That with a fiendish hue would overcast
His faint and lying smile. Nor vain her fear,
For Hamuel vow'd revenge, and laid a plot
Against her virgin fame. He spread abroad
Whispers that travel fast, and ill reports
That soon obtain belief; how Zillah's eye,
When in the temple heaven-ward it was raised,
Did swim with rapturous zeal, but there were those
Who had beheld the enthusiast's melting glance
With other feelings fill'd; .. that 't was a task
Of easy sort to play the saint by day

Before the public eye, but that all eyes

Were closed at night;.. that Zillah's life was foul, Yea, forfeit to the law.

Shame.. shame to man,

That he should trust so easily the tongue
Which stabs another's fame! The ill report
Was heard, repeated, and believed,.. and soon,
For Hamuel by his well-schemed villainy
Produced such semblances of guilt,.. the Maid
Was to the fire condemn'd.

Without the walls,

There was a barren field; a place abhorr'd,
For it was there where wretched criminals
Receiv'd their death; and there they fix'd the stake,
And piled the fuel round, which should consume
The injured Maid, abandon'd, as it seem'd,
By God and Man. The assembled Bethlemites
Beheld the scene, and when they saw the Maid
Bound to the stake, with what calm holiness
She lifted up her patient looks to Heaven,
They doubted of her guilt. With other thoughts

Stood Hamuel near the pile; him savage joy
Led thitherward, but now within his heart
Unwonted feelings stirr'd, and the first pangs
Of wakening guilt, anticipant of Hell.
The eye of Zillah as it glanced around
Fell on the slanderer once, and rested there
A moment; like a dagger did it pierce,
And struck into his soul a cureless wound.
Conscience! thou God within us! not in the hour
Of triumph dost thou spare the guilty wretch,
Not in the hour of infamy and death

Forsake the virtuous! They draw near the stake,..
They bring the torch!... hold, hold your erring

hands!

Yet quench the rising flames!.. they rise! they spread!

They reach the suffering Maid! oh God protect
The innocent one!

They rose, they spread, they raged ; . . .
The breath of God went forth; the ascending fire
Beneath its influence bent, and all its flames
In one long lightning-flash concentrating,
Darted and blasted Hamuel,.. him alone.
Hark! .. what a fearful scream the multitude
Pour forth!.. and yet more miracles! the stake
Branches and buds, and, spreading its green leaves,
Embowers and canopies the innocent Maid
Who there stands glorified; and Roses, then
First seen on earth since Paradise was lost,
Profusely blossom round her, white and red

In all their rich variety of hues ;

And fragrance such as our first parents breathed

In Eden she inhales, vouchsafed to her

A presage sure of Paradise regain'd.

Westbury, 1798.

THE LOVER'S ROCK.

De la Peña de los Enamorados.

Una

Pero

Un moço Christiano estava cautivo en Granada, sus partes y diligencia eran tales, su buen termino y cortesia, que su amo hazia mucha confiança del dentro y fuera de su casa. hija suya al tanto se le aficiona, y puso en el los ojos. como quier que ella fuesse casadera, y el moço esclavo, no podian passar adelante como deseavan; ca el amor mal se puede encubrir, y temian si el padre della, y amo del, lo sabia, pagarian con las cabeças. Acordaron de huir a tierra de Christianos, resolucion que al moço venia mejor, por bolver a los suyos, que a ella por desterrarse de su patria: si ya no la movia el deseo de hazerse Christiana, lo que yo no creo. Tomaron su camino con todo secreto, hasta llegar al peñasco ya dicho, en que la moça cansada se puso a reposar. En esto vieron assomar a su padre con gente de acavallo, que venia en su seguimiento. Que podian hazer, o a que parte bolverse? que consejo tomar? mentirosas las esperanças de los hombres y miserables sus intentos. Acudieron a lo que solo les quedava de encumbrar aquel peñol, trepando por aquellos riscos, que era reparo assaz flaco. El padre con un semblante sañudo los mando abaxar: amenaçava les sino obedecian de executar en ellos una muerte muy cruel. Los que acompañavan al padre los amonestavan lo mismo, pues solo les restava aquella esperança de alcançar perdon de la misericordia de su padre, con hazer lo que les mandava, y echarseles a los pies. No quisieron venir en esto. Los Moros puestos a pie acometieron a subir el peñasco: pero el defendio la subida con galgas, piedras y palos, y todo lo demas

moço

les

que le venia a la mano, y le servia de armas en aquella desesperacion. El padre visto esto, hizo venir de un pueblo alli cerca vallesteros para que de lexos los flechassen. Ellos vista su perdicion, acordaron con su muerte librarse de los denuestos y tormentos mayores qui temian. Las palabras que en este trance se dixeron, no ay para que relatarlas. Finalmente abraçados entresi fuertemente, se echaron del peñol abaxo, por aquella parte en que los mirava su cruel y sanudo padre. Deste manera espiraron antes de llegar a lo baxo, con lastima de los presentes, y aun con lagrimas de algunos que se movian con aquel triste expectaculo de aquellos moços desgraciados, y a pesar del padre, como estavan, los enterraron en aquel mismo lugar; constancia que se empleara mejor en otra hazaña, y les fuera bien contada la muerte, si la padecieron por la virtud y en defensa de la verdadera religion, y no por satisfacer a sus apetitos desenfrenados. MARIANA.

THE Maiden through the favouring night

From Granada took her flight,

She bade her father's house farewell,

And fled away with Manuel.

No Moorish maid might hope to vie
With Laila's cheek or Laila's eye,
No maiden loved with purer truth,
Or ever loved a lovelier youth.

In fear they fled across the plain,
The father's wrath, the captive's chain;
In hope to Seville on they flee,
To peace, and love, and liberty.