BLINDNESS:

OR,

THE SECOND SENSE RESTORED AND LOST.

PART II.

ARGUMENT TO PART SECOND.

"Proud of the gift, she roll'd her greedy sight,
Around the world, and gazed with vast delight."

The mystery and acuteness of light felt on the newly opening eyes— Joy at the discovery of Light—Objects indistinctly seen seem large-How nature appeared as if her principal features were reversed-The feeling of indescribable enthusiasm when the eye first gazed on Nature-Gathering of the Stars-Conjectures on the stars-A few of the ridiculous theories concerning the stars gone over-Newton-Abstraction from sleep-Song of the stars to the moon-The glory of morning-Its dawning-The sun's appearance over the Orient mountains-His influence on earthWho shall describe the sun?-Angel's song to the sun!-Great delight experienced in beholding his brightness - Hymn of praise-First sight of the Bible-Hearing it read, now that the opened eyes could gaze on external nature-The sublime and unanswerable questions which God put to his servant JobCuriosity of friends to see what new impressions light made on the countenance and feelings by the eye being restored, or rather opened-The change of idea in seeing those who, in fancy, were given certain features-Led forth to see those spots which were often described ere the eyes could read their beauty-Wish to be able to paint such, or to possess the sweetness of the Psalmist of Israël to describe their beauties in song-Rising early each morning to view the sun, the birds, the streams, meadows, groves, clouds, flowers, &c.-Windsor and Windsor Castle described-Constant desire to learn the nature and the names of all new objects.

BLINDNESS:

OR,

THE SECOND SENSE RESTORED AND LOST.

PART II.

BUT what is this?-what charm intense and strange,

That makes my soul and body seem to change!
It cannot be, it surely is not Light,

That pours upon me with effulgence bright,

And with resistless, renovating ray,

Pierces a passage through my burning brain ; Dissolves the senses of my soul away,

Till all electric with ecstatic pain!

If 'tis not Light,-why, then, the fervent fire Which blazes round me? Why this new desire

To gaze abroad on Nature?-Ha! I see

Dark shadows moving.-Light, O Light! 'tis thee!-
O blessed Light! what do I witness now,
Blent in confusion-Light, O Light! 'tis thou!
Has Heaven then heard my long, my soul-sigh'd prayer?
O yes, 'tis so!—I see thee, Heaven,—how fair!
Thou'rt pressing close upon mine opening Sight,—3
Thine orbs are rolling near me wondrous bright.
I feel enveloped with some holy flame,

That makes me all ethereal and gay,

As if my spirit, weary of its frame,

Would now ascend on high-a meteor-ray !

I see thee, friend-I see thee dark and high, Fix'd like a pillar 'tween me and the sky!b Wrapt in a dense and vapoury-looking shroud, Or as in dreams I've seen the curling clouds Hang round a spiry mountain, when the sun His radiant race of glory had begun,

And from his wheeling belt new darts were thrown,

Till o'er the surface of creation sown!

The ponderous rocks are reeling near my sight ; The trees, the houses do not stand upright;—

The diamond stars that stud the vault of blue,
Are rushing earthward with o'erwhelming hue!
While streams of fitful fire dart strangely forth,
Like those gay lights you tell me deck the North,
And on my ravish'd eyes obliquely fall,
Refracting through the whole ethereal hall!
All, all is now one universal gleam

Of sacred Light!—This is no gaudy dream-
'Tis no delusive dream, my soul replies,

O God! I praise thee; strengthen still mine eyes!

"Twas thus I felt, when first the gorgeous rays
Of light translucent summon'd forth my praise.
I knew not all I thought-all I express'd,
So high the new-born blessing charm'd my breast,
As walking forth, beneath fair Cynthia's light,
My slumbering eye-lids knew the dawn of sight!

Stars! ye seem'd gathering round my dizzy head,
As though ye rush'd from your cerulean spheres,
Fleet as the moment, when your Maker said-
"Rule over Night"-ere Time was grey with

years.

D 5