XCV. But in this case I also must remark, 'T was well this bird of promise did not perch, Because the tackle of our shatter'd bark Was not so safe for roosting as a church; And had it been the dove from Noah's ark, Returning there from her successful search, Which in their way that moment chanced to fall, They would have eat her, olive-branch and all. XCVI. With twilight it again came on to blow, But not with violence; the stars shone out, The boat made way; yet now they were so low, They knew not where nor what they were about; Some fancied they saw land, and some said "No!" The frequent fog-banks gave them cause to doubt Some swore that they heard breakers, others guns, And all mistook about the latter once. XCVII. 1 And seem'd as if they had no further care; While a few pray'd— (the first time for some years)And at the bottom of the boat three were Asleep they shook them by the hand and head, And tried to awaken them, but found them dead. XCIX. The day before, fast sleeping on the water, They found a turtle of the hawk's-bill kind, And by good fortune, gliding softly, caught her, 4 Which yielded a day's life, and to their mind Proved even still a more nutritious matter, Because it left encouragement behind : They thought that in such perils, more than chance Had sent them this for their deliverance. ["I found it necessary to caution the people against being deceived by the appearance of land, or calling out till they were convinced of the reality, more especially as fog-banks are often mistaken for land: several of the poor fellows nevertheless repeatedly exclaimed they heard breakers, and some the firing of guns." — Ibid.] ["At length one of them broke into a most immoderate swearing fit of joy, which I could not restrain, and declared, that he had never seen land in his life, if what he now saw was not land."- Centaur.] 3["The joy at a speedy relief affected us all in a most remarkable way. Many burst into tears; some looked at each other with a stupid stare, as if doubtful of the reality of what they saw; while several were in such a lethargic condition, that no animating words could rouse them to exertion. At To what part of the earth they had been tost, So changeable had been the winds that blew; Some thought it was Mount Etna, some the highlands Of Candia, Cyprus, Rhodes, or other islands. CI. Meantime the current, with a rising gale, Still set them onwards to the welcome shore, Like Charon's bark of spectres, dull and pale: Their living freight was now reduced to four, And three dead, whom their strength could not avail To heave into the deep with those before, Though the two sharks still follow'd them, and dash'd The spray into their faces as they splash'd. CII. Famine, despair, cold, thirst, and heat, had done CIII. As they drew nigh the land, which now was seen From glistening waves, and skies so hot and bare — CIV. The shore look'd wild, without a trace of man, To show its boiling surf and bounding spray, But finding no place for their landing better, They ran the boat for shore, and overset her.6 CV. But in his native stream, the Guadalquivir, Juan to lave his youthful limbs was wont ; And having learnt to swim in that sweet river, Had often turn'd the art to some account: A better swimmer you could scarce see ever, He could, perhaps, have pass'd the Hellespont, As once (a feat on which ourselves we prided) Leander, Mr. Ekenhead, and I did. 7 this affecting period, I proposed offering up our solemn thanks to Heaven for the miraculous deliverance."- Lady Hobart.] ["After having suffered the horrors of hunger and thirst for many days, they providentially took a small turtle whilst floating asleep on the surface of the water."-Thomas.] ["Our bodies were nothing but skin and bones, our limbs were full of sores, and we were clothed in rags. An indifferent spectator would have been at a loss which most to admire, the eyes of famine sparkling at immediate relief, or the horror of their preservers at the sight of so many spectres, whose ghastly countenances, if the cause had been unknown, would rather have excited terror than pity."- BLIGH.] 6["They discovered land right ahead, and steered for it. There being a very heavy surf, they endeavoured to turn the boat's head to it, which, from weakness, they were unable to complete, and soon afterwards the boat upset."— Escape of Deserters from St. Helena.] 7 [See antè, p. 545.1 CVI. So here, though faint, emaciated, and stark, That carried off his neighbour by the thigh; CVII. Nor yet had he arrived but for the oar, Which, providentially for him, was wash'd Just as his feeble arms could strike no more, And the hard wave o'erwhelmed him as 't was dash'd Within his grasp; he clung to it, and sore The waters beat while he thereto was lash'd; At last, with swimming, wading, scrambling, he Roll'd on the beach, half-senseless, from the sea : CVIII. There, breathless, with his digging nails he clung Should suck him back to her insatiate grave: CIX. With slow and staggering effort he arose, But sunk again upon his bleeding knee And quivering hand; and then he look'd for those Who long had been his mates upon the sea; But none of them appear'd to share his woes, Save one, a corpse, from out the famish'd three, Who died two days before, and now had found An unknown barren beach for burial ground. CX. And as he gazed, his dizzy brain spun fast, And down he sunk; and as he sunk, the sand How long in his damp trance young Juan lay He knew not, till each painful pulse and limb, CXII. His eyes he open'd, shut, again unclosed, For all was doubt and dizziness; he thought And slowly by his swimming eyes was seen CXIII "T was bending close o'er his, and the smali mouth Then was the cordial pour'd, and mantle flung His dewy curls, long drench'd by every storm; And lifting him with care into the cave, The gentle girl, and her attendant,-one Young, yet her elder, and of brow less grave, And more robust of figure, then begun To kindle fire, and as the new flames gave Light to the rocks that roof 'd them, which the sun Had never seen, the maid, or whatsoc'er She was, appcar'd distinct, and tall, and fair. CXVI. Her brow was overhung with coins of gold, That sparkled o'er the auburn of her hair, Her clustering hair, whose longer locks were roll'd In braids behind; and though her stature were Even of the highest for a female mould, They nearly reach'd her heel; and in her air There was a something which bespoke command, As one who was a lady in the land. CXVII. Her hair, I said, was auburn; but her eyes Were black as death, their lashes the same hue, Of downcast length, in whose silk shadow lies Deepest attraction; for when to the view Forth from its raven fringe the full glance flies, Ne'er with such force the swiftest arrow flew ; 'Tis as the snake late coil'd, who pours his length, And hurls at once his venom and his strength. CXVIII. Her brow was white and low, her cheek's pure dye (A race of mere impostors, when all 's done. I'll tell you why I say so, for 't is just One should not rail without a decent cause: There was an Irish lady, to whose bust I ne'er saw justice done, and yet she was A frequent model; and if e'er she must Yield to stern Time and Nature's wrinkling laws, They will destroy a face which mortal thought. Ne'er compass'd, nor less mortal chisel wrought. ["A set of humbug rascals, when all 's done. CXXVII. He was a Greek, and on his isle had built CXXVIII. He had an only daughter, call'd Haidée, Her dowry was as nothing to her smiles: She grew to womanhood, and between whiles Rejected several suitors, just to learn How to accept a better in his turn. CXXIX. And walking out upon the beach, below The cliff, towards sunset, on that day she found, Insensible,- -not dead, but nearly so,— Don Juan, almost famish'd, and half drown'd; A stranger" dying, with so white a skin. But taking him into her father's house Or people in a trance into their grave; CXXXI. And therefore, with her maid, she thought it best (A virgin always on her maid relies) To place him in the cave for present rest: And when, at last, he open'd his black eyes, Their charity increased about their guest; And their compassion grew to such a size, It open'd half the turnpike-gates to heaven(St. Paul says, 't is the toll which must be given.) CXXXII. They made a fire,—but such a fire as they A mast was almost crumbled to a crutch; He had a bed of furs, and a pelisse, For Haidée stripp'd her sables off to make His couch; and, that he might be more at ease, And warm, in case by chance he should awake, They also gave a petticoat apiece, 1 She and her maid,—and promised by daybreak To pay him a fresh visit, with a dish For breakfast, of eggs, coffee, bread, and fish. 1 ["And such a bed of furs, and a pelisse."-MS.] And pensive to her father's house she went, Better than her knew what, in fact, she meant, A year or two's an age when rightly spent, The morn broke, and found Juan slumbering still Not so Haidée: she sadly toss'd and tumbled, And started from her sleep, and, turning o'er, Dream'd of a thousand wrecks, o'er which she stumbled, And handsome corpses strew'd upon the shore; But up she got, and up she made them get, - MS.] And come like opening hell upon the mind, No baseless fabric,' but a wreck behind.'”. 2["Had e'er escaped more dangers on the deep ; — And those who are not drown'd, at least may sleep."— MS.] [Entitled "A Narrative of the Honourable John Byron (Commodore in a late expedition round the world), containing an account of the great distresses suffered by himself and his companions on the coast of Patagonia. from the year 1740, till their arrival in England, 1746; written by Himself." This narrative, one of the most interesting that ever appeared, was published in 1768.] "Wore for a husband-or some such like brute."-MS.] ["although of late I've changed, for some few years, the day to night."-MS.] [In the year 1784, Dr. Franklin published a most ingenious essay on the advantages of early rising, as a mere piece Bright Phoebus, while the mountains still are wet I say, the sun is a most glorious sight, I've seen him rise full oft, indeed of late I have sat up on purpose all the night, 5 Which hastens, as physicians say, one's fate; And so all ye, who would be in the right In health and purse 6, begin your day to date From daybreak, and when coffin'd at fourscore, Engrave upon the plate, you rose at four. 7 CXLI. And Haidée met the morning face to face; Her own was freshest, though a feverish flush Had dyed it with the headlong blood, whose race From heart to cheek is curb'd into a blush, Like to a torrent which a mountain's base, That overpowers some Alpine river's rush, Checks to a lake, whose waves in circles spread; Or the Red Sea-but the sea is not red. 8 CXLII. And down the cliff the island virgin came, And near the cave her quick light footsteps drew, While the sun smiled on her with his first flame, And young Aurora kiss'd her lips with dew, Taking her for a sister; just the same Mistake you would have made on seeing the two, Although the mortal, quite as fresh and fair, Had all the advantage, too, of not being air. 9 CXLIII. And when into the cavern Haidée stepp'd And then she stopp'd, and stood as if in awe (For sleep is awful), and on tiptoe crept And wrapt him closer, lest the air, too raw, Should reach his blood, then o'er him still as death Bent, with hush'd lips, that drank his scarce-drawn breath. CXLIV. And thus like to an angel o'er the dying Who die in righteousness, she lean'd; and there All tranquilly the shipwreck'd boy was lying, As o'er him lay the calm and stirless air: But Zoe the meantime some eggs was frying, Since, after all, no doubt the youthful pair Must breakfast, and betimes-lest they should ask it, She drew out her provision from the basket. of economy. He estimates the saving that might be made in Paris alone, by using sunshine instead of candles, at ninetysix millions of French livres, or four millions sterling per annum.-HILL.] 7 [The plan of going to bed early, and rising betimes, has been called the golden rule for the attainment of health and long life. It is sanctioned by various proverbial expressions; and when old people have been examined, regarding the causes of their long life, they uniformly agreed in one particular, that they went to bed early, and rose early. - SIR JOHN SINCLAIR.] 8["My opinion is, that it is from the large trees or plants of coral, spread everywhere over the bottom of the Red Sea, perfectly in imitation of plants on land, that it has obtained this name."- BRUCE.] CXLV. She knew that the best feelings must have victual, And that a shipwreck'd youth would hungry be; Besides, being less in love, she yawn'd a little, And felt her veins chill'd by the neighbouring sea; And so, she cook'd their breakfast to a tittle; I can't say that she gave them any tea, But there were eggs, fruit, coffee, bread, fish, honey, With Scio wine, and all for love, not money. CXLVI. And Zoe, when the eggs were ready, and The coffee made, would fain have waken'd Juan; But Haidée stopp'd her with her quick small hand, And without word, a sign her finger drew on Her lip, which Zoe needs must understand; And, the first breakfast spoilt, prepared a new one, For still he lay, and on his thin worn cheek CXLVIII. And she bent o'er him, and he lay beneath, In short, he was a very pretty fellow, He woke and gazed, and would have slept again, And thus upon his elbow he arose, And look'd upon the lady, in whose cheek The pale contended with the purple rose, As with an effort she began to speak; Now Juan could not understand a word, 1["Fair as the rose just pluck'd to crown the wreath, Soft as the unfledged birdling when at rest."- MS. CLII. And Juan gazed as one who is awoke By a distant organ, doubting if he be Not yet a dreamer, till the spell is broke By the watchman, or some such reality, Or by one's early valet's cursed knock; At least it is a heavy sound to me, Who like a morning slumber-for the night Shows stars and women in a better light. CLIII. And Juan, too, was help'd out from his dream, Of the new fire, which Zoe kept up, kneeling, But beef is rare within these oxless isles; Goat's flesh there is, no doubt, and kid, and mutton, And, when a holiday upon them smiles, A joint upon their barbarous spits they put on: But this occurs but seldom, between whiles, For some of these are rocks with scarce a hut on; I say that beef is rare, and can't help thinking For we all know that English people are From this my subject, has no business here; A pleasure-like all pleasures—rather dear; So were the Cretans-from which I infer, That beef and battles both were owing to her. CLVII. But to resume. The languid Juan raised CLVIII. He ate, and he was well supplied; and she, Knew (by tradition for she ne'er had read) Whose accents are the steps of Music's throne."-MS.] |