Poems By Mr. Polwhele. In three volumes |
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CANTO THE THIRTEENTH.
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| III. |
 | Poems |  |
216
CANTO THE THIRTEENTH.
ARGUMENT.
1. Juliet's Conduct, the Subject of Allan's Reflections—His Determination to recommence his Journey to Landor-abbey. —2. The Conspiracy of the Fiends against Allan—Misled by their Machinations, he wanders away towards the North-coast —Finds himself near an old Castle—Explores its Ruins— Seizing a Sabre, dissolves the Spell—Recovers the right Road to the Tamar—Arrives at Landor-abbey—Is welcomed there by Laura, its Possessor, and almost overpowered by her Fascinations.—3. Retiring to his Chamber in great Perturbation, he is relieved by an “airy Portraiture” that seems to float spontaneously before his Eyes—the Picture of some lovely Maid—but, he is sure, neither Laura, nor Juliet.
True: 'twas the hapless Henry, whose disguise
His spaniel had betray'd to Allan's eyes;
Who, tho' a world of waters roll'd between,
Still, where his early love endear'd the scene,
Had breath'd a sigh across the stormy sea,
And whisper'd to the cave, the beechen tree!
His spaniel had betray'd to Allan's eyes;
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Still, where his early love endear'd the scene,
Had breath'd a sigh across the stormy sea,
And whisper'd to the cave, the beechen tree!
‘Yet (Allan cried) tho' long, in Fancy's wild,
‘Romantic passion hath her soul beguil'd,
‘Could Juliet cherish a clandestine flame,
‘And, with the hypocrite's illuding aim,
‘Profess her heart to other friendship true,
‘And so deceive her sire and Allan too?’
‘Romantic passion hath her soul beguil'd,
‘Could Juliet cherish a clandestine flame,
‘And, with the hypocrite's illuding aim,
‘Profess her heart to other friendship true,
‘And so deceive her sire and Allan too?’
Thus while he spoke, he saw with fresh surprize,
Around the ring the magic posey rise,
And strait, resolv'd his journey to renew,
To Landor-abbey in idea flew.
But, as he strove before his mental eye
To picture Laura, and her charms descry,
In her the lady of the cloyster trace,
And from his memory other forms erase;
The obtrusive vision, still portray'd on air,
Glanc'd the blue eyes and wav'd the golden hair!
Around the ring the magic posey rise,
And strait, resolv'd his journey to renew,
To Landor-abbey in idea flew.
But, as he strove before his mental eye
To picture Laura, and her charms descry,
In her the lady of the cloyster trace,
And from his memory other forms erase;
The obtrusive vision, still portray'd on air,
Glanc'd the blue eyes and wav'd the golden hair!
218
Scarce could he pass his gateway's whistling pile,
Ere the dark fiend, instinct with many a wile,
Had o'er the sunbeam hot as Sirius, drawn
A lurid veil to sicken grove and lawn;
Stream'd the blue sulphur; roll'd, at every flash,
A rock from overhead, with horrid crash;
Across the suicide's new-buried corse,
Where three roads met, assail'd his staggering horse;
Pointed o'er lonely wastes his devious way,
And bidding mimic domes ascend to day
As if his quick enquiries to assist,
Chas'd from a glowing sky the murky mist.
Ere the dark fiend, instinct with many a wile,
Had o'er the sunbeam hot as Sirius, drawn
A lurid veil to sicken grove and lawn;
Stream'd the blue sulphur; roll'd, at every flash,
A rock from overhead, with horrid crash;
Across the suicide's new-buried corse,
Where three roads met, assail'd his staggering horse;
Pointed o'er lonely wastes his devious way,
And bidding mimic domes ascend to day
As if his quick enquiries to assist,
Chas'd from a glowing sky the murky mist.
Erelong the hero, by each envious elf
Misled, and now abandon'd to himself,
Pursued his dubious path where Nature frowns
From shaggy fens of sedge or heathy downs,
Or, where sharp craggs the wrathful flood repel,
Or midst the silence of the sunless dell,
Or round blue quarries wide with coppice hung,
Where to each hoof the slaty region rung;
Till the hoarse murmur of the northern wave
Bade Allan's heart with strange presages heave,
And from the hoary deep arose to view
Huge fragments, far outstretcht, of sable hue,
That soon appear'd, where restless murmurs broke,
Linkt to the mainland by a chain of rock.
“O let me cross (he cried) this narrow neck,
“And trace on yon peninsula the wreck
“Of princely glory!” Scarce the hero said,
Ere down the clift on wings of wind he sped,
And clambering o'er a crag, on either side
While roll'd in shadow the cerulean tide,
Hail'd the vast ruin with an eager glow,
And, from the dizzy height, the waves below!
And (to its kindling posey as anew
His monitory ring attention drew)
Fill'd with a mystic fear, a mystic hope,
He wander'd round the necromantic slope;
Pierc'd in fond vision thro' the depth of time,
And on the sanguine rampires tower'd sublime.
Yet, vainly pacing, o'er the dangerous steep
He mark'd with prying eye the mighty keep;
Search'd the drear dungeon, view'd each hollow pass,
And gaz'd on every mutilated mass;
And turn'd his hopeless eye to measure back
On the long ridge of rock his slippery track;
When, as in sudden darkness foam'd the flood,
The westering sun went down, a ball of blood.
Misled, and now abandon'd to himself,
Pursued his dubious path where Nature frowns
From shaggy fens of sedge or heathy downs,
Or, where sharp craggs the wrathful flood repel,
Or midst the silence of the sunless dell,
Or round blue quarries wide with coppice hung,
Where to each hoof the slaty region rung;
219
Bade Allan's heart with strange presages heave,
And from the hoary deep arose to view
Huge fragments, far outstretcht, of sable hue,
That soon appear'd, where restless murmurs broke,
Linkt to the mainland by a chain of rock.
“O let me cross (he cried) this narrow neck,
“And trace on yon peninsula the wreck
“Of princely glory!” Scarce the hero said,
Ere down the clift on wings of wind he sped,
And clambering o'er a crag, on either side
While roll'd in shadow the cerulean tide,
Hail'd the vast ruin with an eager glow,
And, from the dizzy height, the waves below!
And (to its kindling posey as anew
His monitory ring attention drew)
Fill'd with a mystic fear, a mystic hope,
He wander'd round the necromantic slope;
Pierc'd in fond vision thro' the depth of time,
And on the sanguine rampires tower'd sublime.
Yet, vainly pacing, o'er the dangerous steep
He mark'd with prying eye the mighty keep;
220
And gaz'd on every mutilated mass;
And turn'd his hopeless eye to measure back
On the long ridge of rock his slippery track;
When, as in sudden darkness foam'd the flood,
The westering sun went down, a ball of blood.
Now, as he shudder'd on the rocky verge,
And shrunk aghast from every sounding surge,
Where, whirl'd on high, the wave its volume spread,
The broken curve descending on his head;
Down dropp'd a star, and blaz'd its orb away,
Where glimmer'd the stone-stairs in dark decay.
He saw; tore up a step, and, full display'd,
With wild emotion grasp'd a ponderous blade—
A giant sabre!—Strait, the tempest died;
And peaceful zephyr smooth'd the ripling tide!
Shone o'er the rocks the moon, reposing mild,
And all the ethereal vault serenely smil'd.
And shrunk aghast from every sounding surge,
Where, whirl'd on high, the wave its volume spread,
The broken curve descending on his head;
Down dropp'd a star, and blaz'd its orb away,
Where glimmer'd the stone-stairs in dark decay.
He saw; tore up a step, and, full display'd,
With wild emotion grasp'd a ponderous blade—
A giant sabre!—Strait, the tempest died;
And peaceful zephyr smooth'd the ripling tide!
Shone o'er the rocks the moon, reposing mild,
And all the ethereal vault serenely smil'd.
No more pursued by demons, to impede
His route, the hero press'd his generous steed;
Till, pleas'd, he view'd a richer foliage flow
O'er clefts imbrowning Tamar's wave below,
And far above as starting thro' the gloom
Umbrageous, the white turrets of a dome.
His route, the hero press'd his generous steed;
221
O'er clefts imbrowning Tamar's wave below,
And far above as starting thro' the gloom
Umbrageous, the white turrets of a dome.
Passing a bridge grotesque, whose arches gleam
For ages moss'd, athwart the wildwood stream,
He met the glitter of a gilded vane,
And caught it sparkling thro' the leafy plane;
Now hail'd the abbey-towers in broad display,
Now up the lawn approach'd the portals grey.
For ages moss'd, athwart the wildwood stream,
He met the glitter of a gilded vane,
And caught it sparkling thro' the leafy plane;
Now hail'd the abbey-towers in broad display,
Now up the lawn approach'd the portals grey.
Soon as her ladyship the hero's mien
Survey'd, where chanc'd her eye to cross the green;
She threw her veil aside with breathless haste;
Loos'd her jet tresses wantoning down her waist;
Flung from her bosom half the gauzy shade,
To amorous airs its rosy light display'd;
There bade a picture set with brilliants rest,
To lure the lovesick languish to her breast;
As on her cheek she gave the blush to rise,
Arm'd with new lustre her voluptuous eyes;
Down on a sofa sunk, and lolling there
With half-clos'd lids and soft lascivious air,
Her pearly fingers twinkled o'er tambour;
Listen'd, and every moment deem'd an hour;
Tho' now, his name announc'd, with formal pride
She strove to ice her look, but vainly tried,
And spite of art, betray'd some strange alarms,
Amidst the tumult of disorder'd charms.
Nor, o'er his courteous air, his manly bloom
As her eye wander'd, could she re-assume
Those lively turns, that playful humour sly,
Without the sweet intrusion of a sigh.
Survey'd, where chanc'd her eye to cross the green;
She threw her veil aside with breathless haste;
Loos'd her jet tresses wantoning down her waist;
Flung from her bosom half the gauzy shade,
To amorous airs its rosy light display'd;
There bade a picture set with brilliants rest,
To lure the lovesick languish to her breast;
As on her cheek she gave the blush to rise,
Arm'd with new lustre her voluptuous eyes;
222
With half-clos'd lids and soft lascivious air,
Her pearly fingers twinkled o'er tambour;
Listen'd, and every moment deem'd an hour;
Tho' now, his name announc'd, with formal pride
She strove to ice her look, but vainly tried,
And spite of art, betray'd some strange alarms,
Amidst the tumult of disorder'd charms.
Nor, o'er his courteous air, his manly bloom
As her eye wander'd, could she re-assume
Those lively turns, that playful humour sly,
Without the sweet intrusion of a sigh.
While, round her dressing-room, each prurient print
Convey'd to fancy the too luscious hint
From the soft sportings of the Ovidian nymph—
Her fine skin sparkling thro' the lucid lymph,
From breathless Daphne scorning Phoebus' love,
From Danae yielding to insidious Jove;
She bade, with mouth half-open'd as she lay,
Along the prints her careless glances stray;
Then rose and seiz'd her harp, and touch'd the strings;
And music trembled in aërial rings;
Beam'd every limb, each graceful gesture glow'd;
And o'er her form ambrosial beauty flow'd.
Convey'd to fancy the too luscious hint
From the soft sportings of the Ovidian nymph—
Her fine skin sparkling thro' the lucid lymph,
From breathless Daphne scorning Phoebus' love,
From Danae yielding to insidious Jove;
She bade, with mouth half-open'd as she lay,
Along the prints her careless glances stray;
223
And music trembled in aërial rings;
Beam'd every limb, each graceful gesture glow'd;
And o'er her form ambrosial beauty flow'd.
Quick shifting from one pleasure to a new,
Young Allan to a different scene she drew,
Where Flora, midst the vegetable blaze,
To quaint caprice had rear'd the various maze;
And bidding him, beneath the inwoven shade
That on the path's obscure meander play'd,
O'ertake her if he could, strait glanc'd from sight,
But gave the dancing sprays to mark her flight.
Young Allan to a different scene she drew,
Where Flora, midst the vegetable blaze,
To quaint caprice had rear'd the various maze;
And bidding him, beneath the inwoven shade
That on the path's obscure meander play'd,
O'ertake her if he could, strait glanc'd from sight,
But gave the dancing sprays to mark her flight.
Yet, tho', where'er she flew, the quivering leaves
Rustled as when the branches Auster heaves;
He threaded every sinuous path in vain,
To the same alley oft return'd again,
Her robes of snow detected as they gleam'd,
And seem'd to clasp her form but only seem'd;
Till, gliding thro' a gloomier oaken shade,
On a moss-seat he caught the panting maid.
Rustled as when the branches Auster heaves;
He threaded every sinuous path in vain,
To the same alley oft return'd again,
Her robes of snow detected as they gleam'd,
And seem'd to clasp her form but only seem'd;
Till, gliding thro' a gloomier oaken shade,
On a moss-seat he caught the panting maid.
224
When now the hero to his room retir'd,
With many a loose imagination fir'd;
Desire's impatient throbbings to restrain,
“The vision” fleeted o'er his mind again.
“Mysterious Fate! If Laura claim my sighs,
“If Laura be the cloyster'd fair” (he cries)—
“Say, what this form of bright ethereal mould,
“That comes uncall'd, and waves her locks of gold;—
“The angelic shape, air-painted, yet so clear,
“Tho' unsolicited, to fancy dear?
“No Laura blushes in the timid maid;
“Nor Laura's eyelash boasts so sweet a shade!
“Alas! so lovely whilst she swims on air,
“Nor Juliet's image hath attractions there!”
With many a loose imagination fir'd;
Desire's impatient throbbings to restrain,
“The vision” fleeted o'er his mind again.
“Mysterious Fate! If Laura claim my sighs,
“If Laura be the cloyster'd fair” (he cries)—
“Say, what this form of bright ethereal mould,
“That comes uncall'd, and waves her locks of gold;—
“The angelic shape, air-painted, yet so clear,
“Tho' unsolicited, to fancy dear?
“No Laura blushes in the timid maid;
“Nor Laura's eyelash boasts so sweet a shade!
“Alas! so lovely whilst she swims on air,
“Nor Juliet's image hath attractions there!”
END OF THE THIRTEENTH CANTO.
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