The Usher took six hasty strides, And, long since then, of bloody men, And hid in sudden graves; And how the sprites of injur'd men Are seen in dreams from God! He told how murderers walk the earth With crimson clouds before their eyes, "And well," quoth he, "I know, for truth, Their pangs must be extreme, Woe, woe, unutterable woe, Who spill life's sacred stream! For why? Methought, last night, I wrought A murder, in a dream! "One that had never done me wrong, A feeble man and old : I led him to a lonely field; The moon shone clear and cold: Now here, said I, this man shall die, And I will have his gold! "Two sudden blows with a ragged stick, "Nothing but lifeless flesh and bone, "And, lo! the universal air Seem'd lit with ghastly flame; "Oh, God! it made me quake to see "My head was like an ardent coal, My heart as solid ice; My wretched, wretched soul, I knew, Was at the Devil's price; A dozen times I groan'd: the dead Had never groan'd but twice. "And now, from forth the frowning sky, From the Heaven's topmost height, I heard a voice the awful voice "I took the dreary body up, And cast it in a stream, The depth was so extreme :My gentle Boy, remember this Is nothing but a dream! "Down went the corse with hollow plunge And vanish'd in the pool; Anon I cleans'd my bloody hands, And wash'd my forehead cool, And sat among the urchins young, That evening in the school. "Oh, Heaven! to think of their white souls, And mine so black and grim! I could not share in childish prayer "And peace went with them, one and all, And drew my midnight curtains round, All night I lay in agony, In anguish dark and deep, My fever'd eyes I dar'd not close, But star'd aghast at Sleep: For Sin had render'd unto her The keys of hell to keep. "All night I lay in agony, From weary chime to chime, With one besetting horrid hint, That rack'd me all the time; A mighty yearning like the first Fierce impulse unto crime; "One stern tyrannic thought, that made Heavily I rose up, as soon As light was in the sky, And sought the black accursed pool With a wild misgiving eye: And I saw the Dead in the river bed, For the faithless stream was dry. "Merrily rose the lark, and shook The dew-drop from its wing; But I never mark'd its morning flight, For I was stooping once again "With breathless speed, like a soul in chase, I took him up and ran; There was no time to dig a grave Before the day began : In a lonesome wood, with heaps of leaves, I hid the murder'd man. "And all that day I read in school, But my thought was other where ; As soon as the mid-day task was done, In secret I was there; And a mighty wind had swept the leaves, And still the corse was bare! "Then down I cast me on my face, And first began to weep, For I knew my secret then was one I WILL not have the mad Clytie, But I will woo the dainty rose, The pea is but a wanton witch, The lily is all in white, like a saint, And the daisy's cheek is tipp'd with a blush, She is of such low degree; Jasmine is sweet, and has many loves, And the broom's betroth'd to the bee; But I will plight with the dainty rose, For fairest of all is she. FAIR INES O SAW ye not fair Ines? To dazzle when the sun is down, O turn again, fair Ines, For fear the Moon should shine alone, And breathes the love against thy cheek Would I had been, fair Ines, That gallant cavalier Who rode so gayly by thy side, Were there no bonny dames at home, That he should cross the seas to win The dearest of the dear? I saw thee, lovely Ines, Descend along the shore, With bands of noble gentlemen, And gentle youth and maidens gay, And snowy plumes they wore ; It would have been a beauteous dream, If it had been no more! Alas, alas, fair Ines, She went away with song, With Music waiting on her steps, But some were sad, and felt no mirth, In sounds that sang Farewell, Farewell, Farewell, farewell, fair Ines! LEAR A POOR old king with sorrow for my crown, Thron'd upon straw, and mantled with the wind For pity, my own tears have made me blind That I might never see my children's frown; And maybe madness like a friend has thrown A folded fillet over my dark mind, So that unkindly speech may sound for kind, Albeit I know not. -I am childish grown, And have not gold to purchase wit withal, I that have once maintain'd most royal state, A very bankrupt now that may not call My child, my child-all-beggar'd save in tears, Wherewith I daily weep an old man's FROM "MISS KILMANSEGG AND HER PRECIOUS LEG" HER DEATH 'Tis a stern and startling thing to think Ay, Beauty the Girl, and Love the Boy, How their souls would sadden instanter, To remember that one of those wedding bells, Which ring so merrily through the dells, Our last farewells, But breath and blood set doom at nought: When at night she unloos'd her sandal, That the Fates had woven her burial cloth, And that Death, in the shape of a Death's Head Moth, Was fluttering round her candle! Wherefore else does the spirit fly Instead of the dance upon nothing. Thus, even thus, the Countess slept, Under lids still red with weeping Gold still gold! it haunted her yet: HER MORAL Gold! Gold ! Gold ! Gold ! |