Sandoval. You lov'd the daughter of Don Manrique?

Earl Henry.

Sandoval. Did you not say, you woo'd her?

Earl Henry.

Her whom I dar'd not woo!

Sandoval.

One whom you lov'd not!
Earl Henry.

Loved?

Once I lov'd

And woo'd perchance 265

OI were most base

Not loving Oropeza. True, I woo'd her

Hoping to heal a deeper wound: but she

Met my advances with an empassion'd Pride

That kindled Love with Love. And when her Sire
Who in his dream of Hope already grasp'd
The golden circlet in his hand, rejected
My suit, with Insult, and in memory

Of ancient Feuds, pour'd Curses on my head,
Her Blessings overtook and baffled them.

But thou art stern, and with unkindling Countenance
Art inly reasoning whilst thou listenest to me.
Sandoval. Anxiously, Henry! reasoning anxiously.

But Oropeza

Earl Henry. Blessings gather round her!
Within this wood there winds a secret passage,
Beneath the walls, which open out at length
Into the gloomiest covert of the Garden.-
The night ere my departure to the Army;

She, nothing trembling, led me through that gloom,
And to the covert by a silent stream,

Which, with one star reflected near its marge,
Was the sole object visible around me.

The night so dark, so close, the umbrage o'er us!
No leaflet stirr'd;-yet pleasure hung upon us,
The gloom and stillness of the balmy night-air.
A little further on an arbor stood,

Fragrant with flowering Trees-I well remember
What an uncertain glimmer in the Darkness

Their snow-white Blossoms made-thither she led me,

269 an empassion'd S. L.: empassioned 1834. unkindly S. L., 1834.

276 unkindling] | 285 the that. 288 o'er] near S. L.

281 open] opens S. L. a] that S. L. (corr. in Errata, p. [xi]) S. L. (corr. in Errata, p. [xi]) S. L. 289-290 No leaflet stirr'd; the air was almost sultry; So deep, so dark, so close, the umbrage o'er us! No leaflet stirr'd, yet pleasure hung upon S. L.

To that sweet bower! Then Oropeza trembled --
I heard her heart beat-if 'twere not my own.
Sandoval. A rude and scaring note, my friend!
Earl Henry.

Oh! no!

I have small memory of aught but pleasure.
The inquietudes of fear, like lesser Streams
Still flowing, still were lost in those of Love:
So Love grew mightier from the Fear, and Nature,
Fleeing from Pain, shelter'd herself in Joy.
The stars above our heads were dim and steady,
Like eyes suffus'd with rapture. Life was in us:
We were all life, each atom of our Frames
A living soul-I vow'd to die for her:
With the faint voice of one who, having spoken,
Relapses into blessedness, I vow'd it:

295

300

305

That solemn Vow, a whisper scarcely heard,

A murmur breath'd against a lady's Cheek.

310

Oh! there is Joy above the name of Pleasure,
Deep self-possession, an intense Repose.
No other than as Eastern Sages feign,
The God, who floats upon a Lotos Leaf,
Dreams for a thousand ages; then awaking,
Creates a world, and smiling at the bubble,
Relapses into bliss. Ah! was that bliss
Fear'd as an alien, and too vast for man?
For suddenly, intolerant of its silence,
Did Oropeza, starting, grasp my forehead.

I caught her arms; the veins were swelling on them.
Thro' the dark Bower she sent a hollow voice;-
'Oh! what if all betray me? what if thou?'

I swore, and with an inward thought that seemed

310 Cheek] Ear S. L.

After 312.

Deep repose of bliss we lay

No other than as Eastern Sages gloss,

The God who floats upon a Lotos leaf

Dreams for a thousand ages, then awaking

Creates a World, then loathing the dull task

Relapses into blessedness, when an omen

315

320

Screamed from the Watch-tower-'twas the Watchman's cry,
And Oropeza starting. MS. (alternative reading).

313 feign] paint S. L. Before 314 Sandoval (with a sarcastic smile) S. L. 314-16 Compare Letter to Thelwall, Oct. 16, 1797, Letters of S. T. C., 1895, i. 229. 317 bliss.-Earl Henry. Ah! was that bliss S. L.

intolerant] impatient S. L.

319

The unity and substance of my Being,

I swore to her, that were she red with guilt,
I would exchange my unblench'd state with hers.-
Friend! by that winding passage, to the Bower
I now will go-all objects there will teach me
Unwavering Love, and singleness of Heart.
Go, Sandoval! I am prepar'd to meet her-
Say nothing of me-I myself will seek her—
Nay, leave me, friend! I cannot bear the torment
And Inquisition of that scanning eye.-

300

[Earl Henry retires into the wood

Sandoval (alone). O Henry! always striv'st thou to be great By thine own act-yet art thou never great

But by the Inspiration of great Passion.

The Whirl-blast comes, the desert-sands rise up

And shape themselves; from Heaven to Earth they stand,
As though they were the Pillars of a Temple,
Built by Omnipotence in its own honour!
But the Blast pauses, and their shaping spirit
Is fled the mighty Columns were but sand,
And lazy Snakes trail o'er the level ruins!
I know, he loves the Queen. I know she is
His Soul's first love, and this is ever his nature-
To his first purpose, his soul toiling back-
Like the poor storm-wreck'd [sailor] to his Boat,
Still swept away, still struggling to regain it.

340

343

[Exit.

Herreras. He dies, that stirs! Follow me this instant. 350

(First Conspirator takes his arrow, snaps it, and throws it on the ground. The two others do the same.)

Herreras. Accursed cowards! I'll go myself, and make sure work (drawing his Dagger).

325 unity and] purpose and the S. L.

After 327

Even as a Herdsboy mutely plighting troth

Gives his true Love a Lily for a Rose. MS. erased.

334 Inquisition] keen inquiry S. L.

Before 335

Earl Henry thou art dear to me

- perchance

For these follies; since the Health of Reason,

Our would-be Sages teach, engenders not

The Whelks and Tumours of particular Friendship.

339 Heaven to Earth] Earth to Heaven S. L.

MS. erased.

(HERRERAS strides towards the arbor, before he reaches it, stops and listens and then returns hastily to the front of the stage, as he turns his Back to the Arbor, EARL HENRY appears, watching the Conspirators, and enters the Arbor unseen.) First Conspirator. Has she seen us think you?

The Mask. No! she has not seen us; but she heard us 354 --distinctly.

Herreras. There was a rustling in the wood-go, all of you, stand on the watch-towards the passage.

A Voice from the Arbor. Mercy! Mercy! Tell me, why you murder me.

Herreras. I'll do it first. (Strides towards the Arbor, EARL HENRY rushes out of it.)

The Mask. Jesu Maria. (They all three fly, EARL HENRY attempts to seize HERRERAS, who defending himself retreats into the Covert follow'd by the EARL. THE QUEEN comes from out the arbor, veiled-stands listening a moment, then lifts up her veil, with folded hands assumes the attitude of Prayer, and after a momentary silence breaks into audible soliloquy.)

The Queen. I pray'd to thee, All-wonderful! And thou Didst make my very Prayer the Instrument,

Th' armed Murderer

By which thy Providence sav'd me.
Who with suspended breath stood listening to me,
In that same moment,
Groan'd as I spake thy name.
O God! thy Mercy shot the swift Remorse
That pierc'd his Heart. And like an Elephant
Gor'd as he rushes to the first assault,

He turn'd at once and trampled his Employers.

362

365

But hark! (drops her veil)-O God in Heaven! they come again.

370

(EARL HENRY returns with the Dagger in his hand.) Earl Henry (as he is entering). The violent pull with which

I seiz'd his Dagger

Unpois'd me and I fell.

[END OF THE FRAGMENT.]

J

CHAMOUNY; THE HOUR BEFORE SUNRISE

A HYMN

[Vide ante, p. 376.]

[As published in The Morning Post, Sept. 11, 1802]
HAST thou a charm to stay the morning star
In his steep course-so long he seems to pause
On thy bald awful head, O Chamouny!
The Arve and Arveiron at thy base

Rave ceaselessly; but thou, dread mountain form,
Resist from forth thy silent sea of pines
How silently! Around thee, and above,

Deep is the sky, and black transpicuous, deep,
An ebon mass! Methinks thou piercest it
As with a wedge! But when I look again,

It seems thy own calm home, thy crystal shrine,
Thy habitation from eternity.

O dread and silent form! I gaz'd upon thee,

Till thou, still present to my bodily eye,

10

Did'st vanish from my thought. Entranc'd in pray'r, 15 I worshipp'd the INVISIBLE alone.

Yet thou, meantime, wast working on my soul,

E'en like some deep enchanting melody,

So sweet, we know not, we are list'ning to it.
But I awoke, and with a busier mind,
And active will self-conscious, offer now
Not, as before, involuntary pray'r

And passive adoration!

Hand and voice,

Awake, awake! and thou, my heart, awake!
Awake ye rocks! Ye forest pines, awake!
Green fields, and icy cliffs! All join my hymn!
And thou, O silent mountain, sole and bare,
O blacker, than the darkness, all the night,
And visited, all night, by troops of stars,

Or when they climb the sky, or when they sink-
Companion of the morning star at dawn,
Thyself Earth's rosy star, and of the dawn
Co-herald! Wake, O wake, and utter praise!
Who sank thy sunless pillars deep in earth?
Who fill'd thy countenance with rosy light?
Who made thee father of perpetual streams?
And you, ye five wild torrents, fiercely glad,

20