Fold in behind each other, and so make

A circular vale, and land-lock'd, as might seem,
With brook and bridge, and grey stone cottages,

Half hid by rocks and fruit-trees. Beneath my feet,
The whortle-berries are bedewed with spray,
Dashed upwards by the furious waterfall.
How solemnly the pendent ivy-mass

Swings in its winnow! All the air is calm.

The smoke from cottage-chimnies, ting'd with light, Rises in columns: from this house alone,

Close by the waterfall, the column slants,

And feels its ceaseless breeze.

But what is THIS?

That cottage, with its slanting chimney-smoke,
And close beside its porch a sleeping child,
His dear head pillowed on a sleeping dog-

One arm between its fore legs, and the hand
Holds loosely its small handful of wild-flowers,
Unfilletted, and of unequal lengths.

A curious picture, with a master's haste
Sketch'd on a strip of pinky-silver skin,

Peel'd from the birchen bark! Divinest maid!
Yon bark her canvas, and those purple berries
Her pencil! See, the juice is scarcely dried
On the fine skin! She has been newly here;
And lo! yon patch of heath has been her couch-

The pressure still remains! O blessed couch!
For this may'st thou flower early, and the Sun,
Slanting at eve, rest bright, and linger long
Upon thy purple bells! O Isabel!

Daughter of genius! stateliest of our maids!
More beautiful than whom Alcæus woo'd
The Lesbian woman of immortal song!
O child of genius! stately, beautiful,
And full of love to all, save only me,

And not ungentle e'en to me! My heart,

Why beats it thus? Through yonder coppice-wood

Needs must the pathway turn, that leads straightway On to her father's house. She is alone!

The night draws on-such ways are hard to hit

And fit it is I should restore this sketch,
Dropt unawares no doubt. Why should I yearn
To keep the relique ? 'twill but idly feed
The passion that consumes me. Let me haste !
The picture in my hand which she has left;
She cannot blame me that I follow'd her:

And I

may be her guide the long wood through

Earl HENRY.

Oh! I were most base,

Not loving Oropeza. True, I woo'd her,
Hoping to heal a deeper wound; but she
Met my advances with empassion'd pride,

That kindled love with love. And when her sire,
Who in his dream of hope already grasp'd
The golden circlet in his hand, rejected

My suit with insult, and in memory
Of ancient feuds pour'd curses on my head,

Her blessings overtook and baffled them!

But thou art stern, and with unkindly countenance Art inly reasoning whilst thou listen'st to me.

SANDOVAL.

Anxiously, Henry! reasoning anxiously.

But Oropeza

Earl HENRY.

Blessings gather round her!

Within this wood there winds a secret passage,
Beneath the walls, which opens out at length
Into the gloomiest covert of the Garden-
The night ere my departure to the army,

She, nothing trembling, led me thro' that gloom,

And to the covert by that silent stream,
Which, with one star reflected oer its marge,
Was the sole object visible around me.

No leaflet stirr'd; the air was almost sultry;

So deep, so dark, so close, the umbrage o'er us!
No leaflet stirr'd;-yet pleasure hung upon

The gloom and stillness of the balmy night-air.

A little further on an arbor stood,

Fragrant with flowering trees-I well remember
What an uncertain glimmer in the darkness

Their snow-white blossoms made-thither she led me,
To that sweet bower-Then Oropeza trembled―

I heard her heart beat-if 'twere not my own.

SANDOVAL.

A rude and scaring note, my friend!

Earl HENRY.

Oh! no!

I have small memory of aught but pleasure.
The inquietudes of fear, like lesser streams
Still flowing, still were lost in those of love:
So love grew mightier from the fear, and Nature,
Fleeing from Pain, shelter'd herself in Joy.
The stars above our heads were dim and steady,