Графични страници
PDF файл
ePub

The past was bright, like those dear hills The traitorous scroll that snatched the so far behind her bark;

The future, like the gathering night, was

ominous and dark!

[blocks in formation]

66

crown from her ancestral line :

My lords! my lords!" the captive said,

[ocr errors]

were I but once more free,

With ten good knights on yonder shore, to aid my cause and me,

That parchment would I scatter wide to every breeze that blows,

And once more reign a Stuart Queen o'er my remorseless foes!"

The scene was changed. It was an eve of A red spot burned upon her cheek-raw and surly mood, streamed her rich tresses down;

And in a turret-chamber high of ancient She wrote the words-she stood erect-a Holyrood queen without a crown!

Sat Mary, listening to the rain, and sighing with the winds,

BATTLE OF LANGSIDE.

That seemed to suit the stormy state of The scene was changed. A royal host a men's uncertain minds. royal banner bore,

The touch of care had blanched her cheek And the faithful of the land stood round --her smile was sadder now; their smiling queen once more:

The weight of royalty had pressed too She stayed her steed upon a hill-she saw heavy on her brow; them marching by-

And traitors to her councils came, and She heard their shouts - she read success rebels to the field;in every flashing eye:

The Stuart sceptre well she swayed, but the The tumult of the strife begins-it roars-sword she could not wield.

She thought of all her blighted hopes--the dreams of youth's brief day,

it dies away;

And Mary's troops and banners now, and courtiers-where are they?

And summoned Rizzio with his lute, and Scattered and strewn, and flying far, debade the minstrel play

fenceless and undone

The songs she loved in early years-the O God! to see what she has lost, and think songs of gay Navarre,

The songs, perchance, that erst were sung by gallant Chatelar:

They half beguiled her of her cares, they

soothed her into smiles,

They won her thoughts from bigot zeal, and fierce domestic broils:

what guilt has won!

Away! away! thy gallant steed must act no laggard's part;

Yet vain his speed, for thou dost bear the arrow in thy heart.

FOTHERINGAY CASTLE.

But hark! the tramp of armed men! the The scene was changed. Beside the block Douglas' battle-cry!

a sullen headsman stood,

They come they come-and lo! the scowl And gleamed the broad axe in his hand, of Ruthven's hollow eye! that soon must drip with blood. And swords are drawn, and daggers gleam, With slow and steady step there came a and tears and words are vain,

lady through the hall,

The ruffian steel is in his heart-the faith- And breathless silence chained the lips, ful Rizzio's slain ! and touched the hearts of all:

Then Mary Stuart brushed aside the tears Rich were the sable robes she wore-her that trickling fell: white veil round her fell

"Now for my father's arm!" she said; And from her neck there hung the crossmy woman's heart farewell!"

[ocr errors]

LOCHLEVEN CASTLE.

the cross she loved so well!

I knew that queenly form again, though blighted was its bloom

The scene was changed. It was a lake, I saw that grief had decked it out-an ofwith one small lonely isle, fering for the tomb!

And there, within the prison-walls of its I knew the eye, though faint its light, that baronial pile, once so brightly shoneStern men stood menacing their queen, till I knew the voice, though feeble now, that she should stoop to sign thrilled with every tone

I knew the ringlets, almost gray, once

threads of living gold-

Who

sunned themselves beneath her glance, and round her footsteps bowed!

I knew that bounding grace of step-that Her neck is bared-the blow is strucksymmetry of mould!

the soul is passed away;

Even now I see her far away, in that calm The bright, the beautiful, is now-a bleedconvent aisle, ing piece of clay !

I hear her chant her vesper-hymn, I mark | The dog is moaning piteously; and, as it her holy smilegurgles o'er, Even now I see her bursting forth, upon Laps the warm blood that trickling runs her bridal morn, unheeded to the floor!

A new star in the firmament, to light and The blood of beauty, wealth, and power-glory born! the heart-blood of a queen

Alas, the change! she placed her foot The noblest of the Stuart race-the fairest upon a triple throne, earth hath seenAnd on the scaffold now she stands-be- Lapped by a dog! Go, think of it in silence side the block, alone! and alone;

The little dog that licks her hand, the last Then weigh against a grain of sand the of all the crowd

glories of a throne!

H. G. BELL.

THE RAVEN.

ONCE upon a midnight dreary, while I Presently my soul grew stronger; hesipondered, weak and weary,

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore

66

tating then no longer, "Sir," said I, or madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;

While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly But the fact is I was napping, and so gently

there came a tapping,

As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.

""Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at ny chamber door-

Only this, and nothing more."

Ah distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,

you came rapping,

And so faintly you came tapping, tapping
at my chamber door,

That I scarce was sure I heard you." Here
I opened wide the door;---
Darkness there, and nothing more.

Deep into that darkness peering, long I
stood there wondering, fearing,

And each separate dying ember wrought its | Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever ghost upon the floor.

dared to dream before;

Eagerly I wished the morrow;-vainly had But the silence was unbroken, and the I sought to borrow

From my books surcease of sorrow, sorrow

for the lost Lenore

darkness gave no token,

And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, "Lenore!"

For the rare and radiant maiden whom the This I whispered, and an echo murmured angels name Lenore

Nameless here for evermore.

back the word, "Lenore !". Merely this, and nothing more.

And the silken sad uncertain rustling of Back into the chamber turning, all my soul each purple curtain

within me burning,

Thrilled me-filled me with fantastic ter- Soon I heard again a tapping, somewhat

rors never felt before;

So that now, to still the beating of my heart,

I stood repeating,

my chamber door

louder than before.

"Surely," said I, "surely that is something at my window lattice;

""Tis some visitor entreating entrance at Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this

mystery explore

Some late visitor entreating entrance at my Let my heart be still a moment and this chamber door;

This it is, and nothing more."

mystery explore;-
'Tis the wind, and nothing more!"

Open here I flung a shutter, when with But the raven still beguiling all my sad many a flirt and flutter soul into smiling,

In there stepped a stately raven of the Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in saintly days of yore! front of bird, and bust, and door; Not the least obeisance made he; not an Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook instant stopped or stayed he;

But, with mien of lord or lady, perched

above my chamber door

myself to linking

Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore

Perched upon a bust of Pallas, just above What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt my chamber door

Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad

fancy into smiling,

and ominous bird of yore

Meant in croaking "Nevermore."

This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing

By the grave and stern decorum of the To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burnt into

[ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

Tell me what thy lordly name is on the But whose velvet violet lining, with the

[blocks in formation]

Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to

hear discourse so plainly,

lamp-light gloating o'er,

She shall press, ah, nevermore !、

"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil-prophet still, if bird or devil!

Though its answer little meaning, little By that heaven that bends above us, by relevancy bore;

that God we both adore

the distant Aidenn

For we cannot help agreeing that no living Tell this soul, with sorrow laden, if within human being Ever yet was bless'd with seeing bird above It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the his chamber door, angels name Lenore

Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the above his chamber door, angels name Lenore."

[ocr errors]

With such a name as Nevermore."

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

Quoth the raven, "Nevermore."

Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!" I shrieked, upstarting—

'Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore !

Nothing further then he uttered-not a Leave no black plume as a token of the lie feather then he fluttered

[ocr errors]

thy soul hath spoken!

Till I scarcely more than muttered, Other Leave my loneliness unbroken, quit the

friends have flown before;

On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before."

Then the bird said, "Nevermore."

Startled at the stillness broken by reply so

[merged small][ocr errors]

bust above my door!

Take thy beak from out my heart, and take
thy form from off my door!"
Quoth the raven, "Nevermore."

And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting,
still is sitting,

"Doubtless," said I, 'what it utters is its On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my

only stock and store,

Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful disaster

Followed fast and followed faster, till his

songs one burden bore

Till the dirges of his hope that melancholy burden bore

Of "Never-nevermore."

chamber door;

And his eyes have all the seeming of a
dæmon's that is dreaming,

And the lamp-light o'er him streaming
throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that is
floating on the floor

Shall be lifted-"Nevermore."
E. A. POE.

THE EYE.

IT is one of the prerogatives of man to have eyes. Many living creatures have none. The eyes which others--for example, the star-fishes-have, are mere sensitive points, dimly conscious of light and darkness, but not perceiving colours, or distinguishing forms. The eyes of flies are hard, horny lanterns, which cannot be moved about like our restless eyes, but look always in the same direction; whilst spiders, having many more things to look after than one pair of such lanterns will suffice for, have eyes stuck all over their heads, and can watch a trapped gnat with one eye, and peer through a hole in their webs with another. We are much better provided for than any of these creatures, although we have but two small orbs to see with. Think, first, how beautiful the human eye is, excelling in beauty the eye of every creature. The eyes of many of the lower animals are doubtless very beautiful. You must have admired the bold, fierce, bright eye of the eagle; the large, gentle, brown eye of the ox; the treacherous green eye of the cat, waxing and waning like the moon, as the sun shines upon it or deserts it; the pert eye of the sparrow; the sly eye of the fox; the peering little bead of black enamel in the mouse's head; the gem-like eye which redeems the toad from ugliness; and the intelligent, affectionate expression, which looks out from the human-like eye of the horse and the dog. There are these and the eyes of many other animals full of beauty; there are none, indeed, which are not beautiful; but there is a glory which excelleth in the eye of man. We realize this fully only when we gaze into the faces of those we love. It is their eyes we look at when we are near them, and recall when we are far away. The face is a blank without the eye; and the eye seems to concentrate every feature in itself. It is the eye that smiles, not the lips; it is the eye that listens, not the ear; it that frowns, not the brow; it that mourns, not the voice. Every sense and every faculty seems to flow towards it, and find expression through it, nay, to

be lost in it for all must at times have felt as if the eye of another was not his, but he; as if it had not merely a life, but also a personality of its own; as if it was not only a living thing, but also a thinking being.

But apart from this source of beauty, in which man's eye must excel that of all other creatures as much as his spirit excels in endowments theirs; it is in itself, even when life has departed from it, and the soul no longer looks through its window, a beautiful and a very wonderful thing. Its beauty is, perhaps, most apparent in the eye of an infant, which, if you please, we shall suppose not dead, but only asleep with its eyes wide open. How large and round they are; how pure and pearly the white is, with but one blue vein or two marbling its surface; how beautiful the rainbow ring, opening its mottled circle wide to the light! How sharply defined the pupil, so black and yet so clear, that you look into it as into some deep, dark well, and see a little face look back at you, which you forget is your own, whilst you rejoice that the days are not yet come for those infant eyes, when "they that look out of the windows shall be darkened!" And then, the soft pink curtains which we call eyelids, with their long silken fringes of eyelashes, and the unshed tears bathing and brightening all! How exquisite the whole! How precious in the sight of God must those little orbs be, when he has bestowed upon them so much beauty!

But apart altogether from that beauty which delights the painter, the human eye is a wondrous construction. Let us glance for a moment at its wonderfulness. It is essentially a hollow globe, or small spherical chamber. There is no human chamber like it in form, unless we include among human dwelling-places the great hollow balls which surmount the Cathedral or Basilica Domes of St. Peter and St. Paul. The eye is such a ball: the larger part of it, which we do not see when we look in each other's faces, forms the white of the eye, and consists of a strong, thick, tough membrane, something like parchment, but more pliable. This forms the outer wall, as it were, of the chamber of the eye; it may be compared to the cup of an acorn, or to a still more familiar

« ПредишнаНапред »