 | The Lonely Isle |  |
21
CANTO II.
I
Lovely on them unclosed the morning's eye,The red Flamingo trode the river side;
The Bird of Paradise light poised on high,
Unfolded to the sun his plumes with pride;
The Albatross spread forth his pinions wide;
The Humming Bird, nigh orange blossom fair,
Could not his sparkling ruby gorget hide;—
It seemed, as if the Spirit of the air
Was scattering all his richest, brightest treasures there!
22
II
The gaudiest flowers adorned the velvet green,Of sweetest fragrance, and of colours rare;
The lofty Cocoa towering high was seen,
And Mountain Cabbage quivered in mid-air:
Delicious fruits showed Nature's tender care,
The Sapadillo and the Nectarine,
The Guava, Shaddock, Pine, the Prickly Pear,
The Mammee Apple, with the clustering Vine,
And hundreds more were there, all luscious, rich, and fine.
III
The playful Goat, too, skipt upon the rock;—The springing Antelope danced past with glee;
Of other creatures, too, were many a flock,
Ranging at ease amid the pastures free.
Then Henry and Monimia bent the knee,
And poured their praises to the God of heaven,
That tho' from mortal aid afar they be,
Gone were the terrors with which they had striven,
He had a place of rest to his poor children given.
23
IV
Henry then from the sea-side brought the stores,And they enjoyed a loving sweet repast;
Never before upon these distant shores,
Had linen cloth upon the green been cast.
Long did the simple meal with pleasure last,
The silver rivulet allayed their thirst;
While birds, whose plumage as the diamond flashed,
Poured forth their songs—May-hap they were the first
Of mortals, on whose ears such melody ere burst.
V
The Lovers wandered forth with cheerful smile,In search of some secure and lovely spot;
Impregnable to wild beasts of the Isle,
Where they might build a little sheltering cot;
And soon they found a place not far remote,
A little hillock circled round with trees.
In all the land around them there was not
A place so fortified, so formed to please,
And there they hoped to live in happiness and ease.
24
VI
Henry, with proper tools, the work commenced,And soon the cottage rose beneath his hand;
With wall of planks it was securely fenced,
Of strength enough to foil a ruffian band:
In loop-holes, too, upon a proper stand,
His muskets were all placed in bright array;
It looked a castle fitted to command,
And keep the roving savages at bay,
If any on the isle at certain seasons lay.
VII
Monimia, too, would cheer his daily toil,And make him liquors for the sultry hour,
Prepare a kid, and, with a witching smile,
Soothe weary labour with a lover's power;
She planted shady vines like fairy bower,
And led the tendrils all the cottage o'er,
Then intermixed them with each lovely flower,
Of which around her grew luxuriant store,
And then she'd smile to see the look the cottage wore.
25
VIII
Six months now saw their labours fairly done,The vines and flowers diversified the scene;
And when the blossoms opened to the sun,
'Twas like the palace of a fairy queen;
For all around was neat, and trim, and clean;—
And when the Humming Birds, with rapid flight,
Skimmed thro' the openings of the vine-leaves green,
The contrast sweet, was dazzling to the sight—
The little birds seemed showers of living rubies bright!
IX
The rainy season now was setting in,Proclaimed by the angry thunder's roar;
For days was nothing but eternal din,
And vivid flashes from the lightning store:
Then heaven wide op'd its windows, and a pour
Of rain was sent, as if a sea was there;
Which kept the Lovers close within the door;
Who were not idle, but made all things fair
Inside, which soon appeared for beauty passing rare.
26
X
And oft of England talking would they keep,Dwelling with rapture on their native soil;
And thoughtful meditate in wonder deep,
What cruel being sent them to this Isle:
They never deemed the Guardian so vile,
As to mark them for his devoted prey,
Or use so villanous, so base a wile,
And such hard-hearted wickedness display,
As leave them on an unknown coast so far away.
XI
Yet they would say, “Almighty God is good!We might have shared the fate of those sad men,
Who, 'mid the wildest scenes of guilt and blood,
Were hurled to death, mayhap to endless pain:
He might have thrown us on some sandy plain,
Where we with thirst and hunger might have pined,
Or led us where some savage had his den;—
While here we're housed from rains and parching wind;
The King of Heaven is to the weary wanderer kind.”
27
XII
The rains began now to decrease apace,The singing birds, with sweet strains, cheered the land;
Nature again put on a smiling face,
And looked with aspect, noble, rich, and grand:
The Antelopes skipt brisk in many a band;
The Goats, too, bounded on the high rocks free;—
'Twas Heaven itself had issued the command,
The rock, the sward, the bush, the lofty tree,
Seemed full of life, and joy, and merriment, and glee.
XIII
Henry one morning wandered with his gun,And 'neath a tree surprised a sleeping kid;
He gave Monimia what he bloodless won;
Who prized it more than ere its mother did:
She taught it what to do when it was bid,
And soon she suffered it to frisk unbound;
It would not be a moment from her hid,
But used to follow her o'er all the ground;
Looking to be carest, and jumping round and round.
28
XIV
But now the flowers demanded proper care,Again she strewed them all the dwelling o'er;
Which re-appeared as gaudy and as fair;
Mayhap it was more lovely than before:
And all around her such a blithe look wore,
That she oft said to Henry, and would smile,
“I care not if I ne'er see England more;
Nay, smile not, what to me's my native soil,
I'm happy here, in my romantic Lonely Isle.
XV
“We're far removed from all the world's sad wo,And I am happy, O! I'm happy here,
Monimia would never pleasure know,
If ever parted from her Henry dear:
O! if some savage man would come, and tear
Me from the valued friend I prize so high,
Life of my soul! without a pang of fear,
Without a murmur, save for thee one sigh,
I'd close my joyless eyes, and lay me down and die.
29
XVI
“Care I for all the wealth I left behind?If it was here, say, what would it avail?
This little spot's so pleasant to my mind,
That if I left it, I would weep and wail:
Surely no misery can e'er assail,
Two loving hearts in this sweet vale of joy,
Excepting one;—but I will not look pale,
Death surely will not all my peace destroy,
But on me, first, his strong unerring hand employ.
XVII
But haste away! thou soul distracting thought—My Henry, I must your approval claim,
A title for this Paradise I've sought;
Tell me if I've been erring in my aim?
The “Lonely Isle” must be from hence its name,
For it is lonely in the sea's broad zone;
It is, my Henry, an unrivalled gem,
Hid from the view of man, unseen, alone,—
A fairer, happier isle the sun ne'er looked upon.”
30
XVIII
“Monimia! thou art happy now, I see,And I'm supremely blest when thou art so;
The Isle shall get no other name from me,
And by some name we certain should it know:
'Tis surely lonely, for no scene of wo
Was ever known within its rocky wall;
And often will imagination show,
(And well I love the image to recal)
What our first Parents were before their wretched fall.
XIX
O! let me dwell upon the subject still,To paint my love, Monimia! give me leave,
Thou knowest I will do whate'er's thy will,
But do not Henry of fond hope bereave:
I'll be thy Adam, be my lovely Eve;
Long, long for thee I have in silence striven;
If thou deniest me, Sweetest, I'll not grieve;
But if thou takest me, here my oath is given,
My wedded Wife thou art, before the throne of heaven!
31
XX
Monimia blushed, red as Flamingo's wing,When the bright sun is beaming on his plumes;
Her struggling answer's soft and murmuring,
Like breeze of night in grove of rich perfumes.
Henry's bright eye more lustre now assumes,
His spirit trembles on Monimia's breath;
But soon the kindling dawn of hope illumes
His breast;—like some good mortal of pure faith,
Who sees a glimpse of Heaven when in the arms of death!
XXI
“Henry! my chiefest pride, my highest aim,Is aye to live in love and bliss with thee;
There's none on earth, my Henry, I could name,
Except thyself, with whom I'd happy be:
My heart is thine, thou'st had it long from me,
And I guess rightly, when I say I've thine.
O! many a happy hour, I trust, we'll see,
And days of true delight will on us shine;
My joy is in thy breast, thy happiness in mine.”
32
XXII
Henry then clasped her in a warm embrace,His soul was lightened of a heavy load;
The tears of joy and love bedewed each face;—
And, hand-in-hand, they knelt upon the sod:
They offered up their holy vows to God,
That their fond hearts might ne'er asunder rove—
And sure they found their way to heaven's abode,
And were inserted in God's book above,
Their's were the purest vows of innocence and love.
XXIII
Then to their fairy home, in ecstasy,Their raptured steps the happy lovers bent;
Their bosoms throbbed with pleasure and with glee,
They loved each other, and were innocent:
No hardened ruffians could now prevent
Their joy by dark premeditated plan;
They laid them on their healthy couch content,
Nor did they dream of ghastly spectres wan,
Of savage beasts of prey, or still more savage man!
END OF CANTO SECOND.
| The Lonely Isle | |