Columbus.

He caught the words which ocean thunders hurled On heedless eastern coasts, in days gone by, And to his dreams the ever-westering sky The ensign of a glorious hope unfurled; So, onward to the line of mists which curled Around the setting sun, with steadfast eye, He pushed his course, and, trusting God on high, Threw wide the portals of a larger world.

The heart that watched through those drear autumn nights The wide, dark sea, and man’s new empire sought, Alone, uncheered, hath wrought a deed sublime, Which, like a star behind the polar lights, Will shine through splendours of man’s utmost thought, Down golden eras to the end of time.

1892.