With cornice glimmering as the moon - beams play, The groves All tinged with varied hues arrest the eye Again the Aegean, heard no more afar, where gentler ocean smile. 14 1220 seems to II. Not now my theme-why turn my thoughts to thee? r Who that beheld that Sun upon thee set, 1230 Fair Athens! could thine evening face forget? Not he whose heart nor time nor distance frees, Spell-bound within the clustering cyclades! Nor seems this homage foreign to his strain, His Corsair's isle was once thine own domain. Would that with freedom it were thine again!. The Sun hath sunk III. and, darker than the night, Sinks with its beam upon the beacon height Medora's heart With it he comes one! the third day's come and gone not- sends not faithless 1240 The wind was fair though light; and storms were nonc. Last eve Anselmo's bark returned, and yet The night-breeze freshens-she that day had past She saw not felt not this nor dared depart, Nor deemed it cold her chill was at her heart; Till grew such certainty from that suspense It came at last a sad and shattered boat, Whose inmates first beheld whom first they sought: Some bleeding · all most wretched these the few Scarce knew they hew escaped knew. this all they In silence, darkling, each appeared to wait 1260 His fellow's mournful guess at Conrad's fate: Something they would have said; but seemed to fear To trust their accents to Medora's ear. She saw at once, yet sunk not trembled not Bencath that grief, that loneliness of lot, Within that mcek fair form, were feelings high, That deemed not till they found their energy. While yet was Hope- they softened-flutteredwept - All lost that softness died not but it slept; And o'er its slumber rose that Strength which said, "With nothing left to love 1270 there's nought to "Tis more than nature's; like the burning might Delirium gathers from the fever's height. "But here is one denies that he is dead: "He saw him bound; and bleeding-but alive." 1280 She heard no further 'twas in vain to strife So throbbed each vein - each thought till then withstood; Her own dark soul these words at once subdued: falls - and senseless had the wave Perchance but snatched her from another grave; But that with hands though rude, yet weeping eyes, They yield such aid as Pity's haste supplies: Dash o'er her deathlike cheek the ocean dew, sustain till life returns anew; Raise - fan Awake her handmaids, with the matrons leave 1290 That fainting form o'er which they gaze and grieve; Then seek Anselmo's cavern, to report when the triumph short. The tale too tedious IV. In that wild council words waxed warm and strange, V. Within the Haram's secret chamber sate Stern Seyd, still pondering o'er his Captive's fate; His thoughts on love and hate alternate dwell, Now with Gulnare, and now in Conrad's cell; Here at his feet the lovely slave reclined Surveys his brow mind, would soothe his gloom of While many an anxious glance her large dark eye Sends in its idle search for sympathy, His only bends in seeming o'er his beads, 15 1310 But inly views his victim as he bleeds. |