On the Star of "The Legion of Honour."

1. 1Star of the brave!--whose beam hath shed
2. 2Such glory o'er the quick and dead--
3. 3Thou radiant and adored deceit!
4. 4Which millions rushed in arms to greet,--
5. 5Wild meteor of immortal birth!
6. 6Why rise in Heaven to set on Earth?

1. 7Souls of slain heroes formed thy rays;
2. 8Eternity flashed through thy blaze;
3. 9The music of thy martial sphere
4. 10Was fame on high and honour here;
5. 11And thy light broke on human eyes,
6. 12Like a Volcano of the skies.

1. 13Like lava rolled thy stream of blood,
2. 14And swept down empires with its flood;
3. 15Earth rocked beneath thee to her base,
4. 16As thou didst lighten through all space;
5. 17And the shorn Sun grew dim in air,
6. 18And set while thou wert dwelling there.

1. 19Before thee rose, and with thee grew,
2. 20A rainbow of the loveliest hue
3. 21Of three bright colours, each divine,
4. 22And fit for that celestial sign;
5. 23For Freedom's hand had blended them,
6. 24Like tints in an immortal gem.

1. 25One tint was of the sunbeam's dyes;
2. 26One, the blue depth of Seraph's eyes;
3. 27One, the pure Spirit's veil of white
4. 28Had robed in radiance of its light:
5. 29The three so mingled did beseem
6. 30The texture of a heavenly dream.

1. 31Star of the brave! thy ray is pale,
2. 32And darkness must again prevail!
3. 33But, oh thou Rainbow of the free!
4. 34Our tears and blood must flow for thee.
5. 35When thy bright promise fades away,
6. 36Our life is but a load of clay.

1. 37And Freedom hallows with her tread
2. 38The silent cities of the dead;
3. 39For beautiful in death are they
4. 40Who proudly fall in her array;
5. 41And soon, oh, Goddess! may we be
6. 42For evermore with them or thee!