"
Upon the moss he laid them down,
And watched beside the bed;
Death gently came and placed a crown
Upon each reverend head.
Where the Sarayu's waves dash free
Against a rocky bank,
The monarch had the corpses three
Conveyed by men of rank;
There honored he with royal pomp
Their funeral obsequies--
Incense and sandal, drum and tromp.
And solemn sacrifice.
What is the sequel of the tale?
How died the king?--Oh man,
A prophet's words can never fail--
Go, read the Ramayan.
MISCELLANEOUS POEMS
NEAR HASTINGS
Near Hastings, on the shingle-beach,
We loitered at the time
When ripens on the wall the peach,
The autumn's lovely prime.
Far off--the sea and sky seemed blent,
The day was wholly done,
The distant town its murmurs sent,
Strangers--we were alone.
We wandered slow; sick, weary, faint,
Then one of us sat down,
No nature hers, to make complaint;--
The shadows deepened brown.
A lady past--she was not young,
But oh! her gentle face
No painter-poet ever sung,
Or saw such saintlike grace.
Pages:
621
622
623
624
625
626
627
628
629
630
631
632
633
634
635
636
637
638
639
640
641
642
643
644
645