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THE LAST DAY OF TIPPOO SAIB.

That, only that, shall single out (1) the spot,
By that remember'd, or with that forgot.

BYRON.

275

THE LAST DAY OF TIPPOO SAIB.

That day he 'rose Sultan of half the East.

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The guards awoke, each from his feverish dream
Of conquest or of fear the trumpet plain'd (2)
Thro' the far citadel, and thousands trooped (5)
Obedient to its mournful melody,

Soldier, and chief and slave. And he the while
Traversed his hall of power, and with a look
Deeply observant glanced (4) on all: then, waving
His dusky arm (5), struck thro'the listening crowd
Silence and dumb respect from his fierce tongue
Stream'd (6) words of vengeance: fame he promised,
And wealth and honours to the brave, but woe
To those who fail'd hem. There he stood, a king
Half circled by his Asian chivalry,

In figure as some Indian God, or like

Satan when he beneath his burning dome
Marshal'd (7) the fiery cherubim, and called

All hell to arms.

The sun blazed into day :

(1) To single out, indiquer.

(2) Plain'd, résonnait, planait.

(3) To troop, s'attrouper.

(4) To glance on, promener les regards sur. (5) His dusky arm, son bras basané.

(6) To stream, couler, faire couler, débiter.

(7) To marshal, ranger en bataille.

Then busy sights were seen, and sounds of war
Came thickening (1): first the steed's shrill neigh (2); the
Rolling at intervals; the bugle note (3),
[drum
Mixed with the hoarse command; then, nearing on (4),
The soldier's silent, firm, and regular tread (5),
The trampling horse; the clash (6) of swords, the wheel
That, creaking (7), bore the dread artillery.

How fierce the dark king bore him (8) on that day!
How bravely! Like a common slave he fought,
Heedless of life, and cheer'd the soldier on (9);
Deep in his breast the bullet sank, but he
Kept on, and this looked nobly—like a king.
That day he earned a title with his life,
And made his foes respect him.-Towards night
He grew faint, very faint with many wounds:
His soldiers bore him in (10): they wept : he was
Their old commander, and, whate'er his life,
Had led them on to conquest. Then it was
His wish-they placed him on his throne.-He sate
Like some dark form of marble, with an eye

(1) Trickening, en augmentant, se multipliant. (2) Shrill neigh, hennissement aigu.

(3) Bugle note, son du cor, du buccine. (4) Nearing on, approchant.

(5) Tread, pas.

(6) The clash, le cliquetis.

(7) Creaking, criant.

(8) Bore him, se comportait.

(9) To cheer on, encourager.

(10) Bore him in, le transportèrent dans son palais.

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Staring (1) and strained with pain (2), and motionless
And glassy as with death: his lips compressed
Spoke inward agony (5), yet seem'd he resolute
To die a king. An enemy came, and strove (4)
To tear away his regal diadem:

Then turned his eye; he rose, one angry blush (5)
Tinted his cheek, and fled. He grasp'd his sword,
And struck his last, faint useless blow, and then
Stood all defenceless. Ah! a flash, and quick

Fled the dark ball of death: right thro' the brain (6)
It went, a mortal messenger, and all

That then remain'd of that proud Asian king

Who startled India far and wide, and shook (7)

The deserts with his thunder, was

a name.

BARRY CORNWALL.

MISANTHROPY.

Fear'd, shunn'd, belied (8), ere youth had lost her force, He hated man too much to feel remorse,

And thought the voice of wrath (9) a sacred call,

To pay the injuries of some on all :

(1) Staring, fixe.

(2) Strained with pain, enflé par son agonie.

(3) Spoke inward agony, montrèrent sa douleur intérieure.

(4) Strove, passé de to strive, s'efforcer, essayer.

(5) Blush, rougeur.

(6) The brain, la cervelle.

(7) Shook, passé de to shake, secouer, faire trembler.

(8) Belied, calomnié, dénigré.

(9) Wrath, courroux, vengeance.

He knew himself a villain (1) but he deem'd
The rest no better than the thing he seem'd ;
And scorned the best as hypocrites who hid (2)
Those deeds the bolder spirit plainly did.

He knew himself delested, but he knew

The hearts that loath'd (5) him, crouch'd and dreaded too.
Lone, wild, and strange, he stood alike exempt
From all affection and from all contempt:

His name could sadden (4), and his acts surprise;
But they that fear'd him dared not to despise.
Man spurns (5) the worm, but pauses ere he wake
The slumbering venom of the folded snake (6) :
The first may turn (7)—but not avenge the blow;
The last expires but leaves no living foe;
Fast to the doom'd offender's form it clings (8),
And he may crush-not conquer-still it stings!

BYRON.

THE CHARGE.

The word hath passed his lips, and onward driven, Pour the link'd band through ranks asunder riven (9);

(1) A villain, un scélérat, un homme vil.

(2) Hid, passé de to hide, cacher.

(3) To loathe, abhorrer.

(4) To sadden, chagriner, attrister.

(5) To spurn, repousser.

(6) The folded snake, le serpent entortillé, endormi.

(7) To turn, se tourner, faire face à.

(8) To cling, s'attacher.

(9) Asunder riven, séparé par la force.

NATURE'S REVIVAL AT BREAK OF DAY.

Well has each steed obeyed the armed heel (1),
And flash the scimitars, and rings (2) the steel;
Out-number'd not out-braved (3), they still oppose
Despair to daring (4), and a front to foes;
And blood is mingled with the dashing stream,
Which runs all redly till the morning beam (5).

279

BYRON.

NATURE'S REVIVAL AT BREAK OF DAY.

Night wanes (6)—the vapours round the mountains curl'd
Melt into morn (7), and Light awakes the world.
Man has another day to swell the past,
And lead him near to little, but his last;
But mighty Nature bounds (8) as from her birth,
The sun is in the heavens, and life on earth;
Flowers in the valley, splendour in the beam,
Health on the gale (9), and freshness in the stream.
Immortal man! behold her glories shine,
And cry, exulting inly," they are thine!"

(1) The armed heel, le talon éperonné.

(2) To ring, résonner, retentir.

(3) Out-numbered not out-braved, accablé par le nombre, mais avec un courage indompté.

(4) Daring, témérité.

(5) The morning beam, les rayons du matin,

(6) To wane,

décliner.

(7) Melt into morn, disparaissent devant les rayons du jour. (8) To bound, bondir.

(9) In the gale, dans les airs.

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