"I died a Queen. The Roman soldier found

Me lying dead, my crown about my brows, A name for ever!-lying robed and crown'd, Worthy a Roman spouse."

Her warbling voice, a lyre of widest range

Struck by all passion, did fall down and glance From tone to tone, and glided thro' all change Of liveliest utterance.

When she made pause I knew not for delight; Because with sudden motion from the ground She raised her piercing orbs, and fill'd with light The interval of sound.

Still with their fires Love tipt his keenest darts;
As once they drew into two burning rings

All beams of Love, melting the mighty hearts
Of captains and of kings.

Slowly my sense undazzled. Then I heard

A noise of some one coming thro' the lawn,

And singing clearer than the crested bird,

That claps his wings at dawn.

"The torrent brooks of hallow'd Israel

From craggy hollows pouring, late and soon,

Sound all night long, in falling thro' the dell,

Far-heard beneath the moon.

"The balmy moon of blessed Israel

Floods all the deep-blue gloom with beams

divine:

All night the splinter'd crags that wall the dell

With spires of silver shine."

As one that museth where broad sunshine laves The lawn by some cathedral, thro' the door

Hearing the holy organ rolling waves

Of sound on roof and floor

Within, and anthem sung, is charm'd and tied
To where he stands,- —so stood I, when that flow

Of music left the lips of her that died

To save her father's vow;

The daughter of the warrior Gileadite,

A maiden pure; as when she went along From Mizpeh's tower'd gate with welcome light, With timbrel and with song.

My words leapt forth: "Heaven heads the count

of crimes

With that wild oath." She render'd answer

high:

"Not so, nor once alone; a thousand times

I would be born and die.

Single I grew, like some green plant, whose root Creeps to the garden water-pipes beneath, Feeding the flower; but ere my flower to fruit Changed, I was ripe for death.

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'My God, my land, my father-these did move

Me from my bliss of life, that Nature gave, Lower'd softly with a threefold cord of love Down to a silent grave.

"And I went mourning, 'No fair Hebrew boy

Shall smile away my maiden blame among The Hebrew mothers '-emptied of all joy,

Leaving the dance and song,

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Leaving the olive-gardens far below,

Leaving the promise of my bridal bower,

The valleys of grape-loaded vines that glow

Beneath the battled tower.

"The light white cloud swam over us. Anon We heard the lion roaring from his den; We saw the large white stars rise one by one, Or, from the darken'd glen,

"Saw God divide the night with flying flame, And thunder on the everlasting hills.

I heard Him, for He spake, and grief became

A solemn scorn of ills.

"When the next moon was roll'd into the sky,

Strength came to me that equall'd my desire.

How beautiful a thing it was to die

For God and for my sire!