And there he went ashore without delay,
Having no custom-house nor quarantine
To ask him awkward questions on the way
About the time and place where he had been:
He left his ship to be hove down next day,

With orders to the people to careen;
So that all hands were busy beyond measure,
In getting out goods, ballast, guns, and treasure.
XXI.

Arriving at the summit of a hill

Which overlook'd the white walls of his home, He stopp'd. What singular emotions fill

Their bosoms who have been induced to roam! With fluttering doubts if all be well or ill

With love for many, and with fears for some; All feelings which o'erleap the years long lost, And bring our hearts back to their starting-post. XXII.

The approach of home to husbands and to sires,
After long travelling by land or water,
Most naturally some small doubt inspires-
A female family's a serious matter
(None trusts the sex more, or so much admires--
But they hate flattery, so I never flatter);
Wives in their husbands' absences grow subtler,
And daughters sometimes run off with the butler.
XXIII.

An honest gentleman at his return

May not have the good fortune of Ulysses; Not all lone matrons for their husbands mourn, Or show the same dislike to suitors' kisses;

(1) See Pope's Odyssey, b. xvii.:

"Thus near the gates, conferring as they drew,
Argus, the dog, his ancient master knew;
He, not unconscious of the voice and tread,
Lifts to the sound his ear, and rears his head.
He knew his lord; he knew, and strove to meet,
In vain he strove, to crawl and kiss his feet;
Yet (all he could) his tail, his ears, his eyes
Salute his master, and confess his joys.
Soft pity touch'd the mighty master's soul;
Adown his cheek a tear unbidden stole.
Stole unperceived; he turns his head, and dried
The drop humane; then thus impassion'd cried:

What noble beast in this abandon'd state
Lies here all helpless at Ulysses' gate?
His bulk and beauty speak no vulgar praise;
If, as he seems, he was in better days,

The odds are that he finds a handsome urn

To his memory-and two or three young misses Born to some friend, who holds his wife and riches,-And that his Argus (1) bites him by-the breeches. XXIV.

If single, probably his plighted fair

Has in his absence wedded some rich miser; But all the better, for the happy pair

May quarrel, and the lady growing wiser,
He may resume his amatory care

As cavalier servente, or despise her;
And, that his sorrow may not be a dumb one,
Write odes on the Inconstancy of Woman.

XXV.

And oh! ye gentlemen who have already
Some chaste liaison of the kind—I mean
An honest friendship with a married lady——
The only thing of this sort ever seen
To last of all connections the most steady,

And the true Hymen (the first's but a screen)Yet for all that keep not too long away,

I've known the absent wrong'd four times a day. (2))

XXVI.

Lambro, our sea-solicitor, who had

Much less experience of dry land than ocean, On seeing his own chimney-smoke, felt glad; But, not knowing metaphysics, had no notion Of the true reason of his not being sad,

Or that of any other strong emotion; He loved his child, and would have wept the loss of her, But knew the cause no more than a philosopher.

XXVII.

He saw his white walls shining in the sun,
His garden trees all shadowy and green;
He heard his rivulet's light bubbling run,
The distant dog-bark; and perceived between
The umbrage of the wood so cool and dun

The moving figures, and the sparkling sheen Of arms (in the East all arm)—and various dyes Of colour'd garbs, as bright as butterflies.

XXVIII.

And as the spot where they appear he nears,
Surprised at these unwonted signs of idling,
He hears-alas! no music of the spheres,

But an unhallow'd earthly sound of fiddling!
A melody which made him doubt his ears,

The cause being past his guessing or unriddling; A pipe, too, and a drum, and, shortly after, A most unoriental roar of laughter.

Some care his age deserves. Or was he prized
For worthless beauty!-therefore now despised?
Such dogs and men there are, mere things of state,
And always cherish'd by their friends, the great.'
Not Argus so, (Eumæus thus rejoin'd,)
He served a master of a nobler kind,
Who never never shall behold him more,
Long, long since, perish'd on a distant share!"

This said, the honest herdsman strode before:
The musing monarch pauses at the door.
The dog, whom fate had granted to behold
His lord, when twenty tedious years had roll'd,
Takes a last look, and, having seen him, dies;
So closed for ever faithful Argus' eyes!"-L. E
(2) In the MS.-

"Yet for all that don't stay away too long,
A sofa, like a bed, may come by wrong."-LE

ས

(1) This dance is still performed by young men armed p-à-pié, who execute, to the sound of instruments, all the roper movements of attack and defence." Clarke.-L. E. (2) "Their manner of dancing is certainly the same that jana is sung to bave danced on the banks of Eurotas. he great lady still leads the dance, and is followed by a roop of young girls, who imitate her steps, and, if she sings, ake up the chorus. The tunes are extremely gay and vely, yet with something in them wonderfully soft. The teps are varied according to the pleasure of her that leads he dance, but always in exact time, and infinitely more greeable than any of our dances." Lady M. W. Montagu. L.E.

XXXIV.

Afar, a dwarf buffoon stood telling tales
To a sedate grey circle of old smokers,
Of secret treasures found in hidden vales,
Of wonderful replies from Arab jokers,
Of charms to make good gold and cure bad ails,
Of rocks bewitch'd that open to the knockers,

Of magic ladies who, by one sole act,

Transform'd their lords to beasts (but that's a fact).

XXXV.

Here was no lack of innocent diversion

For the imagination or the senses,

Song, dance, wine, music, stories from the Persian,
All pretty pastimes in which no offence is;
But Lambro saw all these things with aversion,
Perceiving in his absence such expenses,
Dreading that climax of all human ills,
The inflammation of his weekly bills. (6)

XXXVI.

Ah! what is man? what perils still environ
The happiest mortals even after dinner—
A day of gold from out an age of iron (7)
Is all that life allows the luckiest sinner;
Pleasure (whene'er she sings, at least)'s a siren,
That lures, to flay alive, the young beginner;
Lambro's reception at his people's banquet
Was such as fire accords to a wet blanket.

XXXVII.

He-being a man who seldom used a word
Too much, and wishing gladly to surprise
(In general he surprised men with the sword)
His daughter-had not sent before to advise
Of his arrival, so that no one stirr'd;

And long he paused to re-assure his eyes, In fact much more astonish'd than delighted, To find so much good company invited.

XXXVIII.

He did not know (alas! how men will lie)
That a report (especially the Greeks)
Avouch'd his death (such people never die},
And put his house in mourning several weeks,—
But now their eyes and also lips were dry;

The bloom, too, had return'd to Haidée's cheeks;
Her tears, too, being return'd into their fount,
She now kept house upon her own account.

(5) "This verse reads like the description of some antique basso-relievo." Hill.-L. E.

(6) "The piratical father of Haidée having remained long at sea, it was supposed he had perished, and she, in consequence, took possession of all his treasures, and surrendered herself to the full enjoyment of her lover. The old gentleman, however, returns, and, landing on a distant part of the island, walks leisurely towards his home, while Juan and his daughter are giving a public breakfast to their friends and acquaintances. The description of the fête is executed with equal felicity and spirit; we think it would be difficult to match the life and gaiety of the picture by any thing of the kind in English-perhaps in any other-poetry.” Blackwood.-L, E.

(7) "Ah me! what perils do environ

-L.E.

The man that meddles with cold iron." Hudibras.

XXXIX.

Hence all this rice, meat, dancing, wine, and fiddling, Which turn'd the isle into a place of pleasure; The servants all were getting drunk or idling,

A life which made them happy beyond measure. Her father's hospitality seem'd middling,

Compared with what Haidée did with his treasure; 'Twas wonderful how things went on improving, While she had not one hour to spare from loving. (1) XL.

Perhaps you think in stumbling on this feast
He flew into a passion, and in fact
There was no mighty reason to be pleased;
Perhaps you prophesy some sudden act,
The whip, the rack, or dungeon at the least,
To teach his people to be more exact,
And that, proceeding at a very high rate,
He show'd the royal penchants of a pirate.
XLI.

You're wrong. He was the mildest-manner'd man
That ever scuttled ship or cut a throat;
With such true breeding of a gentleman,

You never could divine his real thought;
No courtier could, and scarcely woman can
Gird more deceit within a petticoat;
Pity he loved adventurous life's variety,
He was so great a loss to good society. (2)

XLII.

Advancing to the nearest dinner-tray,
Tapping the shoulder of the nighest guest,
With a peculiar smile, which, by the way,
Boded no good, whatever it express'd,
He ask'd the meaning of this holiday;

The vinous Greek to whom he had address'd
His question, much too merry to divine
The questioner, fill'd up a glass of wine,
XLIII.

And without turning his facetious head,

Over his shoulder, with a Bacchant air, Presented the o'erflowing cup, and said, "Talking's dry work, I have no time to spare.” A second hiccup'd, "Our old master's dead,

You'd better ask our mistress, who's his heir." "Our mistress!" quoth a third: "Our mistress!You mean our master-not the old, but new." [pooh! XLIV.

These rascals, being new-comers, knew not whom They thus address'd-and Lambro's visage fellAnd o'er his eye a momentary gloom

Pass'd, but he strove quite courteously to quell The expression, and endeavouring to resume His smile, requested one of them to tell The name and quality of his new patron, Who seem'd to have turn'd Haidée into a matron.

(1) In the MS.

"All had been open heart, and open house, Ever since Juan served her for a spouse."-L. E. (2) "The portrait of this man is one of the best, if not the very best, of all Lord Byron's gloomy portraits. It may be the Corsair grown into an elderly character and a father; but it is equal to the finest heads that ever Michael Angelo or Caravaggio painted with black and umber." Maginn.L. E.

(3) "Rispone allor' Margutte, a dirteltosto,

lo non credo piu al nero ch' all'azzurro;

XLV.

"I know not," quoth the fellow, "who or what
He is, nor whence he came-and little care;
But this I know, that this roast capon's fat,
And that good wine ne'er wash'd down better fare;
And, if you are not satisfied with that,

Direct your questions to my neighbour there;
He'll answer all for better or for worse,
For none likes more to hear himself converse.”(3)
XLVI.

I said that Lambro was a man of patience,
And certainly he show'd the best of breeding,
Which scarce even France, the paragon of nations,
E'er saw her most polite of sons exceeding;
He bore these sneers against his near relations,
His own anxiety, his heart, too, bleeding,
The insults, too, of every servile glutton,
Who all the time was eating up his mutton.
XLVII.

Now in a person used to much command-
To bid men come, and go, and come again-
To see his orders done, too, out of hand-

Whether the word was death, or but the chair-
It may seem strange to find his manners bland;
Yet such things are, which I can not explain,
Though doubtless he who can command himself
Is good to govern—almost as a Guelf.

XLVIII.

Not that he was not sometimes rash or so,
But never in his real and serious mood;
Then calm, concentrated, and still, and slow,
He lay coil'd like the boa in the wood;
With him it never was a word and blow,

His angry word once o'er, he shed no blood,
But in his silence there was much to rue,
And his one blow left little work for two.

XLIX.
He ask'd no further questions, and proceeded
On to the house, but by a private way, (4)
So that the few who met him hardly heeded,
So little they expected him that day;
If love paternal in his bosom pleaded

For Haidée's sake, is more than I can say,
But certainly, to one deem'd dead returning,
This revel seem'd a curious mode of mourning.
L.

If all the dead could now return to life, (Which God forbid!) or some, or a great many, For instance, if a husband or his wife

(Nuptial examples are as good as any),
No doubt whate'er might be their former strife,
The present weather would be much more rainy
Tears shed into the grave of the connection
Would share most probably its resurrection.

Ma nel cappone, o lesso, o vuogli arroste,
E credo alcuna volta anco nel burro;
Nella cervogia, e quando io n' ho nel mosto.
E molto piu nell' espro che il mangurre ;
Ma sopra tutto nel buon vino ho fede,
E credo che sia salvo chi gli crede."

PULCI, Morgante Maggiore, ca. 18, st. 151. (4) "The account of Lambro proceeding to the house is poetically imagined; and in his character may be traced vivid likeness of Ali Pacha, and happy illustrative allusi to the adventures of that chief." Galt.-L. E.

LXIII.

These were ranged round, each in its crystal ewer, And fruits, and date-bread loaves closed the repast, And Mocha's berry, from Arabia pure,

In small fine china cups, came in at last; Gold cups of filigree, made to secure

The hand from burning, underneath them placed: Cloves, cinnamon, and saffron too, were boil'd Up with the coffee, which (I think) they spoil'd.

LXIV.

The hangings of the room were tapestry, (1) made
Of velvet panels, each of different hue,
And thick with damask flowers of silk inlaid;
And round them ran a yellow border too;
The upper border, richly wrought, display'd,
Embroider'd delicately o'er with blue,
Soft Persian sentences, in filac letters,
From poets, or the moralists their betters.
LXV.

These Oriental writings on the wall,

Quite common in those countries, are a kind Of monitors adapted to recall,

Like skulls at Memphian banquets, to the mind The words which shook Belshazzar in his hall,

And took his kingdom from him. You will find, Though sages may pour out their wisdom's treasure, There is no sterner moralist than Pleasure.

LXVI.

A beauty at the season's close grown hectic,
A genius who has drunk himself to death,
A rake turn'd methodistic, or Eclectic-(2)
(For that's the name they like to pray beneath) (3)—
But most, an alderman struck apoplectic,

Are things that really take away the breath,And show that late hours, wine, and love are able To do not much less damage than the table.

LXVII.

Haidée and Juan carpeted their feet

On crimson satin, border'd with pale blue; Their sofa occupied three parts complete

Of the apartment-and appear'd quite new; The velvet cushions (for a throne more meet)— Were scarlet, from whose glowing centre grew A sun emboss'd in gold, whose rays of tissue, Meridian-like, were seen all light to issue.(4) LXVIII.

Crystal and marble, plate and porcelain,

Had done their work of splendour; Indian mats And Persian carpets, which the heart bled to stain, Over the floors were spread; gazelles and cats,

(1) "Much of the description of the furniture is taken from Tully's Tripoli (pray note this), and the rest from my own observation." Lord B. to Mr. Murray. Ravenna, 1821. --P. E.

(2) See the Eclectic Review, among the "Testimonies of Authors," in the Appendix.-P. E.

(3) In the MS.

"For that's the name they like to cant beneath."—L. E. (4) In the MS.

"The upholsterer's 'fiat lux' had bade to issue.”—L.E. (5) In the MS.

"Kept for all comers who might wish to dine.”— L. E. (6) This dress is Moorish, and the bracelets and bar are worn in the manner described. The reader will perceive

And dwarfs and blacks, and such like things, that gain
Their bread as ministers and favourites-(that's
To say, by degradation)—mingled there
As plentiful as in a court or fair.

LXIX.

There was no want of lofty mirrors, and
The tables, most of ebony inlaid
With mother-of-pearl or ivory, stood at hand,

Or were of tortoise-shell or rare woods made, Fretted with gold or silver:-by command,

The greater part of these were ready spread With viands and sherbets in ice-and wineKept for all comers, at all hours to dine.(5)

LXX.

Of all the dresses I select Haidée's:

She wore two jelicks-one was of pale yellow; Of azure, pink, and white was her chemise'Neath which her breast heaved like a little billow With buttons form'd of pearls as large as peas,

All gold and crimson shone her jelick's fellow, And the striped white gauze baracan that bound her, Like fleecy clouds about the moon, flow'd round ber

LXXI.

One large gold bracelet clasp'd each lovely arm,
Lockless-so pliable from the pure gold
That the hand stretch'd and shut it without harm,
The limb which it adorn'd its only mould;
So beautiful-its very shape would charm,

And clinging as if loth to lose its hold,
The purest ore enclosed the whitest skin
That e'er by precious metal was held in.(6)

LXXII.

Around, as princess of her father's land,

A like gold bar above her instep roll'd (7) Announced her rank; twelve rings were on her hand Her hair was starr'd with gems; her veil's fine! Below her breast was fasten'd with a band

Of lavish pearls, whose worth could scarce be tud Her orange silk full Turkish trousers furl'd About the prettiest ankle in the world.

LXXIII.

Her hair's long auburn waves down to her heel
Flow'd like an Alpine torrent which the san
Dyes with his morning light,--and would conceal
Her person (8) if allow'd at large to run,
And still they seem resentfully to feel

The silken fillet's curb, and sought to shun Their bonds whene'er some Zephyr caught began To offer his young pinion as her fan.

hereafter, that as the mother of Haidée was of Fez, daughter wore the garb of the country.-"The descript Haidée applies to an Albanian, not a Greek girl." Galf.

(7) The bar of gold above the instep is a mark of sove reign rank in the women of the families of the deys, and worn as such by their female relatives.

(8) This is no exaggeration: there were four woRG whom I remember to have seen, who possessed their hair this profusion; of these, three were English, the other was Levantine. Their hair was of that length and quanti that, when let down, it almost entirely shaded the pers so as nearly to render dress a superfluity. Of these, o one had dark hair; the Oriental's had, perhaps, the lighte

colour of the four.