Still "On," cried the voice, and surrounding their altar, Trichonopoly's sons hailed thy labours of love : Ah me! with no fear did thine accents then falter; No secret forebodings thy conscious heart move? Thou hadst ceased-having taught them what rock to rely on, And had doft the proud robes which to pre lates belong, But the next robe for thee was the white robe of Zion,* The next hymn thou heard'st was "the sera phim’s song.” Here hushed be my lay for a far sweeter verseThy requiem I'll breathe in thy numbers alone, For the bard's votive offering to hang on thy hearse, Should be formed of no language less sweet than thy own. * He had scarcely put off his robes in which he officiated at the altar, when he was suddenly called away "to be clothed with immortality." Ib. "Thou art gone to the grave, but we will not deplore thee, Since God was thy refuge, thy ransom, thy guide; He gave thee, He took thee, and he will restore thee, And death has no sting, since the Saviour has died." * Written by Bishop Heber on the death of a Friend See page 163. SONNET TO THE MEMORY OF BISHOP HEBER. ANONYMOUS. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation! ISAIAH lii. 7. How bright and glorious are the sun's first gleams Above yon blue horizon!-Darkness flies Before his presence.-Mountains, vallies, trees, Glow with resplendent beauty.-And the streams Reflect the lustre of his orient beams. So Heber shone-for unto him was given To spread the tidings of salvation round, Whilst heathen nations caught the joyful sound, And learned to kneel before the shrine of Heaven; That " cross surmounted shrine," where Faith and Prayer Point to the crown of bliss, reserved there For those whom Jesus loves-but his bright sun Of glory set, ere yet its race was run, And he that bliss has gained-that crown has won ! The following dedication was prefixed to such of the following poems as were published by the author in a volume in 1812. то RICHARD HEBER, ESQUIRE, THE FOLLOWING POEMS ARE DEDICATED AS A TRIBUTE OF GRATITUDE TO THE TALENT, TASTE, AND AFFECTION WHICH HE HAS UNIFORMLY EXERTED IN ENCOURAGING AND DIRECTING THE STUDIES OF HIS BROTHER. |