XXIII "So, in the populous City, a young maiden Has baffled Havoc of the prey Marks as his own whene'er, with Why pause the victor swords to seal his overthrow? chains o'erladen, Men make them arms to hurl down tyranny, False arbiter between the bound And o'er the land, in hamlets and in The multitudes collect tumultuously, And throng in arms; but tyranny dis owns Their claim, and gathers strength around its trembling thrones. XXIV "Blood soon, although unwillingly, The free cannot forbear- the Custom, with iron mace points to Where her own standard desolately And startles on his throne their sceptred foe: He sits amid his idle pomp aghast, And that his power hath passed away doth know waves Over the dust of Prophets and of Kings. Many yet stand in her array-‘she paves Her path with human hearts,' and o'er it flings The wildering gloom of her immeasur able wings. XXVI "The tyrant's guards resistance yet maintain : Fearless and fierce and hard as beasts of blood, They stand a speck amid the peopled plain; Carnage and ruin have been made their food From infancy-ill has become their good, And for its hateful sake their will has Wove The chains which eat their heartsthe multitude, Surrounding them, with words of human love Seek from their own decay their stubborn minds to move. XXVII "Over the land is felt a sudden pause, As night and day, those ruthless bands around, The watch of love is kept-a trance which awes The thoughts of men with hopeas, when the sound Of whirlwind whose fierce blasts the waves and clouds confound Dies suddenly, the mariner in fear Feels silence sink upon his heartthus bound, XXV "There is a plain beneath the City's Bounded by misty mountains, wide Millions there lift at Freedom's thrill- Clasp the relentless knees of Dread the ing call murderer! Ten thousand standards wide, they load the blast Which bears one sound of many voices past, The conquerors pause, and oh may freemen ne'er XXVIII "If blood be shed, 'tis but a change and choice And quickly common hopes made freemen understood. IV I sate beside him while the morning beam Crept slowly over Heaven, and talked with him Of those immortal hopes, a glorious The gentle hearts whose power their lives had sought to spare. theme! Which led us forth, until the stars grew dim: And all the while methought his voice did swim As if it drowned in remembrance were Of thoughts which make the moist eyes overbrim: At last, when daylight 'gan to fill the air, He looked on me, and cried in wonder, "Thou art here!" V Then, suddenly, I knew it was the youth In whom its earliest hopes my spirit found; But envious tongues had stained his spotless truth, And thoughtless pride his love in silence bound, And shame and sorrow mine in toils had wound, Whilst he was innocent, and I deluded; The truth now came upon me, on the ground Tears of repenting joy, which fast intruded, Fell fast, and o'er its peace our mingling spirits brooded. VI Thus while with rapid lips and earnest eyes Our bands outsprung, and seized their arms-we sped Towards the sound: our tribes were gathering far. Those sanguine slaves, amid ten thousand dead Stabbed in their sleep, trampled in treacherous war We talked, a sound of sweeping conflict, spread As from the earth, did suddenly arise; From every tent, roused by that clamour dread, I rushed before its point, and cried "Forbear, forbear!" IX The spear transfixed my arm that was uplifted In swift expostulation, and the blood Gushed round its point: I smiled, and-"O thou gifted With eloquence which shall not be withstood, Flow thus!" I cried in joy, "thou vital flood, Until my heart be dry, ere thus the cause For which thou wert aught worthy be subdued! Ah! ye are pale,-ye weep,—your passions pause,'Tis well! ye feel the truth of love's benignant laws. X 66 'Soldiers, our brethren and our friends are slain : Ye murdered them, I think, as they did sleep! Alas! what have ye done? The slightest pain Which ye might suffer there were eyes to weep, But ye have quenched them-there were smiles to steep Your hearts in balm, but they are lost in woe; And those whom love did set his watch to keep Around your tents, truth's freedom to bestow, Ye stabbed as they did sleep-but they forgive ye now. We all are brethren-even the slaves who kill For hire are men; and to avenge misdeed On the misdoer doth but Misery feed With her own broken heart! O Earth, O Heaven! And thou, dread Nature, which to every deed, And all that lives or is, to be hath given, Even as to thee have these done ill, and are forgiven! XII "Join then your hands and hearts, and let the past Be as a grave, which gives not up its dead, To evil thoughts." -A film then over cast My sense with dimness, for the wound, which bled Freshly, swift shadows o'er mine eyes had shed. When I awoke, I lay mid friends and foes, And earnest countenances on me shed The light of questioning looks, whilst one did close My wound with balmiest herbs, and soothed me to repose. |
