That earth itself seem'd left behind,
And her proud fancy, unconfin'd,

Already saw heav'n's gates a-jar!
Happy enthusiast! still, oh, still
Spite of my own heart's mortal chill,
Spite of that double-fronted sorrow,
Which looks at once before and back,
Beholds the yesterday, the morrow,

And sees both comfortless, both black
Spite of all this, I could have still
In her delight forgot all ill;

Or, if pain would not be forgot,
At least have borne and murmur'd not.
When thoughts of an offended heaven,
Of sinfulness, which I — e'n I,
While down its steep most headlong driven,
Well knew could never be forgiven,
Came o'er me with an agony
Beyond all reach of mortal woe,
A torture kept for those who know,
Know every thing, and, worst of all,
Know and love virtue while they fall! -
E'n then, her presence had the power
To soothe, to warm, nay, e'n to bless
If ever bliss could graft its flower

On stem so full of bitterness

E'n then her glorious smile to me

Brought warmth and radiance, if not balm, Like moonlight on a troubled sea,

Brightening the storm it cannot calm.
Oft, too, when that disheartening fear,
Which all who love, beneath the sky,
Feel, when they gaze on what is dear

The dreadful thought that it must die!
That desolating thought, which comes
Into men's happiest hours and homes;
Whose melancholy boding flings,
Death's shadow o'er the brightest things,
Sicklies the infant's bloom, and
spreads
The grave beneath young lovers' heads!
This fear, so sad to all- to me

Most full of sadness, from the thought
That I must still live when she

on,

Would, like the snow that on the sea

Fell yesterday, in vain be sought That heav'n to me the final seal

Of all earth's sorrow would deny,

And I eternally must feel

The death-pang, without pow'r to die! E'n this, her fond endearments

As ever twisted the sweet bond

- fond

"Twixt heart and heart — could charm away; Before her look no clouds would stay,

Or, if they did, their gloom was gone,

Their darkness put a glory on!

There seem'd a freshness in her breath,
Beyond the reach, the power of death;
And then, her voice oh, who could doubt
That 'twould for ever thus breathe out
A music, like the harmony

Of the tun'd orbs, too sweet to die!
While in her lip's awakening touch
There thrill'd a life ambrosial-

such

As mantles in the fruit steep'd through
With Eden's most delicious dew

Till I could almost think, though known
And lov'd as human, they had grown
By bliss, celestial as my own!

But 'tis not, 'tis not for the wrong,
The guilty, to be happy long;
And she, too, now, had sunk within
The shadow of her tempter's sin
Shadow of death, whose withering frown
Kills whatsoe'er it lights upon-
Too deep for e'n her soul to shun
The desolation it brings down!

Listen, and, if a tear there be
Left in your hearts, weep it for me.
"Twas on the evening of a day,
Which we in love had dream'd away;
In that same garden, where, beneath
The silent earth, stripp'd of my wreath,
And furling up those wings, whose light
For mortal gaze were else too bright,
I first had stood before her sight;
And found myself. oh, ecstasy,
Which e'n in pain I ne'er forget
Worshipp'd as only God should be,
And lov'd as never man was yet!
In that same garden we were now,

Thoughtfully side by side reclining,
Her eyes turn'd upward, and her brow
With its own silent fancies shining.
It was an evening bright and still

As ever blush'd on wave or bower,
Smiling from heav'n, as if nought ill
Could happen in so sweet an hour.
Yet, I remember, both grew sad

In looking at that light- e'n she,
Of heart so fresh, and brow so glad,
Felt the mute hour's solemnity,
And thought she saw, in that repose,
The death-hour not alone of light,
But of this whole fair world the close
Of all things beautiful and bright
The last, grand sun-set, in whose ray
Nature herself died calm away!

At length, as if some thought, awaking
Suddenly, sprung within her breast
Like a young bird, when day-light breaking
Startles him from his dreamy nest
She turn'd upon me her dark eyes,
Dilated into that full shape

They took in joy, reproach, surprise,
As if to let more soul escape,

And, playfully as on my head

Her white hand rested, smil'd and said:

"I had, last night, a dream of thee,
"Resembling those divine ones, given,
"Like preludes to sweet minstrelsy,

"Before thou cam'st, thyself, from heaven.

"The same rich wreath was on thy brow, "Dazzling as if of star-light made;

"And these wings, lying darkly now,

"Like meteors round thee flash'd and play'd.

"All bright as in those happy dreams

"Thou stood'st, a creature to adore

"No less than love, breathing out beams, "As flowers do fragrance, at each pore!

"Sudden I felt thee draw me near

"To thy pure heart, where, fondly plac'd, "I seem'd within the atmosphere

"Of that exhaling light embrac'd;

"And pure, and dazzling as he is,

this

"And fresh from heav'n, he's mine, he's mine! "Think'st thou, were LILIS in thy place,

"A creature of yon lofty skies,

"She would have hid one single grace,
"One glory from her lover's eyes?
"No, no- then, if thou lov'st like me,
"Shine out, young Spirit, in the blaze
"Of thy most proud divinity,

"Nor think thou'lt wound this mortal gaze.

"Too long have I look'd doating on

"Those ardent eyes, intense e'n thus

"Too near the stars themselves have gone, "To fear aught grand or luminous.

"Then doubt me not oh, who can say
"But that this dream may yet come true,
"And my blest spirit drink thy ray
"Till it becomes all heav'nly too?
"Let me this once but feel the flame

"Of those spread wings, the very pride
"Will change my nature, and this frame
"By the mere touch be deified!"

Thus spoke the maid, as one, not us'd
To be by man or God refus'd-

As

one,

who felt her influence o'er

All creatures, whatsoe'er they were,
And, though to heav'n she could not soar,
At least would bring down heav'n to her!
Little did she, alas, or I

E'n I, whose soul, but half-way yet Immerg'd in sin's obscurity,

Was as the planet where we lie,

O'er half whose disk the sun is set

Little did we foresee the fate,

The dreadful - how can it be told?

Oh God! such anguish to relate

Is o'er again to feel, behold!

But, charg'd as 'tis, my heart must speak
Its sorrow out, or it will break!

Some dark misgivings had, I own,

Pass'd for a moment through my breast
Fears of some danger, vague, unknown,
To one, or both something unblest
To happen from this proud request.
But soon these boding fancies fled;
Nor saw I aught that could forbid
My full revealment, save the dread
Of that first dazzle, that unhid
And bursting glory on a lid
Untried in heav'n and e'n this glare
She might, by love's own nursing care,
Be, like young eagles, taught to bear.

-

-

Around her sleep in splendor come Hung o'er each beauty, nor forgot

To print my radiant lips on some?
And yet, at morn, from that repose,
Had she not wak'd, unscath'd and bright,
As doth the pure, unconscious rose,

Though by the fire-fly kiss'd all night?
E'n when the rays I scatter'd stole
Intensest to her dreaming soul,

No thrill disturb'd th' insensate frame
So subtle, so refin'd that flame,
Which, rapidly as lightnings melt

The blade within the unharm'd sheath,
Can, by the outward form unfelt,

Reach and dissolve the soul beneath!

Thus having (as, alas, deceiv'd
By my sin's blindness, I believ'd)
No cause for dread, and those black eyes
There fix'd upon me, eagerly

As if th' unlocking of the skies

Then waited but a sign from me How was I to refuse? how say

One word that in her heart could stir
A fear, a doubt, but that each ray

I brought from heav'n belong'd to her!
Slow from her side I rose, while she
Stood up, too, mutely, tremblingly,
But not with fear all hope, desire,
She waited for the awful boon,
Like priestesses, with eyes of fire
Watching the rise of the full moon,
Whose beams they know, yet cannot shun
Will madden them when look'd upon!

Of all my glories, the bright crown,

Which, when I last from heav'n came down,
I left see, where those clouds afar

Sail through the west there hangs it yet,
Shining remote, more like a star
Than a fall'n angel's coronet
Of all my glories, this alone

Was wanting- but th' illumin'd brow,
The curls, like tendrils that had grown
Out of the sun the eyes, that now
Had love's light added to their own,
And shed a blaze, before unknown
E'n to themselves th' unfolded wings
From which, as from two radiant springs,
Sparkles fell fast around, like spray-

All I could bring of heav'n's array,

Of that rich panoply of charms
A Cherub moves in, on the day
Of his best pomp, I now put on;
And, proud that in her eyes I shone
Thus glorious, glided to her arms,
Which still (though at a sight so splendid
Her dazzled brow had instantly
Sunk on her breast) were wide extended
To clasp the form she durst not see!

Great God! how could thy vengeance light
So bitterly on one so bright?

How could the hand, that gave such charms,
Blast them again, in love's own arms?
Scarce had I touch'd her shrinking frame,
When oh most horrible! - I felt
That every spark of that pure flame -
Pure, while among the stars I dwelt
Was now by my transgression turn'd
Into gross, earthly fire, which burn'd,
Burn'd all it touch'd, as fast as eye
Could follow the fierce ravening flashes,
Till there oh God, I still ask why
Such doom was hers? - I saw her lie
Black'ning within my arms to ashes!
Those cheeks, a glory but to see —

Those lips, whose touch was what the first Fresh cup of immortality

Is to a new-made angel's thirst!
Those arms, within whose gentle round,
My heart's horizon, the whole bound
Of its hope, prospect, heav'n was found!
Which, e'n in this dread moment, fond
As when they first were round me cast,
Loos'd not in death the fatal bond,

But, burning, held me to the last
That hair, from under whose dark veil,
The snowy neck, like a white sail

At moonlight seen 'twixt wave and wave,
Shone out by gleams that hair, to save
But one of whose long, glossy wreaths,
I could have died ten thousand deaths!
All, all, that seem'd, one minute since,
So full of love's own redolence,
Now, parch'd and black, before me lay,
Withering in agony away;

And mine, oh misery! mine the flame,
From which this desolation came

And I the fiend, whose foul caress

Had blasted all that loveliness!

- but, come near

--

---

"Twas madd'ning, 'twas but hear e'n worse
Had death, death only, been the curse
I brought upon her had the doom
But ended here, when her young bloom
Lay in the dust, and did the spirit
No part of that fell curse inherit,
"Twere not so dreadful
Too shocking 'tis for earth to hear
Just when her eyes, in fading, took
Their last, keen, agoniz'd farewell,
And look'd in mine with oh, that look!
Avenging Power, whate'er the hell
Thou may'st to human souls assign,
The memory of that look is mine!
In her last struggle, on my brow
Her ashy lips a kiss imprest,

So withering! I feel it now

"Twas fire but fire, e'n more unblest