The Loves of Jonathan and Virginia

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1873 Excerpt: ...He was too godlike, free, and independent; He had to lose a piece of his breast-bone To keep him sober, manlike, and dependent. In three ways, ever since, the thing is done: When Nature grows luxuriant and resplendent, When drunk with wine, or love, or poesy divine, We must get sober, get married, or the church must join. v. Yet, there's another way: 'tis to make money; For what's the use to bees of earth's sweet flowers If they don't hive them up in golden honey? For others' use spend all the glowing hours, Instead of sipping sweets in weather sunny? The utile the dulce still devours; And, lest too near to Eden back they might be carried, Jonathan took to money-making--Virginia got married. VI. Thus, less than God, but better than the Devil, Man vibrates ever between two extremes: Peeps into Eden through some midnight revel, Yet over hell at noon suspended seems. Born for all good, yet suffering every evil, He wakes to torture from Elysian dreams: Could make, with love, the earth an Eden blest, But turns the earth to hell, and seeks in heaven his rest. VII. Virginia was content to live alone, Nor did she willinglv, at last, resign The independence she had bravely won: She had worked out her youthful fond design, --Carved out an empire 'neath the Western sun, Secured its freedom 'neath her sway benign, Fulfilled her boast, and shown the world a nation Where every man was king on his plantation. VIII. But common danger and success had made Virginia and her Northern cousin friends; And so their best and wisest men essayed. A common Constitution, which extends Its jurisdiction over both: 'twas said, Without a supreme head, though each intends To do his best, should foreign wars arise, There was no authority to collect supplies. IX....