Towns, villages, by magic seemed to glide,
And ever and anon fresh views disclose;
While the lone sea-gull flitting comes and goes,
With other tribes whose home is on the deep,
All tended soft, rude passions to compose,
And in reflection every sense to steep,
And charm them onwards in their limpid sweep.
Sweet then the sun with setting lustre beamed,
With splendour tinging bright the evening sky;
While o'er the ocean floods of glory streamed,
With sparkling radiance nothing could outvie-
All seemed as Deity was drawing nigh;
But shortly these all faded from the sight,
And Vesper mounted had his car on high,
Who chased the shadows of receding light,
And silent ushered in the peaceful night;
Which, like an empress in her weeds of woe,
Came softly and resumed her sable throne,
To light her wake, hung out her lamps to glow;
While Cynthia mild in waning lustre shone.
But all grew dimmer as the night drew on:
At last the moon and stars in clouds were lost,
And billows rose, by northern breezes blown;
By this dread night her zenith-point had crossed,
And they had neared that well-known fatal coast,
Where the white surf the Ferny Isles embrace,
And lurking death lies yawning for his prey
'Mong shelving rocks, which mark the dismal place Of wreck and ruin, horror and dismay;
Which now they view, and prosecute their way Through shallow water, as the tide was low,
That showed the perils thick that round them lay, But, ah! ne'er dreading their impending woe, Which baffles here the power of words to show.
Scarce had another surge Pegasus lashed,
Till with a thund'ring, horrid crashing sound
Against the Goldstone's sunken reef she dashed:
Then foamed the deep, as if in fetters bound,
While the lone echoes hoarsely pealed around;
Her bow was stoven, fixed lay she and fast,
All efforts unavailing yet were found;
And many sleeping rose, and frantic passed
Up to the crowded deck, all pale, aghast.
Thrice trying moment: wordless the despair!
There midnight horror ev'ry visage veiled—
Struck out each smile; as every bosom there
Was filled with tremblings, and by fears assailed;
While dread forebodings through all hearts pre-
Eyes flashed on eyes in mutual alarm
And frantic terror, as all courage failed,
Hope fled each breast, and with her every charm;
Dismayed, all eyed Fate's dread uplifted arm.
And there were tears and heavy-laden sighs,
Heartrending anguish and convulsive throes,
With dismal groans, wild, horrid shrieks, and cries
To Heav'n for mercy in that hour arose:
That He would pity show, and interpose:
Some wrung their hands, while others howling
Their hair in frenzy, and loud wailings rose, With dismal screams, wild oaths, and curses sore, In chorus with the waves' hoarse dashing roar.
Amid the dire commotion and distress
This scene of nameless horror and despair-
Forth came the man of God them to address,
And proffer to Omnipotence the prayer,
With looks commanding, and divine-like air:
Fixed in his faith, resigned and undismayed,
In spite of all he then was doomed to bear;
To him no matter how Death came arrayed,
He had the pledge of joys that never fade,
Of pleasures endless, blessings ever new,
Which eye ne'er saw, ear heard, or mind con
Rich, fragrant, glorious, bursting on the view
All, all to him, by God to be bequeathed
That moment he from suffering was relieved;
Then kneeling down to heaven's eternal Sire,
'Mid weeping groups of every stay bereaved,
With heart all glowing with seraphic fire,
Thus prays the saint in his affliction dire:-
"Eternal King! Source and Supreme of all!
Fountain of light and life, we bow to Thee
Before thy throne, for aid and succour call,
That Thou wouldst in thy mercy now us free
From these dread perils that around us be,
And thus our danger into safety turn;
Our woe exchanged for gladness may we see;
The oil of joy O give to all who mourn,
That every heart with gratitude may burn!
'But, O thou holy, ever-blessed One!
If Thou hast otherwise for us decreed,
Here, as in heaven, thy sovereign will be done,
And for our change prepare us now indeed:
For through our Saviour's merits now
plead,
And through his all-atoning blood aloneWhose cleansing virtue all transgressors needMay we in triumph all surround Thy throne, Where death, and sin, and sorrow are unknown.”
By this the engines had the seamen backed,
And the dishevelled vessel off the reef,
But short her liquid path Pegasus tracked
Till came Destruction, like a warlike chief,
With havoc horrible as efforts brief;
As through her shattered bows the torrents gushed,
Impaling every hope of fond relief,
Out went the fires, the engine's noise was hushed; Then to the previous lowered boats some rushed
With overpowering impulse, gloom, and fears,
And left the vessel merging in the deep;
While some remained to weep and howl in tears,
And perish there in Fate's devouring sweep;
And up the rigging then did many creep,
Frantic in all the horror of despair,
In vain for mercy there to wail and weep,
And sigh in sorrow to the midnight air,
And pour to nature's God their dying prayer.
Amid the deafening clamour, grief, and woe,
With sympathetic tenderness survey
The sobbing mother there, with many a throe
Of tearless anguish, stooping now to pray
O'er her two smiling innocents at play,
Whose happy voices mingle with the moan
Of broken-hearted sorrow and dismay,"
But little knew the storm was speeding on
To drift their little barks to shores unknown,
For ere a few short fleeting moments passed
The horrid scene its dismal climax gained,
As down head foremost bounced she at the last,
And in the bosom of the deep remained.
Swamped were the boats, though every nerve was strained
To poise the little skiffs upon the wave;
And then and there gaunt Death in triumph reigned, From whose dominion nothing could them save, And now all hope to desperation gave.
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