Yes! heaven is thine, but this Is a world of sours and sweets,―― Where cold meats are cold meats, And the eater’s most perfect bliss Is the shadow of him who treats. If I could griddle As Israfiddle Has griddled――he fiddle as I,―― He might not fiddle so wild a riddle As this mad melody, While the Pleiads all would leave off in the middle Hearing my griddle-cry. * ―――――――― * ISRAFEL. “_And the angel Israfel, whose heart-strings are a lute, and who has the sweetest voice of all God’s creatures._”――KORAN. I. In Heaven a spirit doth dwell, “Whose heart-strings are a lute;” None sing so wildly well As the angel Israfel; And the giddy stars (so legends tell), Ceasing their hymns, attend the spell Of his voice, all mute. II. Tottering above In her highest noon The enamoured Moon Blushes with love; While to listen, the red levin (With the rapid Pleiades even, Which were seven) Pauses in heaven. III. And they say (the starry choir And the other listening things) That Israfeli’s fire Is owing to that lyre By which he sits and sings,―― The trembling living wire Of those unusual strings. * * * * * VII. Yes, heaven is thine; but this Is a world of sweets and sours; Our flowers are merely flowers, And the shadow of thy perfect bliss Is the sunshine of ours. VIII. If I could dwell Where Israfel Hath dwelt, and he where I, He might not sing so wildly well A mortal melody, While a bolder note than this might swell From my lyre within the sky. E. A. POE. ――――:o:―――― THE GHOULS IN THE BELFRY.[13] Hear the story of the Ghouls! Who will tell us of the Ghouls? Who has been told? Of the Ghouls, Ghouls, Ghouls,―― Who are neither man nor woman. Who are neither beast nor human, Who are neither fish nor cayman,―― Who will tell us, clerk or layman? They are Ghouls; Live in holes Like moles Under the boles, boles, boles Of old trees, where the forest rolls Of the mouldy days of old; Or in tarns, tarns, tarns, Dull and dismal as the yarns Of morbific spools,―― Dank tarns and dismal pools, There dwell the Ghouls, With other tarn’d fowls,―― Not to say fools.