So leave thee, lady? Yes, I will comply; Thou art too far above me—Ghosts withstand My hopes in vain, but riches guard thy hand; For I am poor—affection and an heart To thee devoted, I but these impart: Then bid me go, I will thy words obey, But let not visions drive thy friend away.”— “Hear me, Oh! hear me—Shall I wed my son?”— 880 “I am in fondness and obedience one; And I will reverence, honour, love, adore, Be all that fondest sons can be—and more; And shall thy son, if such he be, proceed To fierce encounters, and in battle bleed? No; thou canst weep!”— “O! leave me, I entreat; } Leave me a moment—we shall quickly meet.”— } “No! here I kneel, a beggar at thy feet.”— } He said, and knelt—with accents, softer still, He woo’d the weakness of a failing will, 890 And erring judgment—took her hand, and cried, “Withdraw it not!—O! let it thus abide, Pledge of thy love—upon thy act depend My joy, my hope,—thus they begin or end! Withdraw it not!”——He saw her looks express’d Favour and grace—the hand was firmer press’d— Signs of opposing fear no more were shown; And, as he press’d, he felt it was his own. Soon through the house was known the glad assent; The night so dreaded was in comfort spent; 900 War was no more, the destined knot was tied, And the fond widow made a fearful bride. * * * * * Let mortal frailty judge how mortals frail } Thus in their strongest resolutions fail, } And, though we blame, our pity will prevail. } Yet, with that Ghost—for so she thought—in view, When she believed that all he told was true; When every threat was to her mind recall’d, Till it became affrighten’d and appall’d; When Reason pleaded, ‘think! forbear! refrain!’ 910} And when, though trifling, stood that mystic stain, } Predictions, warnings, threats, were present all in vain. } Th’ exulting youth a mighty conqueror rose, And who hereafter shall his will oppose?— Such is our tale; but we must yet attend } Our weak, kind widow to her journey’s end; } Upon her death-bed laid, confessing to a friend } Her full belief, for to the hour she died } This she profess’d——“The truth I must not hide, } It was my brother’s form, and in the night he died. 920} In sorrow and in shame has pass’d my time, All I have suffer’d [follow’d] from my crime; I sinn’d with warning—when I gave my hand, A power within said, urgently—Withstand! And I resisted—O! my God, what shame, What years of torment from that frailty came. That husband-son!—I will my fault review; What did he not that men or monsters do? His day of love, a brief autumnal day, Ev’n in its dawning hasten’d to decay; 930 Doom’d from our odious union to behold How cold he grew, and then how worse than cold;