 | The vision of Cortes, Cain, and other poems |  |
42
XXXII.
One hapless hour—deem'd happy then,She found unbarr'd, her prison-grate;
The keeper of that fearful den,
Withdrawn—she did not hesitate!
A moment gave her freedom—gave,
To be the rest of life, a slave;
For, what is slavery, but to be
Dependant for the spirit's life,
Upon the will of those not free!
She sought him out in fearful strife—
A page's garb, her pass became,
And, with a ready change of name,
Suspected not, she won his ear,
His heart—if heart could still be, where
Sat Pride, Ambition, Avarice—
To these, must love be sacrifice!
It was her fate, and so she bow'd,
And mingled with the menial crowd;
But ever, in the fearful hour,
When trumpets sound, and war-clouds low'r
However fierce did war betide,
That ready page was by his side;
And seal'd without reproach, the vow,
Kept to the last, and cancel'd now!
| The vision of Cortes, Cain, and other poems | |