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INVOCATION by JOHN BANISTER TABB

First Line: COME, GENTLE SLEEP
Last Line: PLEAD THAT HE KINDLY DEAL AS THOU HAST EVER DONE.

Come, gentle Sleep!
Unchiding mother of a wayward son;
Come, and mine eyelids steep,
For day is done,
And night's cold shadow steals my lonely soul upon.

Come, queen of Peace!
And seal me with thy benediction now;
Come, and from care release
The throbbing brow,
And to thy sceptered calm each stern emotion bow.

Bring with thee dreams,
Responsive visions of the day gone by,
Still as in quiet streams
The pictured sky,
That with a soothing charm allures the pensive eye.

Thou art of Love
A tender token to each erring child,
Sent, as the holy dove
O'er waters wild;
The one remaining joy of Eden undefiled.

As pilgrims, we,
Thy children, weary of the shifting scene,
Turn for repose to thee;
Thy brow serene
No frown repulsive clouds, the yearning heart to wean.

When life is spent.
And Death, thy brother, claimeth as his own
All that thy favor lent,
Then for thy son
Plead that he kindly deal as thou hast ever done.



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