| |
| ON 1 Wenger’s verdant height I stood; | |
| Rapt in delight I gazed around | |
| O’er mountain, glacier, valley, wood, | |
| The “Virgin’s” own enchanted ground. | |
| By Fancy’s strangest phantoms led, | 5 |
| My spirit wander’d far and high; | |
| I long’d on hills of snow to tread, | |
| And o’er the seas of ice to fly. | |
| |
| Hope whisper’d, Nature could unbind | |
| The heavy chains of earth, and give | 10 |
| Wings to the ransom’d soul that pined | |
| With beings of the air to live, | |
| Who rule each mighty element, | |
| (As well is sung by bards of old) | |
| And oft, by mightier spirit sent, | 15 |
| Earth’s mysteries to man unfold. | |
| |
| Or are the days of marvel past? | |
| Does Magic wave no more her wand? | |
| Has wondering Faith retired at last? | |
| And leads no path to fairy land? | 20 |
| But if e’en now as bards believe, | |
| Still roams and rules the fairy race, | |
| Then, Spirits, bid me cease to grieve, | |
| And soar the Genius of the place. | |
| |
| I turned to where the Virgin rose | 25 |
| In still communion with the sky; | |
| Eternity hath heap’d its snows | |
| Round her in unstain’d purity. | |
| O’er her fair features gently hung | |
| The morning’s thin transparent cloud; | 30 |
| While round her breast was rudely flung | |
| The vapors’ denser, darker shroud. | |
| |
| But near the “Silver Peak” was seen | |
| With his fair snow-heaps, like a gay | |
| And gallant page beside a queen, | 35 |
| That frowns in armor’s stern array. | |
| His sides, that like the cygnet’s breast | |
| Were white and crisped, beam’d afar; | |
| The sun but touch’d his topmost crest, | |
| That sparkled like the evening star. | 40 |
| |
| Right glad such beauty to behold, | |
| Plead thou for me, sweet star, I cried; | |
| For ’t is thy light that makes me bold; | |
| Oh loveliest star! be thou my guide. | |
| Then toward the Virgin’s form I knelt; | 45 |
| “O spotless Virgin! hear my prayer; | |
| Command this earthly flesh to melt; | |
| My soul would wander free in air.” | |
| |
| And as I still admiring bow’d, | |
| And hoped a kind reply to hear, | 50 |
| From the deep bosom of the cloud, | |
| A gentle voice fell on my ear. | |
| “Like mountain air would’st thou be free, | |
| Be pure as is the mountain air; | |
| Mortal! from vice and pleasure flee, | 55 |
| And gladly will I grant thy prayer.” | |
| |
| “Then, Virgin, deign my wish to grant; | |
| Though but the meanest of thy train. | |
| This lovely spot I ’d rather haunt, | |
| Than o’er the world beside to reign. | 60 |
| My heart like thine is pure and chaste, | |
| On nature’s bosom oft I ’ve leant, | |
| And oft the morning wind embraced; | |
| But ne’er my neck hath pleasure bent. | |
| |
| To thee a virgin heart would bear | 65 |
| Its earliest fruits. Unveil thy brow; | |
| Thy holy love I long to share, | |
| O! take me to thy bosom now.” | |
| See, the dark clouds asunder roll, | |
| And yon tall form sublimely gleams | 70 |
| In dazzling beauty; on the soul | |
| Burst life and rapture with its beams. | |
| |
| Is it the sun, that gently checks | |
| His fiery steeds o’er Alps’ fair child, | |
| Gilding with glory all her peaks? | 75 |
| No! ’t was the Virgin queen that smiled. | |
| O’er me her hallow’d light she throws; | |
| She blends with majesty divine | |
| Mildness, and whispers from her snows; | |
| “Come thou to me, for thou art mine.” | 80 |
| |
| Farewell, thou lower earth, farewell! | |
| I haste to rush in foaming floods, | |
| Where elves and fairies roam to dwell, | |
| To woo the nymphs of tannen woods, | |
| With Iris watch the waterfall, | 85 |
| And smile and shine in glittering spray, | |
| To heed the Virgin’s beckoning call, | |
| And haste o’er earth her will to obey. | |
| |
| An eagle pass’d; I cried aloud, | |
| Away swift bird, I ’ll soar with thee. | 90 |
| Rushing we pierced the lofty cloud, | |
| Beneath us waved the tannen tree; | |
| Even to the glacier’s tallest height, | |
| We soar’d o’er fields of icy blue; | |
| Long round its gay transparent light, | 95 |
| Pleased with the novel scene, I flew. | |
| |
| “Blue is the light of beauty’s eye; | |
| And blue the waves where swells the sea; | |
| And blue at noon my native sky; | |
| But nought is fair and blue like thee, | 100 |
| Thou lovely pyramid of light! | |
| Thou graceful daughter of the snows | |
| Thy sire the sun is ne’er so bright, | |
| As when his beams on thee repose.” | |
| |
| From rock to rock the ice to dash, | 105 |
| That totter’d on its base, I sprung; | |
| Now tumbling with a fearful crash, | |
| To every peak it lends a tongue; | |
| ’T is dash’d to dust; the frozen spray | |
| Sweeps onward o’er the precipice, | 110 |
| Resplendent in the eye of day, | |
| A sparkling cataract of ice. | |
| |
| And where it stood there open’d wide | |
| A chasm of azure, dark and deep; | |
| ’T is there the mountain spirits glide, | 115 |
| To where their court the fairies keep. | |
| I did not fear, but ventured too | |
| Along the glittering icy walls, | |
| Full many a fathom downwards flew, | |
| And came to Nature’s inmost halls. | 120 |
| |
| A Paradise of light I found, | |
| Where Nature builds of vilest earth | |
| Her crystal home, and under ground | |
| Brings all that’s beautiful to birth. | |
| And o’er her ever youthful face | 125 |
| Wisdom hath spread a light serene; | |
| While round her throne the fairy race | |
| Are floating in unearthly sheen. | |
| |
| Some hearken’d to their mistress’ call; | |
| Some sported ’mid the heaps of snow; | 130 |
| Some glided with the waterfall; | |
| Some sat above its glittering bow, | |
| Seeming o’er Nature’s works to muse; | |
| And some their little limbs array’d; | |
| These dew-drops for their mirror use; | 135 |
| Of light and air their robes are made. | |
| |
| And others bent with serious look | |
| To prove the new made crystals’ light; | |
| While earth’s dark substance others took, | |
| And changed the mass to diamonds bright. | 140 |
| But as I gain’d the fairy ground, | |
| They ceased awhile from toil and sport, | |
| And the young stranger gathering round, | |
| Cried—“Welcome, youth, to Nature’s court.” | |
| |
| A fairy then with accents bland | 145 |
| Gently, as fairies wont to do, | |
| Came near and said, “This wondrous land | |
| Of airy sprites I ’ll lead thee through.” | |
| Guided by her I dared to gaze | |
| Where Nature’s servants restless toil | 150 |
| The rocks of sand and chalk to raise, | |
| The granite’s tall unyielding pile. | |
| |
| And oft a narrow space they leave, | |
| Where vitriol’s azure drops to pour, | |
| Or thinnest threads of silver weave | 155 |
| In baser metals’ glittering ore. | |
| And when they mingle air and light | |
| With iron black or sluggish lead, | |
| Eye hath not seen so fair a sight, | |
| Such brilliant hues, green, white, and red. | 160 |
| |
| I saw the home of every wind; | |
| And where the ocean’s base is laid; | |
| And where the earthquake sleeps confined, | |
| Till Destiny demands its aid; | |
| And where from magazines of snow | 165 |
| The mighty rivers foaming well; | |
| And more than mortals e’er can know, | |
| And more than fairy’s tongue can tell. | |
| |
| Long did I stand enraptured there, | |
| Nor ceased to gaze in full delight. | 170 |
| Mother of beauty, thou art fair! | |
| O Nature, lovely is thy might. | |
| For ever would I dwell with thee! | |
| For ever to thy train belong. | |
| Then she that led me, smiled to see | 175 |
| My admiration deep and strong, | |
| |
| And thus in kindest mood began; | |
| “O! wouldst thou Nature’s love return, | |
| Remember that thou once wast man, | |
| Young elf; to heal man’s sorrows learn; | 180 |
| Spread calmness round the couch of pain; | |
| Comfort the mourning; soothe disease; | |
| Support the wavering; and sustain | |
| The form that shrinks at winter’s breeze; | |
| |
| A guardian power, o’er virtue bend; | 185 |
| Shed round the young sweet influence; | |
| To the lone wanderer vigor lend; | |
| And anxious watch o’er innocence; | |
| From pleasure’s wiles preserve the fair; | |
| Then shall the Virgin love thee well, | 190 |
| And haply trust to thee the care | |
| Of vales, where peace and virtue dwell. | |
| |
| And now thou ’rt one of us; canst roam | |
| In fire, earth, air, o’er ocean’s wave; | |
| Canst fly to bless thy ancient home, | 195 |
| From age and pain thy parents save; | |
| And rest awhile delighted where | |
| Thy youthful sisters harmless play, | |
| Nor deem their brother hovering near, | |
| To drive each guilty thought away. | 200 |
| |
| For know, we bless the infant’s head; | |
| We guard the fair; the good we shield; | |
| We teach the young, to virtue bred, | |
| Her arms victoriously to wield; | |
| We paint with light the opening flowers; | 205 |
| Of every herb we know the name; | |
| The sea is ours; the earth is ours; | |
| We rule the air; we rule the flame.” | |
| |
| The social fairy ceased to speak. | |
| There ’s many a joy, that mortals know; | 210 |
| But oft when pleasure’s flower they seek, | |
| The leaves conceal the worm of wo; | |
| ’T is sweet to watch the kindling eye | |
| Of parents, kin, or friends, or wife; | |
| But sweeter ’t is in air to fly, | 215 |
| And happiest is the fairy’s life. | |
