 | A Summer Christmas and a Sonnet upon The S.S. "Ballaarat." |  |
VI.
Alas for Desirée, wooed and won
By the husband now of her choice,
For Envy's spite still made her its own,
And held her as in a vice.
By the husband now of her choice,
For Envy's spite still made her its own,
And held her as in a vice.
For her tyrant's swift mysterious death
And her speedy union
Aroused Report's calumnious breath,
And estranged friends one by one.
And her speedy union
Aroused Report's calumnious breath,
And estranged friends one by one.
Alas for Desirée, though she had wealth
And brightness and genius,
And mellow wisdom and glowing health,
Though she had the glorious,
And brightness and genius,
And mellow wisdom and glowing health,
Though she had the glorious,
The peerless crown of beauty to wear
Her lifelong upon her brow,
And ever in her right hand to bear
The grace to which all men bow,
Her lifelong upon her brow,
And ever in her right hand to bear
The grace to which all men bow,
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Though she had the husband whom she chose,
Though her hands at length were free
From the fetter-bands so cruelly close
Of her marriage slavery,
Though her hands at length were free
From the fetter-bands so cruelly close
Of her marriage slavery,
She could not live in the land of her love,
The land of her broad estates,
But ever away from home must rove
Impelled by pitiless fates.
The land of her broad estates,
But ever away from home must rove
Impelled by pitiless fates.
And so they came to a far-off isle
On the lone Pacific's breast,
And here they live in repose awhile,
Even Envy letting them rest.
On the lone Pacific's breast,
And here they live in repose awhile,
Even Envy letting them rest.
And here this beautiful English dame
And brilliant Englishman,
With their broad estates and ancient name
Unsullied by real stain,
And brilliant Englishman,
With their broad estates and ancient name
Unsullied by real stain,
Live in soft exile, and never see
The face of their countrymen,
Save when a schooner from Sydney quay
Sails down with their stores, and then
Only some mariner rough and free
Who finds them beyond his ken—
The face of their countrymen,
Save when a schooner from Sydney quay
Sails down with their stores, and then
Only some mariner rough and free
Who finds them beyond his ken—
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This delicate dame in soft attire,
With wondrous beauty of face,
And white wise forehead and glance of fire,
And unforgettable grace,
With wondrous beauty of face,
And white wise forehead and glance of fire,
And unforgettable grace,
This lordly man of wealth without bound,
And rich in knowledge and worth,
Thus living as one might say beyond
The uttermost end of earth.
And rich in knowledge and worth,
Thus living as one might say beyond
The uttermost end of earth.
Adieu, Desirée, living thus far,
A kind of enchanted queen
To mariners when they cross the bar
Of your harbour coraline!
A kind of enchanted queen
To mariners when they cross the bar
Of your harbour coraline!
Mayhap it may prove a magic isle
Where Envy shall not prevail
To banish your pleasure with her guile
And peace with her icy gale.
Where Envy shall not prevail
To banish your pleasure with her guile
And peace with her icy gale.
| A Summer Christmas and a Sonnet upon The S.S. "Ballaarat." | |