The stars that wont to start, as on a chace,
Mid twinkling insult on Heaven's darken'd face,
Like a conven'd conspiracy of spies
Wink at each other with confiding eyes!
Turn from the portent—all is blank on high, 5
No constellations alphabet the sky:
The Heavens one large Black Letter only shew,
And as a child beneath its master's blow
Shrills out at once its task and its affright—[486:4]
The groaning world now learns to read aright, 10
And with its Voice of Voices cries out, O!
? 1830.
FOOTNOTES:
[486:3] Now first published from a MS. of uncertain date. 'I wrote these lines in imitation of Du Bartas as translated by our Sylvester.' S. T. C.
[486:4] Compare Leigh Hunt's story of Boyer's reading-lesson at Christ's Hospital:—'Pupil.—(. . . never remembering the stop at the word "Missionary"). "Missionary Can you see the wind?" (Master gives him a slap on the cheek.) Pupil.—(Raising his voice to a cry, and still forgetting to stop.) "Indian No."' Autobiography of Leigh Hunt, 1860, p. 68.
REASON[487:1]
['Finally, what is Reason? You have often asked me: and this is my answer':—]