creetly." And having thus spoken, lifting the cup to her mouth, she kissed the heart and then continued:"In every thing from my infancy, even to this last extreme hour of my life, I have always found the love of my father most tender towards me, but now more than ever; render, therefore, I charge you, my last thanks to the author of my existence for this so splendid and invaluable a present." This said, she again bent her gaze upon the cup, which she held with a convulsive grasp close to her bosom, and kissing the heart, went on thus:-" Ah, sweetest habitation of all my earthly pleasures, accursed be the cruelty of him who has caused me to behold thee with the eyes of my face. It was enough for me to see thee at every hour more clearly with the eye of my mind. Thou hast finished thy course, and now thou art rid of thy worldly fortune, whatever it might have been. Thou art arrived at the goal whither we all are running. Thou hast left all the miseries and the fatigues of this world, and hast gained from thine enemy himself a sepulture worthy of thy merit. Nothing was wanting to thy perfect obsequies, but the tears of her whom thou lovedst so dearly when alive; and no doubt God has put it into the heart of my indignant father to send thee to me, that I might perform this last duty. My tears thou shalt have; and then suffer me to dry these fountains, which would flow for ever; for I have determined to die royally, without a groan or a tear. I will hasten to join thee; thou shalt not long mourn in solitude for thy love. With whom or when could I better make the journey to the unknown regions of eternity, than with thee? Blest spirit, speak to me; for I know by a mysterious pressure upon my soul, that at this instant thou art hovering around me, and taking a last farewell of the scenes of our earthly joys. Spirit-yet a moment, and I come to thee for evermore!" Thus speaking, without any womanish lamentation, she bent her head upon the cup, and, in a miraculous abundance, shed a torrent of tears into it, kissing every instant the dead heart before her. Her *attendant damsels knew neither what heart it was, nor the import of her soliloquy, but moved with pity they approached her, inquiring the cause of her grief, and proffering their feeble consolations. After she had given her sorrows full scope, she raised up her head, and wiping her eyes, exclaimed, "Thou heart most tenderly beloved! All my duty is now performed towards thee; and it only remains for my soul to accompany thine !" Then she bade them reach the vessel which she had prepared the day before, and pouring its ingredients into the cup containing the heart, which was bathed all over with her tears, she drank it off without the least dread or apprehension, and threw herself upon her couch with the cup in her hand. Composing her body as decently as she could, and clasping her lover's heart to her own, she lay without uttering a word more, calmly awaiting the approach of death. Her maidens, on observing this, though they knew not what she had drunk, sent to inform Tancred of the circumstance; who, fearing what had really happened, came into the chamber soon after she had laid herself down, and although it was too late, began to pour forth the most bitter lamentations: she then addressed him--" Sir, reserve those tears against worse fortune that may happen--I want them not. Who but thyself would mourn for an event which by thee hath been brought about? But if any part of that affection now remain in thee, which I once enjoyed, grant this my last request-that, as thou would'st not permit us to be happy together whilst living, our two bodies (wherever you have disposed of his) may be pub The remainder of the translation has been given by another hand, ewing to a circumstance which it is unnecessary to explain. licly interred together when dead." Extreme grief forbade him to reply. Finding herself drawing near her end, she pressed the heart with an effort of remaining strength to her bosom, saying, "Receive us, Heaven, I die!" Then, closing her eyes, all sense forsook her, and she was released from a world of sorrow. Such an end had the loves of Guiscard and Sigismunda. The Prince, too late repented of his cruelty, caused his unfortunate victims to be buried in one grave, with the most public solemnities;---and the people of Salerno wept over their fate. SONNETS FOR YOUNG LADIES. I. TO MISS NALDI. PERHAPS I ne'er shall look on thee again, Town-Hall, Cambridge, March 9, 1821. II. ΤΟ THE bloom of health hath faded from thy cheek, Its frank, but delicate hilarity; Then men fell down before thy Spirit's throne. Steals o'er thy pensive beauty. Yet, dear Maid, Of cloudless light, for holy woe hath given To Earth's decaying charms a radiance as of Heaven. August, 1819. III. I DREAM'D there was a bright and tranquil Star To which, at times, my dreaming soul would rove, With no unholy homage: high above Yet, when I turn to the blank, dreary sky, April 8, 1821. SONNETS FOR YOUNG GENTLEMEN. ΤΟ I. "Thou canst claim The shelter, from thy sire, of an immortal name. SHELLEY. My weaker glance shrinks from that glorious sun And my And bright-eyed Glory beckons thee.-Away! Thou shalt descend to my lone, quiet home, Piped to kind happy hearts around some Christmas hearth. II. THOU hast a gentle nature; yet I know That thy life's spring hath been unfortunate; That thou hast firmly borne the frown of Fate, And met Affliction with unalter'd brow. |