| 399 For there are crowns and thrones on high, In distant isles the sound is heard;
And kingdoms there, to be confer'd- Ye heavens rejoice! O earth give ear!
There honors wait that never die;
There fame's immortal trump is heard. The time, the time is now at hand
To give a glorious period birth;
Truth echoes-'tis Jehovah's word; The Son of God, will take command
Let kings and queens and princes hear. And rule the nations of the earth.
THE ODE OF GENIUS TO TRUTH.
I'll sing to thee, O truth!-Thy laws are giv'n The slumb'ring nations, waken with thy blaze,
For my directory o'er earth and heav'n!
I sing of thee-I prize thy presence more In falsehood's stream, let error bathe his soul
Than all the gifts of richly treasured lore- And slander bend to envy's base control;
I sing thy praises-thou art all to me- Be thou, 0 truth! my arbiter and guide-
I crave no pow'r but that confer'd by thee. Beneath thy standard, let my feet abide
Let thy celestial banner be unfurl'd,
Until its crescent circumscribes the world;
Eternal beauties in thy features glow, On hope's high pinion, write thy burnished name,
And from thy lips eternal fountains flow; And plant thy signet, on the spire of fame.
Let the pure luster of thy radiant eye
Beam thro' my soul and lift my nature high; Go forth and conquer-all to thee shall bow:
The master strokes that on my pulses roll And fadeless laurels fade thy noble brow:
Are but emanations of thy soul. The palm of victory waits to crown thy war--
The seal of triumph lingers not afar.
Let the fierce tigress chide her churlish brood; Victorious truth! the conquering scepter wield
Monster on monster, vent its spiteful mood- Till all thy foes in meek submission yield-
Let crawling reptils [reptiles] of the reptile school Until inquiry spreads himself abroad,
Chastise offenders of their puny rule- And knowledge smiles to his instructive rod-
Let insects feel the weight of insects' paw
For the transgression of an insect law: Till party zeal is shrouded with disgrace,
But truth! thy advocate shall not descend And superstition hides his lengthen'd face-
To sordid means, thy honor to defend; Till old stupidity is forc'd to fly-
For thou, O truth! wilt not ignobly bend Till ignorance and prejudice shall die-
To servile measures, for a noble end. Till pompous error, vanquish'd, licks the dust
And princely falsehood fires his smoking bust;
Should lofty Genius strike a feeble string; Then shall thy fiat hold the world in awe
No: in thy presence Truth, of Truth I'll sing: And barb'rous isles exult to hear thy law;
Thou art the basis of each worthy theme- Strong as omnipotence, thy arm shall prove,
Thine is the luster in each golden beam: And as eternal as the throne above.
Wide as eternity, diffuse thy light Morley Settlement, Nov. 25th, 1843
Till joyous day shall burst the shades of night:
Benighted earth, illumine with thy rays-
The Times and Seasons,
IS EDITED BY
JOHN TAYLOR.
Printed and published about the first and fifteenth of every month, on the corner of Water and Bain Streets, Nauvoo, Hancock county, Illinois, by
JOHN TAYLOR AND WILFORD WOODRUFF.
TERMS.-Two dollars per annum, payable in all cases in advance. Any person procuring five new subscribers, and forwarding us Ten Dollars current money, shall receive one volume gratis. All letters must be addressed to John Taylor, editor, POST PAID, or they will not receive attention.
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