We, whose first memories reach half of a century backward, May praise our fortune to have outliv'd so many dangers,-- Faultiness of Nature's unruly machinery or man's--; 10 For, once born, whatever 'tis worth, LIFE is to be held to, Its mere persistence esteem'd as rēal attainment, Its crown of silver reverenc'd as one promise of youth Fruiting, of existence one needful purpose accomplish'd: And 'twere worth the living, howe'er unkindly bereft of Those joys and comforts, throu' which we chiefly regard it: Nay,--set aside the pleasant unhinder'd order of our life, Our happy enchantments of Fortune, easy surroundings, Courteous acquaintance, dwelling in fair homes, the delight of Long-plann'd excursions, the romance of journeying in lands Historic, of sēeing their glory, the famous adornments 21 Giv'n to memorial Earth by man, decorator of all-time, (--As wē saw with virginal eyes travelling to behold them,--) Her gorgeous palaces, [v]her tow'rs and stately cathedrals; Where the turrets and domes of pictured Tuscany slumber, Or the havoc'd splendours of Rome imperial, or where Glare the fretted minarets and mosks of trespassing Islam, And old Nilus, amid the mummied suzerainty of Egypt, Glideth, a godly presence, consciously regardless of all things, Save his unending toil and ēternal recollections:-- 30 Set these out of account, and with them too put away ART, Those ravishings of mind, those sensuous intelligences, By whose grace the elect enjoy their sacred aloofness From Life's meagre affairs, in beauty's rēgenerate youth Reading immortality's sublime revelation, adoring Their own heav'nly desire; nor alone in worship assist they, But take, call'd of God, part and pleasure in crēation Of that beauty, the first of His first purposes extoll'd:-- Yea, set aside with these all NATURE'S beauty, the wildwood's Flow'ry domain, the flushing, softcrowding loveliness of Spring, 40 Lazy Summer's burning dīal, the serenely solemn spells Of Sibylline Autumn, with gay-wing'd Plenty departing; All fair change, whether of seasons or bright recurrent day, Morning or eve; the divine night's wonderous empyrean; High noon's melting azure, his thin cloud-country, the landscape Mountainous or maritime, blue calms of midsummer Ocean, Broad corn-grown champaign goldwaving in invisible wind, Wide-water'd pasture, with shade of whispering aspen; All whereby Nature winneth our love, fondly appearing As to caress her children, or all that in exaltation 50 Lifteth aloft our hearts to an unseen glory beyond her:--