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104  POEMS OF

"The use of neck, and arms, and feet was gone,
"And even her bowels hardened into stone:
"A marble statue now the queen appears,
"But from the marble steal the silent tears."


TO S. M., A YOUNG AFRICAN PAINTER,
On seeing his Works.

To show the lab'ring bosom's deep intent,
And thought in living characters to paint,
When first thy pencil did those beauties give,
And breathing figures learnt from thee to live,
How did those prospects give my soul delight,
A new creation rushing on my sight!
Still, wondrous youth! each noble path pursue;
On deathless glories fix thine ardent view:
Still may the painter's and the poet's fire,
To aid thy pencil and thy verse conspire!
And may the charms of each seraphic theme
Conduct thy footsteps to immortal fame!
High to the blissful wonders of the skies
Elate thy soul, and raise thy wishful eyes.
Thrice happy, when exalted to survey
That splendid city, crowned with endless day,
Whose twice six gates on radiant hinges ring:
Celestial Salem blooms in endless spring.
Calm and serene thy moments glide along,
And may the muse inspire each future song!


PHILLIS WHEATLEY.  105

Still, with the sweets of contemplation blessed,
May peace with balmy wings your soul invest!
But when these shades of time are chased away,
And darkness ends in everlasting day,
On what seraphic pinions shall we move,
And view the landscapes in the realms above!
There shall thy tongue in heavenly murmurs flow,
And there my muse with heavenly transport glow;
No more to tell of Damon's tender sighs,
Or rising radiance of Aurora's eyes;
For nobler themes demand a nobler strain,
And purer language on the etherial plain.
Cease, gentle Muse! the solemn gloom of night
Now seals the fair creation from my sight.


TO HIS HONOR THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR,
On the Death of his Lady, March 24th, 1773.

ALL conquering Death! by thy resistless power,
Hope's tow'ring plumage falls to rise no more!
Of scenes terrestrial how the glories fly,
Forget their splendors, and submit to die!
Who e'er escaped thee but the saint [[footnote 1] of old,
Beyond the flood, in sacred annals told?
And the great sage, [[footnote 2]] whom fiery coursers drew
To heaven's bright portals from Elisha's view;
Wondering he gazed at the refulgent car,
Then snatched the mantle floating on the air.

[[footnote 1]] Enoch.
[[footnote 2]] Elijah.

Transcription Notes:
---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-06-21 09:11:32 ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-06-21 15:35:21 ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-06-21 13:01:11 ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-06-21 16:27:48 ---------- Simplified formatting - removed indents, adjusted spacing, and separated pages. Fixed transcription of footnotes.