But from thy beauty's garland, brief and vain, When one by one the rose-leaves had been torn, When thy heart's core had quiver'd to the pain Through every life-nerve sent by arrowy scorn; When thou didst kneel to pour sweet odours forth On the Redeemer's feet, with many a sigh, And showering tear-drop, of yet richer worth Than all those costly balms of Araby; Then was there joy, a song of joy in Heaven, For thee, the child won back, the penitent forgiven! X. MARY AT THE FEET OF CHRIST. Oh! blest beyond all daughters of the earth! But a fresh childhood, heavenly truth to meet, With love, and wonder, and submissive thought. Oh! for the holy quiet of thy breast, 'Midst the world's eager tones and footsteps flying! Thou, whose calm soul was like a well-spring lying So deep and still in its transparent rest, That e'en when noontide burns upon the hills, Some one bright solemn star all its lone mirror fills. XI. THE SISTERS OF BETHANY AFTER THE DEATH OF One grief, one faith, O sisters of the dead! Was in your bosoms-thou, whose steps, made fleet By keen hope fluttering in the heart which bled, Bore thee, as wings, the Lord of Life to greet; FEMALE CHARACTERS OF SCRIPTURE. 233 And thou, that duteous in thy still retreat Whom e'en to heavenly tears thy woe could move, XII. THE MEMORIAL OF MARY. "Verily I say unto you, wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her."--Matthew, xxvi. 13.-See also John, xii. 3. Thou hast thy record in the monarch's hall; The Christian traveller rests-where'er the child Is borne thy memory, and all praise above; XIII. THE WOMEN OF JERUSALEM AT THE CROSS. Like those pale stars of tempest hours, whose gleam Waves calm and constant on the rocking mast, Such by the Cross doth your bright lingering seem, Daughters of Zion! faithful to the last! Ye, through the darkness o'er the wide earth cast O blessed faith; a guiding lamp, that hour, Bidding her bind each tendril of her life, To that which her deep soul hath proved of holiest worth. XIV. MARY MAGDALENE AT THE SEPULCHRE. Weeper! to thee how bright a morn was given When that high voice which burial rocks had riven, Didst cast thee down before th' all conquering Son, Awed by the mighty gift thy tears and love had won! XV. MARY MAGDALENE BEARING TIDINGS OF THE Then was a task of glory all thine own, The stormy splendours of some prophet's mind. "Christ is arisen!" by thee, to wake mankind, First from the sepulchre those words were brought! Thou wert to send the mighty rushing wind First on its way, with those high tidings fraught"Christ is arisen !"-Thou, thou, the sin enthrall'd, Earth's outcast, Heaven's own ransom'd one, wert call'd In human hearts to give that rapture birth: Oh! raised from shame to brightness!-there doth lie The tenderest meaning of His ministry, Whose undespairing love still own'd the spirit's worth. THE TWO MONUMENTS. Oh! blest are they who live and die like "him,” Wordsworth. BANNERS hung drooping from on high Making a gorgeous canopy O'er a noble, noble grave! And a marble warrior's form beneath, As on his battle bed of death, Triumph yet linger'd in his eye, And shadowing that proud trophy pile He sat upon a shiver'd lance, There by the sculptor bound; But in the light of his lifted glance |