THE NEW ZEALOT TO THE SUN

Persian, you rise

Aflame from climes of sacrifice

Where adulators sue,

And prostrate man, with brow abased,

Adheres to rites whose tenor traced

All worship hitherto.

Arch type of sway,

Meetly your over-ruling ray

You fling from Asia's plain,

Whence flashed the javelins abroad

Of many a wild incursive horde

Led by some shepherd Cain.

Mid terrors dinned

Gods too came conquerors from your Ind,

The book of Brahma throve;

They came like to the scythed car,

Westward they rolled their empire far,

Of night their purple wove.

Chemist, you breed

In orient climes each sorcerous weed

That energizes dream —

Transmitted, spread in myths and creeds,

Houris and hells, delirious screeds

And Calvin's last extreme.

What though your light

In time's first dawn compelled the flight

Of Chaos’ startled clan,

Shall never all your darted spears

Disperse worse Anarchs, frauds and fears,

Sprung from these weeds to man?

But Science yet

An effluence ampler shall beget,

And power beyond your play —

Shall quell the shades you fail to rout,

Yea, searching every secret out

Elucidate your ray.