THE HUMAN SOUL.
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Illimitable time—Eternity.From this Eternal came the Pure and Good;Of light the being;—the creative word.The essence too of darkness from it came;And light and darkness ruled the universe,—And hence in time's dominion deadly strife.But darkness should at last be changed to light;Creation's strife should end, and all be peace. Philosophy of Egypt claims a thought,Its deity the source of life and light,And principle of all existences. Now from these lands our way we quickly turn,And journey onward to the isles of Greece.What contests here, O soul! thy pow'rs have waged!What glorious vict'ries, too, were here achieved!Too long we linger here, if we would traceThe elements of darkness and of light,Now leading thee to error, now to truth.The elements of darkness passing then,Some elements of light we here would trace,For thee portending brighter mental day.Three names upon the ancient page we see;Immortal names, whose glory ne'er shall die.O Socrates! we hail thee as the oneWho led Philosophy to Truth's own land,Through Wisdom's and through Virtue's holy gates.O Plato! rev'rently we breathe thy name,