Yet, one relief this glance of former years tears, tears, floods of Long frozen at her heart, but now like rills Let loose in spring-time from the snowy hills, Sad and subdued, for the first time her frame By the stream's side, where still at close of day Of late none found such favor in his sight As the young Priestess; and though, since that night When the death-caverns echoed every tone Of the dire oath that made her all his own, The Impostor, sure of his infatuate prize, Had, more than once, thrown off his soul's disguise, And utter'd such unheavenly, monstrous things, As even across the desp'rate wanderings Of a weak intellect, whose lamp was out, The thought, still haunting her, of that bright brow, Was but a passage through earth's grosser fire, Through flame and smoke, most welcome to the skies-- These were the wildering dreams, whose curst deceit Which came across her frenzy's full career Wan and dejected, through the evening dusk, She now went slowly to that small kiosk, Where, pondering alone his impious schemes, MOKANNA waited her - too rapt in dreams Of the fair-rip'ning future's rich success, To heed the sorrow, pale and spiritless, That sat upon his victim's downcast brow, Or mark how slow her step, how alter'd now From the quick, ardent Priestess, whose light bound Came like a spirit's o'er the unechoing ground,From that wild ZELICA, whose every glance Was thrilling fire, whose every thought a trance! Upon his couch the Veil'd MOKANNA lay, While lamps around -not such as lend their ray, Glimmering and cold, to those who nightly pray In holy Kooм, or MECCA's dim arcades, But brilliant, soft, such lights as lovely maids Look loveliest in, shed their luxurious glow Upon his mystic Veil's white glittering flow. Beside him, 'stead of beads and books of prayer, Which the world fondly thought he mus'd on there, Stood vases, fill'd with KISHMEE'S 49 golden wine, And the red weepings of the SHIRAZ Vine; Of which his curtain'd lips full many a draught Took zealously, as if each drop they quaff'd, Like ZEMZEM's Spring of Holiness,50 had power To freshen the soul's virtues into flower! And still he drank and ponder'd nor could see The approaching maid, so deep his reverie; At length, with fiendish laugh, like that which broke From EBLIS at the Fall of Man, he spoke : 66 Yes, ye vile race, for hell's amusement given, Too mean for earth, yet claiming kin with heaven; My deep-felt, long-nurst loathing of man's name; Weak man my instrument, curst man my prey! "Ye wise, ye learn'd, who grope your dull way on By the dim twinkling gleams of ages gone, Like superstitious thieves, who think the light From dead men's marrow guides them best at night 53 Ye shall have honors — wealth, yes, Sages, yes— I know, grave fools, your wisdom's nothingness; Undazzled it can track yon starry sphere, But a gilt stick, a bauble blinds it here. How I shall laugh, when trumpeted along, In lying speech, and still more lying song, By these learn'd slaves, the meanest of the throng; Their wits bought up, their wisdom shrunk so small, A sceptre's puny point can wield it all! "Ye too, believers of incredible creeds, Whose faith enshrines the monsters which it breeds; That Prophet ill sustains his holy call, Who finds not heavens to suit the tastes of all; And wings and glories for all ranks and ages. The Heaven of each is but what each desires, And, soul or sense, whate'er the object be, Man would be man to all eternity! So let him- EBLIS! grant this crowning curse, "Oh my lost soul!" exclaim'd the shuddering maid, Whose ears had drunk like poison all he said: MOKANNA Started - not abash'd, afraid, He knew no more of fear than one who dwells But, in those dismal words that reach'd his ear, In which the legend o'er Hell's Gate is read, That, new as 'twas from her, whom nought could dim Or sink till now, it startled even him. "Ha, my fair Priestess!"— thus, with ready wile, The impostor turn'd to greet her "thou, whose smil Hath inspiration in its rosy beam Beyond the Enthusiast's hope or Prophet's dream! So close with love's, men know not which they feel, |