s: But the cool CALIPH fearful of some wile


s: In this blank stillness checks the troops awhile.--


s: Just then a figure with slow step advanced


s: Forth from the ruined walls and as there glanced


s: The well-known Silver Veil!--"'Tis He, 'tis He,


s: Young AZIM from his steed springs to the ground--


s: "Mine, Holy Caliph! mine," he cries, "the task


s: "To crush yon daring wretch--'tis all I ask."


s: Who still across wide heaps of ruin slow


s: And falteringly comes, till they are near;


s: Then with a bound rushes on AZIM'S spear,


s: And casting off the Veil in falling shows--


s: Oh!--'tis his ZELICA'S life-blood that flows!


s: "I meant not, AZIM," soothingly she said,


s: As on his trembling arm she leaned her head,


s: And looking in his face saw anguish there


s: Beyond all wounds the quivering flesh can bear--


s: "I meant not _thou_ shouldst have the pain of this:--


s: "Tho' death with thee thus tasted is a bliss


s: "Thou wouldst not rob me of, didst thou but know


s: "How oft I've prayed to God I might die so!


s: "But the Fiend's venom was too scant and slow;--


s: "To linger on were maddening--and I thought


s: "If once that Veil--nay, look not on it--caught


s: "The eyes of your fierce soldiery, I should be


s: "Struck by a thousand death-darts instantly.


s: "But this is sweeter--oh! believe me, yes--


s: "I would not change this sad, but dear caress.


s: "This death within thy arms I would not give


s: "For the most smiling life the happiest live!


s: "All that stood dark and drear before the eye


s: "Of my strayed soul is passing swiftly by;


s: "A light comes o'er me from those looks of love,


s: "Like the first dawn of mercy from above;


s: "And if thy lips but tell me I'm forgiven,


s: "Angels will echo the blest words in Heaven!


s: "But live, my AZIM;--oh! to call thee mine


s: "Thus once again! _my_ AZIM--dream divine!


s: "Live, if thou ever lovedst me, if to meet


s: "Oh, live to pray for her--to bend the knee


s: "To whom pure lips and hearts without a stain,


s: "As thine are, AZIM, never breathed in vain,--


s: "And pray that He may pardon her,--may take


s: "Compassion on her soul for thy dear sake,


s: "And naught remembering but her love to thee,


s: "Make her all thine, all His, eternally!


s: "Go to those happy fields where first we twined


s: "Our youthful hearts together--every wind


s: "That meets thee there fresh from the well-known flowers


s: "Will bring the sweetness of those innocent hours


s: "Back to thy soul and thou mayst feel again


s: "For thy poor ZELICA as thou didst then.


s: "So shall thy orisons like dew that flies


s: "To Heaven upon the morning's sunshine rise


s: "With all love's earliest ardor to the skies!


s: "And should they--but, alas, my senses fail--


s: "Oh for one minute!--should thy prayers prevail--


s: "If pardoned souls may from that World of Bliss


s: "Reveal their joy to those they love in this--


s: "I'll come to thee--in some sweet dream--and tell--


s: "Oh Heaven--I die--dear love! farewell, farewell."


s: Time fleeted--years on years had past away,


s: And few of those who on that mournful day


s: Had stood with pity in their eyes to see


s: The maiden's death and the youth's agony,


s: Were living still--when, by a rustic grave,


s: Beside the swift Amoo's transparent wave,


s: By that lone grave, morning and night in prayer,


s: For the last time knelt down--and tho' the shade


s: Of death hung darkening over him there played


s: A gleam of rapture on his eye and cheek,


s: That brightened even Death--like the last streak


s: When night o'er all the rest hangs chill and dim.


s: His soul had seen a Vision while he slept;


s: She for whose spirit he had prayed and wept


s: In angel smiles and told him she was blest!


s: For this the old man breathed his thanks and died.--


s: And there upon the banks of that loved tide,


s: Like the faint, exquisite music of a dream.


s: Should e'er have lost that glorious place!


s: "How happy," exclaimed this child of air,


s: "Mid flowers that never shall fade or fall;


s: "Tho' mine are the gardens of earth and sea


s: "And the stars themselves have flowers for me,


s: "One blossom of Heaven out-blooms them all!


s: "With its plane-tree Isle reflected clear,


s: "And sweetly the founts of that Valley fall;


s: "Tho' bright are the waters of SING-SU-HAY


s: And the golden floods that thitherward stray,


s: How the waters of Heaven outshine them all!


s: As the universe spreads its flaming wall:


s: Take all the pleasures of all the spheres


s: One minute of Heaven is worth them all!"


s: That just then broke from morning's eyes,


s: "But gifts like these are not for the sky.


s: "Like the steps of ALLA'S wonderful Throne?


s: "And the Drops of Life--oh! what would they be


s: And chokes up with the glittering wrecks


s: "Live," said the Conqueror, "live to share


s: "Be this," she cried, as she winged her flight,


s: "Tho' foul are the drops that oft distil


s: "On the field of warfare, blood like this


s: "That sparkles among the Bowers of Bliss!


s: "From the heart that bleeds and breaks in her cause!"


s: "That opes the Gates of Heaven for thee!"


s: And sleeked her plumage at the fountains


s: Who could have thought that saw this night


s: Those groups of lovely date-trees bending


s: Like youthful maids, when sleep descending


s: That they may rise more fresh and bright,


s: Those ruined shrines and towers that seem


s: Naught but the lapwing's cry is heard,--


s: Naught seen but (when the shadows flitting,


s: Who could have thought that there, even there,


s: Which, full of bloom and freshness then,


s: "Poor race of men!" said the pitying Spirit,


s: "Some flowerets of Eden ye still inherit,


s: "But the trail of the Serpent is over them all!"


s: Was safe from this foul midnight's breath,--


s: Where the cool airs from fountain falls,


s: Were pure as she whose brow they fanned.


s: An hour would come when he should shrink


s: "The blessed air, that's breathed by thee,


s: "There--drink my tears while yet they fall--


s: "Thinkst thou that she whose only light,


s: "Could bear the long, the cheerless night


s: "The last pure life that lingers there!"


s: "Sleep," said the PERI, as softly she stole


s: The farewell sigh of that vanishing soul,


s: As true as e'er warmed a woman's breast--


s: "Who sings at the last his own death-lay


s: That like two lovely saints they seemed,


s: From their dim graves in ordor sleeping;


s: Watch o'er them till their souls would waken.


s: Their first sweet draught of glory take!


s: He shut from her that glimpse of glory--


s: "That opes the Gates of Heaven for thee."


s: Fair gardens, shining streams, with ranks


s: With their rich restless wings that gleam


s: Cheered by this hope she bends her thither;--


s: With blood of guests!--_there_ written, all,


s: Oh! 'twas a sight--that Heaven--that child--


s: Nor brought him back one branch of grace.


s: Heart-humbled tones--"thou blessed child!


s: "I looked and prayed like thee--but now"--


s: "There's a drop," said the PERI, "that down from the moon


s: "So balmy a virtue, that even in the hour


s: "And health reanimates earth and skies!--


s: "One heavenly drop hath dispelled them all!"


s: "Farewell, ye vanishing flowers that shone


s: "In my fairy wreath so bright an' brief;--


s: "Oh! what are the brightest that e'er have blown


s: "To the lote-tree springing by ALLA'S throne


s: "Whose flowers have a soul in every leaf.


s: "And this," said the Great Chamberlain, "is poetry! this flimsy


s: Where some hours since was heard the swell


s: All husht--there's not a breeze in motion;


s: Nor leaf is stirred nor wave is driven;--


s: Mid eyes that weep and swords that strike;


s: Turning the leaves with bloodstained hands,


s: Which from the sunniest flowers that glad


s: With their pure smile the gardens round,


s: Her throne had fallen--her pride was crusht--


s: Her sons were willing slaves, nor blusht,


s: In their own land,--no more their own,--


s: Her towers where MITHRA once had burned.


s: To Moslem shrines--oh shame!--were turned,


s: With hope and vengeance;--hearts that yet--


s: They've treasured from the sun that's set,--


s: Those waves are husht, those planets shine;


s: By the white moonbeam's dazzling power;--


s: To lift the veil that shades them o'er!--


s: Yet filled with all youth's sweet desires,


s: Where, thro' some shades of earthly feeling,


s: Like light thro' summer foliage stealing,


s: Too rough the rocks, too bold the steep,


s: For man to scale that turret's height!--


s: Think, reverend dreamer! think so still,


s: Tho' high that tower, that rock-way rude,


s: And think its steeps, tho' dark and dread,


s: Exclaiming breathless, "There, love, there!"


s: Than wings the youth who, fleet and bold,


s: She loves--but knows not whom she loves,


s: Nor what his race, nor whence he came;--


s: And--tho', when terror's swoon had past,


s: Strange, awful words,--and gleams have broken


s: "Where not a pulse should beat but ours,


s: "Would this be world enough for thee?"--


s: "Yes, yes," she cried, "my hourly fears,


s: "'Twas bright, 'twas heavenly, but 'tis past!


s: "To see thee, hear thee, call thee mine,--


s: "Those frightful rocks--that treacherous sea--


s: The youth exclaimed--"thou little know'st


s: "In Danger's paths, has dared her worst;


s: "Of strife and death is hourly breaking;


s: "'Twould be those eyes;--they, only they,


s: "His gray head from that lightning glance!


s: "Thou knowest him not--he loves the brave;


s: "One who would prize, would worship thee


s: "Art formed to make both hearts thy own.


s: "Go--join his sacred ranks--thou knowest


s: "The unholy strife these Persians wage:--


s: "Good Heaven, that frown!--even now thou glowest


s: "And when that sword is raised in fight,


s: "Those Slaves of Fire who, morn and even,


s: "But know--'twas he I sought that night,


s: "I caught this turret's glimmering light,


s: "Rusht to my prey--thou knowest the rest--


s: "Thine, thine the victory--thine the sin--


s: "That Vengeance claims first--last--alone!


s: "How linkt, how blest we might have been,


s: "Thro' the same fields in childhood played,


s: "Then, then, while all those nameless ties


s: "Lived, lookt, and spoke her wrongs thro' thee,--


s: "God! who could then this sword withstand?


s: "In faith, friends, country, sundered wide;


s: "Thou'lt think how well one Gheber loved.


s: "And for _his_ sake thou'lt weep for all!


s: Where lights like charnel meteors burned


s: "Farewell--sweet life! thou clingest in vain--


s: "Thou sleepest to-night, I'll sleep there too


s: "Than the chill wave my love lies under:--


s: young maidens as they adjusted their hair in descending from the


s: With dew whose night-drops would not stain


s: Those heavens began their march sublime,


s: Where are the days, thou wondrous sphere,


s: Quenched with the flame in MITHRA'S caves?


s: While heaven has light or earth has graves;--


s: And hearts where, slow but deep, the seeds


s: And had he reached thy slumbering breast


s: Thou knowest them well--'tis some moons since


s: Thy turbaned troops and blood-red flags,


s: Have swarmed among these Green Sea crags;


s: Their spears across thy path have thrown;


s: Here--ere the winds half winged thee o'er--


s: Whose wrongful blight so oft has stained


s: From the warm earth if chilled at first,


s: To a young, warm, and dauntless Chief,--


s: That dasht like midnight revellers in;--


s: At times throughout those caverns rolled,--


s: It seemed a place where Ghouls might come


s: Tho' fled the priests, the votaries gone,


s: Thro' chance and change, thro' good and ill,


s: "Thy gloom, that Eblis' self might dread,


s: "Is Heaven to him who flies from chains!"


s: They crost the chasm and gained the towers;--


s: "This home," he cried, "at least is ours;


s: "Stretched on this rock while vultures' beaks


s: 'Twas night when to those towers they came,


s: "'Tis o'er--what men could do, we've done--


s: "And see her priests, her warriors driven


s: "A wretch who shrines his lusts in heaven


s: "If her proud sons, her high-born souls,


s: "Their inmost core, and conscience turns


s: "And souls that thraldom never stained;--


s: "And when some hearts that proudest swell


s: "Have felt our falchion's last farewell,


s: His Chiefs stood round--each shining blade


s: Those courts where once the Mighty sate:


s: Was seen the feast of fruits and flowers


s: Tho' neither priest nor rites were there,


s: Heard _them_ while on that altar's fires


s: Brave, suffering souls! they little knew


s: Whom love first touched with others' woe--


s: Whose life, as free from thought as sin,


s: Mid all this havoc bloomed and smiled,--


s: While Heaven but spared the sire she loved,


s: Hell's confines that the damned can hear!


s: Her soul all flame, her brow all sadness,


s: And thinks that o'er, almost to madness!


s: His words--"for _my_ sake weep for all;"


s: He would have markt her shuddering frame,


s: The faltering speech--the look estranged--


s: Voice, step and life and beauty changed--


s: That, pledged on earth and sealed above,


s: In friendship's smile and home's caress,


s: It lies like some ill-gotten treasure,--


s: For him whose smiles first made her weep;--


s: Which reeked with that day's banqueting--


s: "And yet thou sleepest--up, child, and see


s: "His head--heart--limbs--will all be mine;


s: "_His_ blood!" she faintly screamed--her mind


s: "That bind these impious slaves, would be


s: "That rebel fiend whose blade has spread


s: "Whose baffling spells had almost driven


s: "Back from their course the Swords of Heaven,


s: "This night with all his band shall know


s: "Shall glitter on thy shrine of Shrines.


s: "But, ha!--she sinks--that look so wild--


s: "In scenes that man himself might dread,


s: "But cheer thee, maid,--the wind that now


s: "Thou'lt see thy own sweet Arab bowers!"


s: To those high towers where Freedom stood


s: The Ghebers fought hope's farewell fight,


s: That sun which should have gilt his grave


s: Be drugged with treacheries to the brim.--


s: Like Dead-Sea fruits that tempt the eye,


s: His country's curse, his children's shame,


s: Like the once glorious hopes he blasted!


s: Sleeps the grim wave, while heaven's rack,


s: There rolled in masses dark and swelling,


s: While o'er the wave his weeping daughter


s: Is wafted from these scenes of slaughter,--


s: Flies home, with wing, ah! not unstained


s: The flowers she nurst--the well-known groves,


s: Blood, blood, in streaming tides shall run,


s: "Where art thou, glorious stranger! thou,


s: "The unhallowed name thou'rt doomed to bear,


s: "Still glorious--still to this fond heart


s: "Let the black waves that round us roll,


s: Her hands were claspt--her eyes upturned,


s: Dropping their tears like moonlight rain;


s: Which showed,--tho' wandering earthward now,--


s: Clasht swords and tongues that seemed to vie


s: But, hark!--that war-whoop on the deck--


s: Mast, sails and all, were gone to wreck,


s: "Forgive me"--shrieked the maid and knelt,


s: While crouching round half dead with fear,


s: Her handmaids clung, nor breathed nor stirred--


s: The sail whose fragments, shivering o'er


s: The stragglers' heads all dasht with gore


s: Burns thro' the storm with looks of flame


s: That put Heaven's cloudier eyes to shame.


s: The sea-dog trackt?--no--strange and new


s: Their garb--the leathern belt that wraps


s: As if he guessed whose form they sought.


s: Half light, half shade, which Fancy's beams


s: Scales the blue wave--the crew's in motion.


s: Scattering its brilliant fragments round.


s: Their course is toward that mountain-hold,--


s: Those towers that make her life-blood freeze,


s: Man's foot could scale that mountain's brow,


s: To lower the mast and light the brands!--


s: Its flickering light could further throw


s: When, hark!--some desperate foot has sprung


s: Can see from whence the brightness steals,


s: That they had risen from the darkness there,


s: Thro' damp and gloom--mid crash of boughs,


s: Come from the gloom, low whispering near--


s: She _does_ not dream--all sense, all ear,


s: She drinks the words, "Thy Gheber's here."


s: 'Twas his own voice--she could not err--


s: "Of sinners' hearts--guard him this night,


s: "Linkt with each quivering life-string there,


s: "Shall from this hour be Heaven's alone.


s: And whose sweet tears o'er wrong forgiven


s: Shine as they fall with light from heaven!


s: 'Twas stillness all--the winds that late


s: Had rushed through KERMAN'S almond groves,


s: In their dark tombs--when, scowling near,


s: Strange, mocking dream! again 'tis fled.


s: Or meet those eyes whose scorching glare


s: When stretched at evening round the well


s: Breathless she stands with eyes cast down


s: Whose voice unnerves, whose glances blight,--


s: Even he, this youth--tho' dimmed and gone


s: With doom still darker gathering o'er him,


s: The beauteous clouds, tho' daylight's Star


s: Were still with lingering glories bright.--


s: And their pure hearts, to transport given,


s: Swell like the wave and glow like heaven.


s: Night, dreadful night, is gathering fast,


s: "_At night_, he said--and look, 'tis near--


s: "Hush! heardest thou not the tramp of men


s: "Perhaps, even now they climb the wood--


s: "Fly, fly--tho' still the West is bright,


s: "He'll come--oh! yes--he wants thy blood--


s: She clings around the wondering Chief;--


s: "Thou owest this raving trance of grief.


s: "The night-cry thro' each reeking tower,


s: "Thou art betrayed--some wretch who knew


s: "Nay, doubt not--by yon stars, 'tis true--


s: "Fly--send--let some one watch the glen--


s: The suffering brave, shall long look back


s: Watch thro' the hours of slavery's night


s: For vengeance on the oppressor's crimes.


s: There, by the Fire-God's shrine it stands,


s: Which rescues them from bonds and shame,


s: The death-flames that beneath him burned!


s: What plans he now? what thinks or dreams?


s: She kneeling cries--"first, last adored!


s: "Now, now--ere yet their blades are nigh.


s: "Thro' good and ill, thro' storm and shine,


s: "On some calm, blessed shore we'll dwell,


s: Wildly these passionate words she spoke--


s: His oath--his cause--that shrine of flame,


s: O'er hours to come--o'er days and nights,


s: Winged with those precious, pure delights


s: To raise the suppliant, trembling stole,


s: First warned him of this dangerous cloud


s: Shakes from his sword the dews of night,


s: That had but dimmed not stained its light.


s: And smiled and blest him while he said,--


s: "Where fadeless truth like ours is dear.--


s: Full well his Chieftains, sworn and true


s: As round the burning shrine they came;--


s: 'Twas silence all--the youth hath planned


s: His faithful Chieftains well know theirs.


s: But minutes speed--night gems the skies--


s: Sights that will turn your star-fires cold!


s: And prest her hand--that lingering press


s: 'Twas joy, she thought, joy's mute excess--


s: "Haste, haste!" she cried, "the clouds grow dark,


s: "But still, ere night, we'll reach the bark;


s: "Till the last life-breath leave this frame.


s: No--hapless pair--you've lookt your last:--


s: Your hearts should both have broken then:--


s: Still half-way down the steep he stands,


s: "They come--the Moslems come!"--he cries,


s: He said--and, light as bridegrooms bound


s: To their young loves, reclined the steep


s: And gained the Shrine--his Chiefs stood round--


s: Had from their sheaths like sunbeams burst.


s: With their swords graspt, their eyes of flame


s: Turned on their Chief--could doubt the shame,


s: The indignant shame with which they thrill


s: To hear those shouts and yet stand still?


s: He read their thoughts--they were his own--


s: "What! while our arms can wield these blades,


s: "Thou scornest the inglorious sacrifice.


s: "Life, swords, and vengeance still are left.


s: "Till tyrants shudder, when their slaves


s: "Follow, brave hearts!--this pile remains


s: Glides on with glittering, deadly trail.


s: Crost the wild race that round them dwell,


s: Had filled the narrow chasm breast-high,


s: Huge cliffs and toppling crags were piled,--


s: The guards with which young Freedom lines


s: So fierce their toil, hath power to stir,


s: Of half-quenched brands, that o'er the flood


s: Heads, blazing turbans, quivering limbs,


s: Lost swords that dropt from many a hand,


s: In that thick pool of slaughter stand;--


s: From the tost brands that round them fly,


s: 'Twixt flood and flame in shrieks expire;--


s: Sink woundless with them, smothered o'er


s: The North's dark insects wing their flight


s: Whose swords how keen, how fierce they knew.


s: Some found their graves where first they stood;


s: Long battles with the o'erwhelming tide,


s: Their prey escaped--guide, torches gone--


s: Those sounds--the last, to vengeance dear.


s: It seemed as if each thought that stained,


s: Each fear that chilled their loves was past,


s: From that short night's tremendous strife.--


s: These words have roused the last remains


s: The thought could make even Death forget


s: Speed them, thou God, who heardest their vow!


s: They mount--they bleed--oh save them now--


s: The crags are red they've clambered o'er,


s: The rock-weed's dripping with their gore;--


s: How breaks beneath thy tottering strength!


s: One effort more--thank Heaven! 'tis past,


s: They've gained the topmost steep at last.


s: Of the fallen Chief and toward the flame


s: Like lightning bursts o'er OMAN'S Sea.--


s: Their generous Chieftain would not share


s: And proud to guard their beauteous freight,


s: Her ghost still haunts the mouldering heart;


s: Now felt thro' all thy breast and brain;--


s: From whose hot throb whose deadly aching,


s: Calm is the wave--heaven's brilliant lights


s: Which bounds in youth's yet careless breast,--


s: Half draws the falchion from its sheath;


s: All's o'er--in rust your blades may lie:--


s: He at whose word they've scattered death


s: All eyes are turned--thine, HINDA, thine


s: "'Tis he!"--the shuddering maid exclaims,--


s: Farewell--farewell to thee. ARABY'S daughter!


s: (Thus warbled a PERI beneath the dark sea,)


s: No pearl ever lay under OMAN'S green water


s: More pure in its shell than thy Spirit in thee.


s: Oh! fair as the sea-flower close to thee growing,


s: How light was thy heart till Love's witchery came,


s: Like the wind of the south o'er a summer lute blowing,


s: And husht all its music and withered its frame!


s: But long upon ARABY'S green sunny highlands


s: Shall maids and their lovers remember the doom


s: Of her who lies sleeping among the Pearl Islands


s: With naught but the sea-star to light up her tomb.


s: And still when the merry date-season is burning


s: And calls to the palm-groves the young and the old,


s: The happiest there from their pastime returning


s: At sunset will weep when thy story is told.


s: The young village-maid when with flowers she dresses


s: Her dark flowing hair for some festival day


s: Will think of thy fate till neglecting her tresses


s: She mournfully turns from the mirror away.


s: Nor shall IRAN, beloved of her Hero! forget thee--


s: Tho' tyrants watch over her tears as they start,


s: Close, close by the side of that Hero she'll set thee,


s: Embalmed in the innermost shrine of her heart.


s: Farewell--be it ours to embellish thy pillow


s: With everything beauteous that grows in the deep;


s: Each flower of the rock and each gem of the billow


s: Shall sweeten thy bed and illumine thy sleep.


s: Around thee shall glisten the loveliest amber


s: That ever the sorrowing sea-bird has wept;


s: With many a shell in whose hollow-wreathed chamber


s: We Peris of Ocean by moonlight have slept.


s: We'll dive where the gardens of coral lie darkling


s: And plant all the rosiest stems at thy head;


s: We'll seek where the sands of the Caspian are sparkling


s: And gather their gold to strew over thy bed.


s: Farewell--farewell!--Until Pity's sweet fountain


s: Is lost in the hearts of the fair and the brave,


s: They'll weep for the Chieftain who died on that mountain,


s: They'll weep for the Maiden who sleeps in this wave.


s: exceedingly; and even inclined towards him the hearts of these


s: Who has not heard of the Vale of CASHMERE,


s: With its roses the brightest that earth ever gave,


s: Its temples and grottos and fountains as clear


s: As the love-lighted eyes that hang over their wave?


s: Oh! to see it at sunset,--when warm o'er the Lake


s: Its splendor at parting a summer eve throws,


s: Like a bride full of blushes when lingering to take


s: A last look of her mirror at night ere she goes!--


s: When the shrines thro' the foliage are gleaming half shown,


s: And each hallows the hour by some rites of its own.


s: Here the music of prayer from a minaret swells,


s: Here the Magian his urn full of perfume is swinging,


s: And here at the altar a zone of sweet bells


s: Round the waist of some fair Indian dancer is ringing.


s: Or to see it by moonlight when mellowly shines


s: The light o'er its palaces, gardens, and shrines,


s: When the water-falls gleam like a quick fall of stars


s: And the nightingale's hymn from the Isle of Chenars


s: Is broken by laughs and light echoes of feet


s: From the cool, shining walks where the young people meet.--


s: Or at morn when the magic of daylight awakes


s: A new wonder each minute as slowly it breaks,


s: Hills, cupolas, fountains, called forth every one


s: Out of darkness as if but just born of the Sun.


s: When the Spirit of Fragrance is up with the day


s: From his Haram of night-flowers stealing away;


s: And the wind full of wantonness wooes like a lover


s: When the East is as warm as the light of first hopes,


s: And day with his banner of radiance unfurled


s: Shines in thro' the mountainous portal that opes,


s: Sublime, from that Valley of bliss to the world!


s: With quicker spread each heart uncloses,


s: Their veils at home, that brilliant eve;


s: And cheeks that would not dare shine out


s: So clear as that which blest them there;


s: From neighboring Haram, wild and sweet;--


s: Then the sounds from the Lake,--the low whispering in boats,


s: As they shoot thro' the moonlight,--the dipping of oars


s: And the wild, airy warbling that everywhere floats


s: Thro' the groves, round the islands, as if all the shores


s: Like those of KATHAY uttered music and gave


s: An answer in song to the kiss on each wave.


s: But the gentlest of all are those sounds full of feeling


s: That soft from the lute of some lover are stealing,--


s: Some lover who knows all the heart-touching power


s: Of a lute and a sigh in this magical hour.


s: Oh! best of delights as it everywhere is


s: To be near the loved _One_,--what a rapture is his


s: Who in moonlight and music thus sweetly may glide


s: O'er the Lake of CASHMERE with that _One_ by his side!


s: If woman can make the worst wilderness dear,


s: Think, think what a Heaven she must make of CASHMERE!


s: When from power and pomp and the trophies of war


s: He flew to that Valley forgetting them all


s: With the Light of the HARAM, his young NOURMAHAL.


s: When free and uncrowned as the Conqueror roved


s: By the banks of that Lake with his only beloved


s: He saw in the wreaths she would playfully snatch


s: From the hedges a glory his crown could not match,


s: And preferred in his heart the least ringlet that curled


s: Down her exquisite neck to the throne of the world.


s: There's a beauty for ever unchangingly bright,


s: Like the long, sunny lapse of a summer-day's light,


s: Shining on, shining on, by no shadow made tender


s: Till Love falls asleep in its sameness of splendor.


s: This _was_ not the beauty--oh, nothing like this


s: That to young NOURMAHAL gave such magic of bliss!


s: But that loveliness ever in motion which plays


s: Like the light upon autumn's soft shadowy days,


s: Now here and now there, giving warmth as it flies


s: From the lip to the cheek, from the cheek to the eyes;


s: Now melting in mist and now breaking in gleams,


s: Like the glimpses a saint hath of Heaven in his dreams.


s: When pensive it seemed as if that very grace,


s: That charm of all others, was born with her face!


s: And when angry,--for even in the tranquillest climes


s: Light breezes will ruffle the blossoms sometimes--


s: The short, passing anger but seemed to awaken


s: New beauty like flowers that are sweetest when shaken.


s: If tenderness touched her, the dark of her eye


s: At once took a darker, a heavenlier dye,


s: From the depth of whose shadow like holy revealings


s: From innermost shrines came the light of her feelings.


s: Then her mirth--oh! 'twas sportive as ever took wing


s: From the heart with a burst like the wild-bird in spring;


s: Illumed by a wit that would fascinate sages,


s: Yet playful as Peris just loosed from their cages.


s: While her laugh full of life, without any control


s: But the sweet one of gracefulness, rung from her soul;


s: And where it most sparkled no glance could discover,


s: In lip, cheek, or eyes, for she brightened all over,--


s: Like any fair lake that the breeze is upon


s: When it breaks into dimples and, laughs in the sun.


s: Such, such were the peerless enchantments that gave


s: NOURMAHAL the proud Lord of the East for her slave:


s: And tho' bright was his Haram,--a living parterre


s: Of the flowers of this planet--tho' treasures were there,


s: For which SOLIMAN'S self might have given all the store


s: That the navy from OPHIR e'er winged to his shore,


s: Yet dim before _her_ were the smiles of them all


s: And the Light of his Haram was young NOURMAHAL!


s: But where is she now, this night of joy,


s: That one might think, who came by chance


s: When mirth brings out the young and fair,


s: That stood the storm when waves were rough


s: A breath, a touch like this hath shaken.


s: He sits with flowerets fettered round;--


s: Will rob the plumes of half their light.


s: Some difference of this dangerous kind,--


s: By which, tho' light, the links that bind


s: When Pleasure thro' the fields and groves


s: Come crowding round--the cheeks are pale,


s: 'Twas midnight--thro' the lattice wreathed


s: From plants that wake when others sleep.


s: "That scatters spells on herb and flower,


s: "Of buds o'er which the moon has breathed,


s: "Which worn by her whose love has strayed


s: "Of flowerets' breaths and lovers' sighs,


s: "Oh! twine that wreath for me to-night."


s: And beams of that blest hour!--her glance


s: Spoke something past all mortal pleasures,


s: She hung above those fragrant treasures,


s: To-morrow the dreams and flowers will fade.


s: Steals from the jasmine flower that sighs


s: Springs out of the silvery almond-flower


s: Is found in the bruised and wounded rind


s: Placed on her head than sleep came down,


s: Called by that moonlight garland's spell;


s: And voices are singing the whole day long,


s: Is turned, as it leaves the lips, to song!


s: And if there's a magic in Music's strain


s: And the passionate strain that, deeply going,


s: And they come like Genii hovering round.


s: The past, the present and future of pleasure;


s: With the blissful tone that's still in the ear;


s: To a note more heavenly still that is near.


s: As his own white plume that high amid death


s: Thro' the field has shone--yet moves with a breath!


s: Like the silent stars that wink and listen


s: And if there's a magic in Music's strain,


s: And then her voice--'tis more than human--


s: "Oh! let it last till night," she cries,


s: For things so heavenly have such fleetness!


s: All the bright creatures that like dreams


s: Who leave--how _can_ they leave?--the shades


s: Maids from the West, with sun-bright hair,


s: And every thing seemed drear without thee;


s: But, ah! thou wert, thou wert,--and brought


s: The board was spread with fruits and wine,


s: With grapes of gold, like those that shine


s: That, wild and fresh, the young gazelles


s: From vineyards of the Green-Sea gushing;


s: And seems resolved the flood shall reach


s: When warm they rise from Teflis' brooks;


s: His heart is weak, of Heaven should pray


s: Come hither, come hither--by night and by day,


s: We linger in pleasures that never are gone;


s: Like the waves of the summer as one dies away


s: Another as sweet and as shining comes on.


s: And the love that is o'er, in expiring gives birth


s: To a new one as warm, as unequalled in bliss;


s: And, oh! if there be an Elysium on earth,


s: Here maidens are sighing, and fragrant their sigh


s: As the flower of the Amra just oped by a bee;


s: And precious their tears as that rain from the sky,


s: Which turns into pearls as it falls in the sea.


s: Oh! think what the kiss and the smile must be worth


s: When the sigh and the tear are so perfect in bliss,


s: And own if there be an Elysium on earth,


s: Here sparkles the nectar that hallowed by love


s: Could draw down those angels of old from their sphere,


s: Who for wine of this earth left the fountains above,


s: And forgot heaven's stars for the eyes we have here.


s: And, blest with the odor our goblet gives forth,


s: What Spirit the sweets of his Eden would miss?


s: For, oh! if there be an Elysium on earth,


s: Its sounds with theirs that none knew whether


s: There's a bliss beyond all that the minstrel has told,


s: When two that are linkt in one heavenly tie,


s: With heart never changing and brow never cold,


s: Love on thro' all ills and love on till they die!


s: One hour of a passion so sacred is worth


s: Whole ages of heartless and wandering bliss;


s: And, oh! if there be an Elysium on earth,


s: But oh! the choice what heart can doubt,


s: Our sands are bare, but down their slope


s: When first on me they breathed and shone,


s: "Hadst thou but sung this witching strain,


s: These arches and fireworks delighted the Ladies of the Princess


s: Of the happiness of the King and Queen of Bucharia, after such a


s: "The history of the loves of Dewildé and Chizer, the son of the


s: "One mark of honor or knighthood bestowed by the Emperor is the


s: In the Poem of Zohair, in the Moallakat, there is the following


s: This hypocritical Emperor would have made a worthy associate of


s: Aurungzebe, given in the _Oriental Collections_, vol. i. p.320.


s: See a description of these royal Gardens in "An Account of the


s: "In the neighborhood is Notte Gill, or the Lake of Pearl, which


s: Sir Thomas Roe, Ambassador from James I. to Jehanguire.


s: Pichula, used anciently for arrows by the Persians.


s: The burning fountains of Brahma near Chittogong, esteemed as


s: The transmigration of souls was one of his doctrines.--_Vide


s: The cities of Com (or Koom) and Cashan are full of mosques,


s: An island in the Persian Gulf, celebrated for its white wine.


s: The miraculous well at Mecca: so called, says Sale, from the


s: "It is commonly said in Persia, that if a man breathe in the hot


s: A tree famous for its perfume, and common on the hills of


s: "In Mecca there are quantities of blue pigeons, which none will


s: _Tavernier_ adds, that while the Birds of Paradise lie in this


s: "That bird which liveth in Arabia, and buildeth its nest with


s: "The spirits of the martyrs will be lodged in the crops of green


s: Shedad, who made the delicious gardens of Irim, in imitation of


s: Musnuds are cushioned seats, usually reserved for persons of


s: A river which flows near the ruins of Chilminar.


s: "To which will be added, the sound of the bells, hanging on the


s: "Whose wanton eyes resemble blue water-lilies, agitated by the


s: The blue lotos, which grows in Cashmere and in Persia.


s: It has been generally supposed that the Mahometans prohibit all


s: "Deep blue is their mourning color." _Hanway_.


s: "Concerning the vipers, which Pliny says were frequent among the


s: "The place where the Whangho, a river of Tibet, rises, and where


s: "A superb camel, ornamented with strings and tufts of small


s: "Some of the camels have bells about their necks, and some about


s: The two black standards borne before the Caliphs of the House of


s: "The Persians swear by the Tomb of Shad Besade, who is buried at


s: The inhabitants of Hejaz or Arabia Petraea, called by an Eastern


s: "The chiefs of the Uzbek Tartars wear a plume of white heron's


s: feathers in their turbans."--_Account of Independent Tartary_.


s: In the mountains of Nishapour and Tous in (Khorassan) they find


s: The Ghebers or Guebres, those original natives of Persia, who


s: The Dead Sea, which contains neither animal nor vegetable life.


s: "You never can cast your eyes on this tree, but you meet there


s: Carreri mentions the fire-flies in India during the rainy


s: The beauty of Ali's eyes was so remarkable, that whenever the


s: The Shechinah, called Sakfnat in the Koran.--See _Sale's Note_,


s: The parts of the night are made known as well by instruments of


s: "From the groves of orange trees at Kauzeroon the bees cull a


s: That they knew the secret of the Greek fire among the Mussulmans


s: "The righteous shall be given to drink of pure wine, sealed: the


s: "They have all a great reverence for burial-grounds, which they


s: The celebrity of Mazagong is owing to its mangoes, which are


s: "The Huma, a bird peculiar to the East. It is supposed to fly


s: "Numerous small islands emerge from the Lake of Cashmere. One is


s: "The Mahometans suppose that falling stars are the firebrands


s: _Diodorus_ mentions the Isle of Panchai, to the south of Arabia


s: "The cup of Jamshid, discovered, they say, when digging for the


s: "With this immense treasure Mamood returned to Ghizni and in the


s: pearls."--_Universal History_, vol. iii.


s: Savary mentions the pelicans upon Lake Moeris.


s: famous;--hence, Suristan, the Land of Roses.


s: "The number of lizards I saw one day in the great court of the


s: "The Syrinx or Pan's pipes is still a pastoral instrument in


s: "The River Jordan is on both sides beset with little, thick, and


s: The Country of Delight--the name of a province in the kingdom of


s: Mahomet is described, in the 53d chapter of the Koran, as having


s: The name of the javelin with which the Easterns exercise. See


s: _Castellan, "Moeurs des Ottomans," tom_. iii. p. 161.


s: passengers, and to water the young trees."


s: "Here is a large pagoda by a tank, on the water of which float


s: Voltaire tells us that in his tragedy, "_Les Guèbres_," he was


s: The present Gombaroon, a town on the Persian side of the Gulf.


s: "On the blades of their scimitars some verse from the Koran is


s: "The Fountain of Youth, by a Mahometan tradition, is situated in


s: This mountain is generally supposed to be inaccessible. _Struy_


s: "It is usual to place a small white triangular flag, fixed to a


s: Tahmuras, and other ancient Kings of Persia; whose adventures in


s: This rivulet, says Dandini, is called the Holy River from the


s: This mountain is my own creation, as the "stupendous chain," of


s: "At the city of Yezd, in Persia, which is distinguished by the


s: Ancient heroes of Persia. "Among the Guebres there are some who


s: boast their descent from Rustam."--_Stephen's Persia_.


s: A kind of trumpet;--it "was that used by Tamerlane, the sound of


s: "They say that there are apple-trees upon the sides of this sea,


s: "The Suhrab or Water of the Desert is said to be caused by the


s: "The sweet-scented violet is one of the plants most esteemed,


s: "Last of all she took a guitar, and sang a pathetic air in the


s: "The Easterns used to set out on their longer voyages with


s: "The Gate of Tears, the straits or passage into the Red Sea,


s: "The brilliant Canopus, unseen in European climates."--_Brown_.


s: "Blossoms of the sorrowful Nyctanthes give a durable color to


s: The two terrible angels, Monkir and Nakir, who are called "the


s: "The shell called Siiankos, common to India, Africa, and the


s: "The finest ornament for the horses is made of six large flying


s: Some naturalists have imagined that amber is a concretion of the


s: "The application of whips or rods."--_Dubois_.


s: abstinence till they came within proper bounds.


s: "'(Behold) the Zingians, without care and sorrow, frolicsome with


s: "The Tuckt Suliman, the name bestowed by the Mahommetans on this


s: A place mentioned in the Toozek Jehangeery, or Memoirs of Jehan-


s: "It is the custom among the women to employ the Maazeen to chant


s: "The swing is a favorite pastime in the East, as promoting a


s: "An old commentator of the Chou-King says, the ancients having


s: In the Malay language the same word signifies women and flowers.


s: "You may place a hundred handfuls of fragrant herbs and flowers


s: "He is said to have found the great _Mantra_, spell or talisman,


s: "A demon, supposed to haunt woods, etc., in a human shape."--


s: The name of Jehan-Guire before his accession to the throne.


s: "The Malayans style the tuberose (_polianthes tuberosa_) Sandal


s: Sweet Basil, called Rayhan in Persia, and generally found in


s: "In the Great Desert are found many stalks of lavender and


s: "The almond-tree, with white flowers, blossoms on the bare


s: An herb on Mount Libanus, which is said to communicate a yellow


s: "This idea (of deities living in shells) was not unknown to the


s: "The Persians have two mornings, the Soobhi Kazim and the Soobhi


s: "The waters of Cachemir are the more renowned from its being


s: supposed that the Cachemirians are indebted for their beauty to


s: "On the side of a mountain near Paphos there is a cavern which


s: "These is a part of Candahar, called Peria, or Fairy Land."--


s: "The Arabian women wear black masks with little clasps prettily


s: "The golden grapes of Casbin."--_Description of Persia_.


s: "Sweetmeats, in a crystal cup, consisting of rose-leaves in


s: "The Indian Syrinda, or guitar."--_Symez_.


s: For an account of the share which wine had in the fall of the


s: "The Chinese had formerly the art of painting on the sides of


s: An eminent carver of idols, said in the Koran to be father to


s: "By sprinkling them," he replied, "with the Waters of Life."


s: "But where are those Waters to be found?" they asked.


s: "In the Garden of God," replied Zoroaster.


s: Among other miraculous interpositions in favor of Mahomet we find


s: Should fall on hearts of heavenly birth--


s: And o'er whose cheeks full oft had blown


s: The wind that breathes from ALLA'S throne,


s: Creatures of light such as _still_ play,


s: Of Heaven they spoke and, still more oft,


s: Of the bright eyes that charmed them thence;


s: As on their first, fond, erring hours,--


s: Among those youths the unheavenliest one--


s: And left their foot-prints as they past.


s: Lifting each shroud that Time had thrown


s: But springs to meet her bridegroom, Day,


s: Half veiled from view, or rather shrined


s: (For thro' each plume I felt the thrill)


s: 'Twas blessed, while she breathed it too;


s: Tho' dark the flowers, tho' dim the sky,


s: Love lent them light while she was nigh.


s: Two separate worlds--the _one_, that small,


s: The dull, wide waste where she was _not_!


s: To which earth's wildest fires are tame.


s: Should fall thus headlong from the height


s: Of all that heaven hath pure and bright!


s: And the bright Watchers near the throne.


s: Thought 'twas their herald's wing returning.


s: When my heart failed--the spell was broken--


s: So there she lookt, breathed, moved about--


s: Came--crowding thick as flowers that play


s: Whose drops like those of rainbows smile


s: But grasping Heaven too in their span!--


s: And lips that burned in their own sighs,


s: "Give when they're parting--which would be,


s: "Even thus to bring their fragrance near me!


s: "And thou, the next, shalt hear me speak


s: "The spell that plumes my wing for heaven!"


s: Had shrinking stood like flowers beneath


s: The scorching of the south-wind's breath:


s: "The spell, the spell!--oh, speak it now.


s: "And I will bless thee!" she exclaimed--


s: Scarce was it said when quick a thought,


s: The powerful words that were that night,--


s: Were there not even those breaks of flame,


s: How grand the height from which he fell!


s: From its sweet light thro' heart and brain--


s: With the proud front and piercing glance--


s: Who seemed when viewing heaven's expanse


s: His wings, the while, tho' day was gone,


s: And flower of those bright creatures, named


s: And Space and Thought an empire claimed,


s: Even o'er his pride tho' still the same,


s: Throughout her perfect form--which seemed


s: And varying heaven's reflections there--


s: That matchless creature mixt with all.--


s: Should spring from that pure mind and face,


s: Their forms, souls, feelings, still to me


s: Those worlds instinct with life and light,


s: Their cause, aim, source, whenever sprung--


s: They were like my heart's first passion--days


s: Could I have still lived blest with such;


s: The knowledge that brings guilt and woe.


s: And wishing their sweet light were speech,


s: Should 'scape me in the farthest night--


s: From their far thrones; in vain these ears


s: That hymned around my favorite spheres--


s: To earth, to earth each thought was given,


s: Like some high mount, whose head's in heaven


s: Nor was it Love, even yet, that thralled


s: That grosser flame, round which Love flies


s: What souls belonged to such bright eyes--


s: Those looks could inward turn their ray,


s: Which, tho' from heaven all pure it came,


s: Yet stained, misused, brought sin and shame


s: (And _with_ her--_that_ at least was bliss,)


s: Which by her bewildering smile he lost--


s: Call her--even then--his Life! his Life!


s: Yes, such a love-taught name, the first,


s: Thus circled round with spells so strong--


s: One to whose every thought, word, feature.


s: Whate'er they brought him, pride or shame,


s: Some _one_ from out that witching throng,


s: Into the flower's deep heart, and thence


s: (For such--oh! what will tongues not dare,


s: When hearts go wrong?--this lip preferred)--


s: As tho' they could, like the sun's bird,


s: Thro' her whole frame--the soul, still near,


s: That shines on flowers would be resplendent


s: Where perisht both--the fallen, the dead!


s: From the first hour she caught my sight,


s: I soon could track each thought that lay,


s: That keep young hearts for ever glowing--


s: Like serpents under flowerets sleeping:--


s: And fancies, free and grand, whose play,


s: That _one_ unreached, lost all the rest.


s: Vague, glimmering visions to her view,--


s: Then closed, dissolved, and left no trace--


s: All that, in short, could tempt Hope on,


s: Who gave the hope, then brought the blight,


s: At length when I perceived each thought,


s: When God and man both claimed her sighs--


s: Like summer clouds, 'twixt earth and skies,


s: Spoke in her gestures, tones, and eyes--


s: Was breathed from her, I heard her say:--


s: "Since heaven itself descends in dreams,


s: "Still drops that veil, which I could die,


s: "And thine came o'er my thoughts, a thirst


s: "And thee, thee, thee, o'er all the rest!


s: "Thy heaven or--ay, even _that_ with thee!


s: "Give me, with thee, but one bright look


s: When Peace hath put their pomp to sleep;


s: Their lightnings sheathed rather than mar


s: Whose ready heart brought flame for flame,


s: Of his then rushing thoughts--like chords,


s: Told how remembrance throbbed there now!


s: Days, months elapsed, and, tho' what most


s: Whose throbs it came, like gleams of hell


s: My sole, last lingering glimpse of bliss.


s: And proud she was, fair creature!--proud,


s: Thro' caves of fire--thro' wilds of air--


s: "Bright creature, this is all thine own!"


s: Then first were diamonds from the night,


s: I've said, "Nay, look not there, my love,


s: Thro' Nature's realm--the unveiled, material,


s: All breath of Life, where'er 'tis spread


s: Which--far as woman's thought could sound,


s: Who from their ancient shrines would run,


s: Which Heaven would from the minds of men


s: Which makes the doubtful east half bright,


s: While thro' that world her rainless mind


s: While down its steep most headlong driven--


s: To soothe, to warm--nay, even to bless--


s: Brought warmth and radiance if not balm;


s: Death's shadow o'er the brightest things,


s: 'Twixt heart and heart--could charm away;


s: And those wings furled, whose open light


s: At length, as tho' some livelier thought


s: Her white hand rested, smiled and said:--


s: "Before thou camest thyself from heaven.


s: "Like meteors round thee flasht and played.


s: "Thou stoodest, all bright, as in those dreams,


s: "Mingling earth's warmth with heaven's beams,


s: "To thy pure heart, where, fondly placed,


s: "Say, why did dream so blest come o'er me,


s: "And fresh from heaven--he's mine, he's mine!


s: "Thinkest thou, were LILIS in thy place,


s: "Nor think thou'lt wound this mortal gaze.


s: "Too near the stars themselves have gone,


s: At least would bring down heaven to her.


s: But, charged as 'tis, my heart must speak


s: Ne'er tried in heaven;--and even this glare


s: From cherub wings, when proudliest spread,


s: Thro' clouds in which the lightning slept,


s: The feathered snow in all its whiteness,


s: Fell like the moultings of heaven's Dove,--


s: So harmless, tho' so full of brightness,


s: Was my brow's wreath that it would shake


s: Had she not waked, unscathed and bright,


s: Whose light, when once its orb hath shone,


s: That shines from out those clouds afar--


s: Which still (tho', at a sight so splendid,


s: Great Heaven! how _could_ thy vengeance light


s: How could the hand that gave such charms,


s: Scarce had I touched her shrinking frame,


s: Could follow the fierce, ravening flashes;


s: Those lips whose touch was what the first


s: Those clasping arms, within whose round--


s: Of its hope, prospect, heaven was found!


s: All, all, that, but that morn, had seemed


s: As if Love's self there breathed and beamed,


s: 'Twas maddening!--but now hear even worse--


s: 'Twere not so dreadful--but, come near--


s: And here, mark here, the brand, the stain


s: Who, (but for _one_ proud, fond offence,)


s: That new, fierce fire, resembling naught


s: In heaven or earth--this scorch I bear!--


s: Thou couldst for prayer like mine recall,


s: Their very wanderings lean towards heaven!


s: There shone more pleasure than surprise,


s: To his bright peers, while thus it spoke:--


s: "I've sheltered it from wind and shower,


s: Reached the lone spot whereon they stood--


s: Thro' the dark leaves when she was gone--


s: Till they grow _one_,--of faith sincere,


s: Even those to high-browed Cherubs given,


s: Transcend all Knowledge, even in heaven!


s: This Spirit's eyes would court the blaze


s: First touched the threshold of the skies,


s: Could, even from angels, bring such song!


s: Where right and wrong so close resemble,


s: Thought 'twas a voice from out the wave,


s: Of song that from her lips still gushed,


s: Those eyes whose light seemed rather given


s: Such eyes as may have lookt _from_ heaven


s: When time or grief hath stained his own!


s: That moment's witcheries?--one, so fair,


s: Those charms, for which a heaven was lost.


s: Still less could maid, so meek, have nurst


s: With Faith, the same thro' bliss and woe--


s: Of her fond heart--the unreasoning scope


s: Throughout all time, in heart and frame--


s: Thro' the bleak world, to bend and drink,


s: Their spirits shall with freshened power


s: Tho' close as 'twere their souls' embrace.


s: Whose light from one to the other thrown,


s: The Kerubilna, as the Mussulmans call them, are often joined


s: According to Whitehurst's theory, the mention of rainbows by an


s: Seth is a favorite personage among the Orientals, and acts a


s: While some write sitting, some like BAYES


s: When, like an Eastern Prince, who leaves


s: Whose heads are sunk, whose tears are flowing


s: Even _I_ have felt, beneath those beams,


s: If thus I've felt, how must _they_ feel,


s: Who wrote, we're told, mid all the pains


s: Nine charming odes, which, if you'll look,


s: You'll find preserved with a translation


s: When beaus and belles are round them prating;


s: Some bards there are who cannot scribble


s: 'Twixt lays and _re_-lays no time lost--


s: Sir Richard Blackmore was a physician, as well as a bad poet.


s: Made of paper, twisted up like a fan or feather.


s: _View of the Lake of Geneva from the Jura.--Anxious to reach it


s: Approaching scenes where, they are told,


s: And small as were those tongues of flame,


s: 'Twas at this instant--while there glowed


s: The dream, the trance that rapt me then!


s: When near their time for change of skies;--


s: For aught that earth thro' all its range


s: Like breaking sunshine o'er my thought--


s: And on these walls there stood--yet, no,


s: Shame to the traitors--_would_ have stood


s: From rank to rank, from breast to breast,


s: Where, one step more, and he must sink--


s: And quenching hopes which tho' the last,


s: Would yet have led to death more bright,


s: The zeal that might have workt such charms,


s: Their gates, that they had sworn should be


s: If those, I say, who brought that shame,


s: For Scorn to pierce--so help me, Heaven,


s: Even here in this region of wonders I find


s: That light-footed Fancy leaves Truth far behind;


s: Or at least like Hippomenes turns her astray


s: By the golden illusions he flings in her way.


s: What a glory it seemed the first evening I gazed!


s: MONT BLANC like a vision then suddenly raised


s: On the wreck of the sunset--and all his array


s: Of high-towering Alps, touched still with a light


s: As if nearness to Heaven had made them so bright!


s: Then the dying at last of these splendors away


s: From peak after peak, till they left but a ray,


s: One roseate ray, that, too precious to fly,


s: O'er the Mighty of Mountains still glowingly hung,


s: Like the last sunny step of ASTRAEA, when high,


s: From the summit of earth to Elysium she sprung!


s: And those infinite Alps stretching out from the sight


s: Till they mingled with Heaven, now shorn of their light,


s: Stood lofty and lifeless and pale in the sky,


s: Like the ghosts of a Giant Creation gone by!


s: That scene--I have viewed it this evening again,


s: By the same brilliant light that hung over it then--


s: The valley, the lake in their tenderest charms--


s: MONT BLANC in his awfullest pomp--and the whole


s: A bright picture of Beauty, reclined in the arms


s: Of Sublimity, bridegroom elect of her soul!


s: But where are the mountains that round me at first


s: Those Alps beyond Alps, without end swelling on


s: Like the waves of eternity--where are _they_ gone?


s: Clouds--clouds--they were nothing but clouds, after all!


s: That chain of MONT BLANC'S, which my fancy flew o'er,


s: With a wonder that naught on this earth can recall,


s: Were but clouds of the evening and now are no more.


s: What a picture of Life's young illusions! Oh, Night,


s: Drop thy curtain at once and hide _all_ from my sight.


s: It is often very difficult to distinguish between clouds and


s: Went to the _Brera_--saw a Dance of Loves


s: By smooth ALBANO! him whose pencil teems


s: With Cupids numerous as in summer groves


s: The leaflets are or motes in summer beams.


s: 'Tis for the theft of Enna's flower from earth,


s: These urchins celebrate their dance of mirth


s: Round the green tree, like fays upon a heath--


s: Those that are nearest linkt in order bright,


s: Cheek after cheek, like rose-buds in a wreath;


s: And those more distant showing from beneath


s: The others' wings their little eyes of light.


s: While see! among the clouds, their eldest brother


s: But just flown up tells with a smile of bliss


s: This prank of Pluto to his charmed mother


s: Who turns to greet the tidings with a kiss!


s: Well might the Loves rejoice--and well did they


s: Who wove these fables picture in their weaving


s: That blessed truth, (which in a darker day


s: ORIGEN lost his saintship for believing,)--


s: That Love, eternal Love, whose fadeless ray


s: Nor time nor death nor sin can overcast,


s: Even to the depths of hell will find his way,


s: And soothe and heal and triumph there at last!


s: GUERCINO'S Agar--where the bondmaid hears


s: From Abram's lips that he and she must part,


s: And looks at him with eyes all full of tears


s: That seem the very last drops from her heart.


s: Of minor faults, of coloring tame and cold--


s: Her trusting heart hath leaned on falls away--


s: If thus to touch the bosom's tenderest spring,


s: Back to our sad remembrance some of those


s: We've smiled and wept with in their joys and woes,


s: Thus filling them with tears, like tears we've known,


s: Till all the pictured grief becomes our own--


s: If _this_ be deemed the victory of Art--


s: The deep, fresh, living fountains of the heart


s: Before all eyes be Genius--it is _there_!


s: The extension of the Divine Love ultimately even to the


s: It is probable that this fine head is a portrait, as we find


s: The more I've viewed this world the more I've found,


s: That, filled as 'tis with scenes and creatures rare.


s: Fancy commands within her own bright round


s: A world of scenes and creatures far more fair.


s: Nor is it that her power can call up there


s: A single charm, that's not from Nature won,


s: No more than rainbows in their pride can wear


s: But 'tis the mental medium it shines thro'


s: That lends to Beauty all its charm and hue;


s: As the same light that o'er the level lake


s: Will, entering in the rounded raindrop, make


s: And such, I deem, the difference between real,


s: Which she assumes when seen by poets' eyes,


s: Like sunshine in the drop--with all those dyes


s: Which Fancy's variegating prism supples.


s: With all the pure romance, the blissful sadness,


s: And the sad, doubtful bliss that ever thrilled


s: Two young and longing hearts in that sweet madness.


s: But where to choose the region of my vision


s: In this wide, vulgar world--what real spot


s: By nothing but its name of Beauty known,


s: And which Queen Fancy might make all her own,


s: Her fairy kingdom--take its people, lands,


s: And tenements into her own bright hands,


s: And make at least one earthly corner fit


s: For Love to live in, pure and exquisite!


s: _The Fall of Venice not to be lamented--Former Glory.--Expedition


s: Where'er they pine, whose fall hath been


s: Beneath her white-winged commerce shone;


s: (Thanks to that Power, who soon or late,


s: Thy haughty course thro' centuries back;


s: Which hatred would, like steam, have burst,


s: Had stronger fear not chilled even hate;--


s: Its shadow, rained down dews of death;--


s: To read their chance of life or death;--


s: And racks and Leads that burnt out life;--


s: Themselves beneath the yoke now bowed,--


s: Earth's tyrants when themselves enthralled,--


s: "That tread the steps which VENICE trod,


s: By the infamous statutes of the State Inquisition, not only was


s: Of gloomy, glorious things, these leaves I ope--


s: Of some enchanter's secret halls is given,


s: Doubts while he enters slowly, tremblingly,


s: If he shall meet with shapes from hell or heaven--


s: Let me a moment think what thousands live


s: O'er the wide earth this instant who would give,


s: Gladly, whole sleepless nights to bend the brow


s: Over these precious leaves, as I do now.


s: How all who know--and where is he unknown?


s: To what far region have his songs not flown,


s: Like PSAPHON'S birds speaking their master's name,


s: How all who've felt the various spells combined


s: Like spells derived from many a star and met


s: Would burn to know when first the Light awoke


s: In his young soul,--and if the gleams that broke


s: Most pain or bliss in those on whom they blazed;


s: Would love to trace the unfolding of that power,


s: Which had grown ampler, grander, every hour;


s: And feel in watching o'er his first advance


s: By the young Nile and fathomed with his lance


s: The first small fountains of that mighty flood.


s: They too who mid the scornful thoughts that dwell


s: In his rich fancy, tingeing all its streams,--


s: On earth of old, had touched them with its beams,--


s: Can track a spirit which tho' driven to hate,


s: From Nature's hands came kind, affectionate;


s: And which even now, struck as it is with blight,


s: Comes out at times in love's own native light;--


s: How gladly all who've watched these struggling rays


s: Of a bright, ruined spirit thro' his lays,


s: Would here inquire, as from his own frank lips,


s: What desolating grief, what wrongs had driven


s: Like some fair orb that, once a sun in heaven.


s: With warmth and lustre all within its sphere,


s: Is now so quenched that of its grandeur lasts


s: Naught but the wide, cold shadow which it casts.


s: Of scene and clime--the adventures bold and strange--


s: The griefs--the frailties but too frankly told--


s: The loves, the feuds thy pages may unfold,


s: If Truth with half so prompt a hand unlocks


s: His virtues as his failings, we shall find


s: The record there of friendships held like rocks,


s: And enmities like sun-touched snow resigned;


s: Of fealty, cherisht without change or chill,


s: In those who served him, young, and serve him still;


s: Of generous aid given, with that noiseless art


s: Which wakes not pride, to many a wounded heart;


s: Of acts--but, no--_not_ from himself must aught


s: Of the bright features of his life be sought.


s: While they who court the world, like Milton's cloud,


s: "Turn forth their silver lining" on the crowd,


s: This gifted Being wraps himself in night;


s: And gilds his social nature hid from sight,


s: Turns but its darkness on a world he scorns.


s: Psaphon, in order to attract the attention of the world, taught


s: Thy brave, thy learned have passed away:


s: Where are they now, while flowers live on


s: That maid whose lips would still have moved,


s: Could art have breathed a spirit through them;


s: Now high and proud, like one who thought


s: The world should at her feet be brought;


s: There bloomed such beauty here, 'tis gone,--


s: But the Soul's deeper charm has flown:--


s: O'er thoughts and looks so bland a reign,


s: _The English to be met with everywhere.--Alps and Threadneedle


s: As--"Baddish news from 'Change, my dear--


s: "The funds--(phew I curse this ugly hill)--


s: "Are lowering fast--(what, higher still?)--


s: "And--(zooks, we're mounting up to heaven!)--


s: And scarce a pin's head difference _which_--


s: _Will_ leave their puddings and coal fires,


s: No voice like thine to breathe the song.


s: Not that I wish thee sad, heaven knows--


s: That dream of thee, which Raphael's powers


s: Have made with all but life-breath warm!


s: No--'tis not the region where Love's to be found--


s: They have bosoms that sigh, they have glances that rove,


s: They have language a Sappho's own lip might resound,


s: When she warbled her best--but they've nothing like Love.


s: Nor is't that pure _sentiment_ only they want,


s: Which Heaven for the mild and the tranquil hath made--


s: Calm, wedded affection, that home-rooted plant


s: Which sweetens seclusion and smiles in the shade;


s: That feeling which, after long years have gone by,


s: Remains like a portrait we've sat for in youth,


s: Where, even tho' the flush of the colors may fly,


s: The features still live in their first smiling truth;


s: That union where all that in Woman is kind,


s: With all that in Man most ennoblingly towers,


s: Grow wreathed into one--like the column, combined


s: Of the _strength_ of the shaft and the capital's _flowers_.


s: Of this--bear ye witness, ye wives, everywhere,


s: By the ARNO, the PO, by all ITALY'S streams--


s: Of this heart-wedded love, so delicious to share,


s: Not a husband hath even one glimpse in his dreams.


s: But it _is_ not this only;--born full of the light


s: Of a sun from whose fount the luxuriant festoons


s: Of these beautiful valleys drink lustre so bright


s: That beside him our suns of the north are but moons,--


s: We might fancy at least, like their climate they burned;


s: And that Love tho' unused in this region of spring


s: To be thus to a tame Household Deity turned,


s: Would yet be all soul when abroad on the wing.


s: And there _may_ be, there _are_ those explosions of heart


s: Which burst when the senses have first caught the flame;


s: Such fits of the blood as those climates impart,


s: Where Love is a sun-stroke that maddens the frame.


s: But that Passion which springs in the depth of the soul;


s: Whose beginnings are virginly pure as the source


s: Of some small mountain rivulet destined to roll


s: As a torrent ere long, losing peace in its course--


s: A course to which Modesty's struggle but lends


s: A more headlong descent without chance of recall;


s: But which Modesty even to the last edge attends,


s: And then throws a halo of tears round its fall!


s: This exquisite Passion--ay, exquisite, even


s: Mid the ruin its madness too often hath made,


s: As it keeps even then a bright trace of the heaven,


s: That heaven of Virtue from which it has strayed--


s: This entireness of love which can only be found,


s: Where Woman like something that's holy, watched over,


s: And fenced from her childhood with purity round,


s: Comes body and soul fresh as Spring to a lover!


s: Where not an eye answers, where not a hand presses,


s: Till spirit with spirit in sympathy move;


s: And the Senses asleep in their sacred recesses


s: Can only be reached thro' the temple of Love!--


s: This perfection of Passion-how can it be found,


s: Where the mystery Nature hath hung round the tie


s: By which souls are together attracted and bound,


s: Where naught of that innocent doubt can exist,


s: That ignorance even than knowledge more bright,


s: Which circles the young like the morn's sunny mist,


s: And curtains them round in their own native light;--


s: Where Experience leaves nothing for Love to reveal,


s: Or for Fancy in visions to gleam o'er the thought:


s: But the truths which alone we would die to conceal


s: From the maiden's young heart are the only ones taught.


s: No, no, 'tis not here, howsoever we sigh,


s: Whether purely to Hymen's one planet we pray,


s: Or adore, like Sabaeans, each light of Love's sky,


s: Here is not the region to fix or to stray.


s: For faithless in wedlock, in gallantry gross,


s: Without honor to guard, to reserve, to restrain,


s: What have they a husband can mourn as a loss?


s: What have they a lover can prize as a gain?


s: Performs, as 'twere, the gardener's part,


s: The flowers she from the wild-hedge takes--


s: Even there, no voice hath charmed my ear,


s: Like thine, dear friend--long, truly dear--


s: And lent them charms they did not bring;--


s: (That art which gives this world of ours


s: Than all earth's wisdom could have given.


s: How Life since then hath lost its flowers!


s: But yet--tho' Time _some_ foliage rends,


s: The stem, the Friendship, still is ours;


s: Thro' which these best of feelings burn?--


s: Bermago--the birthplace, it is said, of Harlequin.


s: Edward Tuite Dalton, the first husband of Sir John Stevenson's


s: daughter, the late Marchioness of Headfort.


s: Such as those of Domenichino in the Palazza Borghese, at the


s: _Reflections on reading Du Cerceau's Account of the Conspiracy of


s: 'Twas a proud moment--even to hear the words


s: Of Truth and Freedom mid these temples breathed,


s: And see once more the Forum shine with swords


s: In the Republic's sacred name unsheathed--


s: That glimpse, that vision of a brighter day


s: 'Twas on a night of May, beneath that moon


s: Which had thro' many an age seen Time untune


s: The strings of this Great Empire, till it fell


s: From his rude hands, a broken, silent shell--


s: The sound of the church clock near ADRIAN'S Tomb


s: Summoned the warriors who had risen for ROME,


s: To meet unarmed,--with none to watch them there,


s: But God's own eye,--and pass the night in prayer.


s: When heroes girt for Freedom's combat pause


s: Before high Heaven, and humble in their might


s: Call down its blessing on that coming fight.


s: At dawn, in arms went forth the patriot band;


s: And as the breeze, fresh from the TIBER, fanned


s: Their gilded gonfalons, all eyes could see


s: The palm-tree there, the sword, the keys of Heaven--


s: Types of the justice, peace and liberty,


s: That were to bless them when their chains were riven.


s: While many a Shade of other times, that still


s: Around that grave of grandeur sighing roved,


s: Hung o'er their footsteps up the Sacred Hill


s: And heard its mournful echoes as the last


s: 'Twas then that thou, their Tribune, (name which brought


s: Dreams of lost glory to each patriot's thought,)


s: Didst, with a spirit Rome in vain shall seek


s: To wake up in her sons again, thus speak:--


s: "ROMANS, look round you--on this sacred place


s: "There once stood shrines and gods and godlike men.


s: "Is left of all that made ROME'S glory then?


s: "The shrines are sunk, the Sacred Mount bereft


s: "Even of its name--and nothing now remains


s: "But the deep memory of that glory, left


s: "To whet our pangs and aggravate our chains!


s: "But _shall_ this be?--our sun and sky the same,--


s: "Treading the very soil our fathers trod,--


s: "What withering curse hath fallen on soul and frame,


s: "What visitation hath there come from God


s: "To blast our strength and rot us into slaves,


s: "_Here_ on our great forefathers' glorious graves?


s: "It cannot be--rise up, ye Mighty Dead,--


s: "If we, the living, are too weak to crush


s: "These tyrant priests that o'er your empire tread,


s: "Till all but Romans at Rome's tameness blush!


s: "Where only date-trees sigh and serpents hiss;


s: "And thou whose pillars are but silent homes


s: "For the stork's brood, superb PERSEPOLIS!


s: "Thrice happy both, that your extinguisht race


s: "Have left no embers--no half-living trace--


s: "No slaves to crawl around the once proud spot,


s: "Till past renown in present shame's forgot.


s: "While ROME, the Queen of all, whose very wrecks,


s: "If lone and lifeless thro' a desert hurled,


s: "Would wear more true magnificence than decks


s: "The assembled thrones of all the existing world--


s: "ROME, ROME alone, is haunted, stained and curst,


s: "Thro' every spot her princely TIBER laves,


s: "By living human things--the deadliest, worst,


s: "This earth engenders--tyrants and their slaves!


s: "And we--oh shame!--we who have pondered o'er


s: "The patriot's lesson and the poet's lay;


s: "Have mounted up the streams of ancient lore,


s: "Tracking our country's glories all the way--


s: "Even _we_ have tamely, basely kist the ground


s: "Before that Papal Power,--that Ghost of Her,


s: "The World's Imperial Mistress--sitting crowned


s: "And ghastly on her mouldering sepulchre!


s: "But this is past:--too long have lordly priests


s: "And priestly lords led us, with all our pride


s: "Withering about us--like devoted beasts,


s: "Dragged to the shrine, with faded garlands tied.


s: "'Tis o'er--the dawn of our deliverance breaks!


s: "As first he stood, in chainless majesty,


s: "And sends his voice thro' ages yet to come,


s: "Proclaiming ROME, ROME, ROME, Eternal ROME!"


s: The fine Canzone of Petrarch, beginning _"Spirto gentil,"_ is


s: Thro' which his day-dreams shine the best.


s: And life's resemblance tinged their cheeks,


s: Borne slow along Rome's mournful streets.


s: Which thro' the dusky twilight trembled.


s: And reached at length the spot where all


s: Who oft in thoughtful dream would stand,


s: Tho' thick as midnight stars they beamed,


s: Here lookt as when they lived the shades


s: In dreams thus when their charms are gone:


s: One that could even approach their blaze!


s: To weave his spells and still there past,


s: Deep, deep regret that there should fall


s: That scene so bright so soon should pass


s: Its tints, ere long, grew languid there;


s: And storms came on, that, cold and rough,


s: The works of Masaccio.--For the character of this powerful and


s: original genius, see Sir Joshua Reynolds's twelfth discourse. His


s: All the great artists studies, and many of them borrowed from


s: Touches all hearts--for there we see thee.


s: Thou camest, with those bright locks of gold


s: Thy Saviour's feet didst shed such tears


s: As paid, each drop, the sins of years!--


s: Till, oh! blest boon for truth like thine!


s: That thou might'st see how, like a cloud,


s: None e'er hath matched, in grief or grace,


s: In those bright sculptured forms, more bright


s: In thy first grief,--while yet the flower


s: With heaven's subliming thoughts so well,


s: We doubt, while gazing, in _which_ place


s: Those wasting arms, that keep the trace,


s: Even still, of all their youthful grace,


s: And while his lingering hand would steal


s: Round all that's vicious, weak, and low,


s: 'Tis worse than weak--'tis wrong, 'tis shame,


s: Of high romance which bards should know;


s: Thro' weeping willows, like the snatches


s: Even tho' the shade of sadness catches!--


s: Whose grossness all the heavenliest hues


s: The filth of fens o'er which they play--


s: This scene which would have filled my heart


s: With thoughts of all that happiest is;--


s: Those sullying truths that cross the track


s: Of each sweet thought and drive them back


s: All shapes of thought, all hues of heart,


s: While home, friends, kindred, country, all,


s: And dream and think thro' heaven they rove,


s: Of their false tongues they want the most;


s: This bright world, laboring in the eclipse


s: "_illam, quicquid agit, quoquo westigia flectit,


s: Boast on, my friend--tho' stript of all beside,


s: Thy struggling nation still retains her pride:


s: That pride which once in genuine glory woke


s: When Marlborough fought and brilliant St. John spoke;


s: That pride which still, by time and shame unstung,


s: Outlives even Whitelocke's sword and Hawkesbury's tongue!


s: Boast on, my friend, while in this humbled isle


s: Where Honor mourns and Freedom fears to smile,


s: Where the bright light of England's fame is known


s: But by the shadow o'er our fortunes thrown;


s: Where, doomed ourselves to naught but wrongs and slights,


s: We hear you boast of Britain's glorious rights,


s: As wretched slaves that under hatches lie


s: Hear those on deck extol the sun and sky!


s: Boast on, while wandering thro' my native haunts,


s: And feel, tho' close our wedded countries twine,


s: More sorrow for my own than pride from thine.


s: Yet pause a moment--and if truths severe


s: Which hears no news but Ward's gazetted lies,


s: And loves no politics in rhyme but Pye's,--


s: If aught can please thee but the good old saws


s: Of "Church and State," and "William's matchless laws,"


s: And "Acts and Rights of glorious Eighty-eight,"--


s: Things which tho' now a century out of date


s: Still serve to ballast with convenient words,


s: A few crank arguments for speeching lords,--


s: Turn while I tell how England's freedom found,


s: Where most she lookt for life, her deadliest wound;


s: How brave she struggled while her foe was seen,


s: How faint since Influence lent that foe a screen;


s: How strong o'er James and Popery she prevailed,


s: How weakly fell when Whigs and gold assailed.


s: While kings were poor and all those schemes unknown


s: Which drain the people to enrich the throne;


s: Those chains of gold by which themselves are tied,


s: Then proud Prerogative, untaught to creep


s: With bribery's silent foot on Freedom's sleep,


s: And claimed a right from God to trample man!


s: But Luther's schism had too much roused mankind


s: For Hampden's truths to linger long behind;


s: Nor then, when king-like popes had fallen so low,


s: Could pope-like kings escape the levelling blow.


s: That ponderous sceptre (in whose place we bow


s: To the light talisman of influence now),


s: Too gross, too visible to work the spell


s: Which modern power performs, in fragments fell:


s: In fragments lay, till, patched and painted o'er


s: With fleurs-de-lis, it shone and scourged once more.


s: 'Twas then, my friend, thy kneeling nation quaft


s: Long, long and deep, the churchman's opiate draught


s: Of passive, prone obedience--then took flight


s: All sense of man's true dignity and right;


s: And Britons slept so sluggish in their chain


s: That Freedom's watch-voice called almost in vain.


s: Oh England! England! what a chance was thine,


s: When the last tyrant of that ill-starred line


s: Fled from his sullied crown and left thee free


s: Might patriot hands have raised the triple tower


s: Which neither force could storm nor treachery mine!


s: Like mighty Babel, seemed too bold for man;


s: The curse of jarring tongues again was given


s: To thwart a work which raised men nearer heaven.


s: While Tories marred what Whigs had scarce begun,


s: While Whigs undid what Whigs themselves had done.


s: The hour was lost and William with a smile


s: Saw Freedom weeping o'er the unfinisht pile!


s: Hence all the ills you suffer,--hence remain


s: Such galling fragments of that feudal chain


s: Whose links, around you by the Norman flung,


s: Tho' loosed and broke so often, still have clung.


s: Has turned his thunder into showers of gold,


s: Whose silent courtship wins securer joys,


s: Taints by degrees, and ruins without noise.


s: While parliaments, no more those sacred things


s: Which make and rule the destiny of kings.


s: Like loaded dice by ministers are thrown,


s: And each new set of sharpers cog their own.


s: Hence the rich oil that from the Treasury steals


s: Drips smooth o'er all the Constitution's wheels,


s: That Court and Commons jog one joltless way,


s: So gilt, so rotten, carrying fools so far;


s: And the duped people, hourly doomed to pay


s: The sums that bribe their liberties away,--


s: Like a young eagle who has lent his plume


s: To fledge the shaft by which he meets his doom,--


s: See their own feathers pluckt, to wing the dart


s: Which rank corruption destines for their heart!


s: But soft! methinks I hear thee proudly say,


s: "What! shall I listen to the impious lay


s: "That dares with Tory license to profane


s: "The bright bequests of William's glorious reign?


s: "Shall the great wisdom of our patriot sires,


s: "Whom Hawkesbury quotes and savory Birch admires,


s: "Be slandered thus? shall honest Steele agree


s: "With virtuous Rose to call us pure and free,


s: "Yet fail to prove it? Shall our patent pair


s: "Of wise state-poets waste their words in air,


s: "And Pye unheeded breathe his prosperous strain,


s: "And Canning _take the people's sense_ in vain?"


s: The people!--ah! that Freedom's form should stay


s: Where Freedom's spirit long hath past away!


s: That a false smile should play around the dead


s: And flush the features when the soul hath fled!


s: When Rome had lost her virtue with her rights,


s: When her foul tyrant sat on Capreae's heights,


s: Amid his ruffian spies and doomed to death


s: Each noble name they blasted with their breath,--


s: Even then, (in mockery of that golden time,


s: When the Republic rose revered, sublime,


s: And her proud sons, diffused from zone to zone,


s: Gave kings to every nation but their own,)


s: Even then the senate and the tribunes stood,


s: Insulting marks, to show how high the flood


s: Of Freedom flowed, in glory's bygone day,


s: Look but around--tho' yet a tyrant's sword


s: Nor haunts our sleep nor glitters o'er our board,


s: Tho' blood be better drawn, by modern quacks,


s: With Treasury leeches than with sword or axe;


s: Yet say, could even a prostrate tribune's power


s: Insult so much the claims, the rights of man,


s: As doth that fettered mob, that free divan,


s: Of pensioned patriots and privileged slaves;--


s: That party-colored mass which naught can warm


s: But rank corruption's heat--whose quickened swarm


s: Spread their light wings in Bribery's golden sky,


s: Buzz for a period, lay their eggs and die;--


s: That greedy vampire which from Freedom's tomb


s: Comes forth with all the mimicry of bloom


s: Upon its lifeless cheek and sucks and drains


s: A people's blood to feel its putrid veins!


s: Thou start'st, my friend, at picture drawn so dark--


s: "Is there no light?"--thou ask'st--"no lingering spark


s: "Of ancient fire to warm us? Lives there none,


s: "To act a Marvell's part?"--alas! not one.


s: _To_ place and power all public spirit tends,


s: _In_ place and power all public spirit ends;


s: Like hardy plants that love the air and sky,


s: When _out_, 'twill thrive--but taken _in_, 'twill die!


s: Not bolder truths of sacred Freedom hung


s: From Sidney's pen or burned on Fox's tongue,


s: Than upstart Whigs produce each market-night,


s: While yet their conscience, as their purse, is light;


s: While debts at home excite their care for those


s: Which, dire to tell, their much-loved country owes,


s: And loud and upright, till their prize be known,


s: They thwart the King's supplies to raise their own.


s: But bees on flowers alighting cease their hum--


s: And, tho' most base is he who, 'neath the shade


s: Of Freedom's ensign plies corruption's trade,


s: And makes the sacred flag he dares to show


s: Are Freedom's grave old anthems to my ear,


s: That I enjoy them, tho' by traitors sung,


s: And reverence Scripture even from Satan's tongue.


s: I'll have such men, like Irish wakers, hired


s: To chant old "_Habeas Corpus_" by its side,


s: And ask in purchased ditties why it died?


s: See yon smooth lord whom nature's plastic pains


s: Would seem to've fashioned for those Eastern reigns


s: When eunuchs flourisht, and such nerveless things


s: As men rejected were the chosen of kings;--


s: Even _he_, forsooth, (oh fraud, of all the worst!)


s: Dared to assume the patriot's name at first--


s: Thus Pitt began, and thus begin his apes;


s: Thus devils when _first_ raised take pleasing shapes.


s: But oh, poor Ireland! if revenge be sweet


s: And withering insult--for the Union thrown


s: Of slavery's draught was wanting--if for this


s: Revenge be sweet, thou _hast_ that daemon's bliss;


s: For sure 'tis more than hell's revenge to fee


s: That England trusts the men who've ruined thee:--


s: That in these awful days when every hour


s: Creates some new or blasts some ancient power,


s: When proud Napoleon like the enchanted shield


s: Whose light compelled each wondering foe to yield,


s: With baleful lustre blinds the brave and free


s: That in this hour when patriot zeal should guide,


s: When Mind should rule and--Fox should _not_ have died,


s: To enemies made fiends and friends made foes,


s: Is the rank refuse, the despised remains


s: Of that unpitying power, whose whips and chains


s: Drove Ireland first to turn with harlot glance


s: Towards other shores and woo the embrace of France;--


s: Those hacked and tainted tools, so foully fit


s: For the grand artisan of mischief, Pitt,


s: So weak to save, so vigorous to destroy--


s: Such are the men that guard thy threatened shore,


s: Oh England! sinking England! boast no more.


s: "By the total reduction of the kingdom of Ireland in 1691[says


s: Tacitus has expressed his opinion, in a passage very frequently


s: There is something very touching in what Tacitus tells us of the


s: Among the many measures, which, since the Revolution, have


s: Start not, my friend, nor think the Muse will stain


s: Her classic fingers with the dust profane


s: Of Bulls, Decrees and all those thundering scrolls


s: Which took such freedom once with royal souls,


s: When heaven was yet the pope's exclusive trade,


s: And kings were _damned_ as fast as now they're _made_,


s: No, no--let Duigenan search the papal chair


s: For fragrant treasures long forgotten there;


s: And, as the witch of sunless Lapland thinks


s: That little swarthy gnomes delight in stinks,


s: Which wizard Duigenan's gathered sweets exhale.


s: Enough for me whose heart has learned to scorn


s: Who loathe the venom whence-soe'er it springs,


s: From popes or lawyers, pastrycooks or kings,--


s: Enough for me to laugh and weep by turns,


s: As Canning Vapors or as France succeeds,


s: As Hawkesbury proses, or as Ireland bleeds!


s: And thou, my friend, if, in these headlong days,


s: When bigot Zeal her drunken antics plays


s: Look breathless on and shudder while they smile--


s: If in such fearful days thou'lt dare to look


s: To hapless Ireland, to this rankling nook


s: Which Heaven hath freed from poisonous things in vain,


s: While Gifford's tongue and Musgrave's pen remain--


s: To shade thine eyes from this devoted spot,


s: Whose wrongs tho' blazoned o'er the world they be,


s: Placemen alone are privileged _not_ to see--


s: Oh! turn awhile, and tho' the shamrock wreathes


s: My homely harp, yet shall the song it breathes


s: Of Ireland's slavery and of Ireland's woes


s: Shall but exist, all future knaves to warn,


s: Embalmed in hate and canonized by scorn.


s: When Castlereagh in sleep still more profound


s: Than his own opiate tongue now deals around,


s: Shall wait the impeachment of that awful day


s: Which even _his_ practised hand can't bribe away.


s: Yes, my dear friend, wert thou but near me now,


s: To see how Spring lights up on Erin's brow


s: Smiles that shine out unconquerably fair


s: Even thro' the blood-marks left by Camden there,--


s: Couldst thou but see what verdure paints the sod


s: Which none but tyrants and their slaves have trod,


s: And didst thou know the spirit, kind and brave,


s: That warms the soul of each insulted slave,


s: Who tired with struggling sinks beneath his lot


s: And seems by all but watchful France forgot--


s: Thy heart would burn--yes, even thy Pittite heart


s: Would burn to think that such a blooming part


s: Of the world's garden, rich in nature's charms


s: And filled with social souls and vigorous arms,


s: Should be the victim of that canting crew,


s: So smooth, so godly,--yet so devilish too;


s: Who, armed at once with prayer-books and with whips,


s: Blood on their hands and Scripture on their lips,


s: Make _this_ life hell in honor of the _next_!


s: Your Redesdales, Percevals,--great, glorious Heaven,


s: If I'm presumptuous, be my tongue forgiven,


s: When here I swear by my soul's hope of rest,


s: I'd rather have been born ere man was blest


s: With the pure dawn of Revelation's light,


s: Yes,--rather plunge me back in Pagan night,


s: And take my chance with Socrates for bliss,


s: Than be the Christian of a faith like this,


s: Which builds on heavenly cant its earthly sway


s: Which, grasping human hearts with double hold,--


s: Like Danäe's lover mixing god and gold,--


s: Corrupts both state and church and makes an oath


s: The knave and atheist's passport into both;


s: Which, while it dooms dissenting souls to know


s: Adds the slave's suffering to the sinner's fear,


s: And lest he 'scape hereafter racks him here!


s: But no--far other faith, far milder beams


s: Of heavenly justice warm the Christian's dreams;


s: _His_ creed is writ on Mercy's page above,


s: Round Tyranny's coarse brow her wreath divine;


s: And _he_, while round him sects and nations raise


s: To the one God their varying notes of praise,


s: Blesses each voice, whate'er its tone may be,


s: That serves to swell the general harmony.


s: Such was the spirit, gently, grandly bright,


s: That filled, oh Fox! thy peaceful soul with light;


s: While free and spacious as that ambient air


s: Which folds our planet in its circling care,


s: The mighty sphere of thy transparent mind


s: Embraced the world, and breathed for all mankind.


s: Last of the great, farewell!--yet _not_ the last--


s: Tho' Britain's sunshine hour with thee be past,


s: And feels but half thy loss while Grattan lives.


s: The king-deposing doctrine, notwithstanding its many mischievous


s: Between the scepticism of the ancients and the moderns the great


s: As the gay tint that decks the vernal rose


s: Not in the flower but in our vision glows;


s: Not in the wine but in our taste resides;


s: So when with heartfelt tribute we declare


s: That Marco's honest and that Susan's fair,


s: 'Tis in our minds and not in Susan's eyes


s: Or Marco's life the worth or beauty lies:


s: For she in flat-nosed China would appear


s: And one light joke at rich Loretto's dome


s: Would rank good Marco with the damned at Rome.


s: That 'tis not somewhere thought a charm, a grace;


s: No foul reproach that may not steal a beam


s: Ask who is wise?--you'll find the self-same man


s: And _here_ some head beneath a mitre swells,


s: Which _there_ had tingled to a cap and bells:


s: Nay, there may yet some monstrous region be,


s: Where Castlereagh would for a patriot pass


s: And mouthing Musgrave scarce be deemed an ass!


s: "But trust the senses, _there_ conviction lies:"--


s: Alas! _they_ judge not by a purer light,


s: Nor keep their fountains more untinged and bright:


s: Habit so mars them that the Russian swain


s: Will sigh for train-oil while he sips Champagne;


s: And health so rules them, that a fever's heat


s: Would make even Sheridan think water sweet.


s: Just as the mind the erring sense believes,


s: The erring mind in turn the sense deceives;


s: And cold disgust can find but wrinkles there,


s: Where passion fancies all that's smooth and fair.


s: P * * * *, who sees, upon his pillow laid,


s: A face for which ten thousand pounds were paid,


s: The spell that mockt the warm seducer's eyes.


s: Self is the medium thro' which Judgment's ray


s: Can seldom pass without being turned astray.


s: The smith of Ephesus thought Dian's shrine,


s: By which his craft most throve, the most divine;


s: And even the _true_ faith seems not half so true,


s: When linkt with _one_ good living as with _two_.


s: Had Wolcot first been pensioned by the throne,


s: Kings would have suffered by his praise alone;


s: And Paine perhaps, for something snug _per ann_.,


s: Had laught like Wellesley at all Rights of Man.


s: Whole nations too the same delusion blinds.


s: Thus England, hot from Denmark's smoking meads,


s: Turns up her eyes at Gallia's guilty deeds;


s: Thus, self-pleased still, the same dishonoring chain


s: She binds in Ireland she would break in Spain;


s: While praised at distance, but at home forbid,


s: If Grotius be thy guide, shut, shut the book,--


s: In force alone for Laws of Nations look.


s: Let shipless Danes and whining Yankees dwell


s: On naval rights, with Grotius and Vattel.


s: While Cobbet's pirate code alone appears


s: Sound moral sense to England and Algiers.


s: Who wafts to neither shrine his puffs of praise!


s: For him no pension pours its annual fruits,


s: Not _his_ the meed that crowned Don Hookham's rhyme,


s: Nor sees he e'er in dreams of future time


s: Those shadowy forms of sleek reversions rise,


s: So dear to Scotchmen's second-sighted eyes.


s: Yet who that looks to History's damning leaf,


s: Where Whig and Tory, thief opposed to thief,


s: While Freedom's form lies crucified between--


s: Who, Burdett, who such rival rogues can see,


s: But flies from _both_ to Honesty and thee?


s: If weary of the world's bewildering maze,


s: Hopeless of finding thro' its weedy ways


s: One flower of truth, the busy crowd we shun,


s: And to the shades of tranquil learning run,


s: How many a doubt pursues! how oft we sigh


s: When histories charm to think that histories lie!


s: That all are grave romances, at the best,


s: And Musgrave's but more clumsy than the rest.


s: We fancy Charles was just and Strafford mild;


s: Monmouth a hero, "for the good old cause!"


s: Then rights are wrongs and victories are defeats,


s: As French or English pride the tale repeats;


s: And when they tell Corunna's story o'er,


s: They'll disagree in all but honoring Moore:


s: Nay, future pens to flatter future courts


s: May cite perhaps the Park-guns' gay reports,


s: To prove that England triumphs on the morn


s: Which found her Junot's jest and Europe's scorn.


s: In science too--how many a system, raised


s: Like Neva's icy domes, awhile hath blazed


s: With lights of fancy and with forms of pride,


s: Then, melting, mingled with the oblivious tide!


s: _Now_ Earth usurps the centre of the sky,


s: _Now_ whims revive beneath Descartes's pen,


s: Which _now_, assailed by Locke's, expire again.


s: And when perhaps in pride of chemic powers,


s: We think the keys of Nature's kingdom ours,


s: Some Davy's magic touch the dream unsettles,


s: And turns at once our alkalis to metals.


s: Thro' fair-built theories of former days,


s: Some Drummond from the north, more ably skilled,


s: Like other Goths, to ruin than to build,


s: Tramples triumphant thro' our fanes o'erthrown,


s: Nor leaves one grace, one glory of its own.


s: Oh! Learning, whatsoe'er thy pomp and boast,


s: _Un_lettered minds have taught and charmed men most.


s: To worlds, which learned Lactantius had denied;


s: And one wild Shakespeare following Nature's lights


s: Is worth whole planets filled with Stagyrites.


s: See grave Theology, when once she strays


s: From Revelation's path, what tricks she plays;


s: What various heavens,--all fit for bards to sing,--


s: Have churchmen dreamed, from Papias, down to King!


s: While hell itself, in India naught but smoke


s: In Spain's a furnace and in France--a joke.


s: Hail! modest Ignorance, thou goal and prize,


s: Thou last, best knowledge of the simply wise!


s: Hail! humble Doubt, when error's waves are past,


s: How sweet to reach thy sheltered port at last,


s: And there by changing skies nor lured nor awed.


s: Smile at the battling winds that roar abroad.


s: _There_ gentle Charity who knows how frail


s: The bark of Virtue, even in summer's gale,


s: Sits by the nightly fire whose beacon glows


s: For all who wander, whether friends or foes.


s: _There_ Faith retires and keeps her white sail furled,


s: Till called to spread it for a better world;


s: While Patience watching on the weedy shore,


s: And mutely waiting till the storm be o'er,


s: Oft turns to Hope who still directs her eye


s: To some blue spot just breaking in the sky!


s: Such are the mild, the blest associates given


s: To him who doubts,--and trusts in naught but Heaven!


s: Socrates and Plato were the grand sources of ancient scepticism.


s: "Those two thieves," says Ralph, between whom the nation is


s: crucified."--"_Use and Abuse of Parliaments_."


s: The agitation of the ship is one of the chief difficulties which


s: The Indians call hell "the House of Smoke."


s: _elapsae manibus secidere tabellae_.--OVID.


s: My dear Lady Bab, you'll be shockt I'm afraid,


s: When you hear the sad rumpus your Ponies have made;


s: Since the time of horse-consuls (now long out of date),


s: No nags ever made such a stir in the state.


s: Lord Eldon first heard--and as instantly prayed he


s: To "God and his King"--that a Popish young Lady


s: (For tho' you've bright eyes and twelve thousand a year,


s: It is still but too true you're a Papist, my dear,)


s: Had insidiously sent, by a tall Irish groom,


s: Two priest-ridden ponies just landed from Rome,


s: And so full, little rogues, of pontifical tricks


s: That the dome of St. Paul was scarce safe from their kicks.


s: Off at once to Papa in a flurry he flies--


s: For Papa always does what these statesmen advise


s: On condition that they'll be in turn so polite


s: As in no case whate'er to advise him _too right_--


s: "Pretty doings are here, Sir (he angrily cries,


s: While by dint of dark eyebrows he strives to look wise)--


s: "'Tis a scheme of the Romanists, so help me God!


s: "To ride over your _most_ Royal Highness roughshod--


s: "Excuse, Sir, my tears--they're from loyalty's source-


s: "Bad enough 'twas for Troy to be sackt by a _Horse_,


s: "But for us to be ruined by _Ponies_ still worse!"


s: Quick a Council is called--the whole Cabinet sits--


s: The Archbishops declare, frightened out of their wits,


s: That if once Popish Ponies should eat at my manger,


s: From that awful moment the Church is in danger!


s: As, give them but stabling and shortly no stalls


s: Will suit their proud stomachs but those at St. Paul's.


s: The Doctor, and he, the devout man of Leather,


s: Vansittart, now laying their Saint-heads together,


s: Declare that these skittish young abominations


s: Are clearly foretold in Chap. vi. Revelations--


s: Nay, they verily think they could point out the one


s: Which the Doctor's friend Death was to canter upon.


s: Lord Harrowby hoping that no one imputes


s: To the Court any fancy to persecute brutes,


s: Protests on the word of himself and his cronies


s: That had these said creatures been Asses, not Ponies,


s: The Court would have started no sort of objection,


s: As Asses were, _there_, always sure of protection.


s: "If the Princess _will_ keep them (says Lord Castlereagh),


s: "To make them quite harmless, the only true way


s: "Is (as certain Chief Justices do with their wives)


s: "To flog them within half an inch of their lives.


s: "If they've any bad Irish blood lurking about,


s: "This (he knew by experience) would soon draw it out."


s: Should this be thought cruel his Lordship proposes


s: "The new _Veto_ snaffle to bind down their noses--


s: "A pretty contrivance made out of old chains,


s: "Which appears to indulge while it doubly restrains;


s: "Which, however high-mettled, their gamesomeness checks


s: "(Adds his Lordship humanely), or else breaks their necks!"


s: This proposal received pretty general applause


s: From the Statesmen around-and the neck-breaking clause


s: Had a vigor about it, which soon reconciled