This dead of midnight is the noon of thought,
And Wisdom mounts her zenith with the stars.
At this still hour the self-collected soul
Turns inward, and beholds a stranger there
Of high descent, and more than mortal rank;
An embryo God; a spark of fire divine.
Bio: Richard Mant was an English churchman who became a bishop in Ireland. He was a prolific writer, his major work being a History of the Church of Ireland.