The law by which it prospers so:
But sure that thought and word and deed
All go to swell his love for me,
Me, made because that love had need
Of something irrevocably
Pledged solely its content to be.

Yes, yes, a tree which must ascend,—

No poison-gourd foredoomed to stoop!
I have God's warrant, could I blend
All hideous sins, as in a cup,
To drink the mingled venoms up,
Secure my nature will convert

The draught to blossoming gladness fast, While sweet dews turn to the gourd's hurt, And bloat, and while they bloat it, blast,

As from the first its lot was cast.
For as I lie, smiled on, full fed

I

gaze

By unexhausted power to bless,
below on Hell's fierce bed,
And those its waves of flame oppress,
Swarming in ghastly wretchedness;
Whose life on earth aspired to be

One altar-smoke, so pure !-to win
If not love like God's love to me,
At least to keep his anger in,
And all their striving turned to sin!

Priest, doctor, hermit, monk grown white

With prayer, the broken-hearted nun,

The martyr, the wan acolyte,

The incense-swinging child,-undone
Before God fashioned star or sun!

God, whom I praise; how could I praise,
If such as I might understand,
Make out and reckon on, his ways,

And bargain for his love, and stand,
Paying a price, at his right hand?

II.-MADHOUSE CELL.

PORPHYRIA'S LOVER.

THE rain set early in to-night,
The sullen wind was soon awake,
It tore the elm-tops down for spite,
And did its worst to vex the lake,
I listened with heart fit to break;
When glided in Porphyria: straight

She shut the cold out and the storm, And kneeled and made the cheerless grate Blaze up, and all the cottage warm; Which done, she rose, and from her form Withdrew the dripping cloak and shawl, And laid her soiled gloves by, untied

Her hat and let the damp hair fall,

And, last, she sate down by my side And called me.

When no voice replied,

She put my arm about her waist,

And made her smooth white shoulder bare, And all her yellow hair displaced,

And, stooping, made my cheek lie there,
And spread o'er all her yellow hair,
Murmuring how she loved me; she
Too weak, for all her heart's endeavour,
To set its struggling passion free
From pride, and vainer ties dissever,
And give herself to me for ever:
But passion sometimes would prevail,
Nor could to-night's gay feast restrain
A sudden thought of one so pale

For love of her, and all in vain ;
So, she was come through wind and rain.
Be sure I looked up at her eyes
Proud, very proud; at last I knew
Porphyria worshipped me; surprise
Made my heart swell, and still it grew
While I debated what to do.

That moment she was mine, mine, fair,
Perfectly pure and good: I found

A thing to do, and all her hair

In one long yellow string I wound
Three times her little throat around,
And strangled her. No pain felt she;
I am quite sure she felt no pain.
As a shut bud that holds a bee

I warily oped her lids; again

Laughed the blue eyes without a stain.

And I untightened next the tress
About her neck; her cheek once more
Blushed bright beneath my burning kiss:
I propped her head up as before,
Only, this time my shoulder bore
Her head, which droops upon it still :
The smiling rosy little head,
So glad it has its utmost will,

That all it scorned at once is fled,
And I, its love, am gained instead!
Porphyria's love: she guessed not how
Her darling one wish would be heard.
And thus we sit together now,

And all night long we have not stirred, And yet God has not said a word!

THROUGH THE METIDJA TO ABD-EL-KADR.

As I ride, as I ride

II.

To our Chief and his Allied,

Who dares chide my heart's pride
As I ride, as I ride?

Or are witnesses denied

Through the desert waste and wide

Do I glide unespied

As I ride, as I ride?

As I ride, as I ride,

III.

When an inner voice has cried,

The sands slide, nor abide

(As I ride, as I ride)

O'er each visioned Homicide

That came vaunting (has he lied?)

To reside-where he died,

As I ride, as I ride.

As I ride, as I ride,

IV.

Ne'er has spur my swift horse plied,
Yet his hide, streaked and pied,

As I ride, as I ride,

Shows where sweat has sprung and dried,

-Zebra-footed, ostrich-thighed

How has vied stride with stride

As I ride, as I ride!