Lynchburg Virginian

By The following is pretty good poetry—embodies admirable sentiments—and is printed by an excellent moral:—Ed's.

FOR THE VIRGINIAN.

Whether man should be clothed in Humility or in Pride.

God made Humility,—Abaddon Pride:
Now, what we undertake is—to decide
Which garb, by man is better to be had on,—
That which God manufactured,—or Abaddon
No (to proceed by method) let us probe
The claims to preference of each rival robe.
In these four points,—Strength, Cheapness, Safety,
Grace.
Which done, the issue will decide, the case.
First, then, we seek impartially to try
Their claims to Strength, or durability
"Divide and conquer," was the Romans' motto
And hence, dissension ill when she ought not to
Strength rests in union, as we daily see,
When we dissolve lump-sugar in our tea.
Now proud men keep aloof, and singly stand.
Like isolated points, they form no band
Of soul-outpouring intercourse with others,
Nor look upon their neighbors as their brothers,
But stiffening in a crust of ice, which chills
The approach of fellowship—and friendship kills.
Still less have proud men for the proud attraction,
But distantly repel with double action
Just as in magnets (when approximated)
Like poles repel their like, as if they hated
Again;—each views another's claim with wonder,
And vaunts himself above,—the other under
Thus, standing singly, proud men must be weak.
The sport of every gust or angry freak
Of changeful Fortune's swiftly shifting wind
Of quick Disaster visit them, they find
Their helpless insolation, and must fall,
Like uncemented stones from party wall
The meek man's attitude is less pretentious
For meekness is attractive and contagious,
A tie—a cement binding close together
And those so bound can bide the pelting weather
Of stern Adversity's most arrowy rattle—
Like Macedon phalanx in the battle,
Or grains of sand together bound by lime.
which might dispersed, safely endure the time
Or any well-consolidated matter.
Which no external violence can shatter
In short,—it has a oneness, so entire and fitting
Of dissolution,—nature abhors it
Thus wedged, the meek protect strong and foil attacks
By help of many breasts or their ranks
And now, we think, this point is gained at length,—
That meekness bears the palm, at least for Strength
But, secondly, our disquisition tries,
Where, as to Cheapness the advantage lies
That man, who aims his Maker's laws to keep.
Finds his requirements limited and cheap
His wants are simple in that quiet round
Of daily duties, and as simply found
Is their supply: for raiment, shelter, food,
(Cheap, though not mean, though not excessive good)
These form the total of his earthly needs,
And superfluities but little heeds
He lives within the pale by God assigned—
To fence off Luxury from human kind,
Since should that Sorceress once admittance gain.
Want—crime—woe—death would follow in her train
Thus walking humbly in his Maker's sight
He toil, by day, and sweetly rests at night,
Has no exacting lusts to gratify.
And finds cheap comfort in humility
But he. who madly gives the rein and loose
To Fancy's steed, and o'er the precipice
Good barrier which th' erring Will had plants
Must plunge amid an ocean of raw wants
Of most unlimited! Now thus is Pride.
Nor can its wearers cheaply be supplied
What is already said (to dig me deeper.)
Shows that Humility is by far the cheaper
Now judge we, thirdly. which has better claim.
Pride or Humility, to Safety's name
The proud climb high. and often meet a fall
But meekness seldom cared to climb at all,
Or,if she ventured on Ambition's ladder,
'Twas but when duty and her country bade her
And then, if haply she a fall could meet,
She rose again triumphant on her feet
Pride is contentious,and the man of strife
Risks every day his safety and his life
The meek man lives at peace with all mankind.
And peace brings Safety posting close behind
Most proud men hotly wanton lusts pursue,
But Peril follows these as hotly too
The meek man chases not unlawful game.
And so avoids the danger and the shame
See we not often how the haughty take
Sore by winds.or split by lightning's stroke
While the meek 'Reed, that bows itself at. ...
Feels not the lightning, and outlives the storm
Two barks at sea by stormy blasts were met,
One proudly rode awhale (all canvas set.)
But the wind shifting, caught her on the side
She sunk at once, and all on board her died
The other timely furled each swelling sail,
And 'scaped the fury of the driving gale
Thus meek submission to a Higher Power
Is Safety's surest pledge. when dangers lower'
When Discord's Demon stalks throughout the land,
And flashes insurrection's fiery brand
Amid the populace,—say' who are then
In peril like those haughty selfish men,
Whose upturned nostrils proudly sniff the air.
And visibly to all they meet declare.
That good old mother Earth, who gives them bread,
Is too plebeian for their feet to tread?
Not so with those of meek and gentle bearing,
The impenetrable mail of virtue wearing;
Security is theirs from every harm—
Amid the wide spread deluge of alarm
Dear to humanity, their honored name
Saves them and theirs from bullet, sword and flame
Grim slaughter pauses wheresoe'er they move,
And ruffian fury softens into love
To hold them safe from harm is each man's care.
When Death's red agents cry "From these forbear"
Of old, the Hebrews such forbearance knew,
When Wrath's stern angel Egypt's first born slew
While Revolution slacked its horrid thirst
In Gallic blood, the lordly one, who 'erst
Had blazed in vesture rigged with decorations.
Doffed all at once Pride's outward demonstrations
For terror thundered forth in tones Cymbalate ,-
That 'danger lurks in robes aristocratic"
In lieu of these, the humblest garb they wore:
Still liking show,—but loving safety more.
Thus humble gear the flower called Safety snatches
From Danger's nest, while proud gear Danger hatches
Forth, lastly, now on our attention press
Their several claims to Grace, or comeliness
Now Grace consists (since this must be defined)
In adaptation to the end designed,
In rectitude of purpose and of action;
In not exceeding by the smallest fraction,
Nor falling short at all in just control
Of parts, to fit each other and the whole.
In symmetry, in harmony,in short,
Each thing being just the thing it ought
Pride worships self. (that worst of idols known)
Creates a jarring discord in the Tone
Of Nature's music,—daily, hourly breaks,
By most irrational, fantastic freaks,
A link of that concatenated plan,
Which the Creator had in forming Man'
Now, in such spurious bearing. who can trace
One feature of consistency or Grace?
But meekness,oh' resembles lovely flowers—
Imparting odorous to Elysian bowers'
An humble man with Sharon's rose may vie,
Both offering fragrant tribute to the sky
See Etna's top' and tell us, if you can.
Wherein it differs from a haughty man?
Nay, 'tis Pride's very emblem so exact—
You'd think 'twere meant expressly so to act
The thing itself seems a fitter far nor good.
When its true qualities are understood
Look close' you'll find it blackened. seamed, and torn
By boiling, fiery passions. night and morn
Plotting destruction to its lowly neighbors
Incapable of good, it fumes and labors,
With restless agitation, to destroy
Surrounding beauty, industry and joy
And. like the proud man's Etna's top is hollowe.
Whence nothing goodly from its sod can follow.
A sod that bears but vanity and cinder,
Which, far from aiding beauty, mar and hinder
But, if that haughty peak seem fair afar.
Yet things at distance seem not as they are
For distance softens each harsh lineament.
And leaves free room for Fancy to invent
Thus proud men practise distance—for effect
Well knowing, nearness would their flaws detect
But, oh' the man of spirit meek and holy
Is like those pleasant meads and valleys lowly
On that same Etna's base,—where Flora reigns,
And spreads with every flower her enamelled plains,
Where fruit, as fair as Eden's garden knew,
Proclaims Pomona there presiding too'
He does his duty, and fulfils the end
For which he came on earth, his actions tend
To carry out the universal scheme
Of his Creator; virtue is his theme
By ev'ry meditation: his delight —
To walk uprightly in his Maker's sight
And this is moral beauty, —this is Grace.
Transcending far the Swaggerer's gems and lace
At each successive quarter forced to yield.
Pride must to Meekness now resign the field
Yet say—dare man invest himself in Pride—
Aware how He that formed him laid aside
Each badge of Heavenly Glory —took the dress,
The very rags, of human lowliness,
And (by compassion moved to leave the sky)
Assumed, to the lowest dregs, Humility?
Oh. Man of Pride, divest thyself of folly.
And sanely clothe thyself with meekness wholly
For, whilst Abaddon's livery thou wearest,
To be his slave forever thou preparest