"Think, think how lost, how madden'd I must be, "To hope that guilt could lead to God or thee! "Thou weep'st for me-do, weep-oh! that I durst "Kiss off that tear! but, no - these lips are curst, "They must not touch thee; one divine caress, "One blessed moment of forgetfulness "I've had within those arms, and that shall lie, "Shrin'd in my soul's deep memory till I die! "The last of joy's last relics here below, "The one sweet drop, in all this waste of woe, 66 My heart has treasur'd from affection's spring, "To soothe and cool its deadly withering! - "This place is not for thee for thee! oh no, "Did I but tell thee half, thy tortur'd brain "Would burn like mine, and mine go wild again! "Enough, that Guilt reigns here 4 that hearts, once "Now tainted, chill'd and broken, are his food. 66 Enough, that we are parted that there rolls "A flood of headlong fate between our souls, "Whose darkness severs me as wide from thee "As hell from heav'n, to all eternity!"— "ZELICA! ZELICA !" the youth exclaim'd, In all the tortures of a mind inflam'd Almost to madness" by that sacred Heav'n, "Where yet, if pray'rs can move, thou'lt be forgiven, "As thou art here - here, in this writhing heart, "All sinful, wild and ruin'd as thou art! "Which, like a church-yard light, still burns above "The grave of our lost souls which guilt in thee "Cannot extinguish, nor despair in me! "I do conjure, implore thee to fly hence"If thou hast yet one spark of innocence, " "Tis worth whole years of torment to hear this. "What! take the lost one with thee?- let her rove "By thy dear side, as in those days of love, "When we were both so happy, both so pure "Too heavenly dream! if there's on earth a cure "For the sunk heart, 'tis this day after day "To be the blest companion of thy way; "To hear thy angel eloquence to see "Those virtuous eyes for ever turn'd on me; "And in their light re-chasten'd silently, "Like the stain'd web that whitens in the sun, "Grow pure by being purely shone upon ! for me } I know thou wilt "And thou wilt pray Scarce had she said These breathless words, when a voice deep and dread As that of MONKER, waking up the dead From their first sleep so startling 'twas to both Rung through the casement near " Thy oath! thy oath!" Oh Heav'n, the ghastliness of that Maid's look!" "Tis he," faintly she cried, while terror shook Her inmost core, nor durst she lift her eyes, Though through the casement, now, nought but the skies And moon-light fields were seen, calm as before" "Tis he, and I am his-all, all is o'er "Go-fly this instant, or thou'rt ruin'd too → My oath, my oath, oh God! 'tis all too true, "True as the worm in this cold heart it is "I am MOKANNA'S bride-his, AZIM, his "The Dead stood round us, while I spoke that vow, "Their blue lips echoed it - I hear them now ! "Their eyes glar'd on me, while I pledg'd that bowl, " 'Twas burning blood - I feel it in my soul! "And the Veil'd Bridegroom—hist! I've seen to-night "What angels know not of-so foul a sight, "So horrible oh! never may'st thou see "What there lies hid from all but hell and me! "But I must hence - off, off- I am not thine, "Nor Heav'n's, nor Love's, nor aught that is divine — "Hold me not ha! think'st thou the fiends that 66 sever "Hearts, cannot sunder hands?—thus, then-for ever!" G With all that strength, which madness lends the weak, She flung away his arm; and, with a shriek, – Whose sound, though he should linger out more years Than wretch e'er told, can never leave his ears, Fleetly as some dark, ominous bird of night } |