" You both remember well the day
When unto Eden's new-made bowers,
He, whom all living things obey,
Summon'd his chief angelic powers
To witness the one wonder yet,
Beyond man, angel, star, or sun,
He must achieve, ere he could set
His seal upon the world, as done
To see that last perfection rise,
That crowning of creation's birth,
When, mid the worship and surprise
Of circling angels, Woman's eyes
First open'd upon heaven and earth ;
And from their lids a thrill was sent,
That through each living spirit went
Like first light through the firmament !
Can you forget how gradual stole
The fresh-awaken'd breath of soul
Throughout her perfect form which seem'd
To grow transparent, as there beam'd
That dawn of Mind within, and caught
New loveliness from each new thought ?
Slow as o'er summer seas we trace
The progress of the noontide air,
Dimpling its bright and silent face
Each minute into some new grace,
And varying heaven's reflections there
Or, like the light of evening, stealing
O'er some fair temple, which all day
Hath slept in shadow, slow revealing
Its several beauties, ray by ray,
Till it shines out, a thing to bless,
All full of light and loveliness.
Can you forget her blush, when round
Through Eden's lone, enchanted ground
She look'd and at the sea the skies
And heard the rush of many a wing,
By God's command then vanishing,
And saw the last few angel eyes,
Still lingering mine among the rest,
Reluctant leaving scene so blest?
From that miraculous hour, the fate
Of this new, glorious Being dwelt
For ever, with a spell-like weight,
Upon my spirit early, late,
Whate'er I did, or dream'd, or felt,
The thought of what might yet befall
That splendid creature inix'd with all.
Nor she alone, but her whole race
Through ages yet to come whate'er
Of feminine, and fond, and fair,
Should spring from that pure mind and face,
All wak'd my soul's intensest care ;
Their forms, souls, feelings, still to me
God's most disturbing mystery !
It was my doom ev'n from the first,
When summon'd with my cherub peers,
To witness the young vernal burst
Of Nature through those blooming spheres,
Those flowers of light, that sprung beneath
The first touch of the' Eternal's breath
It was my doom still to be haunted
By some new wonder, some sublime
And matchless work, that, for the time
Held all my soul, enchain'd, enchanted,
And left me not a thought, a dream,
A word, but on that only theme !
The wish to know that endless thirst,
Which ev'n by quenching is awak'd,
And which becomes or blest or curst,
As is the fount whereat 'tis slak'd
Still urg'd me onward, with desire
Insatiate, to explore, inquire
Whate'er the wondrous things might be,
That wak'd each new idolatry
Their cause, aim, source fromwhence they sprung,
Their inmost powers, as though for me
Existence on that knowledge hung.
Oh what a vision were the stars,
When first I saw them burn on high,
Rolling along, like living cars
Of light, for gods to journey by !
They were my heart's first passion days
And nights, unwearied, in their rays
Have I hung floating, till each sense
Seem'd full of their bright influence.
Innocent joy ! alas, how much
Of misery had I shunn'd below,
Could I have still liv'd blest with such ;
Nor, proud and restless, burn'd to know
The knowledge that brings guilt and woe !
Often so much I lov'd to trace
The secrets of this starry race
Have I at morn and evening run
Along the lines of radiance spun,
Like webs, between them and the sun,
Untwisting all the tangled ties
Of light into their different dyes
Then fleetly wing'd I off, in quest
Of those, the farthest, loneliest,
That watch, like winking sentinels,
The void, beyond which Chaos dwells,
And there, with noiseless plume, pursued
Their track through that grand solitude,
Asking intently all and each
What soul within their radiance dwelt,
And wishing their sweet light were speech,
That they might tell me all they felt.
Nay, oft, so passionate my chace
Of these resplendent heirs of space,
Oft did I follow lest a ray
Should 'scape me in the farthest night
Some pilgrim Comet, on his way
To visit distant shrines of light,
And well remember how I sung
Exulting out, when on my sight
New worlds of stars, all fresh and young,
As ifjust born of darkness, sprung !
Such was my pure ambition then,
My sinless transport, night and morn ;
Ere this still newer world of men,
And that most fair of stars was born
Which I, in fatal hour, saw rise
Among the flowers of Paradise !
Thenceforth my nature all was chang'd,
My heart, soul, senses turn'd below ;
And he, who but so lately rang'd
Yon wonderful expanse, where glow
Worlds upon worlds, yet found liis mind
Ev'n in that luminous range confin'd,
Now blest the humblest, meanest sod
Of the dark earth where Woman trod !
In vain my former idols glisten'd
From their far thrones ; in vain these ears
To the once-thrilling music listen'd,
That hymn'd around my favourite spheres
To earth, to earth each thought was given,
That in this half-lost soul had birth ;
Like some high mount, whose head's in heaven,
While its whole shadow rests on earth !
Nor was it Love, ev'n yet, that thrall'd
My spirit in his burning ties ;
And less, still less could it be call'd
That grosser flame, round which Love flies
. Nearer and nearer, till he dies
No, it was wonder, such as thrill'd
At all God's works my dazzled sense ;
The same rapt wonder, only fill'd
With passion, more profound, intense,
A vehement, but wandering fire,
Which, though nor love, nor yet desire,
Though through all womankind it took
Its range, as vague as lightnings run,
Yet wanted but a touch, a look,
To fix it burning upon One.
Then, too, the ever-restless zeal,
The' insatiate curiosity
To know what shapes, so fair, must feel
To look, but once, beneath the seal
Of so much loveliness, and see
What souls belong'd to those bright eyes
Whether, as sun-beams find their way
Into the gem that hidden lies,
Those looks could inward turn their ray,
To make the soul as bright as they !
All this impell'd my anxious chace,
And still the more I saw and knew
Of Woman's fond, weak, conquering race,
The' intenser still my wonder grew.
I had beheld their First, their EVE,
Born in that splendid Paradise,
Which God made solely to receive
The first light of her waking eyes.
I had seen purest angels lean
In worship o'er her from above ;
And man oh yes, had envying seen
Proud man possess'd of all her love.
I saw their happiness, so brief,
So exquisite her error, too,
That easy trust, that prompt belief
In what the warm heart wishes true ;
That faith in words, when kindly said,
By which the whole fond sex is led
Mingled with (what I durst not blame,
For 'tis my own) that wish to know,
Sad, fetal zeal, so sure of woe ;
Which, though from heaven all pure it came,
Yet stain'd, misus'd, brought sin and shame
On her, on me, on all below !
I hSd seen this ; had seen Man arm'd
As his soul is with strength and sense
By her first words to ruin charm'd ;
His vaunted reason's cold defence,
Like an ice-barrier hi the ray
Of melting summer, smil'd away !
Nay stranger yet spite of all this
Though by her counsels taught to err,
Though driv'n from Paradise for her,
(And with her that, at least, was bliss)
Had I not heard him, ere he crost
The threshold of that earthly heaven,
Which by her wildering smile he lost
So quickly was the wrong forgiven
Had I not heard him, as he prest
The frail, fond trembler to a breast
Which she had doom'd to sin and strife,
Call her think what his Life ! his Life !
Yes such the love-taught name the first,
That ruin'd Man to Woman gave,
Ev'n in his out-cast hour, when curst,
By her fond witchery, with that worst
And earliest boon of love the grave !
She, who brought death into the world,
There stood before him, with the light
Of their lost Paradise still bright
Upon those sunny locks, that curl'd
Down her white shoulders to her feet
So beautiful in form, so sweet
In heart and voice, as to redeem
The loss, the death of all things dear,
Except herself and make it seem
Life, endless Life, while she was near !
Could I help wondering at a creature,
Enchanted round with spells so strong
One, to whose every thought, word, feature,
In joy and woe, through right and wrong,
Such sweet omnipotence heaven gave,
To bless or ruin, curse or save ?
Nor did the marvel cease with her
New Eves in all her daughters came,
As strong to charm, as weak to err,
As sure of man through praise and blame,
Whate'er they brought him, pride or shame,
Their still unreasoning worshipper
And, wheresoe'er they smil'd, the same
Enchantresses of soul and frame,
Into whose hands, from first to last,
This world with all its destinies,
Devotedly by heaven seems cast,
To save or damn it, as they please !
Oh, 'tis not to be told how long,
How restlessly I sigh'd to find
Some one, from out that shining throng,
Some abstract of the form and mind
Of the whole matchless sex, from which,
In my own arms beheld, possest,
I might learn all the powers to witch,
To warm, and (if my fate unblest
Would have it) ruin, of the rest !
Into whose inward soul and sense
I might descend, as doth the bee
Into the flower's deep heart, and thence
Rifle, in all its purity,
The prime, the quintessence, the whole
Of wondrous Woman's frame and soul !
