I pass the raptures of the Pair, -such theme Is, by innumerable poets, touched In more delightful verse than skill of mine Could fashion, chiefly by that darling bard And of the lark's note heard before its time, To their full hearts the universe seemed hung On that brief meeting's slender filament! They parted; and the generous Vaudracour A sacrifice of birthright to attain Which granted, Bride and Bridegroom then would flee that full soon "You shall be baffled in your mad intent If there be justice in the Court of France," Muttered the Father. From these words the Youth Conceived a terror, and, by night or day, Stirred nowhere without weapons Found dreadful provocation: for at night When to his chamber he retired, attempt Was made to seize him by three armed men, Acting, in furtherance of the Father's will, Under a private signet of the State. One, did the Youth's ungovernable hand Assault and slay; - and to a second, gave A perilous wound, he shuddered to behold The breathless corse; then peacefully resigned His person to the law, was lodged in prison, And wore the fetters of a criminal. Have you beheld a tuft of winged seed That, from the dandelion's naked stalk, Mounted aloft, is suffered not to use Its natural gifts for purposes of rest, Driven by the autumnal whirlwind to and fro Through the wide element? or have you marked The heavier substance of a leaf-clad bough, Within the vortex of a foaming flood, Tormented? by such aid you may conceive Is Man, subjected to despotic sway. For him, by private. influence with the Court He flew to her from whom they would divide him Doomed to a third and last captivity, His freedom he recovered on the eve Of Julia's travail. When the babe was born, Its presence tempted him to cherish schemes Of future happiness. "You shall return, Julia," said he, "and to your Father's house Go with the Child. You have been wretched, yet The silver shower, whose reckless burthen weighs Too heavily upon the lily's head, Oft leaves a saving moisture at its root. Malice, beholding you, will melt away. Go!-t is a Town where both of us were born; None will reproach you, for our truth is known; End happily as they began!" These gleams His head upon one breast, while from the other -That pillar is no longer to be thine, Fond Youth! that mournful solace now must pass For ever - sad alternative! preferred, By the unbending Parents of the Maid, To secret 'spousals meanly disavowed. - So be it! In the city he remained A season after Julia had withdrawn In which the Babe was carried. To a hill, On the hill top. His eyes he scarcely took, And under every hospitable tree Theirs be the blame who caused the woe, not mine! From this time forth, he never shared a smile With mortal creature. An Inhabitant Of that same Town, in which the Pair had left So lively a remembrance of their griefs, By chance of business, coming within reach Of his retirement, to the forest lodge Repaired, but only found the Matron there, Who told him that his pains were thrown away, For that her Master never uttered word To living Thing-not even to her. - Behold! While they were speaking, Vaudracour approached, But, seeing some one near, even as his hand Was stretched towards the garden gate, he shrunk – And, like a shadow, glided out of view. Shocked at his savage aspect, from the place The Visitor retired. Thus lived the Youth Cut off from all intelligence with man, And shunning even the light of common day; Or personal memory of his own deep wrongs, THE ARMENIAN LADY'S LOVE. Hardships for the brave encountered, Even the feeblest may endure: If Almighty Grace through me thy chains unbind, [The subject of the following poem is from the Orlandus of My Father for slave's work may seek a slave in the author's friend, Kenelm Henry Digby; and the liberty is taken of inscribing it to him, as an acknowledgment, however unworthy, of pleasure and instruction derived from his numerous and valuable writings, illustrative of the piety and chivalry of the olden time.] mind." 7. "Princess, at this burst of goodness, My long-frozen heart grows warm!" "Gracious Allah! by such title Flower of an unchristian sod! Or hast thou put off wings which thou in heaven dost wear? * See, in Percy's Reliques, that fine old ballad, "The Spanish What have I seen, and heard, or dreamt? where am Lady's Love;" from which Poem the form of stanza, as suitable to dialogue, is adopted. I? where?" |