Now may'st thou slumber-thy work is done- From the stormy fight in thy fame thou'rt gone, The corn sheaves whisper thy grave around, Oh! lover of battle and trumpet-sound! A quiet home from the noonday's glare, Didst thou toil through the days of thy silvery hair, To win thee but this at last? THE FALLEN LIME-TREE. Он, joy of the peasant! O stately lime! Long and long ago, From the noontide's glow; Thou, beneath whose branches, Touch'd with moonlight gleams, Lay our early poets, Wrapt in fairy dreams. O tree of our fathers! O hallow'd tree! Where shall now the weary As on thy sweet leaves? Build again her nest? She so long the inmate Of thy fragrant breast? But the sons of the peasant have lost in thee These may yet find coverts Leafy and profound, Full of dewy dimness, Odour and soft sound: But the gentle memories When shall they be gather'd Round another tree? O pride of our fathers! O hallow'd tree! SONGS OF CAPTIVITY. These songs (with the exception of the fifth) have all been set to music by the author's sister, and are in the possession of Mr. Willis, by whose permission they are here published. INTRODUCTION. ONE hour for distant homes to weep They sat beneath a lonely palm, And strangely, sadly, did those lays Of Alp and ocean sound, And solemn wastes around. Broken with tears were oft their tones, And most when most they tried To breathe of hope and liberty, So met the sons of many lands, I. THE BROTHER'S DIRGE. In the proud old fanes of England Banners hang drooping o'er their dust But thou, but thou, my brother! In the old high wars of England For her lion-kings of lance and spear, But thou, but thou, my brother! In a shelter'd home of England Our sister dwells alone, With quick heart listening for the sound Of footsteps that are gone. She little dreams, my brother! Of the wild fate we have found; I, 'midst the Afric sands a slave, Thou, by the dark seas bound. II. THE ALPINE HORN. THE Alpine horn! the Alpine horn! Yet, no! 'midst breezy hills thy breath, So full of hope and morn, Would win me from the bed of deathO joyous Alpine horn! But here the echo of that blast, Haunt me no more! for slavery's air |