The Veils; Book the First: The Castle

Prologue:

A YOUNG lady, one of the members of a small society which meets periodically for literary amusement, lost her Veil (by a gust of wind) as she was gathering shells on the coast of Norfolk. This incident gave rise to the following Poem, which was originally written in short cantos, and afterwards extended and modelled into the form in which it is now respectfully submitted to the public. The author, who considers herself a pupil of the Royal Institution, being at that time attending the Lectures given in Albemarle-Street, on Chemistry, Geology, Natural History, and Botany, by Sir Humphry Davy, Mr. Brand, Dr. Roger, Sir James Edward Smith, and other eminent men, she was induced to combine these subjects with her story; and though her knowledge of them was in a great measure orally acquired, and therefore cannot pretend to be extensive or profound, yet, as it was derived from the best teachers, she hopes it will seldom be found incorrect.

The machinery is founded on the Rosicrusian doctrine, which peoples each of the four elements with a peculiar class of spirits, a system introduced into poetry by Pope, and since used by Darwin, in the Botanic Garden; but the author believes that the ideal beings of these two distinguished writers will not be found to differ more from each other, than from those called into action in the ensuing Poem. She has there endeavoured to shew them as representing the different energies of nature, exerted in producing the various changes that take place in the physical world; but the plan of her Poem did not permit her to exhibit them to any considerable extent. On the Rosicrusian mythology, a system of poetical machinery might be constructed of the highest character; but the person who directs its operations should possess the scientific knowledge of Sir Humphry Davy, and the energy and imagination of Lord Byron and Mr. Scott .

In personifying the metals and minerals, and the agency of fire, the author has generally taken her names from the Greek language; but as it was impossible to avoid the nomenclature of modern chemistry, she requests, on the plea of necessity, the indulgence of her readers for what she fears will be felt as a barbarous mixture.

The Castle:

THE summer sun its setting radiance shed,
And tinged the eastern clouds with rosy red;
While from the west, a flood of amber light
Stream'd thro' the foliage on the dazzled sight;
As in a forest's wildering mazes strayed
A youthful warrior and a blooming maid.

    The Maid was fair, as Poets bent on praise
Have often painted in their flattering lays,
When they from Fancy, not from Nature, drew
Their finished forms, yet still to Nature true.


Erewhile her eyes' soft lustre did outshine
The brightest diamonds of Golconda's mine;
But grief had now their native fire deprest;
And frequent sighs burst from her anguished breast.
No guardian veil concealed her charms, but round
Her jetty locks, a wreath of flowers was bound;
Her vesture rivalled the unsullied snow,
A sable scarf declared her inward woe.

    The Knight, in prime of youthful vigour, joined
Undaunted courage, and a courteous mind;
Black were his arms--the painting on his shield
The strange occasion of their grief revealed:
Lo ! on the foamy ocean's shingly sands,
Reft of her Veil, a weeping damsel stands,
Beside a yawning gulf a Gnome appears,
Who waves the ravished veil and mocks her tears;
While forms ethereal lightly float in air,
And weep in pity o'er the injured fair.
An azure marge the pictured forms enroll'd,
Where shine these haughty words embost in gold:
" PROUD GNOME, THE VEIL TO ME, THY RIVAL, YIELD,
" OR DARE MY VENGEANCE IN THE LISTED FIELD."



    Warned by approaching night, with slackened rein
They urge their steeds some friendly roof to gain,
At length they reached the confines of the wood
Where, on a hill, an ancient Castle stood;
With high embattled towers, and turrets crown'd,
By massy walls enclosed, and moated round.
Cheered at the sight, they checked each weary horse,
And to the drawbridge bent their joyful course,
When as the warder from the walls espied
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The pair advancing, to the Knight he cried,
" A friend or foe ?"-- " A friend !" the Knight replied:
" We crave a shelter till returning day
" Shall lend its light to speed us on our way."
" Then welcome," he rejoined; " but, Warrior, pause,
" And, ere you enter, learn the Castle's laws,
" And swear obedience--nor misdeem we claim
" A pledge injurious to your knightly fame:
" With Royal Edward, from their country far,
" Through France our warriors spread the flames of war,
" And few remain, though many a danger calls
" For all our care, to guard our threatened walls;
" Hence we require, that when, with strength restored
" By food and wine, you quit the festive board,


" That from the bridge descending to the plain,
" You, till the morn, in arms our watch maintain;
" While we retire, with lengthened toil opprest,
" And snatch a few short hours of needful rest;
" Meanwhile the damsel in our walls shall find
" From foes protection, and a welcome kind.
" In arms like yours, with each a beauteous dame,
" Two knights this evening to the Castle came.
" The knights with thee till morn the watch will share,
" The maids with thine partake the Baron's care."

    Brave Henry to the proffered terms agreed,
Then o'er the drawbridge guides Maria's steed;
The warder there admits the Knight and Maid,
And through a court of Gothic grandeur led;
His Lord received them in a spacious hall,
Where martial trophies decked the storied wall,
And many a pictured pannel seemed to trace
The ancient glories of a noble race.
On couches there two wearied maids repose,
Who now to meet the lovely stranger rose,
While with that courtesy which marks the brave,
Two youths to Henry cordial greeting gave.



    Fair was each damsel, but the fairest far
Maria seemed, like evening's dewy star,
When all the rival fires that grace the night
By their own splendour prove her richer light:
As far in speech, in mien, and courteous mind,
Brave Henry left his young compeers behind.
Soon to a banquet, where, with costly pride,
Carinthia's* ores the massy bowl supplied,
Where Gallia's grapes their richest nectar poured,
And tropic dainties piled the groaning board,
The Baron leads, and tries, with social arts,
To soothe the anguish of their aching hearts;
Cheats the dull hour with many a sportive jest,
And gaily urges the neglected feast,
Till sorrow slept, and joy from every eye
Beamed like the sunshine through a wat'ry sky.

* Carinthia, a duchy of Austria, formerly celebrated for its mines of gold and silver, &c.

    With food refresh'd, his helm with sable plumes,
His lance and shield, each warrior now resumes,
And by the warder summoned took his way,
Before the bridge to watch till dawn of day.
Meanwhile the Baron with surprize surveyed,
In garb resembling, every knight and maid,


Save that, amid her glossy ringlets twined,
A wreath of flowers Maria's locks confined.
--" And why," he said, " fair ladies, do you shew
" By dress a seeming fellowship in woe ?--
" What wrongs have forced you from your peaceful home,
" And why, unveiled, to distant lands you roam,
" Why comes each knight, in sable arms arrayed,
" Why on each helm are sable plumes displayed,
" Fain would I learn:--tho' memory oft may bring
" The cup of sorrow bitterest from the spring,
" Yet pitying friendship to the woeworn heart
" Repays the pangs remembered griefs impart:
" And if your cause should martial aid require,
" Though stiff my limbs, and quenched my youthful fire,
" This arm, which erst in many a well-fought day
" Through Paynim hosts to victory led the way,
" May yet have strength the sword and lance to wield,
" And aid your chosen champions in the field."
To all he spoke, but most Maria prest,
Who sighing, thus the listening group addrest.

    " Oh that the tale I tell had power to charm
Your grief, and anguish of its stings disarm,


To speed the hours on pinions of delight,
Till day should rise, unlooked for, on the night !
But one rash promise that has sealed my doom
Will o'er my story cast a mournful gloom.
Erewhile two youths of differing tempers strove
With rival ardour to obtain my love,
One, dark and gloomy, as the bursting storm,
When lowering clouds autumnal skies deform;
The other, as the vernal morning gay,
When rosy Phoebus woos the sprightly May.

    " This on his boundless riches loved to dwell,
Which might Arabia's fabled hoards excell;
Strove to allure my heart with splendid tales
Of diamond palaces, and emerald vales,
Of amber streams o'er sapphire beds that rolled,
And silver seas, and lakes of liquid gold;
Described his destined consort's regal state,
What slaves in gorgeous robes should round her wait
In halls where luxury all her pomp displays,
And fragrant gums in golden censers blaze;
From harps unseen while heavenly music flows
To cheer the feast, or soothe to soft repose;


And every lure to fix my fancy tried
That flatters female vanity and pride;
But still his gloomy scowl, his eye of fire,
Was on his rival bent with jealous ire,
His proud demeanour chilled my soul with dread,
And mystery enveloped all he said.

    " The other, nor on wealth nor state relied,
But love alone his eloquence supplied,
His manly mind disdained insidious art,
And scorned by flattery to ensnare my heart.
Not long in vain my gentle suitor strove,
But still my breast concealed its infant love:
Tho' skill'd and proved in every manly art,
He struck the ring or hurl'd the unerring dart,
Beyond his peers the ponderous bar he threw,
And bent with surer aim the stubborn yew;
I seem'd to scorn the tourney's harmless wreath,
And bad him seek the nobler fields of death;
To bear the Cross in Salem's hallow'd land,
Or join our sable Edward's conquering band;
Hence with that hero he resolved to sail,
Whose freighted ships then watched a favouring gale.

    " To me one morn, one fatal morn, he came,
But nor in manner, speech, or look the same;
Gone was that cheerful smile, that graceful ease,
That gentle warmth that marks the wish to please,
The sportive wit, the fire of hope and joy,
That still with me illumed my Henry's eye;
A sullen sorrow now his looks declare,
And his hoarse voice rang strangely in mine ear;
I started--" Does Maria then," he said,
" Grieve at the change her cruelty has made?
" Thou bidst me leave thy presence, bidst me shine
" In glory's favour, ere I hope for thine;
" Farewell--I sail to Gallia's hostile shore,
" Return victorious, or return no more;
" But oh, from thee removed, whose sight inspired
" My breast with love, with virtue, valour fired,
" What to my arms, can like thy smile supply
" Art to repel, or vigour to annoy ?
" Yet grant some pledge, no happier youth shall gain
" That envied hand, so long desired in vain;
" This in the fight shall steel thy warrior's breast,
" And soothe his slumbers in the hour of rest."


    " 'Tis said that 'often in the parting hour'
Victorious love asserts superior power,
I proved it true, when by his prayers subdued,
These words I spoke,--yet half in jesting mood--
" Go, Henry, go ! be Heaven in fight your shield,
" Your guide to glory thro' the ensanguined field,
" And unperceived if you this Veil obtain,
" When with the year the hour returns again,
" I plight my faith, with honour's laurel twined,
" Love's myrtle crown my warrior's brows shall bind."

    " The youth I marked, and while I gaily spoke,
On his pale face the glow of triumph broke,
But not my Henry's sunny smile; it shew'd
Like lightning gleaming on a lurid cloud;
And o'er my darkened mind appeared to throw
The sad presentiment of future woe,--
Then fancy trac'd the battle's bloody plain,
The shock of arms, the dying and the slain,
Pale on the ground my wounded lover laid,
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The fatal sword uplifted o'er his head----
Shuddering I bade him stay--the youth was fled.


" But Henry soon returned. He bore a wreath,
From whose rich flowers no common odours breathe;
Their wonted fire again his eyes illumed,
And on his cheeks their native roses bloomed;
" This wreath," he said," while constant I remain,
" By time uninjured, shall its hues retain;
" But should I fall by fate's severe decree,
" Or prove unfaithful to my vows and thee,
" Those vows that here repeated make me thine,
" These flowers their bloom and fragrance shall resign:"
He placed it on my head--he sigh'd adieu,
Just prest my trembling hand, and then withdrew.
The precious wreath, preserved with faithful care,
I since have worn, and still uninjured wear.

    " Some months elapsed. At length the tidings came
Of Poictiers glorious field, and Edward's fame;*
Can nobler deeds the daring bard engage ?
Or brighter virtues grace a future age ?


There prudence aim'd, and mercy staid the sword,
While vanquished Gallia mourn'd her captive lord,
Who now received the honours long denied
To all his pomp of power and regal pride ;*
The veterans that his Sire to victory led,
At the glad tidings rais'd the hoary head,
Blest their brave Prince, and half in envy told
Their sons had fought--as they had fought of old--.
Where all were heroes, where impatient fame
Could scarce prefer, and scarce reject a name,
Where acts, which else in her bright page had shone,
Past in the blaze of light, unmarked, unknown;
Elate I heard of deeds by Henry wrought;
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How with his Prince the hottest fight he sought,
Once saved the youthful chief and still victorious fought;
I long'd from Henry's lips his deeds to hear,
Nor thought how soon my joy would melt in air.

* From the commencement of English history, there is no prince, except Alfred, on whose character and exploits the memory dwells with so much fondness, as on those of the sable Edward . The valour and prudence which won the battles of Crecy and Poictiers, two of the most celebrated in our annals, lose their praise in admiration of the moderation and humanity of the youthful hero, even in the moment of victory.
* " Edward ordered a repast to be prepared in his tent for the prisoner, (King John, ) and he himself served at the royal captive's table, as if he had been one of his retinue. He stood at the King's back during the meal, constantly refused to take a place at table, and declared that, being a subject, he was too well acquainted with the distance between his own rank and that of majesty to assume such freedom. All his father's pretensions to the crown of France were now buried in oblivion: John, in captivity, received the honours of a king, which were refused him when seated on the throne: his misfortunes not his title were respected." -- Hume .


    " One vernal morn, ('twas in the month of May,)
As on the ocean's side I chanced to stray,
My wondering eyes a thousand stones behold,
A thousand shells that shone like gems and gold,
Not with more colours glow'd the pretious shore
To whose bright sand submissive ocean bore
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The riches of the shipwreck'd seamen's store,
When Nereus, urged by dark-browed Cymöent, gave
To Marinell the treasures of the wave.*

* Spenser 's Faery Queene , Book III. Canto IV.

    " No snare suspecting, by their beauty caught,
With eager eye the stones and shells I sought,
When lo ! an earthquake seemed to rock the ground,
I started back, and trembling look'd around;
Beneath my feet a hollow noise I heard,
And high the waves their foamy summits reared.
My flying steps some magic influence staid,
And opening earth a hideous gulf displayed;
Mid clouds of smoke, and flames of livid blue,
A giant form rose slowly to my view.
The fatal veil which late my locks confined,
That veil so closely with my fate combined,



He with insulting transport wav'd in air;
His gloomy looks my Henry's foe declare,
Though now in robes of regal state he shone,
And his dark forehead bore a sparkling crown.

    " In me," he said, " behold the King, whose sway
" Thro' earth's unnumber'd caves the Gnomes obey;
" Lord of the mine, I own its secret stores,
" Its gems, its marbles, and its mineral ores.
" Long in a human shape concealed, to gain
" Thy love I sought, but only met disdain,
" At length my rival's form I bore, and found,
" Beyond my warmest hope my wishes crown'd:
" The veil behold--no more I seek to move
" Thy stubborn heart; I claim thy promised love.

    " I wonder not those tears of anguish flow,
" That o'er my transports cast a shade of woe,
" 'Tis woman's pride, if we her boast believe,
" Ne'er to be duped, but ever to deceive;
" Yet sages say, tho' keen a woman's eyes
" To read the heart and pierce the deep disguise,
" If Flattery spread her viewless veil between,
" Full in her pathway yawns the gulf unseen,
Page 15

" And here she triumphs, where the prayers of love,
" And wealth and power have vainly tried to move.

    " Yet why afflicted thus, why thus disdain
" The hand a thousand beauties seek in vain ?
" In vain each lovely Gnome with studious care
" Folds her rich robe, or braids her scented hair,
" Or, rifling all the secrets of the mine,
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" Makes her dark eye with softer lustre shine,*
" I fly their sight and live alone in thine;
" Thy form more lovely in its plain attire,
" Thine eyes more brilliant in their native fire;
" My heart is thine, fair ingrate, thine alone;
" O ! dry those tears and share a monarch's throne.
" What though thou quit the sun's enlivening ray,
" And 'the warm precincts of the cheerful day,'
" The feathered songsters, fruits and fragrant flowers,
" And dear companions of thy social hours,
" Yet deem not my extended realms below,
" The constant haunt of horror, gloom, and woe,


" The light of Heaven our quenchless lamps supply,
" Our vaults re-echo to the sounds of joy,
" To festive songs my Gnomes attune the lyre,
" And captive Sylphs the dulcet flute inspire;
" To grace my court assembled thousands shine,
" Approved in valour, or of charms divine;
" Those fading flowers no more shall bind thy brow,
" But in their stead a diamond circlet glow;
" Art's magic hand, at thy command shall spread,
" With gems in flowery guise, the emerald mead,
" Bid vales descend, or lofty hills arise,
" And mimic suns adorn the sapphire skies.
" Farewell--the cares of empire bid me flee,
" Those cares neglected in pursuit of thee,
" Fain would I stay, those streaming tears to dry,
" And gaze enraptur'd on that speaking eye,
" But duty calls--yet till the tedious sun
" His lingering course thro' twelve long signs shall run,
" And shine propitious on our nuptial hour,
" For thee my Gnomes shall deck the regal bower."

* A variety of metallic preparations have been used by the ladies of different countries for this purpose, particularly the oxyds of bismuth and antimony. Among the Medes it was not confined to the fair sex; at least Xenophon, in his Cyropædia, describes Astyages as having his eyes painted. The custom still prevails in the Levant.

    " He spoke and vanished. Still in mute amaze
On vacant air I fixed my earnest gaze,


Still in my ear his hated accents rung,
Fear fixed me to the spot, and chained my tongue;
Above his head the yawning earth had closed,
Sunk was the wind, the waves in peace reposed;
Surpassing Nature's law, the past might seem
But the vain horrors of a dreadful dream,
Yet my stol'n veil a proof too certain bore;
Grief clog'd the hours that hope had wing'd before,
And murmur'd still of fairy visions crost,
And love and happiness and freedom lost;
How oft I watch'd, impatient for the light,
Then loath'd the morn, and wish'd again for night;
Or wept to find those hours had passed away,
And nearer brought the inevitable day !
'Till once, as Phoebus ting'd the eastern skies,
Soft slumber stole upon mine aching eyes,
When on my view a form ethereal broke,
That hovering o'er me, thus melodious spoke:

    " No more, sweet maid, let grief your peace destroy,
" But cherish hope, for hope shall lead to joy;
" That Power Eternal, whose creative mind
" This orb, and all yon wandering spheres design'd;


" From nothing call'd yon source of life and light,
" And all the starry splendours of the night;
" To numerous spirits, in that awful hour,
" Their portions gave of delegated power:
" Four tribes who rule this orb with equal sway,
" The Earth, the Fire, the Winds, and Waves obey;
" In fire the Salamanders hold their reign,
" The bold Hydidæ curb the azure main,
" The Gnomes are guardians of the solid land,
" And Sylphs the impassive realms of air command;
" These jarring tribes in endless strife engage,
" Foil and are foiled, with ineffectual rage;
" Their mutual war their balanced reign secures,
" And endless order ceaseless strife ensures.

    " In that sad morn thou soughtst on ocean's strand
" The gems the Gnome had strew'd with treacherous hand,
" O'er the green wave unnumber'd Sylphids play'd,
" That all thy motions with delight survey'd,
" And fill'd with warm desire to view unveil'd
" The charms thy maiden modesty conceal'd,
" They flutter'd round in many a lucid ring,
" Stretch'd the light hand, and waved the filmy wing,

" And strove, with gentle violence, to raise
" The silken screen, that mock'd their eager gaze;
" When lo ! a viewless hand the veil unbound,
" And rudely plung'd it in the deep profound,
" Then shook the earth, and in a yawning void,
" Albruno rose, in all his kingly pride:
" The rest thou know'st--the Sylphs thy lot deplore,
" Dissolve in tears, and quit the fatal shore.

    " Incens'd, the Gnome by fraud and theft should dare

" Pollute my realms, I roused the powers of air,
" In hope by prompt exertion to regain
" The ravish'd pledge; but all our toils were vain:
" For base Albruno had his prize immur'd
" In deepest caverns, and with spells secur'd:
" But now the day approaches; gentle maid,
" Arouse thee from thy trance of grief, and aid
" Our high emprize, to free thee from thy vow,
" The sole resource thy stubborn fates allow.

    " Long had a war, with rancorous hatred waged,
" The sullen Gnomes and Sprites of Fire engaged,
" 'Till wearied all, a transient peace confined
" Each martial hand, but fettered not the mind,

" The Sprites, of rest impatient, every one
" Loth to begin, yet wished the war begun;
" The flame to kindle, to the Prince of Fire
" A Sylph I sent, who roused the monarch's ire;
" Against the Gnomes he leads his hostile line,
" And soon with him will Ocean's sovereign join;
" These powers at once their double war shall wage,
" And from his bride Albruno's thoughts engage;
" 'Tis thine to aid us--seek the gloomy mine,
" There urge thy suit, and tears and prayers combine;
" For there alone must fraud or force assail,
" Tho' vain were force, such spells secure the Veil,
" And tho' our strength should burst the powerful chains,
" A stronger tye, thy plighted faith, remains.
" His hand alone, his breast should mercy warm,
" Thy pledge resigning, can dissolve the charm,
" But if, observant of the stated hour,
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" He come to bear thee to his bridal bower,
" We can but mourn,--to save exceeds our power.
" Where'er thou art, his mightier charms compel
" Their weeping slave to earth's remotest cell;
" But should he fail, by fraud or force delayed,
" 'Till night descending wrap this land in shade;

" Vain are his hopes, for in an adverse course
" His spells rebounding with elastic force
" Unlock the casket they secur'd before,
" And the lost Veil compel him to restore;
" Then cling to Hope, best solace of our pain,
" Herself a blessing, if her dreams be vain;
" Nor dread the perils of the lonely road,
" Or the dark horrors of his drear abode,
" My watchful care thy safety shall provide,
" Thy guard in danger, as in doubt thy guide."

    " He vanished: but that voice so sweet, so clear,
Yet thrilled with transport my delighted ear,
I rose, and still a cloud of rich perfume,
Shook from his wings, was floating in the room,
And at my gate, a milk white palfry stood,
With costly trappings harnessed for the road;
I mounted, and discarding female fear,
Placed my firm confidence in Ariel's care.
All day I journey'd, but as evening fell,
Trembling I wander'd thro' a woody dell;
No sound of life reliev'd my anxious ear,
I look'd in vain, no sheltering roof was near,

When lo ! amid a blaze of golden light,
A rich pavilion rose upon my sight,
I enter'd, by some unknown influence led,
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By hands unseen the plenteous board was spread,
Prepared by hands unseen the downy bed.

    " With speed untir'd, thro' many a lengthen'd day,
My horse instinctive still pursu'd his way;
And still as round the shades of evening close,
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In lonely wilds the rich pavilion rose,
Or in some rural cot I found repose;
'Till on this 'morn, in sable arms I view'd
An unknown warrior, who my steps pursu'd,
'Twas Henry, late from conquer'd Gallia come,
By Ariel warn'd, to guide me to the Gnome;
Together thro' the wood our course we steer,
And bless the fate that stay'd our wanderings here,
Where generous welcome cheers the weary guest,
And kindness soothes the aching heart to rest;
We hope, ere sinks to-morrow's sun, to gain
The rocky margin of the northern main;
For Sweden thence we sail, where mountains round
Stretch their long chains, with snows eternal crown'd,

As massy barriers placed to guard the road,
Long, dark and dreary, to the Gnome's abode."

    Imprudent maid ! thy heedless lips exposed
The secret plans to thee alone disclosed,
Thy councils known, the host, whose cheerful smile
Veil'd the dark agent of Albruno's guile,
Rejoic'd in secret, while his feign'd surprize,
And falser pity, blind thy heedless eyes;
Yet scarce his art the latent joy represt,
Scarce on thy woes forbore the bitter jest,
As oft he urged Miranda to unfold,
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Why o'er her vest the scarf of sable roll'd,
And head unveil'd, some inward sorrow told.
Fair was the maid, her eyes of softest blue,
Her floating tresses bore an amber hue,
Of height majestic, dignity and grace
Spoke in her actions, mingled in her face,
All present view'd her with, attentive look,
By soft attraction bound, while thus she spoke:

    " Lost in amazement, if mine eyes betray'd
No common pity for yon injur'd maid,

At once I mourned her sufferings and my own,
Nor grieved nor wonder'd at her fate alone,
Like her's my vesture, and like her's my tale--
A royal suitor, and a ravish'd Veil.

    " O'er the blue regions of the restless main,
Fresh lakes and streams, extends Marino's reign;
This prince, by martial force, and manly grace,
More than by rank distinguish'd o'er his race;
To Love's high sway an early homage paid,
And bow'd the vassal of an ocean maid;
Fair as the fairest forms of Grecian art,
Her beauteous frame conceal'd a canker'd heart;
In vain he loved, by turns the artful dame
Fed with false hopes, or check'd the rising flame,
And when he urg'd to fix the nuptial morn,
Now smil'd, now blush'd, now frown'd in seeming scorn;
And now, desponding, feign'd to doubt her power,
That love should last beyond her bridal hour,
Yet said, if time his changeless faith should prove,
She night relent, might yield her soul to love.

    " In vain Marino, to this heartless maid,
Would prove the flame his every act display'd,

Whene'er he fought, the monarch's loaded car
Bore to Lymnoria's feet the spoils of war;
Of rich or rare, that flatters pomp or pride,
Whate'er she wish'd, his liberal hand supplied;
'Till many a year in fruitless homage past,
From his long dream Marino waked at last;
Of all her acts he saw the secret spring,
Who ruled the kingdom while she ruled the king,
And vow'd, in sudden anger and disdain,
No sea-born maid should o'er the Ocean reign,
Then bade his slaves, of mortal lineage, find
A maid in person faultless and in mind.
His slaves, obedient, watch on every shore,
Dart up the streams, and various lauds explore,
Commissioned, when the maid they view, to steal
Her scarf, her girdle, or pellucid veil,
Which by his hand, with secret rites imbrued
In streams that flow beneath the briny flood,
Twelve moons expired, would act with magic power,
And draw the virgin to his coral bower.

    " Once, in sweet converse with a knight, I stray'd
Thro' the close windings of a woody glade,

Our hearts by tenderest friendship were allied,
And some few weeks had made me Alfred's bride:
At length with novel charms expands the scene,
The wood retiring left a narrow green;
On either side, with various verdure crowned,
Nor yet by summer's sultry suns embrowned,
Tall hills arise, and thro' the dell below
A crystal river's winding waters flow,
Its banks with flowers adorn'd, and o'er it flung
Its graceful boughs the pendant willow hung.
Charm'd with the scene, beneath the grateful shade,
To cheat the noontide hour, awhile we staid;
The youth was skill'd in vegetable lore,
I ask'd the history of a little flower,
Graceful its form, and bright its lilac hue,
And like the crane's long beak its ripening pistil grew;*
The study pleas'd, and from the river's side,
Innumerous flowers our various theme supplied,
The white ranunculus, and iris gay,
The yellow caltha, on the morn of May
That to their homes the cheerful peasants bring,
And strew around, in honour of the spring;

The hyacinth, the violet's purple dye,
And myosotis blue, with golden eye,
Which oft the German youth in graceful knot,
Bears to his love, and sighs 'Forget me not.'*
At length diverging, Nature's course we trace,
From the first embryo, till the plant decays;
How from the germ the leafy stems ascend,
And deep in earth the fibrous roots extend;
How leaves would issue from the inverted root,
And the green stems in rigid fibres shoot ;+
How from pure water, given the powers to share,
Of vivifying heat, and light, and air,
The leaves their vivid green, the flowers assume
Their balmy fragrance, and their various bloom;

Its precious gum mimosa plenteous pours,
The camphor tree secretes its spicy stores;*
How the same soils, in equal luxury, feed
The plant medicinal, and poisonous weed;
How he, though cast upon some unknown shore,
Could tell the noxious and nutritious flower;+
How in the tulip's bulb the flower is found,
And future leaves their embryo charge surround;+
How, grafted on its stock, the crab will bear
The sweeter apple or the juicy pear,
But gradual as the parent grafts decay,
The sympathetic offspring fades away. §

* The geranium pratense, or blue geranium, which grows in meadows, and by the banks of streams; a very beautiful and elegant plant.
* The myosotis, or scorpion grass, is a beautiful plant which grows abundantly by the side of running waters. It has a small blue flower, with a golden eye in the centre, and is a great favourite with the Germans, who call it "Forget me not. " These flowers, or their enamelled resemblance, are frequently interchanged as tokens of regard. The "Forget me not " of the Germans is by some believed to be the veronica champædrys, which is also a beautiful blue flower.
+ If a plant be taken out of the ground and inverted, its parts also invert their functions. What was formerly the root becomes green, and leaves and flowers shoot out in the place of fibres. The inverted stem on the contrary grows rigid, and soon assumes the appearance and the functions of the root. Lectures delivered at the Royal Institution,
by Dr. now Sir James Edward Smith .
* The principal, if not the only food of plants, appears to be water, from which, when exposed to the action of the solar light, all their various secretions are produced. The beautiful green of the leaves, the vivid tints of the flower, their fragrance, the flavour of the fruit, with their endless variety in the different species, all seem to be derived from one source; and plants, whose properties and secretions are the most different, grow in equal luxuriance side by side.-- Smith 's Lectures.
+ The tetradynamia, or plants with cruciform flowers, are all, when boiled, wholesome and nutritious. There is also a more extended criterion. The fruits of flowers having the stamina inserted into the calyx may be eaten with safety, and are generally agreeable, but flowers having the stamina inserted into the receptacle are always to be suspected.-- Smith 's Lectures.
+ If the bulb of the tulip be opened, the rudiments of the future leaves and even the embryo of the flower may be seen.-- Smith 's Lectures.
§ The decay of our apples has excited much apprehension. Some of the finest kinds are nearly extinct, and others have evidently degenerated. Many attempts have been made to supply this loss by grafting favourite apples upon young stocks, but in vain. This has proved to be only the extension of an individual, not the production of a new one, and as the parent tree decayed, the grafts decayed also. To prevent the loss of so valuable a fruit, Mr. Knight sowed a quantity of the seeds of our best apples, in hope that, although a great majority would be merely crabs, out of many thousands he might procure a few valuable apples. His efforts have not been unsuccessful, and many of the new varieties promise to vie, in size and flavour, with the finest of the old ones.-- Smith 's Lectures.

    " The paths of science while I thus pursued,
A strange event disturbed the peaceful flood;
No more like liquid glass the waters seem,
But dire commotions vex the troubled stream;
On rushed the impetuous tide, with thundering roar,
And wave o'er wave the foaming waters pour,
Drive back the refluent stream, which widely spread,
And rising high, o'erflowed its oozy bed;
The fishers, who the coming ill descried,
With speed for safety sought the middle tide,*
When in the stream a monster rose, whose sight
Had filled the boldest bosom with affright;
His hideous form was rough with many a scale,
Green was his hair, his hand displayed my Veil;


His hoarse rough voice was like the deaf'ning roar
Of billows breaking on the rocky shore,
While with rude homage, and uncourtly mien,
He told Marino's tale, and hail'd me as his queen.

* This passage is intended as a slight description of the phenomenon called the Bore or Agar, occasioned by the sudden influx of the tide into a river. Those rivers which have a wide embouchure, that becomes suddenly contracted, are most subject to it. The tide rushing up the stream, drives back the descending water, and the vessels upon it find themselves instantly raised many feet above their former level. In England the Severn is particularly subject to the Bore; but it is most remarkable in the Indian rivers, the principal branches of the Ganges, the Megna, and the Hoogly.

    " My fate to shun, I ponder'd long in vain,
My frustrate projects but increas'd my pain;
For counsel then I sought an hermit's cave,
The prescient sage this strange injunction gave.
" With Alfred to the ocean's side repair,
[This and the following two lines are connected by a large brace in the right margin of the original printed edition.]

" To aid your wish, a pearl shall meet you there,
" Dear to the King, and save you from despair."

    " Oh ! words obscure ! whence hope can scarcely spring,
Yet still to these, our last resource we cling,
In dubious faith the dark behest obey,
And seek the Ocean with returning day;
While on my Alfred's shield our quest is shewn,
And round the Veil inscribed 'FOR THIS ALONE.'"

    Miranda ceas'd; each maid attentive heard,
And felt surprize increase at every word,
And while the Baron cheer'd his lovely guest,
He feign'd no more the wonder he exprest;


To Leonora turned, and sought to know
If from a kindred source her sorrows flow.

    As either maid was Leonora fair--
A silken net confin'd her sable hair;
Tho' less her stature, yet her form so light,
That in the dance she seem'd some airy sprite,
Or of that choir that met in bright array,
" To do observance to the Morn of May," *
Tript in gay circles round their virgin queen,
And hymn'd the praises of the laurel green.
A warmer sun had tinged her lovely face,
Yet animation lent a sprightly grace;
Nor could Affliction's briny tear destroy
The speaking lustre of her hazel eye;
As with a smile the damsel thus began,
Through all her speech her cheerful temper ran:

* See "The Flower and the Leaf."

    " I fear my story of another Veil
Will prove the tedium of a thrice told tale;
Well might Maria, or Miranda, move
Their hearers pity's genuine power to prove,

But when such rivals in the lists appear,
How can I hope a sympathetic tear,
Who, at my onset, must perforce confess
My sorrows lighter, as my beauty less?

    " A Spaniard I--my father lov'd to trace,
Thro' many a warlike chief, his noble race
To heroes, who on Ronscesvalles plain
[This and the following two lines are connected by a large brace in the right margin of the original printed edition.]

Fought for the freedom of invaded Spain,
And check'd the arms of conquering Charlemagne :
In youth he came to Albion's happy land,
There woo'd my mother, and obtain'd her hand,
With her to Spain he plough'd the watry way,
Where first mine infant eyes beheld the day.
Oft had the palm of victory graced his arms,
Yet now he shun'd the battle's loud alarms,
And fled the crowded scenes of courtly strife
For the calm pleasures of domestic life.

    " From old Cordova's Roman walls expelled,*
Brave Ferdinand the haughty Moors had quelled;

But still from Afric poured the ambitious foes,*
And the new kingdom of Granada rose,
Where luxury held in Hamet 's court her reign,
And arts and splendour triumph'd in her train.
Fame, in Castille, Granada's pomp had told;+
Her proud Alhambra with its walls of gold,
Her nobles' wealth and state, their skill in arms,
The matchless lustre of their ladies' charms;
Her hills, where dark the olive woods extend,
And the green boughs with fruits Hesperian bend;
Where the sweet rose, and starry jasmine spring,
And frequent founts their liquid crystal fling;

Her mulberry groves, in whose propitious gloom
The worm industrious winds its silken tomb;
Her fertile vale where two fair rivers flow,
And lofty mountains ever topt with snow.*

* Cordova, or Corduba as it was anciently called, was founded by the Romans. It was afterwards in possession of the Goths, and then of the Moors, who were expelled in 1236 by Ferdinand the Third, who first united the crowns of Castille and Leon. From this time Cordova, hitherto the seat of learning, declined, and that star, which had shone amidst darkness and barbarism, sunk ere the dawn returned to Europe.
* Granada was early in the possession of the Moors, but the kingdom was dissolved in 1221. In 1236, fresh bands pouring over from Africa, Granada became the seat of opulence and splendour, and the Moorish capital of Spain. In speaking of Granada, historians and geographers become poetical, and describe in glowing terms its fertile valley, bounded by mountains, and watered by the Genil and the Guadalquivir; its hills covered with groves of orange, of mulberry, and of olive; the magnificence of its palaces, and the splendour of its court, where the manners of chivalry received a peculiar colouring from the luxury of Africa. At the time mentioned in the poem, the sceptre of Granada was held by Jusef Hacen Hamet, the seventh king of Granada. Those who are fond of romantic history will be gratified by the translation of the Civil Wars of Granada, by Mr. Rodd .
+ This is an anachronism. The apartment here alluded to was not added to the Alhambra till the reign of Muley Hascem, the father of Boabdelin, who lost his crown to Ferdinand and Isabella . The walls had the appearance of gold, and are supposed to have been a composition of the yolks of eggs. Muley Hascem also built the celebrated court of Lions.
* The Sierra Nevada, or snowy mountain.

    " Roused at the sound, with martial ardour fired,
Or by religion's fervent zeal inspired,
Alfonzo rose; while burning for the fight,
Round Sant' Iago's cross, the youth of Spain unite;
To gain renown, or grasp so rich a prize,
Or win fresh favour in their ladies' eyes,
They rush to arms, and, of success secure,
Rear their proud banners, and defy the Moor.

    " From warfare long estranged, again my sire
Felt in his veins the glow of youthful fire;
Again his limbs in shining arms are drest,
And the broad cuirass guards his manly breast.
Little I thought of war's destructive rage,
Who knew it only in the tuneful page;
My fancy still in brightest hues pourtray'd
The splendid scene of hosts for fight array'd:

The martial trumpet echoing from afar,
And prancing steeds that love the notes of war;
Aloft in air the pennon's silken fold,
The plumage nodding o'er the casques of gold,
The emblazon'd shields, the armour's burnish'd blaze,
And lances glittering in the morning rays:
Seldom I turn'd to trace the alter'd scene,
When evening closes on the empurpled green;
When dim with dust and blood their bright array,
And cold the hearts that panted for the fray;
Yet when my weeping mother urged her lord
To quit his purpose, or as lost deplored,
I join'd her prayers, I shrunk with kindred fears,
And mix'd with her's my unavailing tears;
Fix'd was his mind, with brave Alfonzo's band
At dawn of day to seek Granada's land.--

    " 'Twas night, and all around in silence slept,
[This and the following two lines are connected by a large brace in the right margin of the original printed edition.]

But rest my pillow shunn'd; I rose and crept
To my thin lattice, and in silence wept:
I blest the evening gale's refreshing power,
As on my cheek it dried the bitter shower:
When from the shaded walk my bower beneath,
I heard soft strains of mournful music breathe.

While with a pleasing voice, and faltering tongue,
An amorous youth his plaintive ditty sung.
My conscious memory well the youth betray'd,
Who waked the echoes with this serenade;
His arm was valiant, noble was his birth,
Castile resounded with Alonzo's worth;
Few knights could tilt, or throw the cane so well,*
Few at the ring the gallant youth excell;
Oft had he pierced the bull with fatal wound,
Or held the roaring savage to the ground,
And still whene'er the youthful hero fought,
The fairest maids the glittering barriers sought,
Who view'd with jealous ire, but seeming scorn,
My favourite colours by the warrior worn,+
While knots of flowers, in mystic guise dispos'd,
His secret passion to my sight disclos'd,
And tuned beneath my vine-clad window, long
The light guitar had join'd his nightly song:

But on his flowers I cast a careless eye,
Nor 'blest the youth who bade my slumbers fly.'
And twice the moon had filled her silver round
Since last mine ear had listen'd to the sound.

* This was a martial game, in which the young nobles fought in squadrons, and canes supplied the place of lances. Tilting was usually performed with canes, but at the tournament lances were used.
+ It was the custom for the Moorish or Spanish youth to denote their affection by wearing the favourite colours of their ladies. The language of flowers is still so well understood by the ladies of Spain, that it might be dangerous for the uninitiated to present a nosegay.

    " Now sunk the strain, and softly I withdrew
The latticed casement that obscured my view,
Clear shone the moon, the convent's spires were seen
Above its spreading groves of dusky green,
While round the terrac'd walk, with every gale,
Unnumber'd flowers their spicy sweets exhale.
Before me, wrapt in sable cloak and hood,
With folded arms, the brave Alonzo stood;
He rais'd his kindling eye, the mantle fell,
And brightly beam'd his mail of burnished steel.

    " Oh ! bliss unhoped ! does Leonora deign
" A favouring ear to sad Alonzo's strain !"
The youth exclaim'd; " this unexpected grace
" Can all thy scorn and all my woes efface;
" And, like the setting sun, whose piercing ray
" Bursts the thick clouds that veil'd him thro' the day,
" Thou com'st to cheer me with a parting view,
" Ere to those charms I bid a long adieu:


" Nay, turn not thus, nor thus the prayer disdain
" Of him who ne'er may vex thy sight again,
" For with the earliest dawn Alfonzo's band
" Will march to combat in Granada's land;
" Ev'n now his standard floats, his chargers neigh,
" Ev'n now my ready vassals chide my stay;
" Oh should I fall, would one repentant sigh
" Lament my fate--one tear bedew thine eye ?
" Farewel, relentless maid; yet, ere we part,
" Say, does some happier youth possess thy heart,
" Or may I hope my truth at length may move
" Thy mind to pity for Alonzo's love ?"

    " If this," I said, " can give thy bosom rest,
No love has enter'd Leonora's breast;
But wouldst thou hope to light the ardent flame,
This test of truth, and faith unchanged, I claim--
My father seeks those scenes of deadly strife,
Oh ! guard with filial care his sacred life;
Shield his brave bosom from the threatening blade,
And turn the javelin from his hoary head.
So may my mother, to his arms restored,
Bless the kind hand that sav'd her honour'd lord,


" So may a daughter's heart thy deeds approve,
" And gratitude illume the torch of love."
I ceas'd: for on the solemn stilness fell,
[This and the following two lines are connected by a large brace in the right margin of the original printed edition.]

Awful and deep, the convent's matin bell:
I wav'd my hand, Alonzo sigh'd 'Farewel.'

    " Swift I retired; my father joined the train,
Where with Alfonzo march'd the flower of Spain,
To distant times shall Spanish records tell*
How to their conquering arms Alziras fell,
And how, his pride at Gades rock o'erthrown,
Granada's monarch wore a vassal crown.
But here, with patriot joy, the loyal tear
Shall join to dew Alfonzo's royal bier.
And mine may mingle well, for by his side,
My sire, with many a proud hidalgo, died,
And near him was the brave Alonzo found,
His manly bosom pierced with many a wound.

* Alfonzo XI. obtained a signal victory over the Moors in 1340, at which time Alziras was taken, and the kingdom of Granada made tributary. He was killed in the siege of Gibraltar, which he had lost before, and succeeded by his son, Peter the Cruel .-- Puffendorf.

" Oppression soon, in Pedro's iron reign,
Check'd the sweet transports of reviving Spain.

Bound by affection's golden tie no more,
My mother wished to seek her native shore,
But as Venasquez' rocky chain we crost,
Mid evening's shades, our guide, our way were lost,
And wandering on, as ebbing light decayed,
Farther and farther from the path we strayed;
Our frames, long soften'd in a southern vale,
Shrunk front the keenness of the mountain gale;
The night grew dark; with weary steps and slow
[This and the following two lines are connected by a large brace in the right margin of the original printed edition.]

We wandered o'er the treacherous field of snow,
And heard the torrent roar unseen below,*
And from the wood beneath, the frequent howl
Of bears and wolves, that fierce with hunger prowl:
The struggling ray the moon at times bestow'd,
Served but to shew the horrors of the road,
The avalanch impending from on high,
The gulph below, the terrors of the sky;
Shone but on pointed peaks, and ample brows
White with eternal, undissolving snows;

Or, on the glacier's polish'd surface, threw
A fairy tint of evanescent blue:
And now the storm began, and long and loud
Roar'd the deep thunder from the bursting cloud,
In sheets of crimson flame the lightnings play'd,
And torrents fell on each defenceless head;
In azure light the fires electric sweep
O'er the swift streams that ran down every steep;
Yet scarce this awful scene a thought could claim,
And scarcely terror rouse our torpid frame;
Careless, we now the raging storm behold,
Each sense was dull, our souls benumb'd with cold;
To sleep were death; yet on that rugged crest,
[This and the following two lines are connected by a large brace in the right margin of the original printed edition.]

We long'd (such weight our heavy eyes opprest)
Amid the snow, the storm, to sink to rest;
When from a cottage, unobserved before,
A light stream'd brightly thro' the opening door:
New feeling ran thro' every frozen vein,
And life and hope appear'd to wake again.
There, o'er a blazing fire, a youth was seen,
Of pleasing aspect, and of sprightly mien,
Our humid robes his care attentive dried,
His ready hand a plenteous meal supplied;


But when the morn her orient blush displayed,
The altered youth our parting steps delayed,
With crimson blaze his floating garments shone,
A purple radiance formed his flamy crown.

* " Là, j'entendois rouler sous mes pieds un torrent qui se frayoit, à travers les glaces et les neiges, une route invisible, dont il ne sortoit que cinquante toises plus bas, pour se précipiter du haut d'un escarpement de rochers, dans le grand vallon de neige. La position pouvoit devenir dangereuse, à la longue; je la quittai bientôt." Ramond 's Observations faites dans les Pyrénées.

" Oh stay," he cried, " behold the Prince of Flame,
" Earth, air, and ocean start at Pyros' name;
" Prompt at my call, to nourish or annoy,
" Being to give, or being to destroy,
" The salamandrine tribes obey my word,
" And wait in radiant phalanx round their lord;
" An hundred blazing mouths, this frozen realm,
" If I command, with floods of flame o'erwhelm,
" Those icy cliffs in clouds of steam aspire,
" Those rocks of granite sink in liquid fire;
" Such my tremendous power--but fear not thou:
" To beauty's sway a willing slave I bow,
" Nor shall one sprite his arm in fury wave
" To harm that life my care so lately gave:
" Then let thy grateful heart my wishes crown,
" And be my meed to raise thee to my throne."

    " My heart the boon of life preserv'd confest,
Nor dared I spurn the mighty king's request;

My Veil, a solemn pledge, he asked and won,
Which binds my faith to him, and him alone;
But to my earnest prayers one year was given,
Ere for his flaming realms I quit the light of heaven.

    " To Albion soon we came; and thither brought
By love, our lone retreat Alonzo sought,
Whom lying fame had number'd with the dead,
When wounded by my father's side he laid;
And hard to say, if now his manly breast
More swell'd with open joy, or grief supprest;
With joy to meet his long-lost love again,
Or grief to find his cherish'd hopes were vain:
Nor less my heart with mingled feelings strove,
When honour struggled with awakening love,
That each new day with deeper grief deplored
[This and the following two lines are connected by a large brace in the right margin of the original printed edition.]

My hand affianced to the fiery lord,
And, to Alonzo pledged, my broken word.
At length I heard (the monarch's happy bride)
A nymph of fire my destin'd place supply'd;
Yet he my pledge refuses to restore,
And free the hand that. he can claim no more.


    " One eve, when all was still, I strove in vain
To bid the fading embers glow again,
When in the midst arose a sudden flame,
And to mine ear these sounds low murmuring came.

    " Our gracious queen, Spinthera, bids me bear
" This message straight to Leonora's ear;
" My heart she says, is partner in thy pain,
" And oft has urg'd thy suit, but urg'd in vain;
" In Stromboli my Pyros holds his court,
" And there must all who seek the king resort;
" Then hither come, and if thy prayers or mine
" Have power to move, the Veil again is thine;
" Nor fear; my voice shall check the rage of heat,
" And guide thee safely to his flaming seat."

    " We move obedient.--My Alonzo's shield
Our quest divulges on its argent field;
Before the monarch's throne a maid appears,
Who seems to sue with ineffectual tears;
And near her stands a knight in sable mail,
With brandish'd falchion--'JUSTICE AND THE VEIL.'


    " Strange is my story--strange the links that join
My fate with yours, sweet maids, and yours with mine;
Strange thus to meet, where each to each unknown,
Found each sad tale an echo of her own;
Then cheer your hearts, let each derive relief
From that sure source, community of grief,
And trust that Pow'r, which safe thro' every ill
'Till now has guided, and shall guide us still;
Yet it is wondrous we should weep, when more
Our lot would envy, than our woes deplore;
Think of the joy to range through realms unknown,
[This and the following two lines are connected by a large brace in the right margin of the original printed edition.]

The robes of regal state--the sparkling crown,
And powers superior trembling at our frown;
Can love's bright star, or friendship's milder ray,
Vie with the splendour wealth and power display?
Come, mourn no more--we lift our heads on high,
Examples great of female constancy,
Resolved in danger's sternest hour to prove
Our dauntless courage and unchanging love."

    She ceas'd; the Baron heard with careful ear,
And deeply pondering, still he seem'd to hear:
At length arous'd, he join'd the tribute paid
Of thanks and wonder to the lovely maid;
Page 46

And oft a sympathetic hope exprest,
To veil the mischief brooding at his breast.
Each maiden half her grief resigns, and blends
In cheerful converse with her new found friends;
While still their young affection warmer grew,
Till late to rest the weary group withdrew.