There stood his temple; there from side to side The cherub stretch'd his wings, and from the cloud Beam'd bright celestial radiance. Thence, though driven
In early childhood to a stranger's land,
Or born sad heirs of slavery, still they cast An anxious look from Perath's willowy vale, Toward Jordan, sacred stream; and when the sun Sunk in the west, with eager eye pursued His parting beams; and pointed to the place, Where from their sight the faint horizon hid Those hills, which round deserted Salem's walls Stood like a bulwark. And as some tired hart, Driven by keen hunters o'er the champain wild, Pants for the running brook, so long the tribes Of captive Judah for their native clime, Again to sing the strains of Jesse's son, Again to raise a temple to their God.
But oh! what hope, what prospect of return, While fierce Belshazzar reigns? He, undismay'd Though hostile banners stream near Babel's towers, Round his gall'd prisoners binds the griping chain, And scoffs at Judah's God. Even now a shout Is heard through every street, and with loud voice: Arioch, an herald tall, proclaims a feast
To Bel, Chaldæan idol; and commands : That when the morrow dawns, soon as is heard The sound of cornet, dulcimer, and harp,.. Sackbut, and psaltery, each knee be bent Before the mighty dragon. Silent stand
With eyes dejected Solyma's sad sons. Shall they comply? but will Jehovah then E'er lead them back to Canaan, pleasant land? Shall they refuse? but who, oh! who shall check Belshazzar's waken'd wrath? who shall endure The burning cauldron, or what lingering death The tyrant's cruel vengeance may devise? Thus they irresolute wait the fatal hour.
Now Night invests the pole: wrapt is the world In awful silence; not a voice is heard, Nor din of arms, nor sound of distant foot, Through the still gloom. Euphrates lulls his waves, Which sparkle to the moon's reflected beam; Nor does one sage from Babylon's high towers Descry the planets, or the fix'd, and mark Their distance, or their number. Sunk to rest, With all her horrors of the morrow's doom, Lies Sion's captive daughter: sleep, soft sleep, His dusky mantle draws o'er every eye. But not on Daniel's unpillow'd head One opiate dew-drop falls. Much he revolves Dark sentences of old; much pious zeal For great Jehovah's honour fires his soul; And thus, with lifted hands, the prophet cries.
"Father of truth, and mercy, thou, whose arm Even from the day when Abraham heard thy voice, Stretch'd o'er thy chosen race, protects us still, Though now awhile thou suffer us to groan Beneath a tyrant's yoke; when, gracious Lord, ◇ when shall we return? O when again
Shall Siloa's banks, and Sion's holy top,
Be vocal with thy name? Said not thy seer, When seventy tedious moons had twelve times waned, We should again be free? Behold, the day Approaches. God of Israel, hath ought chang'd Thine everlasting counsel? wilt thou leave Thy people yet in sad captivity,
And join thy prophet with the despis❜d tribe Of Babel's false diviners? Not to thee, But to great Bel, Chaldæa's frantic priests Waft clouds of incense. Soon as morning dawns, With shouts the noisy revellers will proclaim The triumph of their God; nor will they cease To rouse their monarch's rage, should Judah dare Resist his impious edict. Then, O then, God of our fathers, rise; and in that day, · Even before night, whose vaulted arch now shines With clustering stars, shall visit earth again, Confound their horrid rites, and shew some sign That yet again thy prisoners shall be free."
He spake, and sudden heard a rushing noise, As when a north-west gale comes hovering round Some cape, the point of spacious continent
Or in the Indian, or Pacific main;
The sailor hears it whistling in his shrouds, And bids it hail. Bright as the summer's noon Shone all the earth. Before the prophet stood Gabriel, seraphic form: graceful his port, Mild was his eye; yet such as might command Reverence, and sacred awe, by purest love
Soften'd, but not impair'd. In waving curls O'er his arch'd neck his golden tresses hung; And on his shoulders two broad wings were plac'd, Wings, which when clos'd, drew up in many a fold, But, when extended to their utmost length, Were twice ten cubits. Two of smaller size Came shadowing round his feet, with which he trod The elastic air, and walk'd o'er buoyant space, As on firm ground. A tunic brac'd his limbs, Blanch'd in the fields of light; and round his waist Was clasp'd an azure zone, with lucid stars All studded, like that circle broad, which cuts The equator, burning line. The astonish'd seer With low obeisance bow'd his hoary head, g While thus in voice benign the cherub spake. "Servant of God, that prayer was not unheard In heaven. I caught it, as before the throne I stood, within the emerald bow, and mix'd With fragrant incense, offer'd it to him, The white-rob'd Ancient of eternal days, Even on his golden altar. Forthwith sent To thee, with speed impetuous, swifter far Than travels light's meridian beam, through realms Of space, studded with worlds, which neither thought Of mortal can conceive, nor numbers count, I come, God's messenger. Not twice the morn Shall dawn, ere all the woes which Salem felt Shall fall on Babylon. This, this is he, Whose streamers now round these devoted towers Wave to the western wind, whom God hath rais'd
His instrument of vengeance. Twice hath pass'd A century, since him the prophet styled Cyrus, the Lord's anointed. He shall say, Cities of Judah, rise! He shall command, And Solyma's unpeopled streets again Shall throng with busy multitudes. To him In vision, or in dream, shall God reveal His secret purpose; or what other way His power shall mould the victor's ductile will To execute his promise. One day more Shall proud Chaldæa triumph. In that day Let not a knee in Benjamin be bow'd
Save to Jehovah. What though cruel pride Inflame Belshazzar's soul; what though his wrath Torments unknown prepare; a sign from heaven Shall blast each vain device, a sign obscure, But terrible. Ask not what; for in that hour: Shall beam celestial knowledge on thy soul, And thou shalt read the mystic characters Of dark futurity. Fear not his frown ; But in the sight of his assembled peers Hurl bold defiance at his throne; and speak As fits a prophet of the living God."
He spake, nor ended here; but to the seer Matters of import high disclos'd, which lay Deep in the womb of time. "And these," he cried, "Record to distant ages, but conceal My present errand." Daniel prepar'd Obedient answer; but before he spake
Gabriel had furl'd his wings, and now had reach'd
The middle space 'twixt earth, and highest heaven.
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