And like an haughty Huntress of the woods Nor idly would have said-for she had lived 'Twas the cold season when the Rustic's eye From the drear desolate whiteness of his fields Rolls for relief to watch the skiey tints And clouds slow varying their huge imagery; Disquieting the Heart, shapes out Man's course The winding sheep-track vale-ward: when, behold In the first entrance of the level road An unattended Team! The foremost horse Lay with stretched limbs; the others, yet alive Then hailed who might be near. From the thwart wain at length there reached her ear A sound so feeble that it almost seemed Distant and feebly, with slow effort pushed, A miserable man crept forth his limbs The silent frost had eat, scathing like fire. Mutely questioning, The Maid gazed wildly at the living wretch. VOL. I. Looked with a vacant stare, and his eye spoke The drowsy calm that steals on worn-out anguish. The stiff cramped team forced homeward. There arrived, And weeps and prays-but the numb power of Death The Village, where he dwelt an Husbandman, They saw the neighbouring Hamlets flame, they heard But saw nor house nor cottage. All had quenched Their evening hearth-fire: for the alarm had spread. The air clipt keen, the night was fanged with frost, And they provisionless! The weeping wife Ill hushed her children's moans; and still they moaned, Till Fright and Cold and Hunger drank their life. They closed their eyes in sleep, nor knew 'twas Death. He only, lashing his o'er-wearied team, Gained a sad respite, till beside the base Of the high hill his foremost horse dropped dead. Ah! suffering to the height of what was suffered, Of misery Fancy-crazed! and now once more Yea, swallowed up in the ominous dream, she sate Breathed from her look! and still with pant and sob, Inly she toil'd to flee, and still subdued, Felt an inevitable Presence near. Thus as she toiled in troublous ecstasy, An horror of great darkness wrapt her round, And a voice uttered forth unearthly tones, Calming her soul,-" O Thou of the Most High "Chosen, whom all the perfected in Heaven "Behold expectant [The following fragments were intended to form part of the Poem when finished.] "Maid beloved of Heaven! (To her the tutelary Power exclaimed) "Of CHAOS the adventurous progeny "Thou seest; foul missionaries of foul sire, "Fierce to regain the losses of that hour "When Love rose glittering, and his gorgeous wings "Over the abyss fluttered with such glad noise, "As what time after long and pestful calms, "With slimy shapes and miscreated life "Poisoning the vast Pacific, the fresh breeze "Wakens the merchant-sail uprising. Night "An heavy unimaginable moan |