"THEY tell me 'tis decided you depart : 'Tis wise-'tis well, but not the less a pain ; I have no further claim on your young heart, Mine is the victim, and would be again : To love too much has been the only art I used; I write in haste, and if a stain Be on this sheet, 'tis not what it appears; My eyeballs burn and throb, but have no tears. 66 I loved, I love you, for this love have lost State, station, heaven, mankind's, my own esteem, And yet cannot regret what it hath cost, So dear is still the memory of that dream; None can deem harshlier of me than I deem : "Man's love is of man's life a thing apart, "Tis woman's whole existence; man may range The court, camp, church, the vessel, and the mart; Sword, gown, gain, glory, offer in exchange Pride, fame, ambition, to fill up his heart, And few there are whom these cannot estrange; Men have all these resources, we but one, To love again, and be again undone. "You will proceed in pleasure, and in pride, Beloved and loving many; all is o'er For me on earth, except some years to hide My shame and sorrow deep in my heart's core : These I could bear, but cannot cast aside The passion which still rages as before,And so farewell-forgive me, love me—No, That word is idle now-but let it go. "My breast has been all weakness, is so yet; To all, except one image, madly blind; "I have no more to say, but linger still, And dare not set my seal upon this sheet, And yet I may as well the task fulfil, My misery can scarce be more complete : I had not lived till now, could sorrow kill; [meet, Death shuns the wretch who fain the blow would And I must even survive this last adieu, And bear with life, to love and pray for you!" From THE SAME.-CANTO II. THE ship, call'd the most holy " Trinidada," Were settled long ere Juan's sire was born: His suite consisted of three servants and But now lay sick and speechless on his pillow, 'Twas not without some reason, for the wind And though 'twas not much to a naval mind, At sunset they began to take in sail, For the sky show'd it would come on to blow, At one o'clock the wind with sudden shift Threw the ship right into the trough of the sea, The rudder tore away: 'twas time to sound One gang of people instantly was put Upon the pumps, and the remainder set Still their salvation was an even bet: The water rush'd through in a way quite puzzling, While they thrust sheets, shirts, jackets, bales of muslin, Into the opening; but all such ingredients Would have been vain, and they must have gone Despite of all their efforts and expedients, [down, But for the pumps : I'm glad to make them known To all the brother tars who may have need hence, For fifty tons of water were upthrown By them per hour, and they all had been undone, As day advanced the weather seem'd to abate, grew late There she lay, motionless, and seem'd upset ; The water left the hold, and wash'd the decks, And made a scene men do not soon forget; For they remember battles, fires, and wrecks, Or any other thing that brings regret, Or breaks their hopes, or hearts, or heads, or necks; Thus drownings are much talk'd of by the divers, And swimmers, who may chance to be survivors. |