The leader of the band he had undone ; The boat drew nigh, well arm'd, and firm To act whatever Duty bade them do; They hail'd again no answer; yet once more And the smoke rose between them and their But by a thread, like sharks who have Yet to the very last they battled well, once more Mercy was offer'd when they saw his gore; His last ball had been aim'd, but from his He tore the topmost button of his vest, As his foe fell; then, like a serpent, coil'd His last rage 'gainst Then plunged: the hand, and shook the earth which he forsook; rock below received like glass His body crush'd into one gory mass, While the rock rattled with the bullets' With scarce a shred to tell of human form, Or fragment for the sea-bird or the worm; A fair-hair'd scalp, besmear'd with blood and weeds, aim, knell, Then flew the only answer to be given heaven. After the first fierce peal, as they pull'd nigher, They heard the voice of Christian shout, And ere the word upon the echo died, Which Christian's eye was train'd to mark Surrounded and commanded, though not nigh Yet reek'd, the remnant of himself and deeds; "Tis ours to bear, not judge the dead; and Who doom to hell, themselves are on the way, The deed was over! All were gone or ta'en, The fugitive, the captive, or the slain. Chain'd on the deck, where once, a gallant crew, They stood with honour, were the wretched Survivors of the skirmish on the isle; While o'er them flapp'd the sea-birds' dewy Now wheeling nearer from the neighbouring surge, And screaming high their harsh and hungry | Swam round the rock, to where a shallow dirge: But calm and careless heaved the wave below, Eternal with unsympathetic flow; To gather moisture for another flight. Twas morn; and Neuha, who by dawn of day cleft Hid the canoe that Neuha there had left Drifting along the tide, without an oar, That eve the strangers chased them from the shore; But when these vanish'd, she pursued her prow, Regain'd, and urged to where they found it now: Nor ever did more Love and Joy embark, Than now was wafted in that slender ark. Swam smoothly forth to catch the rising ray, Again their own shore rises on the view, And watch if aught approach'd the amphi-No more polluted with a hostile hue; bious lair No sullen ship lay bristling o'er the foam, A floating dungeon: all was Hope and Home! A thousand proas darted o'er the bay, With sounding shells, and heralded their way; Where lay her lover, saw a sail in air: While yet a doubt sprung where its course might lie: Bat no! it came not; fast and far away To watch as for a rainbow in the skies. Told all she had seen, and all she hoped, and all That happy Love could augur or recal; Sprung forth again, with Torquil following free His bounding Nereid over the broad sea; The Chiefs came down, around the people pour'd, And welcomed Torquil as a son restored; The women throng'd, embracing and embraced By Neuha, asking where they had been chased, And how escaped? The tale was told; and then One acclamation rent the sky again; Blazed o'er the general revel of the night, Whom I have sought in darkness and in light Ye, who do compass earth about, and dwell In subtler essence-ye, to whom the tops Of mountains inaccessible are haunts, And earth's and ocean's caves familiar things Who is undying,-Rise! appear!—Appear! [A pause. If it be so.-Spirits of earth and air, I do compel ye to my will.-Appear! [A star is seen at the darker end Mortal! to thy bidding bow'd, Which is mix'd for my pavilion: Voice of the Second Spirit. Mont-Blanc is the monarch of mountains. They crowned him long ago On a throne of rocks, in a robe of clouds, With a diadem of snow. Around his waist are forests braced, Could make the mountain bow Fourth Spirit. Where the slumbering earthquake I'm the Rider of the wind, The fleet I met sail'd well, and yet Sixth Spirit. My dwelling is the shadow of the night, Why doth thy magic torture me with light? Seventh Spirit. The star which rules thy destiny, Space bosom'd not a lovelier star. Earth, ocean, air, night, mountains, winds, thy star, Are at thy beck and bidding, Child of Clay! Before thee, at thy quest, their spirits areWhat would'st thou with us,son of mortals -say? Manf. Forgetfulness First Spirit. Of what_of whom and why? Manf. Of that which is within me; read it there Ye know it, and I cannot utter it. Spirit. We can but give thee that which we possess: Ask of us subjects, sovereignty, the power O'er earth, the whole, or portion, or a sign Which shall control the elements, whereof We are the dominators, each and all, These shall be thine. Manf. Oblivion, self-oblivion → Can ye not wring from out the hidden realms Ye offer so profusely what I ask? Spirit. It is not in our essence,in our skill; But-thou may'st die. Manf. Will death bestow it on me? Spirit. We are immortal, and do not forget; We are eternal; and to us the past Is, as the future, present. Art thou answered? Manf. Ye mock me-but the power which brought ye here Hath made you mine. Slaves, scoff not at my will! The mind, the spirit, the Promethean spark, The lightning of my being, is as bright, Pervading, and far-darting as your own, And shall not yield to yours, though coop'd in clay! Answer, or I will teach ye what I am. Spirit. We answer as we answer'd; our reply Is even in thine own words. Manf. Why say ye so? Spirit. If, as thou say'st, thine essence be as ours, We have replied in telling thee, the thing Mortals call death hath nought to do with us. Of which we are the mind and principle: But choose a form in that we will appear. Manf. I have no choice; there is no form on earth Hideous or beautiful to me. Let him, Who is most powerful of ye, take such aspect As unto him may seem most fitting - Come! Seventh Spirit. (Appearing in the shape of a beautiful female figure.) Behold! Manf. Oh God! if it be thus, and thou Art not a madness and a mockery, I yet might be most happy. I will clasp thee, And we again will be-[The figure vanishes. My heart is crush'd! [Manfred falls senseless. (A voice is heard in the Incantation which follows.) When the moon is on the wave, Though thy slumber may be deep, Though thou seest me not pass by, Thou shalt feel me with thine eye As a thing that, though unseen, Must be near thee, and hath been; And when in that secret dread Thou hast turn'd around thy head, Thou shalt marvel I am not As thy shadow on the spot, And the power which thou dost feel Shall be what thou must conceal. And a magic voice and verse Hath begirt thee with a snare; And the day shall have a sun, From thy false tears I did distil An essence which hath strength to kill; From thy own heart I then did wring The black blood in its blackest spring; From thy own smile I snatch'd the snake, For there it coil'd as in a brake; From thy own lip I drew the charm Which gave all these their chiefest harm; In proving every poison known, I found the strongest was thine own. By thy cold breast and serpent-smile. Which pass'd for human thine own heart; And on thy head I pour the vial Though thy death shall still seem near Lo! the spell now works around thee, SCENE II.-The Mountain of the Jungfrau. Time, Morning. MANFRED alone upon the Cliffs. Manf. The spirits I have raised abandon me The spells which I have studied baffle me The remedy I reck'd of tortured me; lean no more on super-human aid, It hath no power upon the past, and for |