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Beneath life's evening, solemn shade,
I dedicate my page
To thee, thou safest guard of youth!
thou sole support of age!
I dedicate my page
To thee, thou safest guard of youth!
thou sole support of age!
All other duties crescents are
of virtue faintly bright,
The glorious consummation, thou!
which fills her orb with light,
of virtue faintly bright,
The glorious consummation, thou!
which fills her orb with light,
How rarely fill'd? the love divine
in evils to discern,
This the first lesson which we want,
the latest, which we learn;
in evils to discern,
This the first lesson which we want,
the latest, which we learn;
A melancholy truth? for know,
could our proud hearts resign,
The distance greatly would decrease
'Twixt human and divine.
could our proud hearts resign,
The distance greatly would decrease
'Twixt human and divine.
But tho' full noble is my theme,
full urgent is my call
To soften sorrow, and forbid
the bursting tear to fall;
full urgent is my call
To soften sorrow, and forbid
the bursting tear to fall;
The task I dread; dare I to leave
of humble prose the shore,
And put to sea? a dangerous sea!
what throngs have sunk before?
of humble prose the shore,
And put to sea? a dangerous sea!
what throngs have sunk before?
How
