On Egypt's burning plains, But let the angry sun But let the sound roll on! For those that from their toils are gone;- Loud rush the torrent-floods And free, in green Columbia's woods, But let the floods rush on! The mountain-storms rise high And toss the pine-boughs through the sky, But let the storm rage on! On the frozen deep's repose But let the ice drift on! Let the cold-blue desert spread! Their course with mast and flag There slumber England's dead. done, The warlike of the isles, Go, stranger! track the deep, CASABIANCA. Young Casabianca, a boy about thirteen years old, son to the Admiral of the Orient, remained at his post (in the battle of the Nile), after the ship had taken fire, and all the guns had been abandoned; and perished in the explosion of the vessel, when the flames had reached the powder. THE boy stood on the burning deck, A proud though childlike form. The flames rolled on-he would not go That father, faint in death below, He called aloud-"Say, father, say, He knew not that the chieftain lay, 'Speak, father!" once again he cried, -And but the booming shots replied, Upon his brow he felt their breath, And looked from that lone post of death And shouted but once more aloud, "My father! must I stay?" While o'er him fast, through sail and shroud, The wreathing fires made way. They wrapt the ship in splendour wild, And streamed above the gallant child, Like banners in the sky. Lo! the Dawn Sprang with Buddh's Victory; lo! in the East Flamed the first fires of beauteous Day, poured forth Through fleeting folds of Night's black drapery. High in the widening blue the herald-star Faded to paler silver as there shot Brighter and brightest bars of rosy gleam Across the grey. Far off the shadowy hills Saw the great Sun, before the world was 'ware, And donned their crowns of crimson; flower by flower Felt the warm breath of Morn, and 'gan unfold Their tender lids. Over the spangled grass Swept the swift footsteps of the lovely Light, * Buddha. ing Turning the tears of Night to joyous gems Decking the earth with radiance, 'broider[fringe, The sinking storm-clouds with a golden Gilding the feathers of the palms which waved Glad salutation; darting beams of gold And whispering, Children, praise the Whereat there piped anthems of all the birds, The koil's fluted song, the bulbul's hymn, The "morning! morning!" of the painted thrush, The twitter of the sunbirds starting forth To find the honey ere the bees be out, The grey crow's caw, the parrot's scream, the strokes [chirp, Of the green hammersmith, the myna's The never-finished love-talk of the doves: Yea! and so holy was the influence Of that high Dawn which came with victory, [spread That far and near in homes of men there An unknown peace. The slayer hid his knife; [shroff The robber laid his plunder back; the Counted full tale of coins; all evil hearts Grew gentle, kind hearts gentler, as the balm Of that divinest Daybreak lightened earth. Kings at fierce war called truce; the sick men leaped [smiled Laughing from beds of pain; the dying As though they knew that happy Morn was sprung [East; From fountains farther than the utmost And over the heart of sad Yasodhara, Sitting forlorn at Prince Siddartha's bed, Came sudden bliss, as if love should not fail, Nor such vast sorrow miss to end in joy. So glad the world was-though it wist not why[songs That over desolate wastes went swooning Of mirth, the voice of bodiless Prets and Bhuts, Foreseeing Buddh; and Devas in the air Cried, "It is finished, finished!" and the priests Stood with the wondering people in the streets, [the sky, Watching those golden splendours flood And saying, "There hath happed some mighty thing." Also in Ran and jungle grew that day Friendship amongst the creatures: spotted deer [cubs, Browsed fearless where the tigress fed her And cheetahs lapped the pool beside the bucks; [scoured, Under the eagle's rock the brown hares While his fierce beak but preened an idle wing; [beam, The snake sunned all his jewels in the With deadly fangs in sheath; the shrike let pass The nestling finch; the emerald halcyons Sate dreaming while the fishes played beneath; Nor hawked the merops, though the butterflies Crimson, and blue, and amber-flitted thick Around his perch. A DEAD MAN'S MESSAGE. See Palgrave's "Arabia." He who died at Azan sends this, to comfort faithful friends. FAITHFUL friends! It lies, I know, Pale and cold, and still as snow; And you say, "Abdullah's dead!" Weeping at its feet and head. I can see your falling tears, I can hear your sighs and prayers; Yet I smile, and whisper this, "I am not the thing you kiss; • Cease your wail and let it lie, It was mine; it is not I!" Sweet friends! what the women lave Which kept him from the splendid stars. Loving friends! be wise and dry 'Tis a simple sea-shell, one Out of which the pearl is gone; The shell is nothing-leave it there-The pearl, the soul-was all-is here! 'Tis an earthen pot, whose lid Allah sealed, the while it hid That treasure of His treasury A mind that loved Him; let it be! Allah glorious, Allah good, Lives and loves you;-lost, 'tis true, In a perfect Paradise, And a life which never dies. Farewell friends! yet not farewell: Be ye certain-all seems love La Allah, illa Allah," yea, He that died at Azan gave The pride which smouldered in his breast; for she Had ruled his wayward temper as a child, And as he grew to boyhood. He recalled The long dark tresses of her raven hair, Which she would bind across her marble brow, Her tender, loving eyes, her princely mien, It is scarcely necessary to tell the well-informed reader that the story of Griselda forms the concluding Novel of the Tenth Day in the "Decameron" of Boccaccio, and that it has been often quoted as the most touching of all the tales which make up that most witty and amusing book. |