Oh, then, how clearly did the voice
Of ZARAPH above all rejoice!
Love was in ev'ry buoyant tone-

Such love, as only could belong

To the blest angels and alone

Could, ev'n from angels, bring such song!

Alas that it should e'er have been

In heav'n as 'tis too often here, Where nothing fond or bright is seen, But it hath pain and peril near;— Where right and wrong so close resemble, That what we take for virtue's thrill Is often the first downward tremble Of the heart's balance unto ill; Where Love hath not a shrine so pure, So holy, but the serpent, Sin, In moments ev'n the most secure, Beneath his altar may glide in! So was it with that Angel-such The charm, that sloped his fall along From good to ill, from loving much, Too easy lapse, to loving wrong.Ev'n so that amorous Spirit, bound By beauty's spell, where'er 'twas found, From the bright things above the moon Down to earth's beaming eyes descended, Till love for the Creator soon

In passion for the creature ended.

'Twas first at twilight, on the shore

Of the smooth sea, he heard the lute
And voice of her he loved steal o'er
The silver waters, that lay mute,
As loth, by even a breath, to stay
The pilgrimage of that sweet lay,
Whose echoes still went on and on,
Till lost among the light that shone
Far off, beyond the ocean's brim-
There, where the rich cascade of day
Had, o'er th' horizon's golden rin,

Into Elysium roll'd away!

Of God she sung, and of the mild
Attendant Mercy, that beside

His awful throne for ever smiled,

Ready, with her white hand, to guide
His bolts of vengeance to their prey-
That she might quench them on the way!
Of Peace-of that Atoning Love,
Upon whose star, shining above
This twilight world of hope and fear,
The weeping eyes of Faith are fix'd
So fond, that with her every tear

The light of that love-star is mix'd-
All this she sung, and such a soul
Of piety was in that song,
That the charm'd Angel, as it stole
Tenderly to his ear, along

Those lulling waters where he lay,
Watching the daylight's dying ray,

Thought 'twas a voice from out the wave,
An echo, that some sea-nymph gave

To Eden's distant harmony,

Heard faint and sweet beneath the sea!

Quickly, however, to its source,
Tracing that music's melting course,
He saw, upon the golden sand

Of the sea-shore, a maiden stand,
Before whose feet th' expiring waves
Flung their last offering with a sigh-
As, in the East, exhausted slaves

Lay down the far-brought gift, and dieAnd, while her lute hung by her, hush'd, As if unequal to the tide

Of song, that from her lips still gush'd,
She raised, like one beatified,

Those eyes, whose light seem'd rather given
To be adored than to adore-

Such eyes, as may have look'd from heaven, But ne'er were raised to it before!

Oh Love, Religion, Music-all

That's left of Eden upon earthThe only blessings, since the fall Of our weak souls, that still recall

A trace of their high, glorious birth

How kindred are the dreams you bring!
How Love, though unto earth so prone,
Delights to take Religion's wing,

When time or grief hath stain'd his own! How near to Love's beguiling brink,

Too oft, entranced Religion lies!

While Music, Music is the link

They both still hold by to the skies, The language of their native sphere, Which they had else forgotten here.

67

How then could ZARAPH fail to feel
That moment's witcheries ?-one, so fair,
Breathing out music that might steal
Heaven from itself, and rapt in prayer
That seraphs might be proud to share!
Oh, he did feel it, all too well—

With warmth, that far too dearly cost-
Nor knew he, when at last he fell,
To which attraction, to which spell,
Love, Music, or Devotion, most

His soul in that sweet hour was lost. Sweet was the hour, though dearly won, And pure, as aught of earth could be, For then first did the glorious sun

Before religion's altar see

Two hearts in wedlock's golden tie
Self-pledged, in love to live and die.
Blest union! by that Angel wove,

And worthy from such hands to come;
Safe, sole asylum, in which Love,
When fall'n or exiled from above,

In this dark world can find a home.

And though the Spirit had transgress'd—
Had, from his station 'mong the blest
Won down by woman's smile, allow'd
Terrestrial passion to breathe o'er
The mirror of his heart, and cloud

God's image, there so bright before-
Yet never did that Power look down
On error with a brow so mild;
Never did Justice wear a frown,

Through which so gently Mercy smiled. For humble was their love-with awe And trembling like some treasure kept, That was not theirs by holy lawWhose beauty with remorse they saw,

And o'er whose preciousness they wept. Humility, that low, sweet root, From which all heavenly virtues shoot, Was in the hearts of both-but most

In NAMA's heart, by whom alone Those charms for which a heaven was lost, Seem'd all unvalued and unknown;

And when her seraph's eyes she caught,
And hid hers glowing on his breast,
Even bliss was humbled by the thought-
"What claim have I to be so blest?"
Still less could maid, so meek, have nursed
Desire of knowledge-that vain thirst,
With which the sex hath all been cursed,
From luckless EVE to her, who near

The Tabernacle stole to hear

The secrets of the angels: no—

To love as her own Seraph loved,

With Faith, the same through bliss and woe-
Faith, that, were even its light removed,
Could, like the dial, fix'd remain,

And wait till it shone out again;-
With Patience that, though often bow'd
By the rude storm, can rise anew;
And Hope that, even from Evil's cloud,

Sees sunny Good half breaking through!
This deep, relying Love, worth more
In heaven than all a Cherub's lore-
This Faith, more sure than aught beside,
Was the sole joy, ambition, pride
Of her fond heart-th' unreasoning scope
Of all its views, above, below—
So true she felt it that to hope,
To trust, is happier than to know.

And thus in humbleness they trod,
Abash'd, but pure before their God;
Nor e'er did earth behold a sight

So meekly beautiful as they,
When, with the altar's holy light

Full on their brows, they knelt to pray,

Hand within hand, and side by side,

Two links of love, awhile untied

From the great chain above, but fast
Holding together to the last-
Two fallen Splendors, from that tree
Which buds with such eternally,
Shaken to earth, yet keeping all
Their light and freshness in the fall.
Their only punishment (as wrong,

However sweet, must bear its brand),