Music came down from Heaven to thee,
A spirit of repose--
A fine, mysterious melody, {404}
That ceaseless round thee flows;
Should Joy's fast waves dash o'er thy soul,
In free and reckless throng,
What Music answers from the whole,
In thy resistless song!
Oh! Music came a boon to thee,
From yon harmonious spheres;
An influence from eternity,
To charm us from our tears!
Should Grief's dim phantoms then conspire
To tread thy heart along,
Thou shalt but seize thy wavy lyre,
And whelm them all in song!
Yes, thine's a blest inheritance,
Since to thy lips 'tis given,
To lure from its long sorrows hence
The spirit pall'd and riven!
Go, unto none on earth but thee
Such angel tones belong;
For thou wert born of melody,
Thy soul was bath'd in song!
There are many such, as, for instance, "To Sub Rosa," "Death of
Julia," "The Eagle," "The Bugle," "_To Gabriella R----, of Richmond_,"
&c. &c.
Mellen is distinguished for his lyric powers. His Odes are all very
fine. That "To Music," in the volume before us, is deserving of
particular mention, as indeed are those "To Shakspeare," "To Byron,"
"To Lafayette," and others, written on several public occasions.
The volume has but one general fault, and that is, its deficiency in
the lighter and gayer strain, in which we have private proofs that
Mellen certainly excels. It were to be regretted that the poet did not
throw into his collection some touches of that delicate and graceful
humor, which none can more happily hit off than himself. The general
tone of the volume is grave, if not indeed severe--though relieved by
many exquisite verses like those already alluded to, and of which the
following may serve as another specimen.