Power, reputation, happiness, ... whate’er The heart of man desires to constitute His earthly weal, ... unerring Justice claim’d In forfeiture. I with submitted soul Bow to the righteous law and kiss the rod. Only while thus submitted, suffering thus, ... Only while offering up that name on earth, Perhaps in trial offer’d to my choice, Could I present myself before thy sight; Thus only could endure myself, or fix My thoughts upon that fearful pass, where Death Stands in the Gate of Heaven!... Time passes on, The healing work of sorrow is complete; All vain desires have long been weeded out, All vain regrets subdued; the heart is dead, The soul is ripe and eager for her birth. Bless me, my Mother! and come when it will The inevitable hour, we die in peace. So saying, on her knees he bow’d his head; She raised her hands to Heaven and blest her child; Then bending forward, as he rose, embraced And claspt him to her heart, and cried, Once more Theodofred, with pride behold thy son! XX. THE MOORISH CAMP. The times are big with tidings; every hour From east and west and south the breathless scouts Bring swift alarums in; the gathering foe, Advancing from all quarters to one point, Close their wide crescent. Nor was aid of fear To magnify their numbers needed now, They came in myriads. Africa had pour’d Fresh shoals upon the coast of wretched Spain; Lured from their hungry deserts to the scene Of spoil, like vultures to the battle-field, Fierce, unrelenting, habited in crimes, Like bidden guests the mirthful ruffians flock To that free feast which in their Prophet’s name Rapine and Lust proclaim’d. Nor were the chiefs Of victory less assured, by long success Elate, and proud of that o’erwhelming strength, Which, surely they believed, as it had roll’d Thus far uncheck’d would roll victorious on, Till, like the Orient, the subjected West Should bow in reverence at Mahommed’s name; And pilgrims, from remotest Arctic shores, Tread with religious feet the burning sands Of Araby, and Mecca’s stony soil. Proud of his part in Roderick’s overthrow, Their leader Abulcacem came, a man Immitigable, long in war renown’d. Here Magued comes, who on the conquer’d walls Of Cordoba, by treacherous fear betray’d, Planted the moony standard: Ibrahim here, He, who by Genil and in Darro’s vales, Had for the Moors the fairest portion won Of all their spoils, fairest and best maintain’d, And to the Alpuxarras given in trust His other name, through them preserved in song Here too Alcahman, vaunting his late deeds At Auria, all her children by the sword Cut off, her bulwarks rased, her towers laid low, Her dwellings by devouring flames consumed, Bloody and hard of heart, he little ween’d, Vain-boastful chief! that from those fatal flames The fire of retribution had gone forth Which soon should wrap him round.