Eager he darts to meet the demon foe, "I meant not, AZIM," soothingly she said, "I meant not thou should'st have the pain of this; 66 Though death, with thee thus tasted, is a bliss "Thou would'st not rob me of, did'st thou but know "How oft I've pray'd to God I might die so! "But the Fiend's venom was too scant and slow; "To linger on were maddening — and I thought "If once that Veil - nay, look not on it - caught "The eyes of your fierce soldiery, I should be "Struck by a thousand death-darts instantly. "But this is sweeter -oh! believe me, yes "I would not change this sad, but dear caress, "This death within thy arms I would not give "A light comes o'er me from those looks of love, 66 Angels will echo the blest words in heaven! dream divine! "Live, if thou ever lov'dst me, if to meet 66 ، Thy ZELICA hereafter would be sweet, "Oh live to pray for her to bend the knee Morning and night before that Deity, "To whom pure lips and hearts without a stain, "As thine are, Azım, never breath'd in vain, "And pray that He may pardon her, may "Compassion on her soul for thy dear sake, take "And, nought remembering but her love to thee, ،، Make her all thine, all His, eternally ! ، Go to those happy fields where first we twin'd "Our youthful hearts together every wind "That meets thee there, fresh from the well-known flowers, "Will bring the sweetness of those innocent hours "And should they but alas! my senses fail } "Oh for one minute! - should thy prayers prevail "If pardon'd souls may from that World of Bliss "Reveal their joy to those they love in this, "Oh Heaven-I die- dear love! farewel, farewel." Time fleeted years on years had pass'd away, For the last time knelt down- and, though the shade When night o'er all the rest hangs chill and dim,- And there, upon the banks of that lov'd tide, THE story of the Veiled Prophet of Khorassan being ended, they were now doomed to hear FADLADEEN'S criticisms upon it. A series of disappointments and accidents had occurred to this learned Chamberlain during the journey. In the first place, those couriers stationed, as in the reign of Shah Jehan, between Delhi and the Western coast of India, to secure a constant supply of mangoes for the Royal Table, had, by some cruel irregularity, failed in their duty; and to eat any mangoes but those of Mazagong was, of course, impossible. In the next place the elephant, laden with his fine antique porcelain, had in an unusual fit of liveliness shattered the whole set to pieces: an irreparable loss, as many of the vessels were so exquisitely old as to have been used under the Emperors Yan and Chun, who reigned many ages before the dynasty of Tang. His Koran too, supposed to be the identical copy between the leaves of which Mahomet's favourite pigeon used to nestle, had been mislaid by his Koranbearer three whole days; not without much spiritual |