Outre-Mer, Volume 1

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

  After rambling leisurely about for some time, reading the inscriptions on the various monuments, which attracted my curiosity, and giving way to the different reflections they suggested, I sat down to rest myself on a sunken tombstone. A winding gravel-walk, overshaded by an avenue of trees, and lined on both sides with richly sculptured monuments, had gradually conducted me to the summit of the hill, upon whose slope the cemetery stands. Beneath me in the distance, and dim-discovered through the misty and smoky atmosphere of evening, rose the countless roofs and spires of the city. Beyond, throwing his level rays athwart the dusky landscape, sank the broad red sun. The distant murmur of the city rose upon my ear; and the toll of the evening bell came up, mingled with the rattle of the paved street and the confused sounds of labor. What an hour for meditation! What a contrast between the metropolis of the living and the metropolis of the dead! I could not help calling to my mind that allegory of mortality, written by a hand, which has been many a long year cold;

  Earth goeth upon earth as man upon mould,

  Like as earth upon earth never go should,

  Earth goeth upon earth as glistening gold,

  And yet shall earth unto earth rather than he would.

  Lo, earth on earth, consider thou may,

  How earth cometh to earth naked alway,

  Why shall earth upon earth go stout or gay,

  Since earth out of earth shall pass in poor array.2

  Before I left the grave-yard, the shades of evening had fallen, and the objects around me grown dim and indistinct. As I passed the gate-way, I turned to take a parting look. I could distinguish only the chapel on the summit of the hill, and here and there a lofty obelisk of snow-white marble, rising from the black and heavy mass of foliage around, and pointing upward to the gleam of the departed sun, that still lingered in the sky, and mingled with the soft star-light of a summer evening.

  2. I subjoin this relic of old English verse entire, and in its antiquated language, for those of my readers, who may have an antiquarian taste. It is copied from a book, whose title I have forgotten, and of which I have but a single leaf, containing the poem. In describing the antiquities of the church of Stratford-upon-Avon, the writer gives the following ac- count of a very old painting upon the wall, and of the poem, which served as its motto. The painting is no longer visible, having been effaced in repairing the church.

  “Against the west wall of the nave, on the south side of the arch, was painted the martyrdom of Thomas-a-Becket, whilst kneeling at the altar of St. Benedict in Canterbury cathedral; below this was the figure of an angel, probably St. Michael, supporting a long scroll, upon which were seven stanzas in old English, being an allegory of mortality;

  Erthe oute of erthe ys wondurly wroght

  Erth hath gotyn uppon erth a dygnyte of noght

  Erth ypon erth hath sett all hys thowht

  How erth apon erth may be hey browght

  Erth upon erth wold be a kyng

  But how that erth gott to erth he thyngkys nothyng

  When erth byddys erth hys rentys whom bryng

  Then schall erth apon erth have a hard ptyng

  Erth apon erth wynnys castellys and towrys

  Then seth erth unto erth thys ys all owrys

  When erth apon eath hath bylde hys bowrys

  Then schall erth for erth suffur many hard schowrys

  Erth goth apon erth as man apon mowld

  Lyke as erth apon erth never goo schold

  Erth goth apon erth as gelsteryng gold

  And yet schall erth unto erth rather then he wold

  Why that erth loveth erth wondur me thynke

  Or why that erth wold for erth other swett or swynke

  When erth apon erth ys broght wt.yn the brynke

  Then schall erth apon erth have a fowll stynke

  Lo erth on erth consedur thow may

  How erth comyth to erth nakyd all way

  Why schall erth apon erth goo stowte or gay

  Seth erth owt of erth schall passe yn poor aray

  I counsill erth apon erth that ys wondurly wrogt

  The whyl yt. erth ys apon erth to torne hys thowht

  And pray to god upon erth yt. all erth wroght

  That all crystyn soullys to ye. blys.may be broght

  Beneath were two men, holding a scroll over a body wrapt in a winding sheet, and covered with some emblems of mortality; etc.”