Eusebia and Urania, or Devotion and the Muse

EUSEBIA.
Say, dear Urania, silent why so long '?
I languish for thy sweet-reviving song.
Wilt thou unkind, neglect a sister's moan,
And leave me wretched to complain alone r
Oft has thy lyre my ardent joys express'd,
And breath'd the ardent wishes of my breast.
Oft have thy sympathizing strings complain'd.
And gently sooth'd my heart with anguish pain'd.
Once more, Urania, try thy pleasing power,
And animate this dull, this languid hour.

Urania.
Thy active life must wake the silent strings;
For when Eusebia breathes, Urania sings.
But fainting efforts, and unmeaning sighs
Can never teach the feeble notes to rise.
'Tis gratitude and love, 'tis warm desire,
Or grief sincere attunes the heaven-taught lyre.
When thy heart labours with the sense of pain,
In sympathizing accents I complain:
And when from earth thy soaring thoughts arise,
My kindred notes attend them to the skies.
Ah! where is now the heart-oppressing sigh:
Or where the ardent wish that pierc'd the sky?
Does not Eusebia sleep supine on earth,
Almost forgetful of her heavenly birth?

Eusebia.
No more, my friend, at length, alas! I see
The change, the mournful change, is all in me.
My heavenly birth! — the thought awakes my pain;
And shall I sleep regardless of the chain,
The hateful chain, which holds me from the skies?
Nor once look upward with desiring eyes?
Ah, wretched state! yet, dear Urania, say,
Extinguished is the joy-inspiring ray?
Lost is that heavenly flame in mortal night,
Which once attractive led our upward flight:
Its vital warmth these fetters could unbind,
And earth no more detain the heaven-born mind.

Urania.
Extinguish'd! No — immortal is the flame
Which animates my dear Eusebia's frame.
Though late with such a sickly beam it shone,
When fainting accents breath'd thy languid moan:
Celestial love can never, never die,
It will revive, and seek its native sky;
To its divine Original it tends,
And on almighty power its life depends.
Though earth-born vapours gloomy intervene,
And cloud, with night's dark shade, the mournful scene,
If love's unchanging source his beams display,
The intercepting gloom shall fleet away,
And grateful transport hail the rising day.
Thou friendly power, how kind thy cheering strain!
This blissful hope will mitigate my pain.
Arise, O Sun of righteousness, arise,
With sweet attraction draw me to the skies.
Thy healing beams my every grief can chase,
Great Spring of life, unveil thy radiant face.
Awake desire, and hope, and love, and joy,
Fill heaven alone my raptur'd soul employ!

Urania.
And heaven alone deserves Eusebia's care;
The loveliest scenes on earth no more are fair
When Jesus is withdrawn; his smiles bestow
A glimpse of heaven, a paradise below.
Then Oh, what splendor fills those happy plains,
Where in full glory our Immanuel reigns
Diffusing life, and love, and joys unknown,
Through all the blissful myriads round his throne.
Ten thousand thousand tuneful voices raise
Their sweetest, loftiest notes to sing his praise;
While all the golden harps of heaven resound
Triumphant love with endless glory crown'd.

Eusebia.
Transporting view! O for a seraph's wing—
To bear me to thy courts, my Lord, my King!
O happy state! how sweet, divinely sweet,
To bend adoring at thy glorious feet!
How should I wonder that my pow'rs could be
So languid here, so cold to heav'n and thee!
Blest hour of liberty, when we shall rise,
Urania, to those ever-smiling skies
Where not a cloud shall spread its transient gloom,
But undeclining joys immortal bloom.
There shall thy soothing lyre no more complain,
But tun'd to rapture breathe a nobler strain.
Extatic praise and boundless joy inspire '
The meanest voice in that immortal choir.
Come, my Urania, aid my rising thought;
In the bright hope be every care forgot.

Urania.
Hail, glorious hope; how sweet the distant view!
Ye little cares of earth and time adieu.
Fain would I stretch my willing, joyful flight,
With my Eusebia, to those worlds of light;
Where praise and harmony, unknown below,
Forever with unwearied ardour flow.
But, ere we reach the blissful seats of day,
Eusebia's earthly mansion must decay;
Then death, (kind friend,) shall bid the pris'ner rise,
And join the raptur'd concert of the skies.
Meanwhile Urania joins her sister's cares,
Partakes her joy, and in her sorrow shares.
And if thy smile inspire the humble song,
Thy name, dear Saviour, shall employ her tongue;
And Jesus, and Salvation, shall resound
In echoes of delight the groves around.
Divine employ! to sing thy lovely name,
While list'ning angels join the glorious theme!