Poems (David)/Lines on the Alarming Illness of the Prince of Wales
LINES ON THE ALARMING ILLNESS OF HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE OF WALES.
"TIS our whole nation's heart that asks
A boon at Thine Almighty hands;
Great God, bow down, thine ear incline,
To heartfelt prayer from many lands!
A boon at Thine Almighty hands;
Great God, bow down, thine ear incline,
To heartfelt prayer from many lands!
'Tis our loved Prince's life we crave,
The sunshine of our widow'd Queen;
Oh! Thou wilt grant our tears and prayers,
If for our good by Thee 'tis seen.
The sunshine of our widow'd Queen;
Oh! Thou wilt grant our tears and prayers,
If for our good by Thee 'tis seen.
Thus upwards went a nation's cry
Through winter's long and weary night;
That if mid darkness sorrow came,
Joy would come with the morning light.
Through winter's long and weary night;
That if mid darkness sorrow came,
Joy would come with the morning light.
Ah! thro' the whole wide earth that wail
O'er the blue deep did rise and swell;
Rank and sects they were forgotten,
God's faith in each alone could dwell!
O'er the blue deep did rise and swell;
Rank and sects they were forgotten,
God's faith in each alone could dwell!
From the gorgeous east there came
Prayers from many a heathen shrine;
And the Parsee of his sun god
Prayed that life might o'er him shine!
Prayers from many a heathen shrine;
And the Parsee of his sun god
Prayed that life might o'er him shine!
As the sun mid dews of morning,
Rose the crowned monarch of the day;—
Health rose, as his fire god beaming
When the night of sickness passed away.
Rose the crowned monarch of the day;—
Health rose, as his fire god beaming
When the night of sickness passed away.
From Canada's cold pine crowned land,
And far Australia's golden shore,
Came many a prayer from honest souls,
God would our prince again restore.
And far Australia's golden shore,
Came many a prayer from honest souls,
God would our prince again restore.
And God knew the sad world's longing
His great destroying angel staid;
That night upon his fevered brow,
Christ's unseen healing hands were laid.
His great destroying angel staid;
That night upon his fevered brow,
Christ's unseen healing hands were laid.
And ended then those hours of anguish
For the close which seemed so near;
Now to her who patient waited
Dawns the hope that knows no fear!
For the close which seemed so near;
Now to her who patient waited
Dawns the hope that knows no fear!
'Twas given to her a father's death
To soothe with ever gentle hand;
And now she guards a brother's couch
Who hover'd o'er death's ebon land.
To soothe with ever gentle hand;
And now she guards a brother's couch
Who hover'd o'er death's ebon land.
Our future Queen, the Sea King's child,
Ne'er shone so lovely on our shore,
As when by trial and grief oppressed,
She bravely thus her sorrow bore.
Ne'er shone so lovely on our shore,
As when by trial and grief oppressed,
She bravely thus her sorrow bore.
Wife and mother, thy devotion,
Oh! long thy tender care will prove;
And that sad and weary watching,
Still bind thee stronger to our love.
Oh! long thy tender care will prove;
And that sad and weary watching,
Still bind thee stronger to our love.
Thine own true and noble nature,
Become thee more than princely crown;
'Tis a jewel that gleams the fairest,
When fortune on thy halls doth frown.
Become thee more than princely crown;
'Tis a jewel that gleams the fairest,
When fortune on thy halls doth frown.
Up loyal hearts, brave English men,
Whose honest truth and trust ne'er fails,
And mingle with your Christmas toast,
God bless old England's Prince of Wales!
Whose honest truth and trust ne'er fails,
And mingle with your Christmas toast,
God bless old England's Prince of Wales!