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VI.

Calm sleep the citizens;–
Loud the wind blows;–
If its wild moaning
Break their repose,
They dream as they hear it,
Or turn where they lie.
Conscious of happiness,
Knowing not why,
Except that the flush of morn
Lights not the sky.
Sleep! happy citizens!
Sleep every one!
‘Tis Misery only
Wakes ere the Sun.
Rest! Pain and Poverty!
Sleep! Toil and Care!
Heaven, though it gave you
Burdens to bear,
Lightens the heavy load,
Shortens the weary road.
Breathes on your brain.
The balm and the solace
And healing of pain.
Slumber ye millions
Calmly till day!
Luxury! Beggary!
Sleep, while ye may!

VII.

Onwards, still onwards!
But whither? who knows?
Where the lights quiver
By the black river.
Thither he goes!
Frenzy goes with him.
His counsel and guide,
A phantom, a spectre;
She stalks by his side.
“Idiot,” she whispers,
“See’st thou the end?
Self-respect flies from thee,
Death is thy friend;
Nothing is left thee!”
Deep from his heart
Came a denial,–
“O tempter depart;
She may remain to me!”
“Fool that thou art!
Hast thou a truth to give
Pure as of yore?
What shall her broken trust
Ever restore?
Live, and she’ll hate thee;–
Die;–she’ll deplore.
Angel that loved thee once.
Lost evermore!”

VIII.

Ceas’d the wind, sunk the rain.
Shone out the starlight;
Calm o’er the silent stream
Glitter’d each far light.
Lonely in gloomy mood,
On the bleak bridge he stood,
Midway above the flood,
Looking down wistfully
To the dark waters,
Grave of the young and fair.
Passion’s lost daughters.

IX.

Oh, the pale faces
Surging and sailing!
Oh, the long garments
Lapping and trailing!
In the moon-shimmer
Pallid and wan,
Vapour-like, woman-like,
Gleaming and gone!
Gleaming a moment,
Then fading away;
Tombed in the ripple.
Bom in the ray;
Ever he saw their ghosts,
Changeful and mournful hosts,
Through the waves peering,
Pointing their misty hands,
Gibing and jeering;–
Then to the starry maze
Turned his weak human gaze,
Blinded by tears;
Felt on the stormy sea
Of his soul’s agony.
Dew-like serenity.
Drop from the spheres.

X.

Ship-like, full-breasted,
Travelled the moon,
Swift as a gondola
In a lagoon,
Through the cloud-highlands
In silvery glow,
Through the white islands
Of turretted snow.
Beautiful! Beautiful!
How could he dare
Ruffle with Passion
The placid night air?
Or gaze on the moonlight
With his despair?
Lovely, most lovely!
How could he stand
There, in the sight of Heaven,
Clenching his hand;
Fuming and fretting
At Fate’s iron bars,
An atom! a grain of dust!
Chiding the stars?
Beautiful! Beautiful!
Peace on its beams,
Slid like a seraph
Into his dreams.
The mists of his spirit
Were rent and withdrawn,
Beautiful! Beautiful!
Welcome the dawn!

XI.

In gold and in purple,
In amber and grey.
Under the steeple vanes,
Eastward away,
Over the house-tops
Blushed the new day.
Filling not wholly
Heaven’s azure cup,
But faintly and slowly
Mom travelled up.
The moonlight received it,
And died in a swound;
Hesperus saw it
And vanished, discrowned–
Steeple and pinnacle,
Turret and spire,
Crowded and countless
As flames in a fire;–
All the great city,
As far as the sight,
Emerged into morning
And glimmer’d in light.