But vain my suit, my madness vain;
Though gladly, from her eyes to gain
One earthly look, one stray desire,
I would have torn the wings, that hung

Furl'd at my back, and o'er that Fire
Unnam'd in heaven their fragments flung;-
'Twas hopeless all-pure and unmov'd
She stood, as lilies in the light

Of the hot noon but look more white ;-
And though she lov'd me, deeply lov'd,
"Twas not as man, as mortal-no,

Nothing of earth was in that glow-
She lov'd me but as one, of race

Angelic, from that radiant place

She saw so oft in dreams-that Heaven,

To which her prayers at morn were sent, And on whose light she gaz'd at even,

Wishing for wings, that she might go

Out of the shadowy world below,

To that free, glorious element!

Well I remember by her side

Sitting at rosy even-tide,

When,-turning to the star, whose head

Look'd out, as from a bridal bed,

At that mute, blushing hour,—she said, "Oh! that it were my doom to be

"The Spirit of yon beauteous star;

Dwelling up there in purity,

"Alone, as all such bright things are ;

"My sole employ to pray and shine,

"To light my censer at the sun,

"And fling its fire towards the shrine

"Of Him in heaven, the Eternal One!"

So innocent the maid-so free

From mortal taint in soul and frame,

Whom 'twas my crime-my destiny

To love, aye, burn for, with a flame,

To which earth's wildest fires are tame. Had you but seen her look, when first From my mad lips the' avowal burst; Not angry-no-the feeling had No touch of anger, but most sadIt was a sorrow, calm as deep, A mournfulness that could not weep, So fill'd the heart was to the brink,

So fix'd and frozen there-to think

That angel natures-even I,

Whose love she clung to, as the tie

Between her spirit and the sky

Should fall thus headlong from the height Of such pure glory into sin

The sin, of all, most sure to blight,
The sin, of all, that the soul's light

Is soonest lost, extinguish'd in!
That, though but frail and human, she
Should, like the half-bird of the sea,

Try with her wing sublimer air,

While I, a creature born up there,

Should meet her, in my fall from light,

From heaven and peace, and turn her flight Downward again, with me to drink

Of the salt tide of sin, and sink!

That very night-my heart had grown
Impatient of its inward burning;

The term, too, of my stay was flown,

And the bright Watchers* near the throne,

* See Note.

Already, if a meteor shone

Between them and this nether zone,

Thought 'twas their herald's wing returning ;Oft did the potent spell-word, given

To Envoys hither from the skies,

To be pronounc'd, when back to heaven
It is their hour or wish to rise,

Come to my lips that fatal day;

And once, too, was so nearly spoken,

That my spread plumage in the ray

And breeze of heaven began to play

When

my

heart fail'd-the spell was broken

The word unfinish'd died away,

And my check'd plumes, ready to soar,

Fell slack and lifeless as before.

How could I leave a world, which she,

Or lost or won, made all to me,