52 THE BRIDAL OF MAWORTH. 



In gentle undulation, slow and long, 

 Wave blends with wave, then sinks amid the throng, 

 Absorbing and absorb'd ; each melts and dies 

 Like summer clouds in bright Ausonian skies : 

 So mov'd the notes, whose ceaseless changes grew, 

 To ears a spell, as ocean to the view ; 

 Still reaching higher sweetness as they rose, 

 And gath'ring deeper pathos at each close, 

 Till dying off in low and plaintive wail, 

 More sweet than song of dove or nightingale, 

 Or Memnon's airy harpings to the day, 

 The last soft strain in music pass'd away : 

 Like the last wave which heaves upon the shore, 

 When the sunk pebble moves the stream no more. 

 The voice was mute> the music ceas'd to sound, 

 The heavn's were still, 'twas stillness all around, 

 The silent night-dew beauty's flower was sleeping, 

 The zephyr's slept ; the happy lake lay sleeping ; 

 Calm was the mountain ; quiet was the vale ; 

 Hush'd were the woods ; and echo told no tale ; 

 Sweet Peace sat list'ning in her lone alcove ; 

 And gaz'd, and mus'd, her ev'ry musing love : 

 List'ning, she seem'd the breathless calm to hear, 

 Or sounds so faint they reach'd no ruder ear. 



Array'd in beauty, sat within her bower, 



The young enchantress of that pleasing hour : 



Lovely as that half-heav'nly form, whose eyes 



First smil'd at light in holy paradise. 



Oh ! who could look on Ada's eyes of blue, 



Nor think of heav'n, from whence their light they drew ; 



Oh ! who could gaze upon the bright blue skies, 



Nor turn once more to look on Ada's eyes. 



Pure as young Innocence, whose vision greets 

 With heav'nly light each gentle flow'r it meets : 

 A soul, alas! so buoyant in its gladness, 

 One trifling sorrow could o'erwhelm with sadness. 

 With head upon her bended arm declining, 

 With fond blue eye in dewy moisture shining, 

 She gaz'd upon her lover-chief, who sate 

 With folded arms, and looks disconsolate ; 

 Thoughtful he seem'd, and, gath'ring o'er his brow, 

 Rose marks of feeling, deep'ning into woe : 

 And as she gaz'd the pearly drops which hung 

 Beneath each silken lash more faintly clung, 

 And, trembling, like two silver stars they fell, 

 And told the tale such meteors ever tell. 

 They fell unheeded ; in her hand she took 

 Her harp once more, and joy ilium'd her look, 

 And o'er its chords her fairy hand was flung, 

 As thus in happier strains her simple lay she sung. 



And Ada turns to meet her lover's smile, 

 Unmov'd, and clouded, he had sat the while; 



