The Poetical Works of William Lisle Bowles Volume Ii Part 19

I had a robber's cavern at the foot 510 Of Carmel, and oft skirred the neighbouring plains On my fleet battle-horse, with spurs of blood.

Here I was joined by soldiers, desperate And outcast as myself; we were a band Of secret and of fearful brotherhood That tenanted these caverns. But my wife, When we were absent, and the cave was still, Wept, for the love of those who were no more; Trembled, and wept for me. When I returned, Weary, at night, she sat and sang to me; 520 And sometimes, when she was alone whole days, She wandered o'er the mountains, gathering flowers, Hyacinths, lilies, and anemones;[164]

And when my hands were b.l.o.o.d.y, gave me them, With trembling hand, and sadness in her look. 525 Why should I think, or sigh, or feel remorse!

Was I not leader of the bravest band That ever shook their flas.h.i.+ng scymitars Against the morning sun! But, oh! that look!

How has it thrilled, even to my inmost heart: 530 One child, the pledge of warm affection, died, And now she roved in morning dew no more; And oft, when I returned with gore-stained brow, I saw a strange, sad wandering in her eyes.

Alas! her gentle mind was gone! She sang-- She gazed upon my face--she smiled--she died-- And her last words were, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem! I buried her in peace, Without a name, among the mountain flowers.

And now my heart was hardened as a rock 540 Against the world. I heard no soothing voice; I never looked upon a human face With tenderness again; a darker shade Of pa.s.sions gathered on my lonely heart, Till love, and charity, and pity died.

I may not say what I have seen and done: Here I have lived a fettered slave seven years; Here thy mild voice has called back to my heart Sad recollections. Father,--and he knelt And kissed his withered hand, and cried again, 550 Oh! father, pray for me!

The stranger stood Unmoved, but tears were on the old man's cheek.

PART THIRD.

The sounds of an approaching storm--Vision, _etc._

The east is overcast; the nearer isles Are hidden by a sudden spleen; the clouds Upon Elijah's promontory[165] now Are mustering gloomily; there is a sound Of rain, and as, with interrupted gusts, The winds are rising, a long murmur comes, More hollow, from the seas; at times a wail, At distance, seems to mingle with the wind, Audibly; even the sea-birds on the cliffs Cower, while the sounds as of a trump are heard, 10 Prophetical and sad. Let us retire, For Sagittarius rules the wayward year.[166]

Pensive, they both retired into the cave.

The eyes of John were heavy, and ere long He sank into deep slumber, like a child, Hushed by the ocean sounds; and now arose Visions more dark and terrible. He saw The Lamb of G.o.d open the book. Hark! hark!

The thunder and the tempest roll! John saw Four cherubims, and they said, Come and see! 20 He looked, and, behold! on a white horse Sat one who had a bow, and he there was crowned; And with his bow, and crowned, he went forth, "Conquering and to conquer."

Hark! a moan Comes up from all the earth! The second seal Is opened, and the second cherubim 27 Cries, Come and see! Behold another horse, And it is red;[167] and he who sits thereon Is like a warrior, waving in his hand The sword of slaughter; so he goeth forth To kill and to destroy, and "to take peace From all the earth." Listen! for the third seal Is opening now, and the third cherubim Cries, Come and see! Then said a voice to John, What dost thou see?

JOHN.

Lo! a black horse appears-- Its rider has a balance in his hand.

Ride on--ride on! Justice and Equity Visit the earth, with Plenty.[168] 40 The fourth seal Is opened now, and the fourth cherubim Cries, Come and see!

VOICE.

What seest thou?

JOHN.

A pale horse--

VOICE.

And rider?

JOHN.

Yes--a dire anatomy.

As he rides on, nations with terror shriek-- DEATH! and the gulf of h.e.l.l shoots out its flame After the footfall of that ghastly horse. 50 The rider shouts, and haggard Famine crawls, With wan and wasted visage, from her cave; And Pestilence, speeding unseen in air, Breathes, and ten thousand perish, and wild beasts Howl in the city of the dead, and feed Upon the black and countless carcases.[169]

Low thunders rolled, and sounds of woe were heard, When the fifth seal was opened; and John saw A burning altar, and beneath it, souls Of those who had been slain--the witnesses, 60 Confessing Christ in torments, and they cried, How long, O Lord, holy, and just, and true, Dost thou not judge--judge and avenge our cause!

And robes of white were given to each of them, And a voice said, Oh! rest ye yet a while, Rest ye till persecution's cup be drained; The judgment leave to Him who sits in heaven.

The thunders louder rolled, as the sixth seal Was opened. Ah! the sun is black above As sackcloth, and the round moon red as blood; 70 Earth rocks from east to west; the stars are fallen, And falling, as the fig-tree casts its figs, When shaken by the mighty hurricane.

Heaven is departing, like a scroll; the kings, And the chief captains, and the mighty men, Bondmen and free, have hid them in the caves, And mountains, and dark places of the earth, And to the mountains and the rocks they cry, Fall on us! hide us--hide us from the face Of the incensed Lamb, for his great day 80 Of wrath is come, and who on earth may stand![170]

And after this, John saw four angels stand 82 On the four corners of the earth; they held The rus.h.i.+ng winds, that not a wind should blow Tumultuous on the earth, or on the sea, Whilst they stood silent; then with radiant wings, Bright as the sun ascending from the east, Another glorious angel came, who bore Thy seal, O living G.o.d; and a loud voice To the four angels cried, Hurt not the earth 90 Or seas, till on their foreheads we have sealed The servants of our G.o.d. And they were sealed Of all the tribes of Israel. After this, A mult.i.tude which no man on the earth Could number, of all nations and all tongues, Clothed in white robes, and bearing in their hands Palms, as triumphant, stood before the throne Of glory, and before the Lamb of G.o.d, And cried aloud, Salvation to our G.o.d, Which sitteth on the throne, and to the Lamb.[171] 100 And all the angels stood about the throne, The elders, and the mighty cherubims, And on their faces fell, before the throne, And wors.h.i.+pped G.o.d, and cried aloud, Amen: Blessing and glory, wisdom, honour, power, Be to our G.o.d, for ever and for ever!

Then seemed that one among the elders spake To John, and said, What are these mult.i.tudes Who bear triumphant palms, all clothed in white?

John answered, Sir, thou knowest. He replied, 110 These are victorious saints, who have come out From the great tribulation, and have washed Their b.l.o.o.d.y garments, and have made them white-- White through His blood who died upon the cross; Therefore they stand before the throne of G.o.d, 115 And in his temple serve him day and night, And He that sitteth on the throne shall dwell Among them. They shall hunger now no more, Nor thirst; the sun shall cheer them, but not burn; The Lamb shall feed them, and shall lead them forth 120 To pleasant pastures, and to fountains bright, And from their eyelids wipe away all tears For ever.

There was silence in the heavens, When the seventh seal was opened, and John saw Seven angels standing by the throne of G.o.d, Having seven trumpets; and an angel came, Who, hovering, with a golden censer, stood Before an altar, and the smoke went up, Of incense, from the altar. These are prayers 130 Of all the saints on earth--prayers which ascend, Like incense, from the censer in the hand Of that bright angel, to the throne of G.o.d.

Ah! he has cast his censer to the earth; And suddenly the earthquake and the storm Awoke, and through the darkness, rolled and flashed Deep thunders and the lightning; and, behold!

The seven angels lift their trumpets high, Lift, and prepare to sound. And now the first Sounds--and there follows instant hail, and fire 140 Mingled with blood, which on the earth was cast; So that the trees stood bare and desolate, And the green gra.s.s was withered and burnt up.

The second angel sounded, and, behold!

A burning mountain cast into the sea.

The third part of all creatures in the sea Died, a third part of all the s.h.i.+ps that sailed Upon the sea was smitten and destroyed.

And the third angel sounded; and there fell 149 A star from heaven. It fell on the third part Of rivers, and the fountains of the deep; And swollen and livid carcases were left, Weltering, beside the dark, blood-heaving sea.

And the fourth angel sounded; and the sun For the third part was smitten, and the moon For the third part was darkened; and John saw And heard an angel flying in mid heaven, And crying with a mighty voice, Woe, woe, Woe to the earth, by reason of the voice Of the three trumpets that are yet to sound! 160 And the fifth trumpet sounded; and John saw A star fall from the heavens to the earth; And to the angel of the star was given The key that shuts the nethermost abyss Upon the groans of those that groan therein.

The pit is opened, and the volumed smoke, Shooting red flames, as from a furnace, rolls, And out of it there issued crawling things,[172]

Like scorpions; but they had no power to hurt The green gra.s.s of the earth, but those alone 170 Who on their foreheads had no seal of heaven: These shall seek death, but find him not, for death Shall fly from them, when they most pray to die.

Like horses trained for battle, a dire troop Comes sounding; on their heads are crowns, like gold; Faces are theirs, like men; and they have hair As women, and teeth white and terrible As lions; and their iron breastplates shake, With hurtling noise; the sounding of their wings Is as the chariots and the steeds of war, 180 Rus.h.i.+ng to the thick war. Who is their king? 181 Apollyon, angel of the deep abyss.

One woe is past, yet two more woes remain; For the sixth angel sounded, and John heard A voice like thunders: The four angels loose, In the great river of Euphrates bound.

And the four giant angels are unbound, And they go forth to slaughter. And John saw The horses in the vision, and he saw Those who sat on them, with breastplates of fire, 190 Of jacinth, and of sulphur; and the heads Of the gaunt horses were as lions' heads, And from their mouths issued red fire and smoke.

But men repented not, nor turned away From their dark idols, or their sorceries, From wors.h.i.+pping their G.o.ds of gold, or stone, Or bra.s.s, or silver! Hus.h.!.+ the sound of wings!

Another mighty angel comes from heaven, And lights on earth, clothed in a radiant cloud.

There is a rainbow on his head; his face 200 Is as the orient sun; his feet appear Pillars of fire; in his right hand a book.

He sets his right foot on the seas, his left Upon the earth, and cries, with a loud voice, Till the world shrinks: and when he thus has cried, Seven thunders answer, uttering to heaven Their voices.

Then the angel said to John, Art thou about to write? Seal up the things Which the seven thunders uttered: write them not. 210 The angel which John saw stand on the seas, And on the earth, raised his right hand to heaven, And swore by Him which liveth, who shall live For ever and for ever--swore by Him Who made the heaven, the earth, and all therein, 215 That time shall be no more: the mystery Of G.o.d shall be concluded in the days Of this last angel's voice. That awful voice John heard entranced; and the voice said to him, Take from the angel's hand,--the hand of him 220 Who standeth on the seas and on the earth,-- That book thou markest open in his hand.

That book, the rapt Apostle cried, that book!

The angel mildly answered, Let thy heart Feed on it; sweet and bitter it shall be, And thou shalt prophesy of things to come, Of dark things yet to be upon the earth.

The seventh angel lifted high his trump, And sounded; when from heaven a voice was heard-- The kingdoms of this world they are become 230 The kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ: For ever and for ever, he shall reign, For ever and for ever.

Now the ark Of G.o.d appeared; and round about the ark There was a rainbow stealing through the rain, The ark of the new covenant: and, lo!

A s.h.i.+ning company stood with the Lamb Upon Mount Zion, and a song was heard Of harpers, harping a new song--the song 240 Of life and immortality. And John Then heard a voice--a voice from heaven, which said, Write, write, From henceforth blessed are the dead Which in the Lord shall die, for they shall rest From all their labours! Blessed are the dead!

The shadows are departed; horse and trump Are seen and heard no more; the trumpet's clang Dies far away: the Apostle turned and prayed, With eyes upraised; and now, for pealing trumps, 249 Heard in the wind the lessening sound of harps, Still lessening, and still lessening, till the cave Was silent; and the stirring winds without Alone were heard, like sweet, sad melodies, Remembered in old times; whilst he who stood Beside him watched; and after, as the day Slowly declined, they two conversing sat, Conversing of G.o.d's judgment--of the voice Which said to man the sinner, Dust thou art, And unto dust thou shalt return--of death, And immortality through Christ restored; 260 So they deceived the time, till John, oppressed With sights and sounds so terrible, lay down, And sank to sleep, not to awake till dawn.

PART FOURTH.

Morning--Roman Commander--Vision--Babylon--New Jerusalem--Evening--Night Scene--Stars--Temptation--Dream.

John woke from slumber, when the early trump Rang from the Roman camp below, at break Of the gray dawn; and when the sun arose, After his orisons to Heaven, he sat On the rude stone before his cave, and marked His staff and form shadowed against the rock, Watching the fitful gleams that, here and there, Chequered the pale aegean, far away; While he, who never left his side, appeared Now more majestic, as the beams of day 10 Shone on his waving tresses, when he raised 11 His look to heaven, and stood sublime in light.

But see, with vitis[173] of command, and plume And crest, in momentary suns.h.i.+ne bright, The praefect of the Roman guard approach, Hail, father, hail! he cried.

And hail to thee, The old man answered, mildly. Art thou come With tidings from the Mistress of the World?

ROMAN COMMANDER.

The world's great sun is set--Caesar is dead! 20

JOHN.

Caesar! Ah! in my dream did I not see His shadow stern and sad; the purple robe Dropping with blood!

ROMAN COMMANDER.

Why, was he not a G.o.d?-- So he proclaimed himself--a G.o.d on earth!

Giving command that altars to his name Should blaze, as to great Jupiter! Old man, Art thou not prisoner for gainsaying this?[174]

But, father, if a soldier might p.r.o.nounce, With all respect to thy gray hairs, I deem 30 The sole, imperial master of the world Might worthier claim that t.i.tle, than a man Mocked, scourged--ay, scourged!--and crucified with thieves!

Rose and ascended into heaven! replied The meek old man--a hectic on his cheek-- Rose, and ascended into heaven, to sit 36 At the right hand of G.o.d, from thence to come, Judge of the quick and dead! Proud soldier, hear-- Hear how a prisoner for Jesus Christ Can answer thee!

When King Agrippa sat Upon his throne, in oriental state, Surrounded by the Roman soldiery, With axe and fasces of imperial sway, Fair Berenice seated on his right, And on his left Festus the governor, Paul, a poor prisoner of Jesus Christ, Before him stood, in chains; and as he spoke Of "resurrection," and the world to come, He cried, King of the Jews, dost thou believe 50 The prophets! Yes! I know thou dost believe.

The king, with faltering voice, tremblingly cried, Paul, Paul, thou dost persuade even me, almost-- To be a Christian! Paul, with lifted hand And steadfast look, thus answered him, Almost!