But to the main point where we have been tending;
She now conceived all difficulties past,
And deem'd herself extremely condescending
When, being made her property at last,
Without more preface, in her blue eyes blending
Passion and power, a glance on him she cast,
And merely saying, "Christian, canst thou love?"
Conceived that phrase was quite enough to move.
And so it was, in proper time and place;
But Juan, who had still his mind o'erflowing
With Haidee's isle and soft Ionian face,
Felt the warm blood which in his face was glowing Rush back upon his heart, which fill'd apace,
And left his cheeks as pale as snow-drops blowing: These words went through his soul like Arab-spears, So that he spoke not, but burst into tears.
She was a good deal shock'd; not shock'd at tears,
For women shed and use them at their liking;
But there is something when man's eye appears
Wet, still more disagreeable and striking :
A woman's tear-drop melts, a man's half sears,
Like molten lead, as if you thrust a pike in
His heart to force it out, for (to be shorter)
To them 'tis a relief, to us a torture.
And she would have consoled, but knew not how;
Having no equals, nothing which had e'er
Infected her with sympathy till now,
And never having dreamt what 'twas to bear
Aught of a serious sorrowing kind, although
There might arise some pouting petty care
To cross her brow, she wonder'd how so near
Her eyes another's eye could shed a tear.
But nature teaches more than power can spoil, And when a strong although a strange sensation, Moves-female hearts are such a genial soil
For kinder feelings, whatsoe'er their nation,
They naturally pour the "wine and oil,"
Samaritans in every situation;
And thus Gulleyaz, though she knew not why,
Felt an odd glistening moisture in her eye.
But tears must stop like all things else; and soon Juan, who for an instant had been moved
To such a sorrow by the intrusive tone
Of one who dared to ask if "he had loved," Call'd back the stoic to his eyes, which shone Bright with the very weakness he reproved; And although sensitive to beauty, he
Felt most indignant still at not being free.
Gulleyaz, for the first time in her days,
Was much embarrass'd, never having met
In all her life with aught save prayers and praise :
And as she also risk'd her life to get
Him whom she meant to tutor in love's ways
Into a comfortable tête-à-tête,
To lose the hour would make her quite a martyr, And they had wasted now almost a quarter.
I also would suggest the fitting time,
To gentlemen in any such-like case,
That is to say-in a meridian clime,
With us there is more law given to the case,
But here a small delay forms a great crime:
So recollect that the extremest grace
Is just two minutes for your declaration-
A moment more would hurt your reputation.
Juan's was good; and might have been still better,
But he had got Haidee into his head :
However strange, he could not yet forget her,
Which made him seem exceedingly ill-bred.
Gulleyaz, who look'd on him as her debtor
For having had him to her palace led,
Began to blush up to the eyes, and then
Grow deadly pale, and then blush back again.
At length, in an imperial way, she laid
Her hand on his, and bending on his eyes,
Which needed not an empire to persuade,
Look'd into his for love, where none replies:
Her brow grew black, but she would not upbraid,
That being the last thing a proud woman tries;
She rose and pausing one chaste moment, threw
Herself upon his breast, and there she grew.
This was an awkward test, as Juan found,
But he was steel'd by sorrow, wrath, and pride :
With gentle force her white arms he unwound,
And seated her all drooping by his side.
Then rising haughtily he glanced around,
And looking coldly in her face, he cried,
"The prison'd eagle will not pair, nor I
"Serve a sultana's sensual phantasy.
"Thou ask'st if I can love? be this the proof
"How much I have loved-that I love not thee!
"In this vile garb, the distaff's web and woof
"Were fitter for me: Love is for the free!
"I am not dazzled by this splendid roof.
"Whate'er thy power, and great it seems to be, "Heads bow, knees bend, eyes watch around a throne, "And hands obey, our hearts are still our own."
This was a truth to us extremely trite.
Not so to her who ne'er had heard such things;
She deem'd her least command must yield delight,
Earth being only made for queens and kings.
If hearts lay on the left side or the right,
She hardly knew, to such perfection brings
Legitimacy its born votaries, when
Aware of their due royal rights o'er men.
Besides, as has been said, she was so fair
As even in a much humbler lot had made
A kingdom or confusion any where,
And also, as may be presumed, she laid
Some stress upon those charms, which seldom are
By the possessors thrown into the shade;
She thought hers gave a double "right divine,”
And half of that opinion's also mine.
Remember, or (if you cannot) imagine,
Ye! who have kept your chastity when young, While some more desperate dowager has been waging Love with you, and been in the dog-days stung By your refusal, recollect her raging!
Or recollect all that was said or sung
On such a subject; then suppose the face
Of a young downright beauty in this case.
Suppose, but you already have supposed,—
The spouse of Potiphar, the Lady Booby,
Phedra, and all which story has disclosed
Of good examples; pity that so few by
Poets and private tutors are exposed,
To educate-ye youth of Europe-you by!
But when you have supposed the few we know,
You can't suppose Gulleyaz' angry brow.
A tigress robb'd of young, a lioness,
Or any interesting beast of prey,
Are similies at hand for the distress
Of ladies who cannot have their own way;
But though my turn will not be served with less,
These don't express one half what I should say:
For what is stealing young ones, few or many,
To cutting short their hopes of having any?
The love of offspring's nature's general law,
From tigresses and cubs to ducks and ducklings;
There's nothing whets the beak or arms the claw
Like an invasion of their babes and sucklings;
And all who have seen a human nursery, saw
How mothers love their children's squalls and chucklings;
And this strong extreme effect (to tire no longer
Your patience) shows the cause must still be stronger.
If I said fire flash'd from Gulleyaz' eyes,
'Twere nothing-for her eyes flash'd always fire; Or said her cheeks assumed the deepest dyes,
I should but bring disgrace upon the dyer,
So supernatural was her passion's rise;
For ne'er till now she knew a check'd desire: Even ye who know what a check'd woman is (Enough, God knows!) would much fall short of this.
Her rage was but a minute's and 'twas well-
A moment's more had slain her; but the while
It lasted 'twas like a short glimpse of hell:
Nought's more sublime than energetic bile,
Though horrible to see, yet grand to tell,
Like ocean warring 'gainst a rocky isle;
And the deep passions flashing through her form
Made her a beautiful embodied storm.
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