In the loud trumpet blast of death: Its witness on the murderer's soul Dark be thy wrath as frowning night, And mine as dire volcano bright." Swift as the linnet from the spray, Of pleadings he would fain control; Leagued to destroy, yet fixed to save To call this slumberer from the grave! Bid him awake, and rise to view Beams that can pierce his darkness through. It were a miracle-what less Could change our heart of mortal mould? Speak, and the work is done-now bless Thy word-O Lord, our Righteousness, Conduct this wanderer to thy fold!" While yet he breathed the broken prayer, The fiery Mexican was there : He came on Albert's wondering sight, Like some gay dream of fairy sprite : His form, in snow-white vest arrayed, Its beauteous symmetry displayed; Soft as the wing of summer fly, His robe outshone the Tyrian dye ! Each naked arm a circlet wore Of pearls to shame a regal store; The emerald and the ruby graced His ancles, tissued gold his waist. The plumes-his country's coronetEnwreathed among his locks of jet, With every gesture waving, bow Majestic o'er his graceful brow. Their quills in clustering diamonds bound, They breathed a costly perfume round, And rivalled, in their glancing dyes, The glories of the western skies. The tress confined, his brow was bare, Softened in thought, and pale with care. Though from his eye-beam toil had reft Awhile the fervid blaze of noon, Yet all the floating light was left That steals around the midnight moon. These gauds no living lustre shed; "And would'st thou feed the angry mood, Far from the scenes of ruthless strife, Drawn from the everlasting wells, That spring beneath the tree of life." In wayward humour, Izram flung His limbs upon a couch of pride, Its canopy with plumage hung, And feigning regal scorn, replied"What! bar me from the gen'rous bowl? Ev'n here my lordly will control ? Rebel, wilt thou dethrone thy king?" "Jest not, but heed."-" I will not hear; If but one native note I sing, These royal echoes straight will ring, With descant meet for monarch's ear. Now mark."-In cadence sweet and strong Sudden he raised a lofty song. IZRAM. "Line, in the annals of glory known, "Where have ye hidden your ancient throne? Richly the clear melodious sound His tapestried hall is the crystal stone, To grace an exiled monarch's home. “The diamond his lamp, and the rock his Sparkled the crystals; Izram's eye, throne." IZRAM. "Once, where the isle's blue waters swell, "Her princes fought, and her nobles fell; "The meanest in Aztlan's native train To ecstasy relit, and raised In uncurbed majesty on high, With answering splendour keenly blazed. The sound dissolved, the spell was broke, Drooping his waving plumes he spoke. "Hearts fond and true! far other meed "Was peer for the proudest that forge their Than darksome den, and venturous deed, chain. From Izram, might ye claim. Now speak, The fervour of thy freeborn race. "Perchance some tinge of honest shame, For slight respect to monarch shown; Thy sin I hate, the sinner blame ; And if, thy regal rank unknown"- To hear thy fearless tongue reprove, But other themes beseem them not: Think'st thou my single arm could bring Thee slumbering from the woodland cot? That were a feat for fairy king." While thus in playful grace he spoke, Quivers; his veins to blackness swell: The niches of each opening cave: On every head bright plumage played, The rest was wrapped in folding shade. Their chieftain waves the circling sign, Again th' exulting echoes rung, While wide a massy door was flung, And fiercely struggled, half repressed, The burning ire in Albert's breast, And wildly throbbed his temperate blood, When to his frowning glance confessed His brother's murderer stood: "Twas nature's fever; mercy rolled Her current, and the fire controlled. Blinded beneath the burst of light, The Spaniard veiled his aching sight; Then proudly, with expanding eye, Drew his majestic form on hight, And firmly stepped, with measured pace, The features of his foe to trace. The youth in bitter mockery Bent, till the plumes had kissed his knee, Then tossed them, while with fiery gaze His eye belied the courtly phrase,"Thrice welcome be th' Iberian lord To exiled Izram's humble board." (Full well betrayed the sudden start How shot that name through Gondolph's heart.) "Fain would the Mexican repay, Well as attainted traitor may, The rites of Gondolph's princely dome, Ere yet his steps behoved to roam." The Spaniard spoke, untouched by fear; "While Izram in my view shall bide, Murder, I judge, must needs be near." Those dainty limbs in fetters bind, Ev'n loyal love's securest spell." With dimpling smile and glowing cheek, What think'st thou, if the glittering store The Spaniard curled his lip in scorn— "Methinks the yoke is lightly borne: Why club ye not your stores, to buy The glittering bauble, liberty? Why bribe ye not, with ample pence, Some stout ally to chase us hence, And on their ancient seat replace Your puny and diminished race?" A sullen murmur muttering crept From the dark bands; and Izram stept, Glaring beneath his scowling brow, Like a chafed lion on the foe: Burning mid everlasting fires, In torments yell your murderous sires; And bribe some distant robber band, Greedy of sordid hire, to pour Destruction on the groaning land? Earth from her dregs could ne'er defile Our country with a pest so vile, Nor vomit forth a crew so base As dark Iberia's felon race; Yet seek we not with foreign steel With deeper gash the destined blow, And o'er your pride, your towering pride, In bold career exulting ride. There lurks, within the womb of fate, Could mingle in the cup of Spain: In contest with the heedless air; "Thou taunting fool! though wayward fate The augury of thy brain-sick hate Should e'en fulfil, what higher grace Than change of lords awaits thy race? Loosened awhile the servile chain, Tools for their need, then locked again." "Take thou no care for that: we hold The master-key, the secret gold: Let Liberty's resplendent eye Should be the tyrant's sons? In memory of the shameful wile, To vengeful gaze the site unfold, The temple of an erring creed, Glutting his savage eye with blood, The fell hyena, Cortez, stood. Bold barter! with a moment's shame Of that arch-rebel spurned from heavenThey bent on his accursed brow, With upward gaze, the beaming eye, And silently arose the vow, Not to the tyrant, but the sky. They pointed to the battle plain, Where swelled and sunk, in plumy surge, With their dark prize, the giddy verge: "But watchful Heaven preserved its own; The wily traitors died alone." "Alone! how deep the conscious flood Hath leagued in freedom's sacred cause; The earth her firm enclosure rent, And opened her devouring jaws : Your crimes the circling years rehearse, Ye spread the banquet, rich and fair, And parched like the exhausted soil; With ghastly smile the Spaniard sought To veil the pang of shuddering thought. "Albeit thy phrase is aptly set, I weary of the prating speech ;A wondering congregation met To hear one half-taught savage preach. I ween 'twas in Anselmo's school Thou learn'dst to rail and rant by rule." His mock the youth unruffled heard :"Thou yet shalt bide that railing word, My private wrong will plead in vain ; This blade a nation's vengeance wreaks, Not Izram to Almarez speaks, But Mexico to Spain. Cast round thine eye and view the spoil, Though slumbering justice linger yet, But thou hast earned the grace to fall "Aye, like the captive heroes, slain Beneath your hideous idol-fane; Whose heart-pulse, bared by butcher-knife, Bounded and throbbed with struggling life On the foul shrine, and slaked the thirst Of ruthless cannibals; accursed By earth and heaven. What did we more Than baulk your gods of human gore? Dispatching with a swifter stroke Those tens of thousands doomed to die, Beneath Mexitli's demon yoke, In torture, rage, and blasphemy. Had fate restrained the righteous hand, That swept this wrath-devoted land, Your sacrificial knives had gored More victims than our conquering sword." With eye reproachful, sad, and stern, Fixed the dark youth his piercing gaze: "And came your Christian band to turn Those sinners from destruction's ways? To burst the veil of mental night, And spread their hoard of gospel light Wide o'er the lovely fertile spot, Enrobed, by Him we worshipped not, In Eden's garb? the fairest gem On nature's brilliant diadem. Ye found a clime where seraph guest Might fold the downy wing and rest; Epitome of every grace Strewed o'er creation's dwelling-place; As western skies had kissed the earth, Enamoured of her beauteous birth, And stamped their tints, divinely fair, On every tribe that nestled there, Till bird, and flower, and insect glowed, Bright as the vesper sun's abode ; And deep the burning radiance rolled, Ripening her very dust to gold; And kindling in her caverns drear Such diamond sparks as glimmer here. Spreads not the lake its crystal breast To woo again that azure guest? While emulous, with crested brow, Cedar and palm arise to bow; |