Rejected Addresses Part 4

Yamen beheld, and wither'd at the sight; Long had he aim'd the sunbeam to control, For light was hateful to his soul: "Go on!" cried the h.e.l.lish one, yellow with spite, "Go on!" cried the h.e.l.lish one, yellow with spleen, "Thy toils of the morning, like Ithaca's queen, I'll toil to undo every night."

Ye sons of song, rejoice!

Veeshnoo has still'd the jarring elements, The spheres hymn music; Again the G.o.d of day Peeps forth with trembling ray, Wakes, from their humid caves, the sleeping Nine, And pours at intervals a strain divine.

"I have an iron yet in the fire," cried Yamen; "The vollied flame rides in my breath, My blast is elemental death; This hand shall tear your paper bonds to pieces; Ingross your deeds, a.s.signments, leases, My breath shall every line erase Soon as I blow the blaze."

The lawyers are met at the Crown and Anchor, And Yamen's visage grows blanker and blanker; The lawyers are met at the Anchor and Crown, And Yamen's cheek is a russety brown: Veeshnoo, now thy work proceeds; The solicitor reads, And, merit of merit!

Red wax and green ferret Are fixed at the foot of the deeds!

Yamen beheld and s.h.i.+ver'd; His finger and thumb were cramp'd; His ear by the flea in 't was bitten, When he saw by the lawyer's clerk written, Sealed and delivered, Being first duly stamped.

"Now for my turn!" the demon cries, and blows A blast of sulphur from his mouth and nose.

Ah! bootless aim! the critic fiend, Sagacious Yamen, judge of h.e.l.l, Is judged in his turn; Parchment won't burn!

His schemes of vengeance are dissolved in air, Parchment won't tear!!

Is it not written in the Himakoot book (That mighty Baly from Kehama took), "Who blows on pounce Must the Swerga renounce?"

It is! it is! Yamen, thine hour is nigh: Like as an eagle claws an asp, Veeshnoo has caught him in his mighty grasp, And hurl'd him, in spite of his shrieks and his squalls, Whizzing aloft, like the Temple fountain, Three times as high as Meru mountain, Which is Ninety-nine times as high as St. Paul's.

Descending, he twisted like Levy the Jew, {41} Who a durable grave meant To dig in the pavement Of Monument-yard: To earth by the laws of attraction he flew, And he fell, and he fell To the regions of h.e.l.l; Nine centuries bounced he from cavern to rock, And his head, as he tumbled, went nickety-nock, Like a pebble in Carisbrook well.

Now Veeshnoo turn'd round to a capering varlet, Array'd in blue and white and scarlet, And cried, "Oh! brown of slipper as of hat!

Lend me, Harlequin, thy bat!"

He seized the wooden sword, and smote the earth; When lo! upstarting into birth A fabric, gorgeous to behold, Outshone in elegance the old, And Veeshnoo saw, and cried, "Hail, playhouse mine!"

Then, bending his head, to Surya he said, "Soon as thy maiden sister Di Caps with her copper lid the dark blue sky, And through the fissures of her clouded fan Peeps at the naughty monster man.

Go mount yon edifice, And show thy steady face In renovated pride, More bright, more glorious than before!"

But ah! coy Surya still felt a twinge, Still smarted from his former singe; And to Veeshnoo replied, In a tone rather gruff, "No, thank you! one tumble's enough!"

DRURY'S DIRGE {42}--BY LAURA MATILDA. {43}

"You praise our sires; but though they wrote with force, Their rhymes were vicious, and their diction coa.r.s.e: We want their STRENGTH, agreed; but we atone For that, and more, by SWEETNESS all our own."--GIFFORD.

I.

Balmy Zephyrs, lightly flitting, Shade me with your azure wing; On Parna.s.sus' summit sitting, Aid me, Clio, while I sing.

II.

Softly slept the dome of Drury O'er the empyreal crest, When Alecto's sister-fury Softly slumb'ring sunk to rest.

III.

Lo! from Lemnos limping lamely, Lags the lowly Lord of Fire, Cytherea yielding tamely To the Cyclops dark and dire.

IV.

Clouds of amber, dreams of gladness, Dulcet joys and sports of youth, Soon must yield to haughty sadness; Mercy holds the veil to Truth.

V.

See Erostratus the second Fires again Diana's fane; By the Fates from Orcus beckon'd, Clouds envelope Drury Lane.

VI.

Lurid smoke and frank suspicion Hand in hand reluctant dance: While the G.o.d fulfils his mission, Chivalry, resign thy lance.

VII.

Hark! the engines blandly thunder, Fleecy clouds dishevell'd lie, And the firemen, mute with wonder, On the son of Saturn cry.

VIII.

See the bird of Ammon sailing, Perches on the engine's peak, And, the Eagle firemen hailing, Soothes them with its bickering beak.

IX.

Juno saw, and mad with malice, Lost the prize that Paris gave: Jealousy's ensanguined chalice Mantling pours the orient wave.

X.

Pan beheld Patroclus dying, Nox to Niobe was turn'd; From Busiris Bacchus flying, Saw his Semele inurn'd.

XI.

Thus fell Drury's lofty glory, Levell'd with the shuddering stones; Mars, with tresses black and gory, Drinks the dew of pearly groans.

XII.

Hark! what soft Eolian numbers Gem the blushes of the morn!

Break, Amphion, break your slumbers, Nature's ringlets deck the thorn.

XIII.

Ha! I hear the strain erratic Dimly glance from pole to pole; Raptures sweet and dreams ecstatic Fire my everlasting soul.

XIV.

Where is Cupid's crimson motion?

Billowy ecstasy of woe, Bear me straight, meandering ocean, Where the stagnant torrents flow.

XV.

Blood in every vein is gus.h.i.+ng, Vixen vengeance lulls my heart: See, the Gorgon gang is rus.h.i.+ng!

Never, never let us part!