The Poetical Works of the Rev: H. H. Milman In three volumes |
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THE SLAVE SHIP. |
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 | The Poetical Works of the Rev: H. H. Milman |  |
344
THE SLAVE SHIP.
[_]
[Founded on the following fact:—“The case of the Rodeur, mentioned by Lord Lansdowne. A dreadful ophthalmia prevailed among the slaves on board this ship, which was communicated to the crew, so that there was but a single man who could see to guide the vessel into port.” —Quart. Rev. vol. 26, p. 71.]
“Old, sightless man, unwont art thou,
As blind men use, at noon
To sit and sun thy tranquil brow,
And hear the bird's sweet tune.
As blind men use, at noon
To sit and sun thy tranquil brow,
And hear the bird's sweet tune.
There's something heavy at thy heart,
Thou dost not join the pray'r;
Even at God's word thou'lt writhe and start,”—
“Oh! man of God, beware!
Thou dost not join the pray'r;
Even at God's word thou'lt writhe and start,”—
“Oh! man of God, beware!
“If thou didst hear what I could say,
'T would make thee doubt of grace,
And drive me from God's house away,
Lest I infect the place.”
'T would make thee doubt of grace,
And drive me from God's house away,
Lest I infect the place.”
345
“Say on; there's nought of human sin,
Christ's blood may not atone:”
“Thou canst not read what load's within
This desperate heart.”—“Say on.”
Christ's blood may not atone:”
“Thou canst not read what load's within
This desperate heart.”—“Say on.”
“The skies were bright, the seas were calm,
We ran before the wind,
That, bending Afric's groves of palm,
Came fragrant from behind.
We ran before the wind,
That, bending Afric's groves of palm,
Came fragrant from behind.
“And merry sang our crew, the cup
Was gaily drawn and quaff'd,
And when the hollow groan came up
From the dark hold, we laugh'd.
Was gaily drawn and quaff'd,
And when the hollow groan came up
From the dark hold, we laugh'd.
“For deep below, and all secure,
Our living freight was laid,
And long with ample gain, and sure,
We had driven our awful trade.
Our living freight was laid,
And long with ample gain, and sure,
We had driven our awful trade.
“They lay, like bales, in stifling gloom,
Man, woman, nursling child,
As in some plague-struck city's tomb
The loathsome dead are piled.
Man, woman, nursling child,
As in some plague-struck city's tomb
The loathsome dead are piled.
“At one short gust of that close air
The sickening cheek grew pale;
We turn'd away—'t was all our care—
Heaven's sweet breath to inhale.
The sickening cheek grew pale;
We turn'd away—'t was all our care—
Heaven's sweet breath to inhale.
346
“'Mid howl and yell, and shuddering moan,
The scourge, the clanking chain,
The cards were dealt, the dice were thrown,
We staked our share of gain.
The scourge, the clanking chain,
The cards were dealt, the dice were thrown,
We staked our share of gain.
“Soon in smooth Martinico's coves
Our welcome bark shall moor,
Or underneath the citron-groves
That wave on Cuba's shore.
Our welcome bark shall moor,
Or underneath the citron-groves
That wave on Cuba's shore.
“'T was strange, ere many days were gone,
How still grew all below,
The wailing babe was heard alone,
Or some low sob of woe.
How still grew all below,
The wailing babe was heard alone,
Or some low sob of woe.
“Into the dusky hold we gazed,
In heaps we saw them lie,
And dim, unmeaning looks were raised
From many a blood-red eye.
In heaps we saw them lie,
And dim, unmeaning looks were raised
From many a blood-red eye.
“And helpless hands were groping round
To catch their scanty meal;
Or at some voice's well-known sound,
Some well-known touch to feel.
To catch their scanty meal;
Or at some voice's well-known sound,
Some well-known touch to feel.
“And still it spread, the blinding plague
That seals the orbs of sight;
The eyes were rolling, wild and vague;
Within was black as night.
That seals the orbs of sight;
The eyes were rolling, wild and vague;
Within was black as night.
347
“They dared not move, they could not weep,
They could but lie and moan;
Some, not in mercy, to the deep,
Like damaged wares, were thrown.
They could but lie and moan;
Some, not in mercy, to the deep,
Like damaged wares, were thrown.
“We cursed the dire disease that spread,
And cross'd our golden dream;
Those godless men did quake with dread,
To hear us thus blaspheme.
And cross'd our golden dream;
Those godless men did quake with dread,
To hear us thus blaspheme.
“And so we drank, and drank the more,
And each man pledged his mate;
Here's better luck, from Gambia's shore
When next we load our freight.
And each man pledged his mate;
Here's better luck, from Gambia's shore
When next we load our freight.
“Another morn, but one—the bark
Lurch'd heavy on her way—
The steersman shriek'd, ‘Hell's not so dark
As this dull murky day.’
Lurch'd heavy on her way—
The steersman shriek'd, ‘Hell's not so dark
As this dull murky day.’
“We look'd, and red through films of blood
Glared forth his angry eye:
Another, as he mann'd the shroud,
Came toppling from on high.
Glared forth his angry eye:
Another, as he mann'd the shroud,
Came toppling from on high.
“Then each alone his hammock made,
As the wild beast his lair,
Nor friend his nearest friend would aid,
In dread his doom to share.
As the wild beast his lair,
Nor friend his nearest friend would aid,
In dread his doom to share.
348
“Yet every eve some eyes did close
Upon the sunset bright,
And when the glorious morn arose,
It bore to them no light.
Upon the sunset bright,
And when the glorious morn arose,
It bore to them no light.
“Till I, the only man, the last
Of that dark brotherhood,
To guide the helm, to rig the mast,
To tend the daily food.
Of that dark brotherhood,
To guide the helm, to rig the mast,
To tend the daily food.
“I felt it film, I felt it grow,
The dim and misty scale,
I could not see the compass now,
I could not see the sail.
The dim and misty scale,
I could not see the compass now,
I could not see the sail.
“The sea was all a wavering fog,
The sun a hazy lamp,
As on some pestilential bog,
The wandering wild-fire damp.
The sun a hazy lamp,
As on some pestilential bog,
The wandering wild-fire damp.
“And there we lay, and on we drove,
Heaved up, and pitching down;
Oh! cruel grace of Him above,
That would not let us drown.
Heaved up, and pitching down;
Oh! cruel grace of Him above,
That would not let us drown.
“And some began to pray for fear,
And some began to swear;
Methought it was most dread to hear
Upon such lips the prayer.
And some began to swear;
Methought it was most dread to hear
Upon such lips the prayer.
349
“And some would fondly speak of home,
The wife's, the infant's kiss;
Great God! that parents e'er should come
On such a trade as this!
The wife's, the infant's kiss;
Great God! that parents e'er should come
On such a trade as this!
“And some I heard plunge down beneath,
And drown—that could not I:
Oh! how my spirit yearn'd for death,
Yet how I fear'd to die!
And drown—that could not I:
Oh! how my spirit yearn'd for death,
Yet how I fear'd to die!
“We heard the wild and frantic shriek
Of starving men below,
We heard them strive their bonds to break,
And burst the hatches now.
Of starving men below,
We heard them strive their bonds to break,
And burst the hatches now.
“We thought we heard them on the stair,
And trampling on the deck,
I almost felt their blind despair,
Wild grappling at my neck.
And trampling on the deck,
I almost felt their blind despair,
Wild grappling at my neck.
“Again I woke, and yet again,
With throat as dry as dust,
And famine in my heart and brain,
And,—speak it out I must,—
With throat as dry as dust,
And famine in my heart and brain,
And,—speak it out I must,—
“A lawless, execrable thought,
That scarce could be withstood,
Before my loathing fancy brought
Unutterable food.
That scarce could be withstood,
Before my loathing fancy brought
Unutterable food.
350
“No more, my brain can bear no more,—
Nor more my tongue can tell;
I know I breathed no air, but bore
A sick'ning grave-like smell.
Nor more my tongue can tell;
I know I breathed no air, but bore
A sick'ning grave-like smell.
“And all, save I alone, could die—
Thus on death's verge and brink
All thoughtless, feelingless, could lie—
I still must feel and think.
Thus on death's verge and brink
All thoughtless, feelingless, could lie—
I still must feel and think.
“At length, when ages had pass'd o'er,
Ages, it seem'd, of night,
There came a shock, and then a roar
Of billows in their might.
Ages, it seem'd, of night,
There came a shock, and then a roar
Of billows in their might.
“I know not how, when next I woke,
The numb waves wrapp'd me round,
And in my loaded ears there broke
A dizzy, bubbling sound.
The numb waves wrapp'd me round,
And in my loaded ears there broke
A dizzy, bubbling sound.
“Again I woke, and living men
Stood round—a Christian crew;
The first, the last, of joy was then,
That since those days I knew.
Stood round—a Christian crew;
The first, the last, of joy was then,
That since those days I knew.
“I've been, I know, since that black tide,
Where raving madmen lay,
Above, beneath, on ev'ry side,
And I as mad as they.
Where raving madmen lay,
Above, beneath, on ev'ry side,
And I as mad as they.
351
“And I shall be where never dies
The worm, nor slakes the flame,
When those two hundred souls shall rise,
The Judge's wrath to claim.
The worm, nor slakes the flame,
When those two hundred souls shall rise,
The Judge's wrath to claim.
“I'd rather rave in that wild room
Than see what I have seen;
I'd rather meet my final doom,
Than be—where I have been.
Than see what I have seen;
I'd rather meet my final doom,
Than be—where I have been.
“Priest, I've not seen thy loathing face,
I've heard thy gasps of fear;—
Away—no word of hope or grace—
I may not—will not hear!”
I've heard thy gasps of fear;—
Away—no word of hope or grace—
I may not—will not hear!”
| The Poetical Works of the Rev: H. H. Milman | |