Queen Berengaria's Courtesy, and Other Poems By the Lady E. Stuart Wortley. In Three Vols |
 | I, II, III. |
|
SONG OF THE DYING IMPROVISATRICE. |
|
 | Queen Berengaria's Courtesy, and Other Poems |  |
SONG OF THE DYING IMPROVISATRICE.
Come!—Beatific Breathings!—come,
And call my sinking spirit home,
And bless once more my kindling heart
With Hope—and so let it depart
In Inspiration's flash and light—
Bearing that with it through Death's Night!
And call my sinking spirit home,
And bless once more my kindling heart
With Hope—and so let it depart
In Inspiration's flash and light—
Bearing that with it through Death's Night!
Aye!—Inspiration's sunny wave
Shall break in beauty o'er the grave!—
That Fountain of Heaven's Fire shall throw
O'er Death itself a dream-born glow,
And dazzle from its mien the gloom
Which makes the heart shrink from the tomb!
Shall break in beauty o'er the grave!—
That Fountain of Heaven's Fire shall throw
O'er Death itself a dream-born glow,
And dazzle from its mien the gloom
Which makes the heart shrink from the tomb!
15
Come, glorious Inspiration! come,
And wafted to its Heavenly Home
By thee, my Soul shall gladly spring
Upon a strong and fearless wing—
Yet, Oh! from Heaven and not from Earth
Must thou flash brightening into birth!
And wafted to its Heavenly Home
By thee, my Soul shall gladly spring
Upon a strong and fearless wing—
Yet, Oh! from Heaven and not from Earth
Must thou flash brightening into birth!
But, on this mixed and mystic scene,
What hath for ever deeply been
Mine Inspiration's spring and source—
Its truth—its strength—its depth—and force,
Oh! what but Love—the etherial Power,
Life's precious though its poisoned flower.
What hath for ever deeply been
Mine Inspiration's spring and source—
Its truth—its strength—its depth—and force,
Oh! what but Love—the etherial Power,
Life's precious though its poisoned flower.
And, Oh! my Soul, let Love be still
The awakener of each quickening thrill;
Let Love still, still with wond'rous might
Wing every thought to some far flight,
And wake my mind's declining powers
Even in these dark and darkening hours.
The awakener of each quickening thrill;
Let Love still, still with wond'rous might
Wing every thought to some far flight,
And wake my mind's declining powers
Even in these dark and darkening hours.
16
But Love, not such as e'er before
Throbbed in this bosom's burning core,
A nobler feeling and a higher,
Than that which once had power to inspire,
More precious too a thousand fold,
And, Oh!—not poisoned as of old!
Throbbed in this bosom's burning core,
A nobler feeling and a higher,
Than that which once had power to inspire,
More precious too a thousand fold,
And, Oh!—not poisoned as of old!
Love—with all higher dreams of Truth,
(Diviner scarce can be—in sooth!)
Brightly and exquisitely blent
To raise the drooping Soul, long bent
Beneath his Earthly rule in fear,
For Love! thou'rt but a trembler here!
(Diviner scarce can be—in sooth!)
Brightly and exquisitely blent
To raise the drooping Soul, long bent
Beneath his Earthly rule in fear,
For Love! thou'rt but a trembler here!
With things that fade and fall no more
Commingling as thou didst before,
No more with things that droop and die,
Joined tenderly, but mournfully—
The dews of morn—the Summer's rose—
That soon sinks blighted where it blows!
Commingling as thou didst before,
No more with things that droop and die,
Joined tenderly, but mournfully—
The dews of morn—the Summer's rose—
That soon sinks blighted where it blows!
17
No!—New associations bright
Shall bless thee in thy new delight,
The everlasting Stars shall blaze
Thy name in wreaths of deathless rays!
The fountains of the immortal streams
Reflect thy Beauty as it beams.
Shall bless thee in thy new delight,
The everlasting Stars shall blaze
Thy name in wreaths of deathless rays!
The fountains of the immortal streams
Reflect thy Beauty as it beams.
Love!—come unto my spirit now,
In thine exalted guise—Oh! thou
That long hast o'er that spirit reigned,
That long hast ruled it and enchained;
Come! and thy loftier sway extend
Now, o'er its quick dreams—without end.
In thine exalted guise—Oh! thou
That long hast o'er that spirit reigned,
That long hast ruled it and enchained;
Come! and thy loftier sway extend
Now, o'er its quick dreams—without end.
And shall it not sublimely seem
In that august and rapturous dream,
(Above all joy that ever blessed
The happiest and most cloudless breast!)
As though half-way Heaven met the Soul—
Winged to its high Cœlestial goal!
In that august and rapturous dream,
(Above all joy that ever blessed
The happiest and most cloudless breast!)
As though half-way Heaven met the Soul—
Winged to its high Cœlestial goal!
18
Since thou! Love! raised and purified—
Nor more with dreams of Earth allied—
No more with mortal burthens bowed,
But lifted from thy clayey shroud,
A Heaven thyself indeed must be
Of yet untried Felicity!
Nor more with dreams of Earth allied—
No more with mortal burthens bowed,
But lifted from thy clayey shroud,
A Heaven thyself indeed must be
Of yet untried Felicity!
And, Oh! in this o'ershadowed hour
Possess my Soul with all thy power,
With all thy truth of deep delight—
And Death shall melt before thy might
Unto a pleasant sleep—a rest
On thy immortal Angel-breast!
Possess my Soul with all thy power,
With all thy truth of deep delight—
And Death shall melt before thy might
Unto a pleasant sleep—a rest
On thy immortal Angel-breast!
I go—but my now strengthened heart
No more refuseth to depart!
With sick reluctance—dim distrust—
Still shrinking from the cold dark dust!—
Still clinging to this Earth's vain things,
Which clogged its faintly-fluttering wings.
No more refuseth to depart!
With sick reluctance—dim distrust—
Still shrinking from the cold dark dust!—
Still clinging to this Earth's vain things,
Which clogged its faintly-fluttering wings.
19
I go—but those fond struggles cease—
That tore my heart—now lulled to peace—
Thy beauty, Earth! is still the same,
But glimpsed in Lightning-dreams of flame
Now, Worlds of mightier beauty blaze,
And win my wonder-smitten gaze.
That tore my heart—now lulled to peace—
Thy beauty, Earth! is still the same,
But glimpsed in Lightning-dreams of flame
Now, Worlds of mightier beauty blaze,
And win my wonder-smitten gaze.
Worlds of immortal Beauty shine—
And draw me from all charms of thine—
Which once enraptured and inspired
The Soul—that admiration fired
Too wildly—'mid Life's doubts and woes,
Or for its weal—or its repose!
And draw me from all charms of thine—
Which once enraptured and inspired
The Soul—that admiration fired
Too wildly—'mid Life's doubts and woes,
Or for its weal—or its repose!
Come! Beatific Breathings!—come,
And call my longing Spirit home—
And soothe all faultering fears away—
And reconcile me to decay!
Since that the harbinger must be
Of Life and Immortality!
And call my longing Spirit home—
And soothe all faultering fears away—
And reconcile me to decay!
Since that the harbinger must be
Of Life and Immortality!
20
Oh! in my proudest, happiest strain,
Still moaned the stifled sigh of pain—
O'er my most fair and radiant dream
The shadow crept—and Joy did seem
Too near to Sorrow evermore—
On this o'erclouded Earthly shore!
Still moaned the stifled sigh of pain—
O'er my most fair and radiant dream
The shadow crept—and Joy did seem
Too near to Sorrow evermore—
On this o'erclouded Earthly shore!
But never crossed by sigh of pain
Shall be my Soul's new glorious strain—
Never by shadow clouded o'er,
As were my loveliest dreams of yore,
Shall be the Immortal dreams of light
Which yet shall glad my wond'ring sight.
Shall be my Soul's new glorious strain—
Never by shadow clouded o'er,
As were my loveliest dreams of yore,
Shall be the Immortal dreams of light
Which yet shall glad my wond'ring sight.
Farewell! ye fading flowers of Earth!
That change and perish from your birth—
No more shall ye surround my lyre—
No! wreaths of living light and fire
Shall crown its chords of rapture now—
And circle too my cloudless brow!
That change and perish from your birth—
No more shall ye surround my lyre—
No! wreaths of living light and fire
Shall crown its chords of rapture now—
And circle too my cloudless brow!
21
Hopes, loves, and joys of Earth, farewell!—
More than this trembling lip can tell,
Ye once reigned wholly in my heart,
As though ye could not thence depart!
But ye make place in your decline
For hopes and joys and loves divine!
More than this trembling lip can tell,
Ye once reigned wholly in my heart,
As though ye could not thence depart!
But ye make place in your decline
For hopes and joys and loves divine!
Come! Beatific Breathings! come,
And call my yearning Spirit home!
Earth's beauty seems but ashes now,
Fame's trophies fade along my brow,
And Thought by Thought I would depart,
While Death's cold hand weighs on my heart!
And call my yearning Spirit home!
Earth's beauty seems but ashes now,
Fame's trophies fade along my brow,
And Thought by Thought I would depart,
While Death's cold hand weighs on my heart!
| Queen Berengaria's Courtesy, and Other Poems | |