Of Liberty's great soul depart, Then lay him down, and share her deathEv'n he, so sunk in wretchedness, With doom still darker gathering o'er him, In the mild eyes that shone before him, Of bliss, thus sparkling to the top She too, while gazing on those eyes Forgets all fears, all miseries, Or feels them like the wretch in sleep, Whom fancy cheats into a smile, Who dreams of joy, and sobs the while! The mighty Ruins where they stood, Where lightly o'er th' illumin'd surge Were still with lingering glories bright, As if, to grace the gorgeous West, The Spirit of departing Light That eve had left his sunny vest Behind him, ere he wing'd his flight. But ah! too soon that dream is past On the smooth sea hath died away. A glance she casts then wildly cries "At night, he said — and, look, 'tis near — "Fly, fly if yet thou lov'st me, fly "Soon will his murderous band be here, "And I shall see thee bleed and die. "Hush! - heard'st thou not the tramp of men Sounding from yonder fearful glen ? — "Perhaps ev'n now they climb the wood "Fly, fly-though still the West is bright, "He'll come - oh! yes he wants thy blood "I know him—he'll not wait for night!" In terrors ev'n to agony She clings around the wondering Chief; "Alas, poor wilder'd maid! to me "Thou ow'st this raving trance of grief. "Lost as I am, nought ever grew 66 Why, when I saw the prize that chance "Had thrown into my desperate arms, — "When, casting but a single glance "Upon thy pale and prostrate charms, "I vow'd (though watching viewless o'er 66 Thy safety through that hour's alarms) "To meet the' unmanning sight no more 66 66 Why have I broke that heart-wrung vow? "Of torrents through yon valley hurl'd"Dread nothing here- upon this rock "We stand above the jarring world, "Alike beyond its hope-its dread"In gloomy safety, like the Dead! "Or, could ev'n earth and hell unite "In league to storm this Sacred Height, "Fear nothing thou-myself, to-night, "And each o'erlooking star that dwells "Near God will be thy sentinels; "And, ere to-morrow's dawn shall glow, The maiden scream'd" thou'lt never see "To-morrow's sun death, death will be "The night-cry through each reeking tower, "Unless we fly, ay, fly this hour! "Thou art betray'd some wretch who knew "That dreadful glen's mysterious clew 66 Nay, doubt not- by yon stars, 'tis true "Hath sold thee to my vengeful sire ; "This morning, with that smile so dire "He wears in joy, he told me all, "And stamp'd in triumph through our hall, "As though thy heart already beat "Its last life-throb beneath his feet! "Good Heav'n, how little dream'd I then "His victim was my own lov'd youth! 66 Fly 66 By all my hopes of heaven 'tis truth!" S |