356 
Vight held on Old Castile her silent reign, 
Original Poetry. 
Nature portends a general change of laws, 
[Now 1, 
Her half-orb’d moon declining to the main 5 3 “ My daring deeds are deemed tne guilty cause; 
Over Valladolid’s regal turrets hazed 
The drizzly fogs from dull-Pisuerga raised ; 
Whose hovering sheets, along the welkin 
: driven, 
Thinn’d the pale stars, and shut the cye from 
heaven. 
Cold-hearted Ferdinand his pillow prest, 
Nor dream’d of those his mandates robb’d of 
rest, 
Of him who gemm’d his crown, who stretch’d 
his reign 
To realms that weigh’ d the tenfold: poise of 
Spain 5. 
Who now beneath his tower indunzeon’d lies, 
Sweats the chill sod and breathes inclement 
skies. 
His feverish pulse, slow labouring taro! 
his frame, 
Feeds with scant force its fast-expiring fone; ; 
A far dim watch-lainp’s thrice reflected beam 
Throws thro’ his grates a mist-encumber’d 
gleam, 
Paints the dun vapours that the cell invade, 
And fills with spectred forms the midnight 
shade ; 
When from a visionary short repose, 
That nursed new cares and temper’d keener 
wees, 
Columbus woke, and to’the walls addrest 
The deep-felt sorrows bursting from his 
breast : 
Here lies the purchase, here the wretched 
spoil 
Of painful years and persevering toil ! 
For these damp caves, this hideous haunt of 
pain, 
T traced new regions o’er the chartless main, 
Tamed all the dangers of untraversed waves, 
Hung o'er their clefts, and topt their surging 
graves, 
Saw traitorous seas o’ef cora] mountains 
ah sweep, 
Red thunders rock the pole! and scorch the 
deep, 
Death rear his front in every varying form, 
Gape from the shoals and ride the roaring 
storm, 
My struggling bark her seamy planks disjoin, 
Rake the rude rock and drink the cepious 
brine; 
Till the tired elements are lull’d at last, 
And milder suns allay the billowing blast, 
Lead on the trade-winds with unvarying force, 
And long and landless curve our constant 
course. 
Our homeward heaven recoils ; each night 
forlorn : 
Calls up new stars, and backivant rolls the 
morn 5 
The boreal vault descends with Europe’sshore, 
And bright Calisto shuns the wave no more, 
The Dragon dips his fiery-foaming jole, 
The affrighted magnet flies the faithiess pole; 
“The desperate crew, to insurrection driven, 
Devote their captain to the wrath of heaven, 
Resolve at once to end the audacious strife, 
And buy their safety with his forfeit life. 
In that sad hour, this feeble frame to savey 
(Unblest repriev e) and rob the gaping wave, 
The morn broke forth, these tearful orbs de- 
scried 
The golden banks that bound the western tide. 
With full success I calm’d theclamorous race, 
Bade heaven’s blue arch a second earth em- 
brace 5 
And gave tlie astonish’d age that foment 
shore, 
Their wealth to nations, and to things their 
power. 
Land of delights! ah, dear delusive coast,- 
To these fond aged eyes for ever lost ! 
No more thy flowery vales Itravel o’er, 
For me thy mountains rear the head no more, 
For methy rocks no sparkling gems unfold, 
Nor streams luxuriant wear their paths in 
gold ; 
From tealms of promised peace for ever borne, 
I hale mute anguish, and in secret mourn. 
But dangers past, a world explored in vain, 
And foes triumphant show but half my pain. 
Dissembling friencs, each early joy whogavey 
‘And fired my youth~the storms of fate to 
brave, 
Swarm’d in.the sunshine of my happier days, 
Pursued the fortune and partook the praise, 
Now pass my cell with smiles of sour disdain, 
lusult my woes and triumph in my pain. 
One gentle guardian once could shield the 
brave 3 5 
Bat now that guardian slumbers in the” graves 
Hear from above, thou dear departed shade ; 
As once-my hopes, my present sorrows aid, 
Burst my full heart, afford that last relief, 
Breathe back my sighs and reinspire my grief; 
Still in my sight thy royal form appears, 
Reproyes my silence and demands my tears. 
Even on that hour no more I joy to dwell, 
When thy protection bade the canvas swell ; 
When kings and churchmen found their fac 
tions vain, 
v 
Blind Superstition shrunk beneath he? chain, . 
The sun’s glad beani led on the circling 
way, 
And isles rose beauteous in Atlantic day. 
For on those silvery shores, that new domain, 
What crowds of tyrants fix ‘their murderous 
reign ! 
Her infant realm indignant Freedom flies, 
Truth leaves the world, and Isabella dies. - 
Ah, lend thy friendly shroud to veil my 
sight, 
That these pain’d eyes may dread no more 
the light ; 
These welcome shades shall close my instant 
doom, 
And this drear mansion moulder to a. tomb. 
LUNES: 
