Poems and Plays By William Hayley ... in Six Volumes. A New Edition |
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| XIII. | CANTO XIII. |
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 | Poems and Plays |  |
133
CANTO XIII.
[OMITTED]
A path where watchful centinels were spread,
A single path, to this lone station led:
No other signs of human step were trac'd;
For the vex'd land was desolate and waste.
It chanc'd that night the noble Chieftain prest
His anxious mistress to his gallant breast,
The fair Guacolda, for whose charms he burn'd,
And whose warm heart his faithful love return'd.
That night beheld the warlike savage rest,
Free from th' incumbrance of his martial vest;
That night alone allow'd his eyes to close
In the deceitful calm of short repose:
Sleep prest upon him like the weight of death;
But soon he starts, alarm'd, and gasps for breath.
The fair Guacolda, with a trembling tongue,
Anxious enquires from whence his anguish sprung.
A single path, to this lone station led:
No other signs of human step were trac'd;
For the vex'd land was desolate and waste.
134
His anxious mistress to his gallant breast,
The fair Guacolda, for whose charms he burn'd,
And whose warm heart his faithful love return'd.
That night beheld the warlike savage rest,
Free from th' incumbrance of his martial vest;
That night alone allow'd his eyes to close
In the deceitful calm of short repose:
Sleep prest upon him like the weight of death;
But soon he starts, alarm'd, and gasps for breath.
The fair Guacolda, with a trembling tongue,
Anxious enquires from whence his anguish sprung.
My lovely Fair! the brave Lautaro cries,
An hideous vision struck my scornful eyes:
Methought that instant a fierce Chief of Spain
Mock'd my vain spear with insolent disdain;
His forceful arm my failing powers o'ercame,
And strength and motion seem'd to quit my frame.
But still the vigour of my soul I keep,
And its keen anger burst the bonds of sleep.
An hideous vision struck my scornful eyes:
Methought that instant a fierce Chief of Spain
Mock'd my vain spear with insolent disdain;
His forceful arm my failing powers o'ercame,
And strength and motion seem'd to quit my frame.
But still the vigour of my soul I keep,
And its keen anger burst the bonds of sleep.
With quick despair, the troubled Fair one said,
Alas! thy dreams confirm the ills I dread.
'Tis come—the object of my boding fears!
Thy end, the source of my unceasing tears.
Yet not so wretched is this mournful hour,
Nor o'er me, Fortune, canst thou boast such pow'r,
But that kind death may shorten all my woes,
And give the agonizing scene to close.
Let my stern fate its cruel rage employ,
And hurl me from the throne of love and joy;
Whatever pangs its malice may devise,
It cannot rend affection's stronger ties.
Tho' horrible the blow my fears foresee,
A second blow will set my spirit free;
For cold on earth thy frame shall ne'er be found,
While mine with useless being loads the ground.
Alas! thy dreams confirm the ills I dread.
'Tis come—the object of my boding fears!
Thy end, the source of my unceasing tears.
Yet not so wretched is this mournful hour,
Nor o'er me, Fortune, canst thou boast such pow'r,
135
And give the agonizing scene to close.
Let my stern fate its cruel rage employ,
And hurl me from the throne of love and joy;
Whatever pangs its malice may devise,
It cannot rend affection's stronger ties.
Tho' horrible the blow my fears foresee,
A second blow will set my spirit free;
For cold on earth thy frame shall ne'er be found,
While mine with useless being loads the ground.
The Chief, transported with her tender charms,
Closely around her neck entwin'd his arms;
And, while fond tears her snowy breast bedew'd,
Thus with redoubled love his speech pursu'd:
Closely around her neck entwin'd his arms;
And, while fond tears her snowy breast bedew'd,
Thus with redoubled love his speech pursu'd:
My generous Fair, thy gloomy thoughts dismiss;
Nor let dark omens interrupt our bliss,
And cloud these moments that with transport shine,
While my exulting heart thus feels thee mine.
Thy troubled fancy prompts my mutual sigh;
Not that I think the hour of danger nigh:
But Love so melts me with his soft controul,
Impossibilities alarm my soul.
If thy kind wishes bid Lautaro live,
Who to this frame the wound of death can give?
Tho' 'gainst me all the powers of earth combine,
My life is subject to no hand but thine.
Who has restor'd the Araucanian name,
And rais'd it, sinking in the depths of shame,
When alien lords our nation's spirit broke,
And bent its neck beneath a servile yoke?
I am the Chief who burst our galling chain,
And freed my country from oppressive Spain;
My name alone, without my sword's display,
Humbles our foes, and fills them with dismay.
These happy arms while thy dear beauties fill,
I feel no terror, I foresee no ill.
Be not by false and empty dreams deprest,
Since truth has nothing to afflict thy breast.
Oft have I 'scap'd, inur'd to every state,
From many a darker precipice of fate;
Oft in far mightier perils risk'd my life,
And issued glorious from the doubtful strife.
Nor let dark omens interrupt our bliss,
And cloud these moments that with transport shine,
While my exulting heart thus feels thee mine.
Thy troubled fancy prompts my mutual sigh;
Not that I think the hour of danger nigh:
But Love so melts me with his soft controul,
Impossibilities alarm my soul.
If thy kind wishes bid Lautaro live,
Who to this frame the wound of death can give?
Tho' 'gainst me all the powers of earth combine,
My life is subject to no hand but thine.
136
And rais'd it, sinking in the depths of shame,
When alien lords our nation's spirit broke,
And bent its neck beneath a servile yoke?
I am the Chief who burst our galling chain,
And freed my country from oppressive Spain;
My name alone, without my sword's display,
Humbles our foes, and fills them with dismay.
These happy arms while thy dear beauties fill,
I feel no terror, I foresee no ill.
Be not by false and empty dreams deprest,
Since truth has nothing to afflict thy breast.
Oft have I 'scap'd, inur'd to every state,
From many a darker precipice of fate;
Oft in far mightier perils risk'd my life,
And issued glorious from the doubtful strife.
With less'ning confidence, and deeper grief,
Trembling she hung upon the soothing Chief,
His lip with supplicating softness prest,
And urg'd with many a tear this fond request:
Trembling she hung upon the soothing Chief,
His lip with supplicating softness prest,
And urg'd with many a tear this fond request:
If the pure love, which, prodigal and free,
When freedom most was mine, I gave to thee;
If truth, which Heaven will witness and defend,
Weigh with my sovereign lord and gentle friend;
By these let me adjure thee; by the pain
Which at our parting pierc'd my every vein,
And all the vows, if undispers'd in air,
Which then with many a tear I heard thee swear;
To this my only wish at least agree,
If all thy wishes have been laws to me:
Haste, I entreat thee, arm thyself with care,
And bid thy soldiers for defence prepare.
When freedom most was mine, I gave to thee;
If truth, which Heaven will witness and defend,
Weigh with my sovereign lord and gentle friend;
By these let me adjure thee; by the pain
Which at our parting pierc'd my every vein,
137
Which then with many a tear I heard thee swear;
To this my only wish at least agree,
If all thy wishes have been laws to me:
Haste, I entreat thee, arm thyself with care,
And bid thy soldiers for defence prepare.
The brave Barbarian quick reply'd—'Tis clear
How low my powers are rated by thy fear.
Canst thou so poorly of Lautaro deem?
And is this arm so sunk in thy esteem?
This arm, which, rescuing thy native earth,
So prodigally prov'd its valiant worth!
In my try'd courage how complete thy trust,
Whose terror weeps thy living lord as dust!
How low my powers are rated by thy fear.
Canst thou so poorly of Lautaro deem?
And is this arm so sunk in thy esteem?
This arm, which, rescuing thy native earth,
So prodigally prov'd its valiant worth!
In my try'd courage how complete thy trust,
Whose terror weeps thy living lord as dust!
In thee, she cries, with confidence most pure,
My soul is satisfy'd, yet not secure.
What will thy arm avail in danger's course,
If my malignant fate has mightier force?
But let the mis'ry I forebode arise;
On this firm thought my constant love relies:
The sword whose stroke our union may disjoin,
Will teach my faithful soul to follow thine.
Since my hard destiny, with rage severe,
Thus threatens me with all that love can fear;
Since I am doom'd the worst of ills to see,
And lose all earthly good in losing thee;
O! suffer me to pass, ere death appears,
The little remnant of my life in tears!
The heart that sinks not in distress like this,
Could never feel, could never merit bliss.
My soul is satisfy'd, yet not secure.
What will thy arm avail in danger's course,
If my malignant fate has mightier force?
But let the mis'ry I forebode arise;
On this firm thought my constant love relies:
The sword whose stroke our union may disjoin,
Will teach my faithful soul to follow thine.
Since my hard destiny, with rage severe,
Thus threatens me with all that love can fear;
Since I am doom'd the worst of ills to see,
And lose all earthly good in losing thee;
138
The little remnant of my life in tears!
The heart that sinks not in distress like this,
Could never feel, could never merit bliss.
Here from her eyes such floods of sorrow flow,
Compassion weeps in gazing on her woe!
The fond Lautaro, tho' of firmest power,
Sheds, as she speaks, a sympathetic shower.
But, to the tender scenes of love unus'd,
My artless pen, embarrass'd and confus'd,
From its sad task with diffidence withdraws,
And in its labour asks a little pause.
Compassion weeps in gazing on her woe!
The fond Lautaro, tho' of firmest power,
Sheds, as she speaks, a sympathetic shower.
But, to the tender scenes of love unus'd,
My artless pen, embarrass'd and confus'd,
From its sad task with diffidence withdraws,
And in its labour asks a little pause.
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