THE HOUSEHOLD MINSTREL.

Liberty on soaring wing,
Doth thy spirit love to sing;
Freedom to the captive brought,
Fills thy varied field of thought;
Admonitions to the heart,
Thy instructive themes impart ;
Whilst thy musings can supply
Thoughts of warm sincerity;
And illumed with kindred zeal,
Thou wouldst bid the obdurate feel.

See the slave with sable brow!
Fetters all his spirit bow ;-

See the brand that lives to tell
Tales of Satan's manacle!

O'er the wounds that speak of woe,
Look what melting tear-drops flow!
Thou wouldst waken hearts of stone
To the tales of sorrow's moan:-
"Children of affliction's hour
"Rise from death's enthralling power!"

Forms there be, a shining band—
Circling graces, hand in hand,—
These like genii, smiling round,
In thy cultured garden found-
Gentle genii cheer thy way
To the realms of heavenly day.

Minstrel of the Household fane!
Where the mild Penates reign,
Minstrel breathing truth and love!
Where the gentle zephyrs rove,

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See! the flag of truce is thine,
Pilgrim at Devotion's shrine!

"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”—2 Cor. iii. 17.

A SON OF FREEDOM.

THE World's Convention do thy numbers sing?
Of vast design;

Where noble souls their heart-felt tributes bring
To virtue's shrine,

And ask for each devoted offering,
A crown divine!

Thy soaring muse has gathered in her train,
A princely band,—

Spirits that through our being's empire reign,
And boldly stand

Where Satan vainly struggles to maintain
A captive land.

The World's Convention comes-with powerful arm They strike the blow,

The fire of zeal within their bosoms warm,

No chill may know ;

Salvation pours her floods-then what may harm
When these o'erflow.

GAIUS.

Hark! for the Lord of liberty and love,

The Prince of Peace

Bids streams of mercy towards our dwellings move,
With blest increase ;-

Then may the Spirit, heaven's own gracious Dove,
Speak full release!

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“I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass; and forgettest the LORD thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor? The captive exile hasteneth that he may be loosed, and that he should not die in the pit, nor that his bread should fail. But I am the LORD thy God, that divided the sea, whose waves roared; The LORD of hosts is his name."-ISAIAH li. 12-15.

GAIUS.

WITH pure and lovely things thy name we blend,
The orphan's hope, forsaken Judah's friend!
Like gleaning grapes upon the topmost bough,
Thy hand would gather outcast Israel now,
To furnish well the vintage-for thy Lord
Appoints his servants, and they speak his word:
Star of the orphan's hope, and Zion's friend!
With lovely things and pure, thy name we blend.

Thrice happy is that servant on whose head
A royal benison by heaven is shed;
The blessing of the poor, whilst rich in faith,
They call down dews with every suppliant breath;

And heaven has blessed thy borders, and on thee
Shines forth the sun of immortality.

Thy board is largely furnished, and behold!

Thy crook of love brings wanderers to the fold;
Jesus himself is with thee, and his love

Has tinged thy hopes below, and fixed thy heart above.

A blessing on thy dwelling, heaven-born saint!
What pencil may thy upward journey paint?
What hand portray thy birthright ?—grace divine
Makes all thy heritage with lustre shine;
And thou hast proved thy title-for thy soul
Has learned to drink salvation's flowing bowl;
Jesus himself has fill'd it, and his hand

Has gifts of earth and heaven at His command.
Thus thou shalt have much silver, and thine eye
Shall see thy garners filled with large supply;
Whilst as the pebbles of the brook, for thee
Shall gold of Ophir fill thy treasury;
Yea, and the Almighty God, thy sovereign King,
Thy sure defence shall guard thee with his wing,
And thou shalt lift thy face, and prayer shall rise
On wings of full acceptance, to the skies;
Thy vows shall there be paid, whilst light and love
Shine on thy pathway to the courts above:-
Heaven's grand decree shall then thy work confess,
Accepted in the Saviour's righteousness.

"Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompense be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the blind: and thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.”—Luke xiv. 12–14.

A VOICE FROM THE WEST.

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A VOICE FROM THE WEST.

THOU who with gentle touch, dost wake a sound
Melodious, clear!

Thou who with accents sweet, dost breathe a name
To true hearts dear!

Oh let me greet thee, as thy melting strain
Salutes mine ear!

Thy muse has power

To bless the hour,

When Jesus is thy glory and thy theme;
And theme like this, may well

Around our spirits dwell

With more refined delight than poet's fabled dream.

Thou dost record

His potent word,

Who spake and blind Bartimeus hailed the day

Jesus in passing by,

With mercy in His eye,

Poured on the darkened sense, a new and living ray.

Well may we bid thee joy of verse like thine!
And though in flowery ways,

Where fancy's vision strays,

Thy spirit oft may drink ethereal bliss;

Yet once again sound forth

Thy strains of passing worth
On things divine,