Sound loves to revel in a summer night: Witness the murmur of the gray twilight That stole upon the ear in Eyraco,* Of many a wild star-gazer long ago, That stealeth ever on the ear of him Who musing gazeth on the distance dim, And sees the darkness coming as a cloud— Is not its form-its voice-most palpable and loud?†

But what is this?—it cometh--and it brings
A music with it: 'tis the rush of wings!

A pause-and then a sweeping, falling strain,
And Nesace is in her halls again.

From the wild energy of wanton haste

Her cheeks were flushing, and her lips apart;

There were undoubtedly more than two cities engulfed in the Dead Sea. In the valley of Sidim were five: Adrah, Zeboin, Zoar, Sodom, and Gomorrah. Stephen of Byzantium mentions eight, and Strabo thirteen (engulfed); but the last is out of all reason.

It is said [Tacitus, Strabo, Josephus, Daniel of St. Saba, Nau, Maundrell, Troilo, D'Arvieux] that, after an excessive drought, the vestiges of columns, walls, &c., are seen above the surface. At any season, such remains may be discovered by looking down into the transparent lake, and at such distances as would argue the existence of many settlements in the space now usurped by the "asphaltites."

* Eyraco-Chaldea.

+ I have often thought I could distinctly hear the sound of the darkness as it stole over the horizon.

And zone that clung around her gentle waist

Had burst beneath the heaving of her heart.
Within the centre of that hall to breathe
She paused and panted, Zanthe! all beneath
The fairy light that kissed her golden hair,
And longed to rest, yet could but sparkle there!

Young flowers were whispering in melody *
To happy flowers that night, and tree to tree;
Fountains were gushing music as they fell
In many a star-lit grove or moon-lit dell;
Yet silence came upon material things,
Fair flowers, bright waterfalls, and angel wings,
And sound alone that from the spirit sprang
Bore burden to the charm the maiden sang :

"Neath blue-bell or streamer,

Or tufted wild spray

That keeps from the dreamer
The moonbeam away,t

* 66

Fairies use flowers for their charactery."-Merry Wives of

Windsor.

In Scripture is this passage,- "The sun shall not harm thee by day, nor the moon by night." It is perhaps not generally known, that the moon, in Egypt, has the effect of producing blindness to those who sleep with the face exposed to its rays; to which circumstance the passage evidently alludes.

Bright beings that ponder,
With half-closing eyes,

On the stars which your wonder
Hath drawn from the skies,

Till they glance through the shade, and
Come down to your brow,

Like eyes of the maiden

Who calls on you now. Arise! from your dreaming

In violet bowers,

To duty beseeming

These star-litten hours;

And shake from your tresses,

Encumbered with dew,

The breath of those kisses

That cumber them too

(Oh, how without you, love,
Could angels be blest?)-

Those kisses of true love
That lulled ye to rest!
Up! shake from your wing
Each hindering thing:

The dew of the night

It would weigh down your flight;

And true love caresses

Oh, leave them apart!

They are light on the tresses,

But lead on the heart.

Incumbent on night

(As she on the air),

To keep watch with delight
On the harmony there?
"Ligeia! wherever

Thy image may be,
No magic shall sever

Thy music from thee.
Thou hast bound many eyes
In a dreamy sleep,

But the strains still arise

Which thy vigilance keep;

The sound of the rain

Which leaps down to the flower,

And dances again,

In the rhythm of the shower;
The murmur that springs *

From the growing of grass

Are the music of things—

But are modelled, alas!
Away, then, my dearest,

Oh, hie thee away

To springs that lie clearest

Beneath the moonray,

* I met with this idea in an old English tale, which I am now unable to obtain, and quote from memory:-"The verie essence and, as it were, springeheade and origine of all musiche is the very pleasaunte sounde which the trees of the forest do make when they growe."