The American common-place book of poetry with occasional notes |
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The third and last Appearance of the Spectre Horse and the Burning Ship.—Richard H. Dana.
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 | The American common-place book of poetry |  |
The third and last Appearance of the Spectre Horse and the Burning Ship.—Richard H. Dana.
To-night the charmed number's told.
“Twice have I come for thee,” it said.
“Once more, and none shall thee behold.
Come! live one, to the dead!”—
So hears his soul, and fears the coming night;
Yet sick and weary of the soft, calm light.
“Twice have I come for thee,” it said.
“Once more, and none shall thee behold.
Come! live one, to the dead!”—
So hears his soul, and fears the coming night;
Yet sick and weary of the soft, calm light.
Again he sits within that room;
All day he leans at that still board;
None to bring comfort to his gloom,
Or speak a friendly word.
Weakened with fear, lone, haunted by remorse,
Poor, shattered wretch, there waits he that pale horse.
All day he leans at that still board;
None to bring comfort to his gloom,
Or speak a friendly word.
Weakened with fear, lone, haunted by remorse,
Poor, shattered wretch, there waits he that pale horse.
Not long he'll wait.—Where now are gone
Peak, citadel, and tower, that stood
Beautiful, while the west sun shone
And bathed them in his flood
Of airy glory?—Sudden darkness fell;
And down they sank, peak, tower, and citadel.
Peak, citadel, and tower, that stood
Beautiful, while the west sun shone
And bathed them in his flood
Of airy glory?—Sudden darkness fell;
And down they sank, peak, tower, and citadel.
The darkness, like a dome of stone,
Ceils up the heavens.—'Tis hush as death—
All but the ocean's dull, low moan.
How hard Lee draws his breath!
He shudders as he feels the working Power.
Arouse thee, Lee! up; man thee for thine hour!—
Ceils up the heavens.—'Tis hush as death—
All but the ocean's dull, low moan.
How hard Lee draws his breath!
He shudders as he feels the working Power.
Arouse thee, Lee! up; man thee for thine hour!—
'Tis close at hand; for there, once more,
The burning ship. Wide sheets of flame
And shafted fire she showed before;
Twice thus she hither came;—
But now she rolls a naked hulk, and throws
A wasting light; then, settling, down she goes.
The burning ship. Wide sheets of flame
And shafted fire she showed before;
Twice thus she hither came;—
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A wasting light; then, settling, down she goes.
And where she sank, up slowly came
The Spectre-Horse from out the sea.
And there he stands! His pale sides flame.
He'll meet thee shortly, Lee.
He treads the waters as a solid floor:
He's moving on. Lee waits him at the door.
The Spectre-Horse from out the sea.
And there he stands! His pale sides flame.
He'll meet thee shortly, Lee.
He treads the waters as a solid floor:
He's moving on. Lee waits him at the door.
They've met.—“I know thou com'st for me,”
Lee's spirit to the spectre said—
“I know that I must go with thee—
Take me not to the dead.
It was not I alone that did the deed!”
Dreadful the eye of that still, spectral steed!
Lee's spirit to the spectre said—
“I know that I must go with thee—
Take me not to the dead.
It was not I alone that did the deed!”
Dreadful the eye of that still, spectral steed!
Lee cannot turn. There is a force
In that fixed eye, which holds him fast.
How still they stand!—that man and horse.
—“Thine hour is almost past.”
“O, spare me,” cries the wretch, “thou fearful one!”—
“My time is full—I must not go alone.”
In that fixed eye, which holds him fast.
How still they stand!—that man and horse.
—“Thine hour is almost past.”
“O, spare me,” cries the wretch, “thou fearful one!”—
“My time is full—I must not go alone.”
“I'm weak and faint. O, let me stay!”
—“Nay, murderer, rest nor stay for thee!”
The horse and man are on their way;
He bears him to the sea.
Hark! how the spectre breathes through this still night!
See! from his nostrils streams a deathly light!
—“Nay, murderer, rest nor stay for thee!”
The horse and man are on their way;
He bears him to the sea.
Hark! how the spectre breathes through this still night!
See! from his nostrils streams a deathly light!
He's on the beach; but stops not there.
He's on the sea!—Lee, quit the horse!
Lee struggles hard.—'Tis mad despair!—
'Tis vain! The spirit-corse
Holds him by fearful spell;—he cannot leap.
Within that horrid light he rides the deep.
He's on the sea!—Lee, quit the horse!
Lee struggles hard.—'Tis mad despair!—
'Tis vain! The spirit-corse
Holds him by fearful spell;—he cannot leap.
Within that horrid light he rides the deep.
It lights the sea around their track—
The curling comb, and dark steel wave:
There, yet, sits Lee the spectre's back—
Gone! gone! and none to save!
They're seen no more; the night has shut them in.
May Heaven have pity on thee, man of sin!
The curling comb, and dark steel wave:
There, yet, sits Lee the spectre's back—
Gone! gone! and none to save!
They're seen no more; the night has shut them in.
May Heaven have pity on thee, man of sin!
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The earth has washed away its stain.
The sealed up sky is breaking forth,
Mustering its glorious hosts again
From the far south and north.
The climbing moon plays on the rippling sea.—
O, whither on its waters rideth Lee?
The sealed up sky is breaking forth,
Mustering its glorious hosts again
From the far south and north.
The climbing moon plays on the rippling sea.—
O, whither on its waters rideth Lee?
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