CCCXXVI

The golden doll that she used to hug!
Her coral of gold, and the golden mug!
Her godfather's golden presents!

The golden service she had at her meals,
The golden watch, and chain, and seals,
Her golden scissors, and thread, and reels,
And her golden fishes and pheasants!

CCCXXVII

The golden guineas in silken purse—

And the Golden Legends she heard from her nurse
Of the Mayor in his gilded carriage—
And London streets that were paved with gold-
And the Golden Eggs that were laid of old-
With each golden thing

To the golden ring

At her own auriferous Marriage !

CCCXXVIII

And still the golden light of the sun
Through her golden dream appear'd to run,
Though the night, that roared without, was one
To terrify seamen or gypsies-

While the moon, as if in malicious mirth,
Kept peeping down at the ruffled earth,
As though she enjoy'd the tempest's birth,
In revenge of her old eclipses.

CCCXXIX

But vainly, vainly, the thunder fell,
For the soul of the Sleeper was under a spell
That time had lately embitter'd—

The Count, as once at her foot he knelt-
That foot, which now he wanted to melt!
But-hush!-'twas a stir at her pillow she felt-
And some object before her glitter'd.

CCCXXX

'Twas the Golden Leg!-she knew its gleam! And up she started and tried to scream,

But ev'n in the moment she started

Down came the limb with a frightful smash,
And, lost in the universal flash

That her eyeballs made at so mortal a crash,
The Spark, call'd Vital, departed!

Gold, still gold! hard, yellow, and cold,
For gold she had lived, and she died for gold-
By a golden weapon—not oaken ;

In the morning they found her all alone—
Stiff, and bloody, and cold as stone-
But her Leg, the Golden Leg, was gone,
And the "Golden Bowl was broken!"

CCCXXXII

Gold-still gold! it haunted her yet-
At the Golden Lion the Inquest met-
Its foreman, a carver and gilder—
And the Jury debated from twelve till three
What the Verdict ought to be,

And they brought it in as Felo de Se,

"Because her own Leg had kill'd her!"

278

MISS KILMANSEGG AND HER PRECIOUS LEG

Her Moral

Gold! Gold! Gold ! Gold !
Bright and yellow, hard and cold,
Molten, graven, hammer'd and roll'd;
Heavy to get, and light to hold;
Hoarded, barter'd, bought, and sold,
Stolen, borrow'd, squander'd, doled :
Spurn'd by the young, but hugg'd by the old
To the very verge of the churchyard mould;
Price of many a crime untold;

Gold! Gold! Gold ! Gold:

Good or bad a thousand-fold!

How widely its agencies vary-

To save to ruin-to curse

-to bless

As even its minted coins express,

Now stamp'd with the image of Good Queen Bess,
And now of a Bloody Mary.

THE LEE SHORE

SLEET! and Hail! and Thunder! ye Winds that rave,

And

Till the sands thereunder

Tinge the sullen wave

Winds, that like a Demon,
Howl with horrid note
Round the toiling Seaman,
In his tossing boat-

From his humble dwelling,
On the shingly shore,
Where the billows swelling,
Keep such hollow roar—

From that weeping Woman,
Seeking with her cries
Succour superhuman

From the frowning skies

From the Urchin pining

For his Father's kneeFrom the lattice shiningDrive him out to sea!

Let broad leagues dissever
Him from yonder foam-
Oh, God! to think Man ever

Comes too near his Home!

SONNET

THE world is with me, and its many cares,
Its woes-its wants-the anxious hopes and fears
That wait on all terrestrial affairs—

The shades of former and of future years—

Foreboding fancies, and prophetic tears,

Quelling a spirit that was once elate :—

Heavens! what a wilderness the earth appears,

Where Youth, and Mirth, and Health are out of date!

But no-a laugh of innocence and joy

Resounds, like music of the fairy race,
And gladly turning from the world's annoy

I gaze upon a little radiant face,

And bless, internally, the merry boy

Who "makes a son-shine in a shady-place."