takes place by means, or by
the medium of the True, the Beautiful,
the Good, and lastly the Holy. In order
to exhibit the Holy a personalty-a
heroine, exhibiting certain qualities is in
PRODUCED. The True and Beautiful form
one plane, the Good, Evil, Right, Wro ng
form the moral plane, the Personally for
ming the plane Of the Spiritual or OF
Holiness. The play and the counter-play
between the invisible sphere and the
finite necessarily involve transcendental
imagry. which gives pleasing interest to
the deepening Of the plot, but is in no
way repugnant to orthodox philosophy
There is freshness about this little
volume not generally found in modern
authors. Prof. Salyards has shown him
self very free and liberal thinker, and,
instead of being trammeled by theories of
any one of the schools Of philosophy, he
has rather established for himself new
eclectic system-choosing the available
from either sect-by means of which he
could arrive at the True, the Beautiful and
Good, to found the grand Utopia OF Holl-
ness. We refer the reader to the book
itself for the grand divisions of the poem
and must content ourselves. in this notice 4.
by merely citing few extracts, without,
however, any particular reference to
their logical connection with the main
idea of the poem:
In the invocation, in Idos l., we have
the following.
Where are the archives of this rolling Fame!
Do land and sea, no chronicle contain
No scroll to tell, record to rehearse
The dark foundations of this universe!
How first some droplet from the sea OF MIND,
In strange affinity with dust combined!
Thought, feeling will, devotion, faltn oeslre.
yvhere burn their alters whence their sacred nrsf
sweet Hope that kens some world Of purer bliss,
And Love, Oh, Love that makes heaven OF ssn
Nor these alone possess the living braln:
Re1norse, distrust, dependency, and pain,
Pail Memory with her cypress and her tears,
Illusive hopes and visonery fears
What lend. each m pod the ~ondoru. poxes.o md
Expression from the viewiess stream Of mind;
Oh Life, Sensation, are 20 too but names
OF fluid forces in material frames!
Freed from tn Sc atoms, can ye dwell apart,
Whom dsath arrests the palpitatins hearth
The following. in reply, foreshadows
something OF the scope of the lhterlocu-
ton:
80, born and breathing in this atmosphere,
Thou hast an ear snd thou hast power to hesc:
Thou walkest forth amid the morning light,
Best with the organ aud the gift OF slgnt
Thy soul 4 drop in Reasons bonndless sea,
Is made to wander and commune with me $
tu.ncious yoic, one momsnt more delay,
sweet truths, awake, waiting for the day;
Celestial CLEANS of sunshine cross the mind,
But roster tints keep struggling up behind.
Ths. wandering mote e on its way to sense;
That slice ping germ shall gra7p intelligence;
Creations anthem ever must DO sung,
Each grain Of dust is waiting for a tongue
Lovers Of Beauty, prophets of the True,
A charm, unearthiy cleaves the starry blue;
They feel again the airs Of Eden blow
Remembered flo xers, remembered sweets oeloW =
They see light neycnd created liz ut
They hear the roar OF chaos on the height;
They TASTE redeemed from sins primeval curse,
The drop that binds the crystal universe
In Idos H., Second and third Excurcus
Thus, ever thus, our waving Aim vibrates,
Sinks sweIls declines beneath the nlolding Fatea,
While star and sun, with unremittlng ray,
See greener fields still rising tothe day,
And glad Improvement steps from sea to shore,
And hermit Hope sits waiting still for mere
Thy plan, my son, is Natures modest plan
Truth comes alone in Images to man
Too bright and hashful for the mortal eye,
She drops her shadow, as she hurrles by.
No mortal sees ray of light direct;
We alone what cloud and sky renecs.
"Oft have seen the Summer cloud distil
Che golden drops divide the evening beam,
And build an arch OF Beauty, DER the stream, .,
And strange, thought, that things unseen and sma
Could form an arch, by harmony Of all.
Lo aere see the radiant worlds descend,
In paths Of light, that Intervene and blend,
That wreathe and curve, ana harmonlZe, anu '"in'
Around the throne Of Truth and Love divine,
Idos Ill, The theory of Senualism
There unapproached, the Absolute unknown,
Throbs through the veil OF image alone.
In far Judea drops a viewless seed :.
change invades the sltrit OF tiny Greco,
A Power unseen reforms the atmosphere;
Thy affairs fall, thy temples disappear
Thy impous administers the blow;
The cheek of huge Scraps rings below.
Fen thou, recoiling in the breach petWeen
The past Belief and Destiny unseen,
Didst hold thy hand, moment pause 70 SEQ
II Jove or Christ be Lord of land and sea.
Then came the songs of Zion down the vale
The deserts rang the mountains breath'd the tale
Yonder-Epidos Ill Home and Natur'
al sympathies.
Ia not Home q sweet creation
Balmy Love has nestled here;
Natures dear elimination
From Universe OF care!
Take thy Harp from out the Silence,
Lift thy heart above the Seen;
Sounding chords, in holy Trilence,
May unfold the light between.
This little volume is well worthy q
place in every literary collection.and wher
carefully read will, as the anthor cont
IDENTIFY hopes, make all with whom II
communes 'smore cheerful, more hopeful
more intelligent, penetrate with deeper
reverence for whatever is divine or holy
and radiant with brighter anticipationi
for human destinv;' for 1t has "a glad
magnificent message to convey, this woe
dro,S Craot;on nf mind and matter inter-