Page:History and characteristics of Bishop Auckland.djvu/191

164 HISTORY OF BISHOP AUCKLANB. Fredaick on reaching home. This was also in his own handwriting, a thing by no means common.'* In 1837 he was ordained deacon in Eipon Cathedral by his old master. Dr. Longley, and two years afterwards he was admitted into priest's orders, on Trinity Sunday, 1839, in Christ Church Cathedral, by Bishop Bagot He did not at that time take any parochial duty, but after leaving college, in the summer of 1840, took up his quarters in the house of the late Matthew Harrison, Esq., of Ambleside, in order to superintend the education of his eldest son, and at the same time to assist the clergyman of that place, where his talents as a preacher soon developed themselves. About this time he brought out, at intervals, a number of tracts on church matters. It was also in the same year he published his first volume of poetry, under the title of " The CherweU Water-Lily, and other Poems ;" and it is easy to see, on reading this volume, what an influence the beautiful and majestic scenery of the Lake district, and its mighty magician, Wordsworth, had upon his youthful and impressive imagination. His unbounded admiration for his great master naturally led him into an endeavour to imitate his style — a thing which might have proved fatal to a youthful poet. There was, however, sufficient originality in the volume to ensure it a favourable reception. Many of his pieces have the real poetic ring, and evince a rich, deep vein of thought and playfulness of fancy, which last was a most striking feature in his character, even after he had assumed the cowl of a monk. Dr. Newman, in his reply to Dr. Pusey's Eirenican, says of him : — " You say of one that he was a popular writer, but is there not sufficient reason for this in the fact of his remarkable gifts, of his poetical fancy, his engaging frankness, his playful wit, his affectionateness, and sensitive piety ?" We give the following as a specimen, which is undoubtedly the gem of the volume : — ST. MARY'S AT NIGHT. I. Dear Mother ! at whose angel-guarded shrine The faithful sought of old their daily Bread, How full thou art of impulses divine And memories deep and dread ! n. Steeped in the shades of night thou art unseen, All save thy fretted tower, and airy spire That travels upward to yon blue serene, Like a mighty altar-fire ; ra. For wavy streams of moonlight creep and move Through little arches and o'er sculptures rare, So lifelike one might deem that Angels love To come and cluster there. IV. Oh ! it is well that thon to us shouldst be Like the mysterious bush, engirt with flame, Tet unconsumed, as she that gifted thee With her high virgin name ; V. And like the Church, that hath for ages stood Within the world, and always been on fire ; Albeit her hidden scent, like cedar-wood, Smells sweetest on the pyre. VI. The city sleeps around thee, save the few That keep sad vigil, with their spirits bare, As Gideon's fleece, to catch the cold fresh dew That faUs on midnight prayer. Digitized by Google