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With cornice glimmering as the moon - beams play,
There the white column grects her grateful ray,
And bright around with quivering beams beset, 1210
Her emblem sparkles o'er the minaret:

The groves
of olives scattered dark and wide
Where meek Cephisus pours his scanty tide,
The cypress saddening by the sacred mosque,
The gleaming turret of the gay Kiosk, 16
And, dun and sombre 'mid the holy calm,
Near Theseus' fane yon solitary palm,

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All tinged with varied hues arrest the eye
And dull were his that passed them heedless by.

Again the Aegean, heard no more afar,
Lulls his chafed breast from elemental war:
Again his waves in milder tints unfold
Their long array of sapphire and of gold,
Mixt with the shades of many a distant isle,
That frown

where gentler ocean

smile. 14

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seems to

II.

Not now my theme-why turn my thoughts to thee?
Oh! who can look along thy native sea,
Nor dwell upon thy name, whate'er the tale,
So much its magic must o'er all prevail?

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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
His only tidings that they had not met!
Though wild, as now, far different were the tale
Had Conrad waited for that single sail.

The night-breeze freshens-she that day had past
In watching all that Hope proclaimed a mast;
Sadly she sate on high -Impatience bore
At last her footsteps to the midnight shore,
And there she wandered heedless of the spray 1250
That dashed her garments oft, and warned away:

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
His very Sight had shocked from life or sense!

It came at last a sad and shattered boat,

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Whose inmates first beheld whom first they sought: Some bleeding · all most wretched these the

few

Scarce knew they hew escaped

knew.

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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

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"Tis more than nature's; like the burning might Delirium gathers from the fever's height.

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"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

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these words at once subdued:

falls - and senseless had the wave

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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,
With thoughts of ransom, rescue, and revenge;
All, save repose or flight: still lingering there
Breathed Conrad's spirit, and forbade despair;
Whate'er his fate - the breasts he formed and led,
Will save him living, or appease him dead.
Woe to his foes! there yet survive a few, 1300
Whose deeds are daring, as their hearts are true.

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.

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