Fame.

What shall I do to gain eternal life?
Discharge aright

The simple dues with which each day is rife?
Yea, with thy might.

Ere perfect scheme of action thou devise,
Will life be shed;

While he who ever acts as conscience cries

Shall live, though dead.

177

TRUTH.

FLY from the world and dwell with Truthfulness;
Sufficient be thy wealth, albeit small;
Avarice hath hate, ambition carefulness,
And praise despite, yet good is mixed with all:
Taste no more sweets than to thy share may fall;
Counsel thyself, that well canst counsel give,
And fear not Truth shall teach thee how to live.

All that is sent thee take with cheerfulness, -
The wrestling of this world requires a fall,
Here is no home, here is but wilderness;
Pilgrim, advance! Poor beast, desert thy stall;
Look up on high, and thank thy God for all!
Forsake thy lusts, and with thy spirit strive,
And fear not Truth shall save thy soul alive!

DUTY.

STERN Daughter of the Voice of God,
O Duty, if that name thou love,
Who art a light to guide, a rod

To check the erring, and reprove;

Thou, who art victory and law

When empty terrors overawe,

From vain temptations dost set free,

And calm'st the weary strife of frail humanity!

There are who ask not if thine eye

Be on them; who, in love and truth, Where no misgiving is, rely

Upon the genial sense of youth: Glad hearts, without reproach or blot, Who do thy work, and know it not:

Oh! if, through confidence misplaced,

They fail, thy saving arms, dread Power, around them cast!

Serene will be our days and bright,

And happy will our nature be,

When love is an unerring light,
And joy its own security.

And they a blissful course may hold

Even now, who, not unwisely bold,
Live in the spirit of this creed,

Yet seek thy firm support, according to their need.

I, loving freedom, and untried,
No sport of every random gust,
Yet being to myself a guide,

Too blindly have reposed my trust:
And oft, when in my heart was heard
Thy timely mandate, I deferred

The task, in smoother walks to stray;

But thee I now would serve more strictly, if I

may.

Through no disturbance of my soul,

Or strong compunction in me wrought, I supplicate for thy control;

But in the quietness of thought.
Me this unchartered freedom tires;
I feel the weight of chance-desires;

My hopes no more must change their name;
I long for a repose that ever is the same.

Stern Lawgiver! yet thou dost wear

The Godhead's most benignant grace;

Duty.

Nor know we anything so fair

As is the smile upon thy face:

181

Flowers laugh before thee on their beds,
And fragrance in thy footing treads;
Thou dost preserve the stars from wrong;
And the most ancient heavens, through thee,
are fresh and strong.

To humbler functions, awful Power!
I call thee: I myself commend
Unto thy guidance from this hour;
O let my weakness have an end!
Give unto me, made lowly wise,
The spirit of self-sacrifice;

The confidence of reason give;

And in the light of truth thy bondman let me

live!