MY LADY IN DEATH.

How much her dear, dear mouth expressed!
And now are closed and set

Lips which my own have met!

Her eyelids by the damp earth pressed!
Damp earth weighs on her eyes;
Damp earth shuts out the skies.
My lady rests her heavy, heavy rest.

Birds twittering peck the variant weeds
That wave above this bed

Where my dear love lies dead :

Their fluttering bursts the globed seeds,
And beats the downy pride

Of dandelions, wide:

On spear-grass bowed with watery beads

The wet uniting, drips

In sparkles off the tips:

In mallow bloom the wild bee drops and feeds.

No more she hears, where vines adorn

Her window, on the boughs

Birds chirp an arouse :

Flies, buzzing, strengthening with the morn,

She will not hear again

At random strike the pane :

No more on grassplat newly shorn

7

8

MY LADY IN DEATH.

With her gown's glancing hem

Bend down the daisy's stem,

In walking forth to view what flowers are born. Nor ponder more those dark green rings Stained quaintly on the lea,

To picture elfin glee;

While through the grass a faint air sings,
And swarms of insects revel

Along the sultry level:

No more will watch their brilliant wings,

Now lightly dip, now soar

Then sink, and rise once more.

My lady's death makes dear these trivial things.

THERE were two fathers in this ghastly crew,
And with them their two sons, of whom the one
Was more robust and hardy to the view,

But he died early; and when he was gone,
His nearest messmate told his sire, who threw
One glance at him, and said, "Heaven's will be
done!

I can do nothing," and he saw him thrown
Into the deep without a tear or groan.

The other father had a weaklier child,
Of a soft cheek, and aspect delicate;
But the boy bore up long, and with a mild
And patient spirit held aloof his fate;

Little he said, and now and then he smiled,

As if to win a part from off the weight He saw increasing on his father's heart, With the deep deadly thought, that they must

part.

And o'er him bent his sire and never raised

His eyes from off his face, but wiped the foam From his pale lips, and ever on him gazed,

And when the wish'd-for shower at length was

come,

And the boy's eyes, which the dull film half glazed,

Brighten'd and for a moment seemed to roam, He squeezed from out a rag some drops of rain Into his dying child's mouth—but in vain.

The boy expired-the father held the clay,

And looked upon it long, and when at last Death left no doubt, and the dead burthen lay Stiff on his heart, and pulse and hope were past,

He watched it wistfully, until away

'Twas borne by the rude wave wherein 'twas cast;

Then he himself sank down all dumb and shivering, And gave no sign of life, save his limbs quivering.

DON JUAN.

Now overhead a rainbow, bursting through

II

The scattering clouds, shone, spanning the dark

sea,

Resting its bright base on the quivering blue;

And all within its arch appear'd to be Clearer than that without, and its wide hue

Wax'd broad and waving, like a banner free, Then chang'd like to a bow that's bent, and then Forsook the dim eyes of those shipwreck'd men.

With twilight it again came on to blow,

But not with violence; the stars shone out, The boat made way; yet now they were so low,

They knew not where nor what they were about; Some fancied they saw land, and some said "No!" The frequent fog-banks gave them cause to doubt

Some swore that they heard breakers, others guns, And all mistook about the latter once.

As morning broke the light wind died away, When he who had the watch sung out, and

swore,

If 'twas not land that rose with the sun's ray, He wish'd that land he never might see more ;