Stedman and Hutchinson, comps. A Library of American Literature:
An Anthology in Eleven Volumes. 1891.
Vols. I–II: Colonial Literature, 1607–1764 | | | | The Ascent of the Saint | | By Benjamin Coleman (1673–1747) |
| | [A Poem on Elijah’s Translation. 1707.] |
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’TWAS at high noon, the day serene and fair, | |
| Mountains of lum’nous clouds roll’d in the air, | |
| When on a sudden, from the radiant skies, | |
| Superior light flasht in Elisha’s eyes. | |
| The Heav’ns were cleft, and from the imperial throne | 5 |
| A stream of glory, dazzling splendor, shone; | |
| Beams of ten thousand suns shot round about, | |
| The sun and every blazon’d cloud went out; | |
| Bright hosts of angels lin’d the heavenly way, | |
| To guard the saint up to eternal day. | 10 |
| Then down the steep descent a chariot bright, | |
| And steeds of fire, swift as the beams of light. | |
| Wing’d seraphs ready stood, bow’d low to greet | |
| The fav’rite saint, and hand him to his seat. | |
| Enthron’d he sat, transformed with joys his mien, | 15 |
| Calm his gay soul, and, like his face, serene. | |
| His eye and burning wishes to his God, | |
| Forward he bow’d, and on the triumph rode. | | | |
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