quote · Legacy record
Marble and recording brass decay, And like the ’graver’s memory, pass away; The works of man inherit, as is just, Their author’s frailty, and return to dust; But truth divine for ever stands secure, Its head is guarded, as its base is sure; Fixed in the rolling flood of endless years, The pillar of the eternal plan appears; The raving storm and dashing wave defies, Built by that Architect who built the skies.
Marble and recording brass decay, And like the ’graver’s memory, pass away; The works of man inherit, as is just, Their author’s frailty, and return to dust; But truth divine for ever stands secure, Its head is guarded, as its base is sure; Fixed in the rolling flood of endless years, The pillar of the eternal plan appears; The raving storm and dashing wave defies, Built by that Architect who built the skies.
Approximate author period: c. 1765 AD · early modern
Meaning not yet available
An individual explanation has not yet been added. We do not substitute a generic description for an interpretation of these particular words.
Begin with source-checked readings and explanations ↗Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- William Cowper
Attribution: attributed - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Approximate author period: c. 1765 AD · early modern
author lifetime midpoint (1731–1800)
An author lifetime, approximate period or collection date is not necessarily the date when these words were first written or spoken. - Recorded source
- A Cyclopædia of Sacred Poetical Quotations (catalogued1888) (1888 AD)
Page 628 · printed citation: Cowper · subject: TRUTH
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.