With accordant steps, or gathering Or whispering like two reeds that in the cold moonbeam Bend with the breeze their heads, beside a crystal stream. On a friendly deck reposing, They at length for Venice steer; There, when they had closed their voyage, Watch'd for tidings from the east, beheld his lord, Fell down and clasp'd his knees for joy, not uttering word. Mutual was the sudden transport; Hie thee to the countess, friend! return with speed, And of this stranger speak by whom her lord was freed. "Say that I, who might have languish'd, For a crowning recompense, the precious grace "Make it known that my companion Innocent, and meek, and good, Though with misbelievers bred; but that dark night Will Holy Church disperse by beams of gospel light." Swiftly went that gray-hair'd servant, For a sunny thought to cheer the stranger's way, Fancy (while, to banners floating The devout embraces still, while such tears fell Through a haze of human nature, Look'd the beautiful deliverer On that overpowering sight, While across her virgin cheek pure blushes stray'd, On the ground the weeping countess Pledge of an eternal band: Nor did aught of future days that kiss belie, Constant to the fair Armenian, Reverenced, like a sister loved. Christian meekness smooth'd for all the path of life, Who loving most, should wiseliest love, their only strife. Mute memento of that union In a Saxon church survives, Where a cross-legg'd knight lies sculptured Figures with armorial signs of race and birth, THE SOMNAMBULIST. LIST, ye who pass by Lyulph's tower* Doth Aira force, that torrent hoarse, And holier seems the ground Not far from that fair site whereon A stern-brow'd house appear'd; There set, and guarded well; To win this bright bird from her cage, Sir Eglamore was he; Full happy season, when was known, Known chiefly, Aira! to thy glen, Thy brook, and bowers of holly; Where passion caught what nature taught, That all but love is folly; Where fact with fancy stoop'd to play, Doubt came not, nor regret; To trouble hours that wing'd their way, Whose sun could never set. But in old times love dwelt not long Best throve the fire of chaste desire, And proves the lover true;" A pleasure house built by the late Duke of Norfolk upon the banks of Ullswater. Force is the word used in the Lake District for waterfall. They parted. Well with him it fared The thirst of fame his warrant: On woman's quiet hours; Though faint, compared with spear and shield, The solace beads and masses yield, And needle-work and flowers. Yet blest was Emma when she heard Her champion's praise recounted; Though brain would swim, and eyes grows dim, And high her blushes mounted; She warbled from full heart; Born only to depart. Hope wanes with her, while lustre fills Received the light hers loses. He comes not back; an ampler space He ranges on from place to place, But what her fancy breeds. His fame may spread, but in the past And that would now content her. "Still is he my devoted knight?" The tear in answer flows; Month falls on month with heavier weight; In sleep she sometimes walk'd abroad, Deep sighs with quick words blending, The moon is not more pure That shines aloft, while through the wood Her melancholy lure! While 'mid the fern-brake sleeps the doe, In white array'd, glides on the maid, By whom on this still night descried? A wandering ghost, so thinks the knight, Hush, hush, the busy sleeper see! Perplex'd her fingers seem, As if they from the holly tree What means the spectre? Why intent Thought Eglamore, by which I swore Here am I, and to-morrow's sun, So from the spot whereon he stood, He recognised the face; And whispers caught, and speeches small, Soul-shatter'd was the knight, nor knew Or boding shade, or if the maid He touch'd, what follow'd who shall tell? Of slumber-shrieking, back she fell, In plunged the knight! when on firm ground Her eyes grew bright with blissful light, Confusion pass'd away; She heard, ere to the throne of grace Her faithful spirit flew, His voice; beheld his speaking face, So was he reconciled to life; Brief words may speak the rest; And there was sorrow's guest; Wild stream of Aira, hold thy course, Where clouds that spread in solemn shade Though minister of sorrow; Shall take thy place with Yarrow! WILLIAM LISLE BOWLES. comparison with those of Dr. Watts, and which are admirably calculated to answer the benevolent purpose for which they are designed. Mr. Bowles some years ago attracted considerable attention by his controversy with Byron on the subject of the writings of Pope. He advanced certain opinions which went to show that he considered him "no poet," and that, according to the WILLIAM LISLE BOWLES, of an ancient family in the county of Wilts, was born in the village of King's-Sutton, Northamptonshire-a parish of which his father was vicar-on the 24th of September, 1762. His mother was the daughter of Dr. Richard Grey, chaplain to Nathaniel Crew, Bishop of Durham. The poet received his early education at Winchester school; and he rose to be the senior boy. He was entered at Trinity Col-"invariable principles" of poetry, the century of lege, Oxford, where he obtained the Chancellor's prize for a Latin poem, and where, in 1792, he took his degree. On quitting the university he entered into holy orders, and was appointed to a curacy in Wiltshire; soon afterwards he was preferred to a riving in Gloucestershire; in 1803 he became a prebend of Salisbury; and the Archbishop Moore presented him with the rectory of Bremhill, Wilts, where he has since constantly resided,-only now and then visiting the metropolis,-enjoying the country and its peculiar sources of profitable de-contest so much judgment and ability, that his light; performing with zeal and industry his paro- reputation as a critic was considerably enhanced. chial duties; and beloved by all who dwell within or approach the happy neighbourhood of his residence. fame which had been accorded to the "Essay on Man" was unmerited. Campbell opened the defence; and Byron stepped forward as a warm and somewhat angry advocate. A sort of literary warfare followed; and a host of pamphlets on both sides were rapidly issued. As in all such cases, the question remains precisely where it did. Bowles, however, though he failed in obtaining a victory, and made, we imagine, few converts to his "invariable principles," manifested during the The poetry of Bowles has not attained a high degree of popularity. He is appreciated more for the purity of his sentiments than for any loftiness of thought or richness of fancy. He has never dealt with themes that "stir men's minds;" but has satisfied himself with inculcating lessons of sound morality, and has considered that to lead the heart to virtue is the chiefest duty of the Muse. His style is, as Coleridge described it nearly fifty years ago, "tender yet manly;" and he has undoubtedly brought the accessories of harmonious versification and graceful language to the aid of "right thinking" and sound judgment. His poems seldom startle or astonish the reader: he does not labour to probe the heart, and depict the more vio The Sonnets of Bowles (his first publication) appeared in 1793. They were received with considerable applause; and the writer, if he had obtained no other reward for his labours, would have found ample recompense in the fact that they contributed to form the taste and call forth the genius of Coleridge, whom they "delighted and inspired." The author of "Christabel" speaks of himself as having been withdrawn from several perilous errors" by the genial influence of a style of poetry, so tender, and yet so manly, so natural and real, and yet so dignified and harmonious, as the Sonnets of Mr. Bowles." He was not, how-lent passions of human kind; but he keeps an ever, satisfied with expressing in prose his sense of obligation, but in poetry poured out his gratitude to his first master in minstrel lore: "My heart has thank'd thee, Bowles, for those soft strains, In 1805 he published the "Spirit of Discovery by Sea." It is the longest of his productions, and is by some considered his best. The more recent of his works is the "Little Villagers' Verse Book ;" a collection of hymns that will scarcely suffer by "even tenor," and never disappoints or dissatisfies by attempting a higher flight than that which he may safely venture. The main point of his argument against Pope will best exhibit his own character. He considers that from objects sublime or beautiful in themselves, genius will produce more admirable creations than it can from those which are comparatively poor and insignificant. The topics upon which Mr. Bowles has employed his pen are such only as are naturally excellent. 491 THE MISSIONARY. SCENE.-South America. Characters.-VALDIVIA, Commander of the Spanish armies-LAUTARO, his page, a native of Chili-ANSELMO, the missionary-INDIANA, his adopted daughter, wife of Lautaro-ZARINEL, the wandering minstrel. Indians. — ATTACAPAC, father of Lautaro-OLOLA, his daughter, sister of Lautaro-CAUPOLICAN, chief of the Indians-INDIAN WARRIORS. The chief event of the poem turns upon the conduct of Lautaro; but as the Missionary acts so distinguished a part, and as the whole of the moral depends upon him, it was thought better to retain the title which was originally given to the poem. INTRODUCTION. WHEN o'er th' Atlantic wild, rock'd by the blast, Thou solitary sea, whose billows sweep TYRANTS, THE VIRTUOUS AND THE BRAVE ARE CANTO I. ARGUMENT. One day and part of night. Valley in the Andes-Old Indian warrior-Loss of his son and daughter. BENEATH aërial cliffs and glittering snows, A glen beneath-a lonely spot of restHung, starce discover'd, like an eagle's nest. Summer was in its prime: the parrot-flocks Shine to the adverse sun the broken rainbow hues. There, through the trunks, with moss and lichens white, The sunshine darts its interrupted light, So smiles the scene;-but can its smiles impart Or at deep midnight are thine accents heard, * The crysomela is a beautiful insect, of which the young women of Chili make necklaces. †The parrot butterfly, peculiar to this part of America, the largest and most brilliant of its kind-Papilio peit lacus. A most beautiful climbing plant. The vine is of the size of packthread: it climbs on the trees without attaching itself to them: when it reaches the top, it descends perpendicularly; and as it continues to grow, it extends itself from tree to tree, until it offers to the eye a confused tissue, exhibiting some resemblance to the rigging of a And Chillant trail'd its smoke and smouldering fires. ship.-Molina. Range of volcanoes on the summits of the Andes. + The natives of Chili, who were never subdued. A volcano in Chili. "But because I cannot describe all the American birds, which differ not a little from ours, not only in kind, but also in variety of colour, as rose-colour, red, violet, white, ash-colour, purple, &c.; I will at length describe one, which the barbarians so observe and esteem, that "Perhaps, beyond those summits, far away, With wasted eye gaze on the orient beam, Ye, who have waked, and listen'd with a tear, near; With murmur'd prayer, when mercy stood aghast, Her ankles rung with shells, as unconfined, Yet kindness sat upon her aspect bland,- These children danced together in the shade, Blue rushes wreath'd her head; her dark brown Then silent sat, and mark'd its upward flight, hair Fell, gently lifted, on her bosom bare; Her necklace shone, of sparkling insects made, they will not only not hurt them, but suffer them not to escape unrevenged who do them any wrong. It is of the bigness of a pigeon, and of an ash-colour. The Tououpinambaltii hear her more often in the night than in the day, with a mournful voice; and believe that it is sent from their friends and kindred unto them, and also declareth good luck; and especially, that it encourageth and admonisheth them to behave themselves valiantly in the wars against their enemies. Besides, they verily think, that if they rightly observe these divinations, it shall come to pass that they should vanquish their enetries even in this life, and after death their souls should dy beyond the mountains to their ancestors, perpetually to dance there. "I chanced once to lodge in a village, named Upec by the Frenchmen: there, in the night, I heard these birds, not cinging, but making a lamentable noise. I saw the barbarians most attentive, and being ignorant of the whole matter, reproved their folly. But when I smiled a little upon a Frenchman standing by me, a certain old man, severely enough, restrained me with these words: 'Hold your peace, lest you hinder us who attentively hearken to the happy tidings of our ancestors. For as often as we hear these birds, so often also are we cheered, and our strength receiveth increase.'"-Callender's Voyage. * The ichella is a short cloak, of a greenish blue colour, of wool, fastened before with a silver buckle.-Molina. Lessening in ether to a speck of white. But when th' impassion'd chieftain spoke of war Hung on the wondrous tale, as mute as death; Once, when the moon, o'er Chilian's cloudless Pour'd, far and wide, its soft and mildest light, *The alpaca is perhaps the most beautiful, gentle, and interesting of living animals: one was to be seen in London in 1812. ↑ Ardea cristata. |