The Pilgrims of the Sun Author:James Hogg Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: SUPERSTITION. In Caledonia's glens there once did reign A Sovereign of supreme unearthly eye; No human power her potence could restrain, No human soul her... more » influence deny : Sole Empress o'er the mountain homes, that lie Far from the busy world's unceasing stir : But gone is her mysterious dignity, And true Devotion wanes away with her; While in loose garb appears Corruption's harbinger. 2. Thou sceptic leveller—ill-framed with thee Is visionary bard a war to wage: Joy in thy light thou earth-born Saducee, That earth is all thy hope and heritage : Already wears thy front the line of age; Thou see'st a heaven above—a grave before ; Does that lone cell thy wishes all engage ? Say, does thy yearning soul not grasp at more ? Woe to thy grovelling creed—thy cold ungenial lore! Be mine to sing of visions that have been, And cherish hope of visions yet to be; Of mountains clothed in everlasting green. Of silver torrent and of shadowy tree, Far in the ocean of eternity. Be mine the faith that spurns the bourn of time; The soul whose eye can future glories see; The converse here with things of purer clime, And hope above the stars that soars on wing sublime. But she is gone that thrilled the simple minds Of those I loved and honoured to the last; She who gave voices to the wandering winds, And mounted spirits on the midnight blast: At her behest the trooping fairies past, And wayward elves in many a glimmering band; The mountains teemed with life, and sore aghast Stood maid and matron 'neath her mystic wand, When all the spirits rose and walked at her command. 5. And she could make the brown and careless boy All breathless stand, unknowing what to fear; Or panting deep beneath his co'erlet lier When midnight whisper...« less