Eidolon, or The Course of a Soul Part 13

And those proud ones now are gracious, bowing fawningly before her, Whilst she with her true eyes calmly takes the measure of their hearts, Weighs aright the honied speeches, and the praise they heap upon her, Her own innocence instinctively disarming all their arts.

For she knows their tongues are venal, sold to flatter wealth and power, And to crouch with serpent homage in the dust at Fortune's shrine, Ready to revile and slander if calamity should lower, And to flout as base, deceitful, what they late had termed divine.

Thus unmask'd and sifted throughly let them stoop and fawn at pleasure, Little reck I to revenge me better for their former spite As I mark their degradation falling on them in full measure When they humble themselves vilely, thus, to one who reads them right.

THE STORMY PETREL.

Far in the wilderness of waves, Where vision dieth 'mid endless motion, Where only the madden'd storm-wind raves, And sinketh its chains in the soundless ocean; Far from the ken and the power of men, And lone as though Earth were in chaos again, The Stormy Petrel cleaveth the air, And maketh the surging billow its lair.

The black cloud scuddeth along on high, Silent and swift as the angel Death, Led by Euroclydon through the sky Unto its victim with bated breath, Whilst only G.o.d and the Petrel seeth The path by which the Avenger fleeth, And with shrill accent of wail and mourning Riseth the Petrel's wild cry of warning.

Anon the bones of the wreck come past Bitterly mock'd of the roaring tide, From wave to wave in derision cast With scorn and jeers at poor human pride; And still the Petrel with lightning sweep Circles their way through the raging deep, Settling in awe on some shatter'd spar, And tracking its course as it drifts afar.

Into this realm of the winds and waves Man cometh not with his living soul, But like the mounds over clammy graves, Over his body the surges roll; No mortal weeper hath seen his tomb, Buried he lies in eternal gloom, Save that the Petrel with wailing cry Hover'd around as he floated by.

What doth the Petrel so far away From the home of love and the field of strife?

In this lone spot doth the Petrel stay To show the beauty and power of LIFE.

For the broad Earth and the boundless sea, Time and the endless eternity, All, all acknowledge the spirit's controul, And like the frail body, were made for the soul.

TO ----

When the stars are up and keeping Holy vigils in the skies, Whilst Night's train is pa.s.sing slowly, Footsteps hush'd, and voices lowly, And on earth sweet dreams are steeping Slumbering souls in Paradise, In my heart there comes a vision, Angel-like from its elysian, Bent upon some blessed mission, And its form resembleth thee In thy grace and purity.

I with tranced rapture gazing, Scan each lineament divine, Trace again thy pensive sweetness, Beauty's soul, and love's completeness, Heart and hands devoutly raising Like a pilgrim at Love's shrine, Evermore within me feeling Like a charm thy beauty stealing, Hushing pain, and sorrow healing, And I pray to dream for ever Gazing thus, and waking never;

For the morn comes, and the Real Once again resumes its sway, Scattereth these radiant fancies, Cloudeth o'er thy gentle glances, And still seeking my Ideal Through this life I take my way, Weary, heart-sick, longing, sighing, Praying much, yet no replying, Phantom Hope before me flying Leading ever back to thee, To behold thee in thy beauty, Feel that love is only duty, Meritless, save that so dying Gain I Love's eternity.

THE MERMAID.

A mermaid smoothing her sunny hair, Fanned by the breath of the summer air, Sang to me,--"Love, wilt thou go with me "Down to the depths of the purple sea?"-- "Maiden, ah yes! I will go with thee, "And lap my soul in felicity!"

Down we went through the crystal waters Evermore waving round Neptune's daughters, Down, till the light of the starry sky Melted away like an echoed sigh, And the rapt breast of the restless ocean Sank into still dreams of past emotion, Down, and we stood on a pleasant sh.o.r.e Paven with sh.e.l.ls from the Naiad's store, Shining and rosy-lipp'd such as keep The mermaid's songs for their balmy sleep.

Flowers there were set with sparkling gems, Gleaming amid the white coral stems, And flinging their measure of light and scent Up through the translucent firmament.

And as the air by a bird's wing laven, Or a deep pool by a white hand waven, Floated the swells of the dewy tide Round the sea-maiden and me beside.

Onward we went where a diamond portal Kept the pure light of the dawn immortal, Making the heart sicken o'er to win The halcyon joys it enclosed within; Entered we under its arching sweep Into the palace hall of the deep, Where 'neath the vault of its lofty dome Have the nymphs and mermen gay their home; There sat old Neptune upon his throne, A foaming wave that was turn'd to stone, And round about him his merry crew With br.i.m.m.i.n.g cups of the purple dew; Wandering far through the lumin'd halls, Where light was bred in the ruby walls, Stray'd the fair Naiads with golden hair, That wanton'd about in the perfumed air; And flowing robes round their white limbs waved, Like moonbeams bright into substance laved.

Neptune in tones that spread far and wide, "Ho! Ho! a man with a mermaid bride!"

And the blue dome rung with cruel laughter, Till all the arches mutter'd it after; Then came the nymphs in a radiant string, And circled us round like Saturn's ring, Forms that appearing to mortal eyes Dazzle them so that the spirit dies.

Then to my mermaid old Neptune saith, "Hymn the rash mortal unto his death!"

She with a voice that murmuring stole Deep as a heaven thought into my soul-- "O! in the land that is under the waves "To dwell with my love in the coral caves, "To bind his brows with a diamond zone, "And call the light of his eyes mine own; "To roam with him through the boundless s.p.a.ce, "And make the billow our resting place, "There sing our songs till we fall asleep, "And dream of Elysium in the deep; "Waves are flowing for ever and ever, "O they will rock us for ever and ever, "Hush every sorrow to quiet rest, "And pillow love in each other's breast; "O they will sink us deeper and deeper, "Until they themselves sleep with the sleeper, "Until there is only love awake, "That cannot sleep for his own sweet sake; "Come in my bosom, then, come with me, "Down to the depths of the purple sea!"

All my soul thrill'd and panted for bliss As pilgrims thirst in the wilderness; I cried, "O maiden, whose softest sighs "Are sweeter than all Earth's melodies, "If thou wilt wander with me for ever, "And naught have power our true hearts to sever, "I shall forget all that earth calls fair, "And all that I fondly treasured there, "The meadows and hills and sunny dells, "And the birds and fragrant heather-bells, "And I will follow thee through the deep, "Where waves shall rock us to tender sleep; "All powers of ocean I will defy, "And follow thee though it be but to die!"

Neptune then, "Youth thou hast bravely said, "And meet art thou with a nymph to wed, "So thou shalt live out thy little span "Unscathed by the hands of the blithe merman."

So they bound me fast in cruel sleep, And bore me silently from the deep, And ne'er have I seen my mermaid more, Though oft I watch for her on the sh.o.r.e.

THE SPIRIT OF THE AIR.

A spirit came to me on the breeze Sweet with the breath of the orange trees, Floated about me, and murmur'd soft, "O Poet! wilt fly with me far aloft?

"And I will show thee the realms of s.p.a.ce "Where the lightning can find no resting place.

"We will away to the home of morn, "And see the first youngling sunbeams born.

"We will away to the cave of Night, "And wake the echoes to sudden fright, "And then we'll wander among the stars "And mark the roll of their golden cars?"-- "Spirit! I'll go with thee through the sky, "For my soul pants ever to soar on high, "If thou wilt bear me upon thy wings, "And guide me amid our bright wanderings."

Swiftly we went through the sunny air, Higher than ever the skylark dare, And the bright clouds where the summer beams Slumber and revel in golden dreams, Lay far beneath us like dewy fumes Hovering over the flower-blooms.

Higher we went till the puny Earth Dwindled away to an atom girth, And the record of our rapid way Was the far death of a starry ray; Then we drew nigh to the palace bright Where morning treasures her dewy light, Cool'd by the breath of the angels' wings, And sweet with their musical utterings.

There we saw the young day-beams awaken, And the earth's rays from their soft tresses shaken, And there we saw the sweet zephyrs rise, That woo the flowers with gentle sighs, And kiss the mist from the streamlet's tide, As tears are kiss'd from a happy bride; The angels of Joy and bliss were there, Lapt in the folds of the balmy air, Breathing their paeans till far away The echoes went with the light of day; The spirit said, "Hence the ray of morn, "Like a poor child unto sorrow born, "Wends to the earth with sweet smiles uplit, "And from the darkness awakens it; "But though it whisper of peace and love, "And tell the world of the joys above, "They will not hearken unto the voice "Whose accents faint make the flowers rejoice, "But still grovel on in strife and sorrow, "And make the signal of war, 'the morrow.'"

Onward we went through the heavens afar Swift as the course of a shooting star, Until dark shadows began to fall Around our way, like a funeral pall, Deeper and deeper, and then the gloom Grew thick as it were the Night's own tomb; There was no sound save the rushing wave Closing the furrow our pa.s.sing clave; There was no sound save the beating heart, That at its own throbbings seemed to start; There was no sound save the ebb and flow Of my own breathing drawn long and low; Then the air-spirit gave forth a cry That rang through the arches of the sky, Whereat a myriad echoes leapt Forth from the darkness 'mid which they slept, Shouted an answer in fierce surprise, That rumbled far into faintest sighs, Then slowly sank to their rest again, And left the Night to her silent reign.

On we went whilst the sounds grew dimmer, Till stars afar began to glimmer Like flashing lights on a lonely mere, Like tapers dim round a sable bier; Onward, till many a radiant world In solemn glory across us whirl'd, Shaking the air in their mighty march, Like thunder beneath its prison arch; Ever louder the swift wind bore us The swell of their eternal chorus, Filling the soul of the boundless sky With strains of adoring harmony.

Past us came Mars all fiery and red, Like a warrior stain'd with the blood he shed; And his voice o'er all rang clear and high Pealing for ever Truth's battle-cry; Saturn came with his blazing ring, Like a crown round the brows of a t.i.tan king, Circled by many a satellite, That made his pathway through heaven bright; The star of eve like a maiden sphere, Gleaming with beauty and grace, drew near, Sweeping along 'mid heaven's panoply, The sweetest and fairest child of the sky; Onward they came in myriad lines From s.p.a.ce whereon the sun never shines, But fades away like a twinkling star 'Neath orbs whose glory is greater far; Many a beautiful world appear'd, Such as not even Fancy hath rear'd, Sinless and happy as Heaven will be, And stamp'd with the seal of Eternity.

But sadly we sank to Earth again, And heard the discord and strife of men, Like a harp that jars from a sudden fall, And turns to discord tones musical.

WHY DO I LOVE THEE?

'Tis not because thou art so fair, So beautiful unto the sight; 'Tis not because thy silken hair Curls o'er a neck of spotless white; 'Tis not because thy speaking eye Claims kindred with the deep blue sky, Alone I love thee!

No! 'tis because around thee gleams The light of innocence and truth, Adorning with its radiant beams, And pure reflex the charms of youth; Because thine every word and thought With thy soul's gentleness is fraught, Therefore I love thee!

LADY ANNABEL.

She had suitors many, many, The fair Lady Annabel, But she loved him more than any, For she knew he loved her well.

She was rich, but he was lowly, Lowly in the world's esteem, But that made her love more holy, As the darkness gilds the beam; For she knew his manly honour, All the beauties of his mind, And they sweetly stole upon her Like the scent borne on the wind; So she loved him ere she knew it, Ere she thought to close her heart 'Gainst the tender spells that drew it Evermore to take his part When in idlesse or in malice Others lightly spoke of him, Careless that in his life's chalice They poured sadness to the brim; For he was a dreamer throughly, Feeding on sweet Poesie, And few knew his spirit truly, And none prized it well as she; But upon the thymy mosses, With wild flowers by his side, Blossoms that the summer glosses For the brow of fairy bride, He would lie and weave bright fancies From the maze within his heart, Which her gentle smiles and glances Kindled with an angel's art; For a firmament of beauty Hung like heaven o'er his mind, And it seem'd a sacred duty To hymn all the fair it shrined; So he praised her golden tresses, And he thought them fair and soft As the locks the sun caresses On bright angels far aloft; And her eyes so blue and tender, Made for love to glisten through, That their gentleness might render Love as welcome as the dew; And her cheeks with roses blushing, And her lips with sunshine drest, Her white bosom gently hushing With its swells all ill to rest, All came to him in his dreaming Like things from another sphere, Till bewildered by their gleaming He felt only they were dear.

Must he perish, must he languish For the love of one so fair, Till the cruel sting of anguish Change a blessing to despair?

He is poor, and favour never Smiles on one so weak as he, Poverty still comes to sever All hopes of felicity.

But she loves him, and communion With his soul gives strength to hers, So they blend their lives in union Careless of cold fashion's slurs; She resigns what earth calls treasure, t.i.tled suitors, wealthy-dower, That is _commerce_, she seeks pleasure, For she knows life's but an hour, Far too short and full of sadness, Far too full of grief and pain, For the heart to barter gladness For a shadow or for gain; So she fondly stood beside him, And she placed her hand in his With a smile that seem'd to chide him For the shade that veil'd his bliss, As he thought how he could duly Make return for all her love, Only could he serve her truly, Love her as the light above; And she said "We will live gaily In some sylvan hermitage, Worshipping all beauty daily, Till my foolish heart grow sage; We will have sweet flowers about us, Birds to sing from every tree No suspicious friends to doubt us, So we must live merrily!"

Thus they went, and of their marriage Jesting spake the giddy world; n.o.bles, pillow'd in their carriage, Laugh'd aloud with proud lips curled, And fair ladies smiled their pity, With a sigh for mortal folly, Whilst rich merchants in the city Frown'd, and called it, "Melancholy."