THE GOLDEN SPELL.

INTRODUCTION.

SAD Records of the

sunny East!

How sweet the legends that ye tell

Of days, when Man ruled bird and beast,
And earth, and air, by magic spell:

"Twas then that thou didst live, bright Maid, And 'twas an age of giant strife,

The ancient Nature-Faith, decayed,

Held conflict with the Word of Life.

The Arab's banner, wide unfurled,

Was waving, like a meteor flame,
'Mid wrecks of that fair Orient world
From which thy lofty lineage came.
Since first I saw thy radiant form,

Clear imaged to mine inward eye,

How oft I've mused upon the storm

And ruin, of those times gone bye; And thought how many a gentle heart, By tend❜rest hopes and wishes swayed, Might choose the dark and dangʼrous part ;— 'Twas thus with thee, thou guileless Maid! Thy errors by thy faith imprest,

Thy passions with thy birth were sown, But oh! that fond, that loving breast,

Those brilliant charms were all thine own!

THE GOLDEN SPELL.

PART I.

66

"Dice: o diletta mia, che sotto biondi

Capelli e fra sì tenere sembianze

"Canuto senno e cor virile ascondi,

"E già nell' arti mie me stesso avanze;
"Gran pensier volgo, e se tu lui secondi,
"Seguiteran gli effetti alle speranze.
"Tessi la tela ch' io ti mostro ordita,

"Di cauto vecchio esecutrice ardita."

TASSO.

The jewelled lamp in the niche burned faint, As slowly echoed the midnight hour;

'Twas not at the feet of a patron saint,

But the demon-shrine of a deadlier power;

Yet a Maiden sate in the vault alone,

By an altar carved of the old grey stone.