Yet haply there may lie conceal'd Beneath those Chambers of the Sun, Some amulet of gems anneal'd In upper fires, some tablet seal'd
With the great name of SOLOMON, Which, spell'd by her illumin'd eyes, May teach her where, beneath the moon, In earth or ocean lies the boon, The charm that can restore so soon, An erring spirit to the skies!
Cheer'd by this hope she bends her thither;- Still laughs the radiant eye of Heaven, Nor have the golden bowers of Even In the rich West begun to wither;- When, o'er the vale of BALBEC winging, Slowly, she sees a child at play. Among the rosy wild-flowers singing, As rosy and as wild as they; Chasing with eager hands and eyes, The beautiful blue damsel flies,
That flutter'd round the jasmine stems, Like winged flowers or flying gems;- And, near the boy, who, tir'd with play Now nesling 'mid the roses lay, She saw a wearied man dismount
From his hot steed, and on the brink Of a small Minaret's rustic fount
Impatient fling him down to drink. Then swift his haggard brow he turn'd To the fair child, who fearless sat, Though never yet hath day-beam burn'd Upon a brow more fierce than that,- Sullenly fierce-a mixture dire, Like thunder-clouds, of gloom and fire! In which the PERI's eye could read Dark tales of many a ruthless deed; The ruin'd maid-the shrine profan❜d- Oaths broken-and the threshold stain'd With blood of guests!-there written, all, Black as the damning drops that fall From the denouncing Angel's pen, Ere Mercy weeps them out again! Yet tranquil now that man of crime, As if the balmy evening time Soften'd his spirit, look'd and lay Watching the rosy infant's play;- Though still, whene'er his eye by chance Fell on the boy's, its lurid glance
Met that unclouded, joyous gaze, As torches, that have burnt all night Through some impure and godless rite, Encounter morning's glorious rays.
But hark! the vesper call to prayer, As slow the orb of day-light sets, Is rising sweetly on the air,
From SYRIA's thousand minarets! The boy has started from the bed Of flowers, where he had laid his head, And down upon a fragrant sod
Kneels with his forehead to the south, Lisping th' eternal name of God
From purity's own cherub mouth,
And looking, while his hands and eyes Are lifted to the glowing skies, Like a stray babe of Paradise, Just lighted on that flowery plain, And seeking for its home again!
Oh 'twas a sight-that Heav'n-that child
A scene, which might have well beguil'd Ev'n haughty EBLIS of a sigh For glories lost and peace gone by!
And how felt he, the wretched Man, Reclining there while memory ran O'er many a year of guilt and strife, Flew o'er the dark flood of his life, Nor found one sunny resting-place, Nor brought him back one branch of grace! "There was a time," he said in mild, Heart-humbled tones-" thou blessed child; "When young and haply pure as thou, "I look'd and pray'd like thee-but now-"}
He hung his head-each nobler aim
And hope and feeling, which had slept From boyhood's hour, that instant came Fresh o'er him, and he wept! he wept
Blest tears of soul-felt penitence!
In whose benign, redeeming flow
Is felt the first, the only sense
Of guiltless joy that guilt can know,
"There's a drop," said the Peri, "that down from the
"Falls through the withering airs of June
"Upon Egypt's land, of so healing a power, "So balmy a virtue, that ev'n in the hour "That drop descends, contagion dies, "And health reanimates earth and skies!- "Oh, is it not thus, thou man of sin,
"The precious tears of repentence fall? "Though foul thy very plagues within, "One heavenly drop hath dispelled them all."
And now-behold him kneeling there, By the child's side, in humble prayer, While the same sun-beam shines upon The guilty and the guiltless one,
And hymns of joy proclaim through Heaven The triumph of a Soul Forgiven!
'Twas when the golden orb had set, While on their knees they linger'd yet, There fell a light more lovely far Than ever came from sun or star, Upon the tear, that warm and meek, Dew'd that repentant sinner's cheek; To mortal eye this light might seem A northern flash, a meteor beam- But well the enraptur'd PERI knew "Twas a bright smile the Angel threw From Heaven's gate to hail that tear Her harbinger of glory near!
"Joy, joy for ever! my task is done- 'The Gates are pass'd, and Heaven is won!"
ADAM'S DESCRIPTION OF FIRST FINDING HIMSELF ON EARTH.
For man to tell how human life began Is hard; for who himself beginning knew? Desire with thee still longer to converse Induces me. As new waked from soundest sleep Soft on the flowery herb I found me laid,
In balmy sweat; which with his beams the sun Soon dried, and on the reeking moisture fed. Straight toward heaven my wandering eyes I turn'd, And gazed awhile the ample sky; till, raised By quick instinctive motion, up I sprung, As thitherward endeavoring, and upright Stood on my feet: about me round I saw
Hill, dale, and shady woods, and sunny plairs, And liquid lapse of murmuring streams; by these, Creatures that lived and moved, and walk'd or flew Birds on the branches warbling; all things smiled, With fragrance and with joy my heart o'erflow'd. Myself I then perused, and limb by limb
Survey'd, and sometimes went, and sometimes ran With supple joints, as lively vigor led:
But who I was, or where, or from what cause, Knew not; to speak I tried, and forthwith spake; My tongue obey'd, and readily could name Whate'er I saw. "Thou sun," said I "fair light, And thou enlighten'd earth, so fresh and gay, Ye hills, and dales, ye rivers, woods and plains And ye that live and move, fair creatures, tell Tell, if ye saw, how came I thus, how here?"
DESCRIPTION OF EVE'S FIRST FINDING HERSELF ON EARTH.
That day I oft remember when from sleep I first awaked, and found myself reposed,
Under a shade, on flowers, much wondering where And what I was, whence thither brought, and how. Not distant far from thence a murmuring sound
Of waters issued from a cave, and spread
Into a liquid plain, then stood unmoved, Pure as the expanse of heaven; I thither went With unexperienced thought, and laid me down On the green bank, to look into the clear Smooth lake, that to me seemed another sky As I bent down to look, just opposite
A shape within the watery gleam appear'd, Bending to look on me: I started back, It started back: but pleased I soon return'd, Pleased it return'd as soon with answering looks Of sympathy and love: there I had fix'd
Mine eyes till now, and pined with vain desire, Had not a voice thus warned me: what thou seest, What there thou seest, fair creature, is thyself; With thee it came and goes; but follow me, And I will bring thee where no shadow stays Thy coming, and thy soft embraces, he Whose image thou art; him thoù shalt enjoy Inseparably thine, to him shalt bear Multitudes like thyself, and thence be call'd Mother of human race. What could I do, But follow straight, invisibly thus led?
Till I espied thee, fair indeed, and tall, Under a plantain, yet methought less fair, Less winning soft, less amiably mild,
Than that smooth watery image: back I turned; Thou following, cry'dst aloud, return, fair Eve;
Whom fly'st thou? whom thou fly'st, of him thou art, His flesh, his bone; to give thee being I lent Out of my side to thee, nearest my heart, Substantial life, to have thee by my side Henceforth an individual solace dear;
Part of my soul, I seek thee, and thee claim, My other half. With that thy gentle hand
Seized mine: I yielded; and from that time see How beauty is excelled by manly grace,
And wisdom, which alone is truly fair.
EVE'S UNQUIET DREAM.
Now morn, her rosy steps in the eastern clime Advancing, sow'd the earth with orient pearl, When Adam waked, so custom'd: for his sleep Was æry-light, from pure digestion bred, And temperate vapors bland, which the only sound Of leaves and fuming rills Aurora's fan, Lightly dispersed, and the shrill matin song Of Birds on every bough; so much the more His wonder was to find unwaken'd Eve
With tresses discomposed, and glowing cheek As through unquiet rest: he, on his side Leaning, half raised, with looks of cordial love Hung over her enamour'd, and beheld Beauty, which, whether waking or asleep, Shot forth peculiar graces; then with voice Mild, as when Zephyrus on Flora breathes, Her hand soft touching, whisper'd thus: 'Awake My fairest, my espoused, my latest found, Heaven's last, best gift, my ever new delight! Awake: the morning shines, and the fresh field Calls us; we lose the prime to mark how spring Our tended plants, how blows the citron grove What drops the myrrh, and what the balmy reed, How Nature paints her colors, how the bee Sits on the bloom extracting liquid sweets.'
Such whispering waked her, but with startled eye On Adam, whom embracing, thus she spake.
O sole in whom my thoughts find all repose,
My glory, my perfection! glad I see Thy face and morn return'd; for I this night, Such night till this I never pass'd, have dream'd, If dream'd, not, as I oft am wont, of thee, Works of day past, or morrow's next design;
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