(CXII.)

His eyes he open'd, shut, again unclosed,
For all was doubt and dizziness; he thought
He still was in the boat, and had but dozed,

And felt again with his despair o'erwrought,
And wish'd it death in which he had reposed;

And then once more his feelings back were brought, And slowly by his swimming eyes was seen A lovely female face of seventeen.

(CXIII.)

'Twas bending close o'er his, and the small mouth
Seem'd almost prying into his for breath;
And, chafing him, the soft warm hand of youth
Recall'd his answering spirits back from death;
And, bathing his chill temples, tried to soothe
Each pulse to animation, till, beneath
Its gentle touch and trembling care, a sigh
To these kind efforts made a low reply.

(CXIV.)

Then was the cordial pour'd, and mantle flung Around his scarce-clad limbs; and the fair arm Raised higher the faint head which o'er it hung; And her transparent cheek, all pure and warm, Pillow'd his death-like forehead; then she wrung His dewy curls, long drench'd by every storm; And watch'd with eagerness each throb that drew A sigh from his heaved bosom-and hers too.

(cxv.)

And lifting him with care into the cave,

The gentle girl, and her attendant,-one Young, yet her elder, and of brow less grave, And more robust of figure-then begun

To kindle fire; and as the new flames gave

Light to the rocks that roof'd them, which the sun

Had never seen, the maid, or whatsoe'er

She was, appear'd distinct, and tall, and fair.

(CXVI.)

Her brow was overhung with coins of gold,
That sparkled o'er the auburn of her hair,
Her clustering hair, whose longer locks were roll'd
In braids behind; and though her stature were
Even of the highest for a female mould,

They nearly reach'd her heel; and in her air
There was a something which bespoke command,
As one who was a lady in the land.

(CXVII.)

Her hair, I said, was auburn; but her eyes
Were black as death, their lashes the same hue,
Of downcast length, in whose silk shadow lies
Deepest attraction; for when to the view
Forth from its raven fringe the full glance flies,
Ne'er with such force the swiftest arrow flew :
'Tis as the snake late coil'd, who pours his length,
And hurls at once his venom and his strength.

(CXVIII.)

Her brow was white and low, her cheek's pure dye
Like twilight rosy still with the set sun;

Short upper lip-sweet lips that make us sigh
Ever to have seen such; for she was one

Fit for the model of a statuary,

(A race of mere impostors, when all's doneI've seen much finer women, ripe and real, Than all the nonsense of their stone ideal).

II.

THE LOVERS.

(From Canto II., Stanzas 183 to 191, and 195 to 198.)

(CLXXXIII.)

It was the cooling hour, just when the rounded
Red sun sinks down behind the azure hill,
Which then seems as if the whole earth it bounded,
Circling all nature, hush'd and dim, and still,
With the far mountain-crescent half surrounded
On one side, and the deep sea calm and chill
Upon the other, and the rosy sky,

With one star sparkling through it like an eye.

(CLXXXIV.)

And thus they wander'd forth, and hand in hand,
Over the shining pebbles and the shells,
Glided along the smooth and harden'd sand,

And in the worn and wild receptacles

Work'd by the storms, yet work'd as it were plann'd,
In hollow halls, with sparry roofs and cells,
They turn'd to rest; and, each clasp'd by an arm,
Yielded to the deep twilight's purple charm.

(CLXXXV.)

They look'd up to the sky, whose floating glow
Spread like a rosy ocean, vast and bright;
They gazed upon the glittering sea below,

Whence the broad moon rose circling into sight; They heard the waves splash, and the wind so low, And saw each other's dark eyes darting light

Into each other-and, beholding this,

Their lips drew near, and clung into a kiss.

(CLXXXVI.)

A long, long kiss, a kiss of youth, and love,
And beauty, all concentrating like rays
Into one focus, kindled from above;

Such kisses as belong to early days,

Where heart, and soul, and sense, in concert move,
And the blood's lava, and the pulse a blaze,
Each kiss a heart-quake,—for a kiss's strength,
I think it must be reckon'd by its length.

(CLXXXVII.)

By length I mean duration; theirs endured

Heaven knows how long-no doubt they never reckon'd; And if they had, they could not have secured The sum of their sensations to a second: They had not spoken; but they felt allured,

As if their souls and lips each other beckon'd,

Which, being joined, like swarming bees they clungTheir hearts the flowers from whence the honey sprung. (CLXXXVIII.)

They were alone, but not alone as they

Who shut in chambers think it loneliness;

The silent ocean, and the starlight bay,

The twilight glow, which momently grew less,
The voiceless sands, and dropping caves, that lay
Around them, made them to each other press,
As if there were no life beneath the sky
Save theirs, and that their life could never die.

(CLXXXIX.)

They fear'd no eyes nor ears on that lone beach,
They felt no terrors from the night; they were
All in all to each other; though their speech

Was broken words, they thought a language there ;-

And all the burning tongues the passions teach
Found in one sigh the best interpreter

Of nature's oracle-first love,—that all

Which Eve has left her daughters since her fall.

(cxc.)

Haidée spoke not of scruples, ask'd no vows,
Nor offer'd any; she had never heard
Of plight and promises to be a spouse,
Or perils by a loving maid incurr'd;
She was all which pure ignorance allows,

And flew to her young mate like a young bird;
And, never having dreamt of falsehood, she
Had not one word to say of constancy.

(CXCI.)

She loved, and was beloved-she adored,

And she was worshipp'd; after nature's fashion, Their intense souls, into each other pour'd,

If souls could die, had perish'd in that passion,—
But by degrees their senses were restored,
Again to be o'ercome, again to dash on;

And, beating 'gainst his bosom, Haidée's heart
Felt as if never more to beat apart.

(cxcv.)

And when those deep and burning moments pass'd,
And Juan sank to sleep within her arms,
She slept not, but all tenderly, though fast,
Sustain'd his head upon her bosom's charms;
And now and then her eye to heaven is cast,

And then on the pale cheek her breast now warms, Pillow'd on her o'erflowing heart, which pants

With all it granted, and with all it grants.