Thy victims ere they yet expire Shall know the dæmon for their sire, 765 That word shall wrap thy heart in flame! 770 Yet must thou end thy task, and mark Her cheek's last tinge, her eye's last spark, And the last glassy glance must view Which freezes o'er its lifeless blue; Then with unhallowed hand shalt tear 775 The tresses of her yellow hair, Of which in life a lock when shorn, Affection's fondest pledge was worn; But now is borne away by thee, Memorial of thine agony! 780 Wet with thine own best blood shall drip, 38 Thy gnashing tooth and haggard lip; Then stalking to thy sullen grave— Go and with Gouls and Afrits rave; From spectre more accursed than they! 785 "How name ye yon lone Caloyer? "His features I have scann'd before "In mine own land-'tis many a year, "Since, dashing by the lonely shore, 790 "I saw him urge as fleet a steed "As ever serv'd a horseman's need. "But once I saw that face-yet then "It was so mark'd with inward pain "I could not pass it by again; 795 "It breathes the same dark spirit now, "As death were stamped upon his brow. ""Tis twice three years at summer tide "Since first among our freres he came ; 800 "And here it soothes him to abide "For some dark deed he will not name. "But never at our vesper prayer, "Nor e'er before confession chair "Kneels he, nor recks he when arise "Incense or anthem to the skies, "But broods within his cell alone, "His faith and race alike unknown, 805 "The sea from Paynim land he crost, "And here ascended from the coast, "Yet seems he not of Othman race, 810 "But only Christian in his face : "I'd judge him some stray renegade, "Repentant of the change he made, "Save that he shuns our holy shrine, "Nor tastes the sacred bread and wine. 815 "Great largess to these walls he brought, "And thus our abbot's favour bought; "But were I Prior, not a day "Should brook such stranger's further stay, "Or pent within our penance cell "Should doom him there for aye to dwell. 820 "Much in his visions mutters he "Of maiden 'whelmed beneath the sea; "Of sabres clashing-foemen flying, "Wrongs aveng'd-and Moslem dying. 825 "On cliff he hath been known to stand, "And rave as to some bloody hand "Fresh sever'd from its parent limb, "Invisible to all but him, "Which beckons onward to his grave, "And lures to leap into the wave." 830 Dark and unearthly is the scowl That glares beneath his dusky cowl- 835 |