"Out of its heart must perish too!
"Then turn to me, my own love, turn,
"Before, like thee, I fade and burn;

Cling to these yet cool lips, and share
"The last pure life that lingers there!"
She fails-she sinks-as dies the lamp
In charnel airs, or cavern-damp,
So quickly do his baleful sighs
Quench all the sweet light of her eyes.
One struggle and his pain is past-
Her lover is no longer living!

One kiss the maiden gives, one last,
Long kiss, which she expires in giving!

Sleep," said the P'ERI, as softly she stole The farewell sigh of that vanishing soul, As true as e'er warm'd a woman's breast

"Sleep on, in visions of odour rest, "In balmier airs than ever yet stirr'd "The' enchanted pile of that lonely bird, "Who sings at the last his own death-lay,183 “And in music and perfume dies away!"

Thus saying, from her lips she spread Unearthly breathings through the place, And shook her sparkling wreath, and shed

Such lustre o'er each paly face,

That like two lovely saints they seem'd,
Upon the eve of doomsday taken

From their dim graves, in odour sleeping;

While that benevolent PERI beam'd

Like their good angel, calmly keeping

Watch o'er them till their souls would waken.

But morn is blushing in the sky;

Again the PERI soars above,
Bearing to Heaven that precious sigh
Of pure self-sacrificing love.

High throbb'd her heart, with hope elate,
The Elysian palm she soon shall win,
For the bright Spirit at the gate

Smil'd as she gave that offering in ;

And she already hears the trees

Of Eden, with their crystal bells

Ringing in that ambrosial breeze

That from the throne of ALLA swells;

And she can see the starry bowls

That lie around that lucid lake,

Upon whose banks admitted Souls

Their first sweet draught of glory take 184

But, ah even PERIS' hopes are vain

Again the Fates forbade, again

The' immortal barrier clos'd-"Not yet,"

The Angel said as, with regret,

He shut from her that glimpse of glory"True was the maiden, and her story,

"Written in light o'er ALLA's head,

By seraph eyes shall long be read.

"But, PERI, see-the crystal bar

"Of Eden moves not-holier far

"Than even this sigh the boon must be "That opes the Gates of Heaven for thee."

Now, upon SYRIA's land of roses 185

Softly the light of Eve reposes,

And, like a glory, the broad sun

Hangs over sainted LEBANON;

Whose head in wintry grandeur towers,
And whitens with eternal sleet,
While summer, in a vale of flowers,
Is sleeping rosy at his feet.

To one, who look'd from upper air
O'er all the enchanted regions there,
How beauteous must have been the glow,

The life, the sparkling from below!
Fair gardens, shining streams, with ranks
Of golden melons on their banks,
More golden where the sun-light falls;
Gay lizards, glittering on the walls 186
Of ruin'd shrines, busy and bright

As they were all alive with light;
And, yet more splendid, numerous flocks

Of pigeons, settling on the rocks,

With their rich restless wings, that gleam

U

Variously in the crimson beam

Of the warm West,-as if inlaid

With brilliants from the mine, or made
Of tearless rainbows, such as span

The' unclouded skies of PERISTAN.
And then the mingling sounds that come
Of shepherd's ancient reed, 187 with hum
Of the wild bees of PALESTINE, 188

Banqueting through the flowery vales; And, JORDAN, those sweet banks of thine, And woods, so full of nightingales. 189

190

But nought can charm the luckless PERI;
Her soul is sad-her wings are weary-
Joyless she sees the Sun look down
On that great Temple, once his own,'
Whose lonely columns stand sublime,
Flinging their shadows from on high,
Like dials, which the wizard, Time,
Had rais'd to count his ages by!

Yet haply there may lie conceal'd

Beneath those Chambers of the Sun,

Some amulet of gems anneal'd

In upper fires, some tablet seal'd

With the great name of SOLOMON,