"For thee, for thee, is left the sense 185 Of trial past without offence To God or man; such innocence, Such consolation, and the excess Of an unmerited distress; In that thy very strength must lie. 190 --O Sister, I could prophesy! The time is come that rings the knell Of all we loved, and loved so well: Hope nothing, if I thus may speak To thee, a woman, and thence weak: 195 Hope nothing, I repeat; for we Are doomed to perish utterly: 'Tis meet that thou with me divide The thought while I am by thy side, Acknowledging a grace in this, 200 A comfort in the dark abyss. But look not for me when I am gone, And be no farther wrought upon: Farewell all wishes, all debate, All prayers for this cause, or for that! 205 Weep, if that aid thee; but depend Upon no help of outward friend; Espouse thy doom at once, and cleave To fortitude without reprieve. For we must fall, both we and ours-- 210 This Mansion and these pleasant bowers, Walks, pools, and arbours, homestead, hall-- Our fate is theirs, will reach them all;[Z] The young horse must forsake his manger, And learn to glory in a Stranger; 215 The hawk forget his perch; the hound Be parted from his ancient ground: The blast will sweep us all away-- One desolation, one decay! And even this Creature!" which words saying, 220 He pointed to a lovely Doe, A few steps distant, feeding, straying; Fair creature, and more white than snow! "Even she will to her peaceful woods Return, and to her murmuring floods, 225 And be in heart and soul the same She was before she hither came; Ere she had learned to love us all, Herself beloved in Rylstone-hall. --But thou, my Sister, doomed to be 230 The last leaf on a blasted tree;[55] If not in vain we breathed[56] the breath Together of a purer faith; If hand in hand we have been led, And thou, (O happy thought this day!) 235 Not seldom foremost in the way; If on one thought our minds have fed, And we have in one meaning read; If, when at home our private weal Hath suffered from the shock of zeal, 240 Together we have learned to prize Forbearance and self-sacrifice; If we like combatants have fared, And for this issue been prepared; If thou art beautiful, and youth 245 And thought endue thee with all truth-- Be strong;--be worthy of the grace Of God, and fill thy destined place: A Soul, by force of sorrows high, Uplifted to the purest sky 250 Of undisturbed humanity!"