The worst of all was, that in their condition, Having been several days in great distress, 'Twas difficult to get out such provision As now might render their long suffering less : 180 Men, even when dying, dislike inanition; Their stock was damaged by the weather's stress: Two casks of biscuit, and a keg of butter, Were all that could be thrown into the cutter. But in the long-boat they contrived to stow Some pounds of bread, though injured by the wet; Water, a twenty-gallon cask or so; Six flasks of wine: and they contrived to get And with a piece of pork, moreover, met, The other boats, the yawl and pinnace, had Threw in by good luck over the ship's rail; 'Twas twilight, and the sunless day went down And the dim desolate deep: twelve days had Fear Some trial had been making at a raft, With little hope in such a rolling sea, A sort of thing at which one would have laugh'd, 190 200 210 Unless with people who too much have quaff'd, Their preservation would have been a miracle. At half-past eight o'clock, booms, hencoops, spars, And all things, for a chance, had been cast loose, That still could keep afloat the struggling tars, For yet they strove, although of no great use: The boats put off o'ercrowded with their crews; Then rose from sea to sky the wild farewell— 220 Then shriek'd the timid, and stood still the braveThen some leap'd overboard with dreadful yell, As eager to anticipate their grave; And the sea yawn'd around her like a hell, And down she suck'd with her the whirling wave, Like one who grapples with his enemy, And first one universal shriek there rush'd, Accompanied with a convulsive splash, A solitary shriek, the bubbling cry 231 240 HAIDÉE (CANTO II, cxi-cxviii) How long in his damp trance young Juan lay He knew not, till each painful pulse and limb, 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, ΙΟ And then once more his feelings back were brought, And slowly by his swimming eyes was seen A lovely female face of seventeen. 'Twas bending close o'er his, and the small mouth Then was the cordial pour'd, and mantle flung 20 32 And lifting him with care into the cave, 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. Her brow was overhung with coins of gold, They nearly reach'd her heel; and in her air but her eyes 40 Were black as death, their lashes the same hue, 50 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. Her brow was white and low, her cheek's pure dye (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). 60 JUAN AND HAIDÉE (CANTO II, clxxxiii-clxxxix) IT was the cooling hour, just when the rounded With one star sparkling through it like an eye. And thus they wander'd forth, and hand in hand, Work'd by the storms, yet work'd as it were plann'd, They look'd up to the sky, whose floating glow ΙΟ Whence the broad moon rose circling into sight; 20 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, A long, long kiss, a kiss of youth, and love, Such kisses as belong to early days, Where heart, and soul, and sense, in concert move, 30 |