The Poetical and Prose Writings of Charles Sprague

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. 1876. Excerpt: ... CURIOSITY. It came from Heaven--its power archangels knew, When this fair globe first rounded to their view; When the young sun revealed each glorious scene Where oceans gathered and where lands grew green; When earth's dead dust in joyful myriads swarmed, And the first man with God's own breath was warmed: It reigned in Eden--when that man first woke, Its kindling influence from his eye-balls spoke; No roving childhood, no exploring youth, Lured him along, till wonder chilled to truth; Full-formed at once, his subject world he trod, And gazed upon the labors of his God; On all, by turns, his chartered glance was cast, While each pleased best as each appeared the last; But when She came, in nature's blameless pride, Bone of his bone, his heaven-anointed bride, All meaner objects faded from his sight, And sense turned giddy with the new delight; Those charmed his eye, but this entranced his soul, Another self, queen-wonder of the whole! Kapt at the view, in ecstacy he stood, And, like his Maker, saw that all was good. It reigned in Eden--in that heavy hour When the arch-tempter sought our mother's bower, Its thrilling charm her yielding heart assailed, And even o'er dread Jehovah's word prevailed. There the fair tree in fatal beauty grew, And hung its mystic apples to her view; Eat, breathed the fiend, beneath his serpent guise; Ye shall know all things, gather, and be wise! Sweet on her ear the wily falsehood stole, And roused the ruling passion of her soul. Ye shall become like God,--transcendent fate! That God's command forgot, she plucked and ate; Ate, and her partner wooed to share the crime, Whose doom, the legend saith, must live through time. For this they shrank before the Avenger's face. For this He drove them from the sacred place; For thi...