Oh! could he listen to such sounds unmov'd, And by that light-nor dream of her he lov'd? "Look up, my ZELICA-one moment show Those gentle eyes to me, that I may know." "Oh! curse me not," she cried, as wild he toss'd His desperate hand tow'rds Heaven. They saw a young Hindoo girl upon the bank. Whose are the gilded tents that crowd the way? In vain he yells his desperate curses out. For this alone exists-like lightning fire, To speed one bolt of vengeance, and expire! And they beheld an orb, ample and bright, He sprung and sunk, as the last words were said- Quick clos'd the burning waters o'er his head. Breathless she stands, with eyes cast down. He felt it deeply felt-and stood, As mute they pass'd before the flame They come that plunge into the water "Now, Freedom's God! I come to Thee.". Farewell-farewell to thee, ARABY's daughter !" . THE LIGHT OF THE HARAM. PAGE 241 248 254 256 263 269 274 . 277 ORNAMENTAL TITLE-PAGE 283 [From porcelain and illuminated MSS.] Or to see it by moonlight,-when mellowly shines 285 He saw, in the wreaths she would playfully snatch 291 They had now begun to ascend those barren mountains. 321 The marriage was fixed for the morning after her arrival. 329 PREFACE. (WRITTEN ORIGINALLY FOR "LALLA ROOKH IN THE COLLECTED THE Poem, or Romance, of LALLA ROOKH, having now reached, I understand, its twentieth edition, a short account of the origin and progress of a work which has been hitherto so very fortunate in its course, may not be deemed, perhaps, superfluous or misplaced. It was about the year 1812, that, far more through the encouraging suggestions of friends than from any confident promptings of my own ambition, I conceived the design of writing a Poem upon some Oriental subject, and of those quarto dimensions which Scott's successful publications in that form had then rendered the regular poetical standard. A negotiation on the subject was opened with the Messrs. Longman in the same year; but, from some causes which I cannot now recollect, led to no decisive result; nor was it till a year or two after, that any further steps were taken b in the matter, their house being the only one, it is right to add, with which, from first to last, I held any communication upon the subject. On this last occasion, Mr. Perry kindly offered himself as my representative in the treaty; and, what with the friendly zeal of my negotiator on the one side, and the prompt and liberal spirit with which he was met on the other, there has seldom, I think, occurred any transaction in which Trade and Poesy have shone out so advantageously in each other's eyes. The short discussion that then took place, between the two parties, may be comprised in a very few sentences. "I am of opinion," said Mr. Perry,-enforcing his view of the case by arguments which it is not for me to cite,-"that Mr. Moore ought to receive for his Poem the largest price that has been given, in our day, for such a work." "That was,” answered the Messrs. Longman, "three thousand guineas." "Exactly so," replied Mr. Perry, "and no less a sum ought he to receive." It was then objected, and very reasonably, on the part of the firm, that they had never yet seen a single line of the Poem; and that a perusal of the work ought to be allowed to them, before they embarked so large a sum in the purchase. But, no;-the romantic view which my friend, Perry, took of the matter, was, that this price should be given as a tribute to reputa |