"That lady was thy mother once,—
Thou wert her only child ;—

O God! I've seen her when she held
Thee in her arms and smiled,-

She smiled upon thy father, boy,

"Twas that which drove me wild!

"He was my brother, but his form
Was fairer far than mine;

I grudged not that; -he was the prop
Of our ancestral line,

And manly beauty was of him

A token and a sign.

"Boy! I had loved her too,-nay, more, 'Twas I who loved her first;

For months-for years-the golden thought Within my soul was nursed;

He came

he conquered-they were wed;

My air-blown bubble burst!

"Then on my mind a shadow fell,

And evil hopes grew rife;

The damning thought stuck in my heart,

And cut me like a knife,

That she, whom all my days I loved,

Should be another's wife!

"By Heaven! it was a fearful thing
To see my brother now,

And mark the placid calm that sat
For ever on his brow,

That seemed in bitter scorn to say,
I am more loved than thou!

"I left my home-I left the land-
I crossed the raging sea ;—
In vain-in vain-where'er I turned,
My memory went with me ;-
My whole existence, night and day,
In memory seemed to be.

"I came again-I found them here-
Thou 'rt like thy father, boy-

He doted on that pale face there,
I've seen them kiss and toy,-
I've seen him locked in her fond arms,
Wrapped in delirious joy!

"He disappeared-draw nearer, child ;-
He died- -no one knew how ;
The murdered body ne'er was found,
The tale is hushed up now;

But there was one who rightly guessed
The hand that struck the blow.

"It drove her mad-yet not his death,No-not his death alone:

For she had clung to hope, when all
Knew well that there was none;-
No, boy! it was a sight she saw
That froze her into stone!

"I am thy uncle, child,-why stare
So frightfully aghast ?-

The arras waves, but know'st thou not
'Tis nothing but the blast?

I, too, have had my fears like these,
But such vain fears are past.

"I'll show thee what thy mother saw,-
I feel 'twill ease my breast,
And this wild tempest-laden night
Suits with the purpose best.-
Come hither-thou hast often sought

To open this old chest.

"It has a secret spring; the touch

Is known to me alone;

Slowly the lid is raised, and now--
What see you that you groan
So heavily?—That thing is but
A bare-ribbed skeleton."

A sudden crash-the lid fell down-
Three strides he backwards gave,—
"Oh God! it is my brother's self
Returning from the grave!
His grasp of lead is on my throat -
Will no one help or save?"

That night they laid him on his bed,
In raving madness tossed;

He gnashed his teeth, and with wild oaths
Blasphemed the Holy Ghost;

And, ere the light of morning broke,
A sinner's soul was lost.

ABOU BEN ADHEM.

BY LEIGH HUNT.

ABOU BEN ADHEM (may his tribe increase !)
Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace,
And saw, within the moonlight in his room,
Making it rich, and like a lily in bloom,
An angel writing in a book of gold :—
Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold,
And to the presence in the room he said,
"What writest thou?"-The vision raised its head,
And with a look made of all sweet accord,

Answered, "The names of those who love the Lord." "And is mine one ?" said Abou. 66

'Nay, not so,” Replied the angel. Abou spoke more low, But cheerly still; and said, " I pray thee then, "Write me as one that loves his fellow-men."

The angel wrote, and vanished. The next night It came again with a great wakening light,

And showed the names whom love of God had blessed, And lo! Ben Adhem's name led all the rest.

A BETH GELERT.

BY SPENCER.

THE spearman heard the bugle sound,
And cheerly smiled the morn;
And many a brach, and many a hound,
Attend Llewellyn's horn.

And still he blew a louder blast,
And gave a louder cheer:

"Come, Gelert! why art thou the last
Llewellyn's horn to hear?

"Oh, where does faithful Gelert roam ?
The flower of all his race!

So true, so brave; a lamb at home,
A lion in the chase!"

"Twas only at Llewellyn's board

The faithful Gelert fed;

He watched, he served, he cheered his lord, And sentinelled his bed.

In sooth, he was a peerless hound,
The gift of royal John;

But now no Gelert could be found,
And all the chase rode on.

And now, as over rocks and dells
The gallant chidings rise,
All Snowdon's craggy chaos yells
With many mingled cries.

That day Llewellyn little loved

The chase of heart or hare :
And scant and small the booty proved;
For Gelert was not there.

Unpleased, Llewellyn homeward hied,
When, near the portal-seat,
His truant Gelert he espied,
Bounding his lord to greet.

But when he gained the castle-door,
Aghast the chieftain stood;

The hound was smeared with gouts of gore,
His lips and fangs ran blood!

Llewellyn gazed with wild surprise,
Unused such looks to meet :
His favourite checked his joyful guise,
And crouched and licked his feet.

Onward in haste Llewellyn pass'd-
And on went Gelert too-

And still, where'er his eyes were cast,
Fresh blood-gouts shock'd his view!

O'erturned his infant's bed, he found
The blood-stained covert rent;
And all around, the walls and ground
With recent blood besprent.

He called his child-no voice replied;
He searched-with terror wild;
Blood! Blood! he found on every side,
But nowhere found the child!

"Hell-hound! by thee my child's devoured!" The frantic father cried;

And to the hilt his vengeful sword
He plunged in Gelert's side!-

His suppliant, as to earth he fell
No pity could impart ;
But still his Gelert's dying yell
Passed heavy o'er his heart.