HERO AND LEANDER.
SEEST thou yonder castles grey,
Glitt❜ring in the sun's bright ray,
That arise on either side,
Where the Hellespont impels
Through the rocky Dardanelles
Ceaselessly his angry tide?
Hear'st thou yonder billows roar,
As against the cliffs they break?
Asia they from Europe tore-
Love alone they ne'er could shake.
Hero and Leander's hearts
With his fierce but pleasing smarts
Cupid's might immortal mov'd,
Hero rivall'd Hebe's grace,
While Leander, in the chase,
O'er the mountains boldly rov'd.
But, cre long, parental wrath
Sever'd the united pair,
And the fruit by love brought forth
Hung in mournful peril there.
See, on Sestos' rocky tower
'Gainst whose base with ceaseless power
Hellespont's wild waters foam,
Sits the maid, in sorrow lost,
Looking tow'rd Abydos' coast,
Where the lov'd one has his home.
Ah, to that far-distant strand
Bridge there was not to convey,—
Not a bark was near at hand,
Yet true love soon found the way.
In the labyrinthine maze
Love a certain clue can raise,
E'en the foolish makes he wise,Makes the savage monster bow,— To the adamantine plough
Yokes the steers with flaming eyes. Styx, whose waters nine-times flow, Cannot bar his daring course; For from Pluto's house of woe Orpheus' bride he tore by force.
Even through the boiling tide
He Leander's mind supplied
With deep longing's glowing spark
When grew pale the glitt'ring day,
Took the swimmer bold his way
O'er the Pontine ocean dark;
Cleft the waves with mighty power,
Striving for yon strand so dear,
Where upis'd on lofty tower,
Shone the torch's radiance clear.
Circled in her loving arms,
Soon the glad Leander warms
From the weary journey past,
And receives the godlike prize
That in her embraces lies
As his bright reward at last;
Till Aurora once again
Wakes him from his vision blest,
He must tempt the briny main
Driven from love's gentle breast.
Thirty suns had sped like this
In the joys of stolen bliss
Swiftly o'er the happy pair,
As a bridal night of love,
Worthy e'en the Gods above,
Ever young and ever fair,
Rapture true he ne'er can know,
Who with daring hand has never Pluck'd the Heavenly fruits that grow On the brink of Hell's dark river.
Hesper and Aurora bright
Each, in turns, put forth their light,
Yet the happy ones saw not
How the leaves began to fall,-
How from Northern loy hall
Winter fierce approach the spot.
Joyfly they saw each day
Lore and more it par reduce;
For the right's now-lengthened sway,
Nicel-balanced, day and night,
Held the scales of Heaven aright,—
From the tower, with pensive eye,
Gaz'd the gentle maid alone
On the coursers of the sun,
Hastening downwards through the sky.
Still and calm the ocean lay,
Like a pure, unsullied glass,
Not a zephyr sought, in play,
O'er the crystal flood to pass.
Dolphin-shoals, in joyous motion
Through the clear and silv'ry ocean,
Wanton'd its cool waves among;
And, in darkly-vestur'd train,
From the bosom of the main
Tethys' varied band upsprung.
None but they e'er saw reveal'd
Those fond lovers' blest delight:
But their silent lips were seal'd
Evermore by Hecate's might.
Gladly on the smiling sea
Gaz'd she, and caressingly
To the element exclaim'd:
"Lovely God, canst thou deceive?
Ne'er the traitor I'll believe,
Who thee false and faithless nam'd. Treach'rous is the human race,
Cruel is my father's heart; Thou art mild and full of grace, And art mov'd by love's soft smart.
"In these desert walls of stone
I had mourn'd in grief alone,
Pin'd in sorrow without end,
If thou, on thy crested ridge,
Aided by no bark, no bridge,
Hadst not hither borne my friend. Dreaded though thy depths may be, Fierce the fury of thy wave,
Love can ever soften thee,
Thou art vanquish'd by the brave.
"For the mighty dart of Love
E'en the Ocean God could move,
When the golden ram of yore,
Helle, cloth'd in beauty bright,
With her brother in her flight,
Over thy deep billows bore-
Sudden, vanquish'd by her charms,
Starting from the whirlpool black,
Thou didst bear her in thine arms
To thy realms from off his back.
"As a Goddess,-happy lot!
In the deep and wat❜ry grot,
Evermore she now resides;
Hapless lovers' cares dispels,
All thy raging passions quells,
Into port the sailor guides.
Beauteous Helle, Goddess fair,
Blessed one, to thee I pray:
Safely trusting to thy care,
Hither bring my love to-day!"
Dark the waters soon became,
And she wav'd the torch's flame
From the lofty balcony,
That the wanderer belov'd,
As across the deep he rov'd,
Might the trusty signal see.
Howling blast approach'd from far,
Gloomier still the billows curl'd
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