Classic Poem

Long hast thou stood, and ever shalt thou stand,
Washed by the surges of the dashing sea,
A monument, to show this mighty land
Where trod the footsteps of the brave and free,
Who fled intoleration's fiery brand,
And, with stern devotion, yielded home
And country, o'er the untried waves to roam—
To find a spot, where man might lift his hand
Toward heaven, unshackled by a single chain,
No more to quail beneath oppression's rod,
His holy faith to keep without a stain,
And bow the suppliant knee to none save God!
Anthems of praise from thee arose sublime,
And to free hearts thou'rt sacred through all time!