The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1915-09-23
CRAY'S ELECY
Thomas GRAY.

ne l0Wlngherd WIND slowly er the lea,
The plowman homeward plods his weary
way,
And leaves the world to darkness and to
Now fades the glimmering landscape on the
sight,
And all the air solemn stiffness holds,
Save where the beetle wheels his droning
flight,
And drowsy tinklings lull the distance
folds:
Save that from yonder ivy-mantled tow'r
The moping owl does to the moon COM
plain
Of such as wand ring near her secret bow'r,
Modest her ancient solitary reign.
Beneath those rugged elms, the yew-tree's
shade,
Where heaves the turf in many mould
ring heap.
Each in his narrow cell forever laid,
The rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep.
The breezy call of DEMONSTRATING Morn,
The swollow twitt ring from the straw
built shed.
The cocks shrill clarion, or the echoing horn
No more shall rouse them from their lowly
For them no more the blazing hearth shall
Or busy housewife ply her evening care:
No children run to lisp their sire's return,
Or climb his knees the envied kiss to share.
Oft did the harvest to their sickle yield,
These furrow oft the stubborn glebe has
broke;
How jocund did they drive their team aheld!
How bow the woods beneath their sturdy
stroke!
Let not ambition mock their useful toll
Their homely joys, and destiny obscure;
Nor Grandeur hear with disdainfui smile,
The short and simple annals of the poor.
The boast of heraldry, the pomp OF pow'r,
And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er
gave,
Awaits alike tn inevitable hour.
The paths of glory lead but to the grave.
Nor you, ye proud, impute to These the
fault,
If mem'ry Ger their Tomb no Trophies
raise,
Where thro' the long-drawn isle and fretted
vault
The pealing anthem swells the note of
praise.
Can stored urn or animated bust
Back to its mansion call the fleeing breathe
Can Ronor's voice provoke the silent dust,
Or Flatt'ry soothe the dull cold ear of
Death1
Perhaps in this neglected spot is laid
Some heart once pregnant with celestial
fire;
Hands, that the rod of empire might have
sway'd,
Or wax to ecstasy the living Tyre
But knowledge to their ekes her ample page
Rich with the ,spoils of time did ne'er
Chill Perjury repress'd their noble rage,
And froze the genial current of the soul.
Full many gem of purest ray serene,
The dark unfathom' d caves of ocean bear:
Full many flower is born to blush unseen,
And waste its sweetness on the desert air.
Some.village- Hampden, that with dauntless
breast
The little Tyrant of his fields withstood;
Some mute ingorious Milton here may rest,
Some Cromwell guiltless of his country's
blood.
Tn applause of list ming senates to COM
mand,
The threat of pain and ruin to despise,
To scatter plenty DER a smiling land,
And read their hist'ry in nations eyes,
Their lot forbade: nor circumscrib' d alone
Their growing virtues, but their crimes
conhn'd;
Forbade to wade through slaughter to
throne,
And shut the gates of mercy on mankind,
The struggling pangs of conscious truth to
hide,
To quench the bushes of ingenious
shame.
Or heap the shrine of Luxury and Pride
With incense kindled at the MUSES.
flame.
Far from the madding crowds ignoble
strife,
Their sober wishes never learn d TO stray;
Along the cool sequester'd vale of life
They kept the noiseless tenor of their
way.
Yet ev'n these bones from insult to protect
r. Il