Great was the joy; but at the nuptial feast, When all sate down, the bride herself was wanting, Nor was she to be found! Her father cried, “ 'Tis but to make a trial of our love!” And filled his.glass to all; but his hand shook, And soon from guest to guest the panic spread. 'Twas but that instant she had left Francesco, Laughing, and looking back, and flying still, Her ivory tooth imprinted on his finger. But now, alas! she was not to be found; Nor from that hour could anything be guessed, But that she was not ! Weary of his life, Francesco flew to Venice, and, embarking, Flung it away in battle with the Turks. Orsini lived; and long might you have seen An old man wandering as in quest of something Something he could not find -- he knew not what. When he was gone, the house remained awhile Silent and tenantless, then went to strangers. Full fifty years were past and all forgotten, Why not remove it from its lurking-place?”. There then had she found a grave! Within that chest had she concealed herself, Fluttering with joy, the happiest of the happy; When a spring lock, that lay in ambush there, Fastened her down forever! Rev. CHARLES WOLFE. 1791-1823. (Manual, p. 432.) 313. THE BURIAL OF SIR John Moore.' As his corse to the rampart we hurried : O’er the grave where our hero we buried. We buried him darkly at dead of night, The sods with our bayonets turning - And the lantern dimly burning. No useless coffin enclosed his breast, Not in sheet or in shroud we wound him; With his martial cloak around him. Few and short were the prayers we said, And we spoke not a word of sorrow; And we bitterly thought of the morrow. We thought, as we hollowed his narrow bed, And smoothed down his lonely pillow, And we far away on the billow. Lightly they'll talk of the spirit that's gone, And o'er his cold ashes upbraid him In the grave where a Briton has laid him. But half of our heavy task was done When the clock struck the hour for retiring; That the foe was sullenly firing. Slowly and sadly we laid him down, From the field of his fame fresh and gory; But we left him alone with his glory. 1 Sir John Moore was mortally wounded by a cannon ball, January 16, 1809, in an action between the English and Spanish forces under his command, and the French under Marshal Soult, on the Heights of Elviva, near Corunna, Spain, and died in the moment of his victory. JAMES MONTGOMERY. 1771-1854. (Manual, p. 432.) FROM “THE WEST INDIES." 315. PRAYER. Uttered or unexpressed; That trembles in the breast. Prayer is the burden of a sigh, The falling of a tear, When none but God is near. HORACE Smith. 1780-1849. (Manual, p. 432.) 316. ADDRESS TO A MUMMY. And thou hast walked about (how strange a story!) In Thebes's streets three thousand years ago, When the Memnonium was in all its glory, And time had not begun to overthrow Those temples, palaces, and piles stupendous, Of which the very ruins are tremendous ! Speak! for thou long enough hast acted dumby : Thou hast a tongue, come, let us hear its tune; Thou’rt standing on thy legs above ground, mummy! Revisiting the glimpses of the moon. Not like thin ghosts or disembodied creatures, But with thy bones, and flesh, and limbs, and features. Tell us – for doubtless thou canst recollect To whom we should assign the Sphinx's fame? Of either Pyramid that bears his name? Perhaps thou wert a mason, and forbidden By oath to tell the secrets of thy trade Then say, what secret melody was hidden In Memnon's statue, which at sunrise played? Perhaps thou wert a Priest - if so, my struggles Are vain, for priestcraft never owns its juggles. Perchance that very hand, now pinioned flat, Has hob-a-nobbed with Pharaoh, glass to glass; Or doffed thine own to let Queen Dido pass, I need not ask thee if that hand, when armed, Has any Roman soldier mauled and knuckled, Ere Romulus and Remus had been suckled : Thou couldst develop, if that withered tongue Might tell us what those sightless orbs have seen, How the world looked when it was fresh and young, And the great deluge still had left it green; Or was it then so old, that history's pages Contained no record of its early ages? Still silent, incommunicative elf! Art sworn to secrecy? then keep thy vows; But prythee tell us something of thyself, Reveal the secrets of thy prison-house; Since in the world of spirits thou hast slumbered, What hast thou seen what strange adventures numbered? Since first thy form was in this box extended, We have, above ground, seen some strange mutations; The Roman empire has begun and ended, New worlds have risen we have lost old nations, And countless kings have into dust been humbled, Whilst not a fragment of thy flesh has crumbled. |