THE FUGITIVES.

I.

THE waters are flashing,
The white hail is dashing,
The lightnings are glancing,
The hoar-spray is dancing-
Away!

The whirlwind is rolling,
The thunder is tolling,

The forest is swinging,

The minster bells ringing—
Come away!

The Earth is like Ocean,
Wreck-strewn and in motion:
Bird, beast, man, and worm,
Have crept out of the storm—
Come away!

"Our boat has one sail,

And the helmsman is pale ;

A bold pilot I trow,

Who should follow us now,"-
Shouted He-

And she cried: "Ply the oar;
Put off gaily from shore ! "
As she spoke, bolts of death
Mixed with hail, specked their path

O'er the sea.

And from isle, tower, and rock,
The blue beacon-cloud broke,
Though dumb in the blast,
The red cannon flashed fast
From the lee.

III.

"And fear'st thou, and fear'st thou?
And see'st thou, and hear'st thou?
And drive we not free
O'er the terrible sea,

I and thou?"

One boat-cloak did cover

The loved and the lover-
Their blood beats one measure,
They murmur proud pleasure
Soft and low;-

While around the lashed Ocean,
Like mountains in motion,
Is withdrawn and uplifted,
Sunk, shattered, and shifted,
To and fro.

IV.

In the court of the fortress
Beside the pale portress,

Like a blood-hound well beaten

The bridegroom stands, eaten
By shame;

On the topmost watch-turret,
As a death-boding spirit,
Stands the grey tyrant father,
To his voice the mad weather
Seems tame;

And with curses as wild
As e'er cling to child,
He devotes to the blast
The best, loveliest, and last
Of his name!

MUTABILITY.

THE flower that smiles to-day
To-morrow dies;

All that we wish to stay,

Tempts and then flies;

What is this world's delight? Lightning that mocks the night, Brief even as bright.

Virtue, how frail it is!

Friendship too rare!

Love, how it sells poor bliss
For proud despair!

But we, though soon they fall,
Survive their joy and all

Which ours we call.

Whilst skies are blue and bright,

Whilst

Whilst flowers are gay,

eyes that change ere night Make glad the day;

Whilst yet the calm hours creep, Dream thou-and from thy sleep Then wake to weep.

ΤΟ

MINE eyes were dim with tears unshed; Yes, I was firm-thus wert not thou ;My baffled looks did fear yet dread

To meet thy looks-I could not know How anxiously they sought to shine With soothing pity upon mine.

To sit and curb the soul's mute rage
Which preys upon itself alone;
To curse the life which is the cage

Of fettered grief that dares not groan,
Hiding from many a careless eye
The scorned load of agony.

Whilst thou alone, then not regarded,
The [ ] thou alone should be,
To spend years thus, and be rewarded,
As thou, sweet love, requited me
When none were near-Oh! I did wake
From torture for that moment's sake.

Upon my heart thy accents sweet

Of peace and pity fell like dew

On flowers half dead ;-thy lips did meet

Mine tremblingly; thy dark eyes threw Their soft persuasion on my brain, Charming away its dream of pain.

We are not happy, sweet! our state
Is strange and full of doubt and fear;
More need of words that ills abate ;-

Reserve or censure come not near
Our sacred friendship, lest there be
No solace left for thou and me.

Gentle and good and mild thou art,
Nor can I live if thou appear
Aught but thyself, or turn thine heart
Away from me, or stoop to wear
The mask of scorn, although it be
To hide the love thou feel'st for me.

LINES.

FAR, far away, O ye
Halcyons of Memory!

Seek some far calmer nest
Than this abandoned breast ;-
No news of your false spring
To my heart's winter bring;
Once having gone, in vain
Ye come again.

Vultures, who build your bowers
High in the Future's towers!
Withered hopes on hopes are spread ;

Dying joys, choked by the dead,
Will serve your beaks for prey
Many a day