The Ocean Author:John Trenhaile 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: MISCELLANEOUS POEMS. THE TRAVELLER'S TALE. The deep-toned bell announced the midnight hour, Fatigued and pensive as my couch I sought, To prove Sleep's... more » grateful and balsamic power, And lull awhile the turbulence of thought; When through the casement beamed the placid Moon, That full-orbed, lit the azure vault of heaven ; Yielding the silent earth a lovelier noon Than the bright Regent of the Day had given. Entranced in thought, I stood and looked abroad : A spacious square confined the view below, Which restless mortals now no longer trode ; Above, the heavenly concave seemed to glow, As if immortals had the scene prepared, Some great and joyous festival to grace; To celebrate creation's pillars reared, Or the redemption of the human race. Methought angelic myriads thronged the sky, On which I gazed in contemplation sweet; And then I longed from earth, at once, to fly, Among those blessed groups again to greet Those loved-ones who had wove my web of bliss. And strown life's rugged path with fairest flowers; Who, though in every human haunt I miss, Are saints in light in heaven's eternal bowers. A distant shriek dispelled my reverie, A transient cloud obscured the conscious moon ; Upon the scene below I cast my eye, And learnt the secret of that sound full soon. Before a stately dome, within the square, A splendid chariot stood, ethereal blue, Bedecked with stars of gold and crescents fair, Such as the brilliant heavens at midnight shew. By milk-white courseis was the chariot drawn, Of fairest form, for eagle fleetness framed ; Such as earth's monarchs had been proud to own, But such as to their curbs were never tamed. Seraphic minstrels, robed in spotless white, With smiles ineffable their harps prepa...« less