XXIII XXVI owns wove and startles on his throne their “So, in the populous City, a young sceptred foe :maiden Ile sits amid his idle pomp aghast, Ilas baffled Havoc of the prey And that his power hath passed away which he doth knowMarks as his own whene'er, with Why pause the victor swords to seal his chains o’erladen, overthrow? tyranny, - “ The tyrant's guards resistance yet and free; maintain : And o'er the land, in hamlets and in Fearless and fierce and hard as beasts of blood, They stand a speck amid the peopled And throng in arms; but tyranny dis plain; Carnage and ruin have been made their food Their claim, and gathers strength around its trembling thrones. From infancy-ill has become their good, XXIV And for its hateful sake their will has “ Blood soon, although unwillingly, to shed The chains which eat their heartsThe free cannot forbear - the the multitude, Queen of Slaves, Surrounding them, with words of The hoodwinked Angel of the blind human love and dead, Seek from their own decay their stub. Custom, with iron mace points to born minds to move. XXVII * Over the land is felt a sudden pause, Over the dust of Prophets and of Kings. As night and day, those ruthless Many yet stand in her array—'she bands around, paves The watch of love is kept-a trance ller path with human hearts,' and which awes o'er it flings The thoughts of men with hopeThe wildering gloom of her immeasur- as, when the sound able wings. Of whirlwind whose fierce blasts the waves and clouds confound Dies suddenly, the mariner in fear There is a plain beneath the City's Feels silence sink upon his heartwall, thus bound, Bounded by misty mountains, wide The conquerors pause, and oh may and vast, freemen ne'er 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 XXVIII Which bears one sound of many “ If blood be shed, 'tis but a change the graves waves XXV and choice voices past, the grace and gone. Of bonds-from slavery to coward- And left it vacant-'twas her lover's ice faceA wretched fall !-Uplift thy charmed It might resemble her - it once voice! had been Pour on those evil men the love The mirror of her thoughts, and still that lies I lovering within those spirit-sooth- Which her mind's shadow cast left there ing eyes! a lingering trace. Arise, my friend, farewell!”--As thus he spake, XXXI From the green earth lightly I did What then was I? She slumbered arise, with the dead. As one out of dim dreams that doth Glory and joy and peace had come awake, And looked upon the depth of that Doth the cloud perish when the reposing lake. beams are fled Which steeped its skirts in gold? dark and lone, I my countenance reflected Doth it not through the paths of there; night, unknown, And then my youth fell on me like On outspread wings of its own wind a wind upborne, Descending on still waters-my thin Pour rain upon the earth? The hair stars are shown Was prematurely gray, my face was When the cold moon sharpens her lined silver horn With channels, such as suffering Under the sea, and make the wide leaves behind, night not forlorn. Not age; my brow was pale, but in XXIX or, saw my cheek XXXII XXX And lips a flush of gnawing fire did Strengthened in heart, yet sad, that find aged man Their food and dwelling; though mine I left with interchange of looks and eyes might speak tears A subtle mind and strong within a frame And lingering speech, and to the thus weak. Camp began O'er many a mountain chain which rears And though their lustre now was spent Its hundred crests alost, my spirit and faded, bears Yet in my hollow looks and My frame; o'er many a dale and withered mien many a moor, The likeness of a shape for which was And gaily now braided earth wears The brightest woof of genius still The blosmy spring's star-bright in vestiture, One who, methought, had gone A vision which aught sad from sadness from the world's scene, might allure. meseems serene was seen XXXIV reared high deeds The Hermit in his pilgrimage had heard, Haunted my thoughts. Ah, Hope its sickness feeds With whatsoe'er it finds, or flowers or weeds! Could she be Cythna? Was that corpse a shade Such as self-torturing thought from madness breeds? Why was this hope not torture? Yet it made A light around my steps which would not ever fade. All slept but those in watchsul arms who stood, And those who sate tending the beacon's light, And the few sounds from that vast multitude Made silence more profound. --Oh what a might Of human thought was cradled in that night! Ilow many hearts impenetrably veiled Beat underneath its shade, what secret fight Evil and good, in woven passions mailed, Waged through that silent throng,-a war that never failed ! III CANTO V And now the Power of Good held victory, So, through the labyrinth of many tent, Among the silent millions who did lie In innocent sleep, exultingly I went; now, but, lent From eastern morn, the first saint lustre showed An armed youth-over his spear he bent His downward face. • A friend!” I cried aloud, I Over the utmost hill at length I sped, A snowy steep :--the moon was hanging low Over the Asian mountains, and, out spread IV And quickly common hopes made free- Our bands outsprung, and seized men understood. their arms—we sped Towards the sound : our tribes were gathering far. I sate beside him while the morning Those sanguine slaves, amid ten beam thousand dead Crept slowly over Heaven, and Stabbed in their sleep, trampled in talked with him treacherous war Of those immortal hopes, a glorious The gentle hearts whose power their theme ! lives had sought to spare. Which led us forth, until the stars grew dim : VII 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!” Like rabid snakes that sting some gentle child Who brings them food when winter false and fair Allures them forth with its cold smiles, so wild They rage among the camp ;-they overbear The patriot host-confusion, then despair Descends like night-when“ Laon!” one did cry: Like a bright ghost from Heaven, that shout did scare The slaves, and, widening through the vaulted sky, Seemed sent from Earth to Heaven in sign of victory V Then, suddenly, I knew it was the youth found; spotless truth, silence bound, toils had wound, the ground Tears of repenting joy, which fast intruded, Fell fast, and o'er its peace our mingling spirits brooded. VIII VI In sudden panic those false murderers fled, Like insect tribes before the northern gale: But, swister still, our hosts encom. passed Their shattered ranks, and in a craggy vale, Where even their fierce despair might nought avail, Hlemmed them around !-And then revenge and fear Made the high virtue of the patriots fail : One pointed on his foe the mortal spear Thus while with rapid lips and earnest eyes conflict, spread clamour dread, IX I rushed before its point, and cried We all are brethren-even the slaves who kill misdeed The spear transfixed my arm that was On the misdoer doth but Misery uplifted feed In swift expostulation, and the With her own broken heart! O blood Earth, O Heaven ! Gushed round its point: I smiled, And thou, dread Nature, which to and_“O thou gifted With eloquence which shall not be And all that lives or is, to be hath withstood, given, Flow thus !” I cried in joy, “ thou Even as to thee have these done ill, and vital flood, are forgiven! Until my heart be dry, ere thus the every deed, cause XII х our For which thou wert aught worthy “ Join then your hands and hearts, be subdued ! and let the past Ah! ye are pale, -ye weep, -your Be as a grave, which gives not up passions pause,– its dead, cast wound, which bled “ Soldiers, our brethren and Freshly, swist shadows o'er mine friends are slain : eyes had shed. Ye murdered them, I think, as When I awoke, I lay mid friends and they did sleep! foes, Alas! what have ye And earnest countenances on me shed Which ye might suffer there were The light of questioning looks, whilst cyes to weep, one did close But ye have quenched them--there My wound with balmiest herbs, and were smiles to steep soothed me to repose. Your hearts in balm, but they are lost in woe; And those whom love did set his And one, whose spear had pierced watch to keep me, leaned beside, Around your tents, truth's freedom to With quivering lips and humid bestow, eyes;--and all Ve stabbed as they did sleep-but they Seeme like some brothers on journey wide meeting did befall they might call And pain still keener pain for ever Their friend, their chief, their father, XIII a XI breed? for assay |
