Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CANTO II Years Pass’d, the much-tried man had kept his word, And sent his proofs against the doubtful claim, But, though they reach’d, their purport was not heard, And needless now to tell with whom the blame. ‘ The bond?the bond !’ the only words that came To his remonstrances across the flood: Not Shylock could a deed more binding frame, Nor to the letter would so fast have stood; These had the pound of flesh, and risk’d the drops of blood, Into the awful Court called Chancery, ? And not miscall’d, methinks, as some can tell, ? The claimants went, they said reluctantly, God knows if so, the merchant’s lands to sell, Where he had hoped in his old years to dwell. Calm as the Sphinx sits on from age to age, Eldon was Minos of that stagnant Hell; But years elapsed ere the decree’s stern page From the grieved owner took his English heritage. Yet cheerily the much-wrong’d man toil’d on, And large the recompense just Heaven bestow’d; And on a day, after long winters gone, He rose, while yet the Afric mountains glow’d With purple light, and the great vessels rode As in a crimson sea, and bow’d the knee, And grateful said: ‘ The last debt which I owed This day is paid, save, Lord, my debt to Thee, Which day by day will grow, and ne'er discharged may be !’ But to the English home the verse returns, And to the lad, like cygnet from the nest That left on some strange shore for shelter yearns, But never more shall find the downy breast. The night of the sad parting brought no rest; He sought the clasping arms, and turn’d to weep, Nor might those gentle ladies, sore distrest To hear his sobbing, soothe him into sleep, And one did by his couch till dawn her vigil keep. Mary! the sweetest name that woman bears, The name of her who chose the better part, Of her who bathed the …
