And it was come to love me, when And cheering from my dungeon's brink, Or broke its cage to perch on mine, Sweet bird! I could not wish for thine! Or if it were, in winged guise, A visitant from Paradise; For-heaven forgive that thought! the while And then 'twas mortal-well I knew,— A single cloud on a sunny day, That hath no business to appear When skies are blue, and earth is gay. X. A kind of change came in my fate, My keepers grew compassionate, I know not what had made them so, Along my cell from side to side, And up and down, and then athwart, My brothers' graves, without a sod; XI. I made a footing in the wall, It was not therefrom to escape, For I had buried one and all, Who loved me in a human shape; And the whole earth would henceforth be A wider prison unto me; No child, no sire,-no kin had I, No partner in my misery; I thought of this and I was glad, For thought of them had made me mad; But I was curious to ascend To my barr'd windows, and to bend XII. I saw them, and they were the same, A small green isle, it seem'd no more, Of gentle breath and hue; The fish swam by the castle wall, And they seemed joyous each and all: The eagle rode the rising blast, Methought he never flew so fast, As then he seem'd to me to fly, And then new tears came in my eye, And I felt troubled, and would fain I had not left my recent chain ; And when I did descend again, The darkness of my dim abode Fell on me as a heavy load; It was as is a new-dug grave, Closing o'er one we sought to save; And yet my glance, too much opprest, Had almost need of such a rest. XIII. It might be months, or years, or days, And clear them of their dreary mote: At last men came to set me free, I ask'd not why, and reck'd not where, It was at length the same to me, Fetter'd or fetterless to be, I learn'd to love despair. And thus when they appear'd at last, I With spiders I had friendship made, BYRON. A STORY OF HEAVEN. BEFORE a lowland cottage, With climbing roses gay, I stood one summer's eve to watch All round the garden walks they ran, Filling the air with glee; Till they were tired, and sat them down |