Thou know'st it: and I felt and ever shall. I had spent a hundred thousand loves like thine So prithee be content." " Nay, what thou say'st," The maiden answered him with streaming tears, "It shows thy spirit's greatness greater yet And all my baseness baser than before. Oh! had'st thou been my brother-how blest then I am thy brother, we're twinborn in soul : So shalt thou have not only a husband's love, And more of heaven. Lucy, 'tis God's grace, For a most holy and baptismal sign, That thou art sistered to me. This is good: Never was I a brother yet before, And now I feel the spirit in my heart As a new born angel. Is it so with thee? In Salberg-Soldiers, but yet men no less : To our hottest use-now Lucy, for my sake, While yet your husband's love holds its first heat, His brother, whose good means may move those men To join hands with us e'en as their hearts are ; Wilt thou do this, thou'lt do our utmost aim, Our foe's destruction-I say, if thou wilt, And never did a woman's will before But for thy country's sake. O think of it! And many thoughts came o'er her, vague and dark, "Did I behold him? And truly was it he? And all he answered me? I did him a foul wrong: A reckless soldier lad! Only to leave me Deeper in my woe! While thou art present All that we dreamt of yore, Lovely and pleasant, -: I dream it all once more. Then that old vision A very truth doth seem:- Is harder to be borne. Lo here I arise anew! Many a grim stature All armed round thy chair; Or is it but a vision So troubles my poor brain? I'll dream no more; then back, thou stern Decision, Thus am I thine again." She rose; and as she rose her mother came To comfort her-but what we bear in the hand We may not always lay it on the heart No-'tis the various spirit makes it balm Or gall and nettles. Lucy started up As she heard the door a-hinge-lest some strange soul Merciless questions in another tone Than she must answer them. Who feels with us, And not the sun alone. The lyrical pieces that we have hitherto given have been erotic; but we must, in conscience now, give those of a religio-political character. "Brethren and friends, 'tis well, Ye've said, and what ye've said, who shall gainsay? Not all the host of Hell, Shall now withstand your will or bar your destined way. Shall smite us down? We're risen up to win unto this land Her ancient high prerogative, To teach the nations how to live. Least vouchsafed when vaunted most; Thanks to ye and honour due. Due to ye all, and to your patriot worth, Thou that hast borne this holy-brother band, Men shall look to thee from far, For who in his most fond imaginings O'erlorded by all cursed creeping things, Things that had crawl'd unto their height, Thence to rule thee in the right Of their fangs and poisonous power; But, thanks to God, they have fulfill'd their hour. Thy travail o'er ; There beans a high-souled beauty from thy brow, And ever brighter glance thy fountains, And ever higher swell thy mountains; I greet thee with a kiss; and ye around, A heavenly token-a most gracious sign; A day of thanks to God, of joy among all men : That blessed day that gave the Saviour Son: Divine reformer, arch-republican. For what are we but workers of his will? As he foretold, e'en so do we fulfil. Then in this surety gird ye each his sword, And fell, uncared of all, who cared but for their own. But rebel greatness must be boldly great: Brethren, we know it well; and what we know, Our knowledge in our daring must we show. No plotting treachery, no courtly lies, Such puny tricks as suit a puny prize, And weak hands execute, and slavish souls devise. Broad as the banner o'er some sovereign tower; The mighty mass that never rais'd its head, While factions countered, and while nobles bled; But now, impatient of its stolen right, Shall brandish its high hand, and burst into the fight. Hark! hear ye not? 'tis the fresh Spirit's sweep, Stooping to stir the fountains of the deep. And lo! a mighty flood shall level all, New powers arise, and ancient empires fall. O let us give him honour, kneeling down We have been a brotherhood, True and holy, fast and good; I your minister, and ye Bidden thus to bide the proof? Shall this our house so strictly edified, Fall loosely on the shore, Impotent of the assailing tide? And often have I preached and prayed with you, Communing mind with mind; And now the time is come that we should do What we designed. That which ye did profess, To be devoted to your Saviour's will, I deem ye are no less; We promised then, and now much more fulfil.” Such is the poet's hatred of infidelity, that he portrays the traitor to the Chartist-cause as an infidel. Having thus exhibited the character and creed of the author in the best and fairest light, we may now proceed to some analysis of his work. His persons are, for the most part, of the middle and lower classes. First of all, there is Frederick Hess, with whom the poem opens, as travelling homeward over the hills, in a stormy night. Having arrived at his cottage, he expresses to his wife and his daughter Lucy, his dissatisfaction at having heard that the pastor of the parish had sent down his mandate to the village, claiming his tithe, and denouncing all who resist payment. Ere long, Arthur Hermann joins the party, the unaccepted lover of Lucy; on account of their mutual poverty, both are sickening with hope deferred. The evil of late marriages rouses, at this point, the poet into a strain of indignant apostrophe. He then relates the early story of Arthur Hermann's life, premising that in his form was neither strength nor comeliness, that he was the son of a peasant (it afterwards turns out, however, that he was a foundling, and his right name, Ernest), who, notwithstanding his subsequent treason, is described as having been one, "not so enslaved unto his toil as to begrudge his spirit," and who, by a perusal of scripture so kindled his mind, as finally to induce him to leave farming and take to pedagogy : He took on him the rule and mastery But lived among his books; forging quaint forms To mystic meanings, as usurpers use, Unwont to rule, and plagued with ceaseless itch |