Sunset on the Alleghany

I was a pensive pilgrim at the footOf the crown'd Alleghany, when he wrapp'dHis purple mantle gloriously around,And took the homage of the princely hills,And ancient forests, as they bow'd them down,Each in his order of nobility.—And then, in glorious pomp, the sun retir'dBehind their solemn shadow. And his trainOf crimson, and of azure and of goldWent floating up the zenith,—tint on tint,And ray on ray,—till all the concave caughtHis parting benediction.But the glowFaded to twilight, and dim twilight sankIn deeper shade, and there that mountain stoodIn awful state, like dread ambassador'Tween earth and heaven. Methought it frown'd severe,Upon the world beneath, and lifted upThe accusing forehead sternly toward the skyTo witness 'gainst its sins. And is it meetFor thee, swell'd out in cloud-cap'd pinnacleTo scorn thine own original, the dustThat feebly eddying on the angry windsDoth sweep thy base? Say, is it meet for thee,Robing thyself in mystery, to impeachThis nether sphere, from whence thy rocky rootDraws depth and nutriment?But lo! a starThe first meek herald of advancing night,

Doth peer above thy summit, as some babeMight gaze with brow of timid innocenceOver a giant's shoulder. Hail, lone star!Thou friendly watcher o'er an erring world,Thine uncondemning glance doth aptly teachOf that untiring mercy, which vouchsafesThee light,—and man salvation.Not to markAnd treasure up his follies, or recountTheir secret record in the court of Heaven,Thou coms't. Methinks, thy tenderness would shroudWith trembling mantle, his infirmities.The purest natures are most pitiful.But they who feel corruption strong within,Do launch their darts most fiercely at the traceOf their own image, in another's breast.—So the wild bull, that in some mirror spiesHis own mad visage, furiously destroysThe frail reflector. But thou, stainless Star!Shalt stand a watchman on Creation's walls,While race on race their little round shall mark,And slumber in the tomb. Still point to all,Who thro' this evening scene may wander on,And from yon mountain's cold magnificenceTurn to thy milder beauty, point to all,The eternal love that nightly sends thee forth,A silent teacher of its boundless lore.