Though man he hated, yet employ'd alone At bootless labour, he would swear and groan, And gulls that caught them when his arts could not. Or that some power had chain'd him for a time, This known, some curious, some in pity went, And there they seized him—a distemper'd man :— Follow'd and cursed, the groaning man was led. Here when they saw him, whom they used to shun, A lost, lone man, so harass'd and undone; Our gentle females, ever prompt to feel, His crimes they could not from their memories blot, A priest too came, to whom his words are told; And all the signs they shudder'd to behold. "Look! look!" they cried; "his limbs with horror shake, "And as he grinds his teeth, what noise they make ! The priest attending, found he spoke at times VOL. II. A A "It was the fall," he mutter'd, "I can show 66 66 Against my life; besides, he wasn't there :— "What, all agreed ?—Am I to die to-day?— "My Lord, in mercy, give me time to pray." Then, as they watch'd him, calmer he became, See the large dew-beads on his forehead rise, Nor yet he died, but with unwonted force "To give me trouble, when he lived and died- "But would appoint his meetings, and he made "Me watch at these, and so neglect my trade. ""Twas one hot noon, all silent, still, serene, "No living being had I lately seen; "I paddled up and down and dipp'd my net, "But (such his pleasure) I could nothing get,— "A father's pleasure, when his toil was done, "To plague and torture thus an only son! "And so I sat and look'd upon the stream, "How it ran on, and felt as in a dream: "But dream it was not; no!-I fix'd my eyes "On the mid stream and saw the spirits rise; "I saw my father on the water stand, "And hold a thin pale boy in either hand; "And there they glided ghastly on the top "Of the salt flood, and never touch'd a drop: "I would have struck them, but they knew th' intent, “And smiled upon the oar, and down they went. "Now, from that day, whenever I began "To dip my net, there stood the hard old man "He and those boys: I humbled me and pray'd They would be gone ;-they heeded not, but stay'd: "Nor could I turn, nor would the boat go by, "But gazing on the spirits, there was I: “They bade me leap to death, but I was loth to die: "And every day, as sure as day arose, "Would these three spirits meet me ere the close; "To hear and mark them daily was my doom, "And 'Come,' they said, with weak, sad voices, 'come.' "To row away with all my strength I try'd, "But there were they, hard by me in the tide, "The three unbodied forms-and Come,' still 'come,' they cried. "Fathers should pity—but this old man shook "His hoary locks, and froze me by a look: "Thrice, when I struck them, through the water came "A hollow groan, that weaken'd all my frame: 6 "Father!" said I, have mercy :'—He replied, "I know not what-the angry spirit lied,— "Didst thou not draw thy knife?' said he :-'Twas true, "But I had pity and my arm withdrew: “He cried for mercy which I kindly gave, "But he has no compassion in his grave. "There were three places, where they ever rose,"The whole long river has not such as those,— "Places accursed, where, if a man remain, "He'll see the things which strike him to the brain; "And there they made me on my paddle lean, "And look at them for hours;-accursed scene! |