CANTO I.
"LEAVE, Hermit, leave theſe wilds forlorn;
Caſt off this garb of woe;
With earlieſt gleam of opening morn
Thy gueſts prepare to go:
With earlieſt gleam of opening morn,
We'll ſpread the parting ſail,
Far hence o'er rolling ſurges born,
Our native land to hail.
[2]For, though in ſore diſtreſs we came,
To beg relief from thee,
Yet not unknown to goodly fame,
We plough the dang'rous ſea;
Beneath yon cliff's impending ſide,
Within a ſecret bay,
Our veſſel proudly ſtems the tide,
Our ſtreamers lightly play:
Then, Hermit kind, with us return;
For this thy ſhelt'ring care,
Thy former dwelling let us learn,
We'll place thee ſafely there.
"THIS lonely ſtrand I'll ne'er forſake,
Ne'er caſt theſe weeds away;
My thanks for offer'd ſervice take,
But leave me here to ſtay!
[3]Here, till in death my limbs are cold,
A ſacred vow I'll keep,
Full oft, o'er yonder ſwelling mould,
To pray, to faſt, and weep.
But, though my vow forbid return,
My native land to hail,
Would you my former dwelling learn,
I'll not refuſe the tale:
A tale of grief and bluſhing ſhame
My lips muſt then diſcloſe,
Yet ſo ſhall mem'ry keep my name,
And pity mourn my woes.
A ſire of noble birth I own,
On Roſay's fertile plain:
No care his tranquil life had known,
Unvex'd by grief or pain;
[4]Till Heav'n, alas! my ſins ordain'd
To wake his virtuous rage,
And ſhame, unfelt before, diſtain'd
The ſilver'd cheek of age.
With him in ſocial union bound
Earl Hubert long had been;
Their youth the palm of friendſhip crown'd,
And age beheld it green.
"Now ſtraight prepare your horſemen all,"
Said the Earl, "to go with me;
"I have a feaſt in bow'r and hall,
"Where you muſt ſhortly be."
"Set forth, ſet forth," my ſire replied,
"Set forth without delay;
"However fleetly you ſhall ride,
"We'll paſs you on the way.
[5]With me I'll bring my ſon along,
"To grace your bow'r and hall,
"And if he fail in dance or ſong,
"On me the blame ſhall fall."
The minſtrels play'd; the hall was bright,
The bow'r was fair to ſee;
And there came many a noble knight,
And maid of high degree.
But 'midſt thoſe maidens all ſo fair,
More fair than all was one;
In peerleſs boaſt of beauty rare
The gentle Emma ſhone.
Of humble birth, ſhe early mourn'd
A parent's ſhorten'd date;
But heav'n to joy her grief had turn'd,
And giv'n a kinder fate:
[6]The partner of Earl Hubert's breaſt
The helpleſs babe ſurvey'd,
And pity ſoft in tears confeſt,
Beſtow'd its bounteous aid.
In rip'ning charms the nurſling grew,
And youth its luſtre ſhed;
Leſs fair the roſe's bluſhing hue,
When firſt its leaves are ſpread:
Her eyes were as the diamond bright,
But ſhone with temper'd ray,
Like northern meteors, that by night
O'er heav'n's pale azure play.
Forgive theſe tears, that ſtill muſt flow,
*Whene'er the tale is told;
For learn, the beauteous maid lies low,
Beneath yon ſwelling mould.
CANTO II.
[7]WHEN youth beats high in ev'ry vein,
And paſſion fires the mind,
What can the wand'ring thought reſtrain,
The lawleſs ſpirit bind?
Too ſtrong by reaſon to be ſway'd,
Deſire my torment grew,
For fair as Dian was the maid,
But chaſte as Dian too.
How ſhall your virtuous ears endure,
My guilty tongue repeat,
What arts I us'd, her love to lure,
And watchful honor cheat!
[8]Too well I ſtrove; the maiden lov'd;
Her devious ſteps I led;
To duty loſt, we ſecret rov'd,
And baniſh'd virtue fled.
Ill-omen'd deed! the hope how vain,
Each ſocial tie foregone,
That conſtancy ſhould yet remain,
And faith, intent on one!
Who firſt pollutes the tender mind,
And leads from truth aſtray,
Ne'er let him hope again to find
The gem he caſts away.
The fatal change, thus ſubtly wrought,
I juſtly learnt to rue;
Pleas'd with the freedom I had taught,
To other loves ſhe flew:
[9]Five lonely months my anxious fears
Her flight in vain explor'd;
And oft my fondly-falling tears
Her fancied death deplor'd.
Oh, Vanity, that Man beguiles,
Who boaſts the ſtronger mind!
In Woman's charms and native wiles,
Defeat ſtill doom'd to find!
If haply here ſome liſt'ning gueſt
Have known like pains to prove,
Let his conſenting heart atteſt
How ſtoops our ſex to Love.
Before my gate, in winter's cold,
A trembling mourner ſtood;
A tale of piteous want ſhe told,
And, plaintive, begg'd for food:
[10]Beneath that garb of friendleſs woe
My Emma ſtood confeſt;
I claſp'd, ere words had pow'r to flow,
The wand'rer to my breaſt:
I ſtrove to chide, but faintly blam'd;
Then met her ardent kiſs;
Deſire again my ſoul inflam'd,
And hope renew'd my bliſs.
Fond, pleaſing dream! too quickly o'er!
The falſe one fled again:
Amaz'd I griev'd, but vow'd no more
To prize a heart ſo vain.
Our angry vows Love turns to jeſt;
While yet her loſs I mourn'd,
Again repentance touch'd her breaſt,
Again the fair return'd:
[11]And, while I view'd thoſe fatal charms,
Upon my neck ſhe hung;
To earth I ſhook her from my arms,
Around my knees ſhe clung.
"Forgive the wretch," ſhe ſuppliant cried,
"The wretch thy flatt'ries made!
*"By Pleaſure's voice, Ah, faithleſs guide!
"Too eaſily betray'd!"
"With thee, who taught'ſt me firſt to ſin,
†"Let me my ſins atone!
"This let repentant anguiſh win,
"To live with thee alone!"
Thus o'er a boſom fondly ſoft
She triumph'd unreſtrain'd;
Oft from my arms ſhe fled, and oft
Thoſe ſhelt'ring arms regain'd.
[12]So flitting on the ſummer's breeze,
Delighted far to roam,
The ſwallow, born o'er ſmiling ſeas,
Awhile forgets her home:
But ſcar'd at ſight of wintry gloom,
When chilling blaſts ariſe,
With trembling wing and ruffled plume,
Returns to friendlier ſkies.
At length the deſtin'd hour was near,
That roſe to fix our fate;
For ſtill on folly's wild career
Chaſtiſing ſorrows wait.
Once when, by lengthen'd abſence tried,
Love pour'd the weary tear,
And hope her wonted aid denied
My fruitleſs ſearch to cheer,
[13]It chanc'd, at morn I bent my way
From Harfleur's lonely tow'rs,
To where its tides in Havre's bay
The weſtern ocean pours.
There as I wander'd, loſt in thought,
Faint notes of female cry
†My ear with frequent wonder caught,
And drew my curious eye.
Far off, advancing where I ſtood,
A convict group I ſpied;
Behind, the fiends of pow'r purſued,
Each ling'ring ſtep to chide:
By force compell'd, the guilty band
Reluctant ſought the ſhore,
Whence doom'd to leave a forfeit land,
And to return no more.
[14]Pitying, I mark'd their hopeleſs lot,
And heard their clanking chains;
Their errors in their griefs forgot,
Their vices in their pains;
Nor thought, while flow'd the ready tear
For ſorrows not my own,
My doom to ſhare thoſe griefs how near,
And mingle groan with groan!
As when dire phantoms of the night
Sleep's ſoft infoldment break,
Up leaps the wretch in wild affright,
And doubts if yet he wake;
So rous'd, at once, with ſtartling dread,
Amid the guilty train
I ſaw my Emma captive led,
And partner of their pain.
[15]The diſtant ſight perhaps deceiv'd,
With eager ſtep I flew—
Too ſoon I came—nor yet believ'd
The horrid viſion true.
† To heav'n her eyes intent were caſt,
And pour'd a chryſtal flood;
The flinty pavement, as ſhe paſs'd,
Was mark'd with ſtreaks of blood.
I ſtood diſtracted and appall'd;
Then faintly breath'd her name;
Each wand'ring ſenſe my voice recall'd,
And ſhook her feeble frame:
Her feeble frame no more ſuſtains;
Her eyes flaſh wildly round;
She ſhrieks—and, ſinking on her chains,
Falls ſenſeleſs to the ground.
CANTO III.
[16]NEED I relate what cares I us'd,
'Till ſluggard life return'd,
Or number all my pray'rs refus'd,
Or tell her ranſom ſpurn'd?
Whether by daring guilt betray'd,
Or fate ſevere oppreſt,
I ſhunn'd to aſk, of truth afraid—
Her anguiſh fill'd my breaſt;
Doom'd to her cheerful native land
To bid a long adieu,
And on a rude unpitying ſtrand
Declining life purſue:
[17]"Unhappy fair, whoſe fatal pow'r.
"Enſlaves my conſtant thought,
"Behold in this diſaſtrous hour
"The ruin thou haſt wrought!
"Theſe tears, this anguiſh is thine own,
"That rends thy Albert's breaſt;
"But tears with thee are pleaſing grown,
"And anguiſh lulls to reſt.
"Together on th' appointed plain
"We'll count the painful years,
"Together drag the galling chain,
"And mingle bitter tears."
"Forbear, forbear!" the ſuff'rer cried,
And rais'd her languid head,
"Thy hate, thy vengeance I'll abide—
"Thy conſtancy I dread.
[18]"Let mercy griev'd at length forſake
"A wretch to ſorrow born;
"Leave that obdurate heart to break,
"Which could deſerve thy ſcorn!"
The tender pray'r I heard unmov'd,
Or heard with ſoften'd heart;
From her, whom ſtill alone I lov'd,
Reſolv'd no more to part.
The ſwelling ſails forbad delay;
We left our native ſhore;
O'er the blue waves the ſtreamers play,
And land is ſeen no more.
Ah! ſhade belov'd! what wond'rous grief
Did then thy boſom know,
While the fraught heart denied relief,
And tears forbore to flow!
[19]Pale, drooping o'er the billow's foam,
I ſee thy form recline;
Thine eyes o'er ocean wildly roam,
Or deeply fix in mine!
That ſpeechleſs woe can language paint,
Or tell the thrilling look,
When ſighs at length, and accents faint
The fearful ſilence broke?
"For thee—for thee—much injur'd youth,
"'Midſt all my ſins abhorr'd
"(So witneſs for me, heavenly truth!)
"My boſom's only Lord,
"For thee alone, theſe pangs, theſe ſights—
"My chains no longer wound—"
She ſaid, when ſobs convulſive riſe,
And choke th' imperfect ſound.
[20]"Well pleas'd in death theſe eyes ſhould cloſe,
"So thou might'ſt feel," I cried,
"No greater pain than Albert knows,
"With Emma by his ſide.
"Secure we brave the changing ſky,
"By hope forbid to weep;
"Love bears his lighted torch on high,
"And guides us o'er the deep:
"And ſee the deſtin'd land appear!
That land our faith ſhall prove;
"Alike ſhall either hemiſphere
"Propitious ſmile on love."