and then to die
    Away, with all before me passing by,
    Like a fair vision I had lived to see,
    And died to see no more!—­It cannot be! 
    By this right hand!  I feel it is not so,
    And by the beating of a heart below,
    That strangely feareth for eternity!”

    He said, and gazing on the lonely sea,
    Far off he saw, like an ascending cloud,
    To westward, a bright island, lifted proud
    Amid the struggling waters, and the light
    Of the great sun was on its clifted height,
    Scattering golden shadow, like a mirror;
    But the gigantic billows sprung in terror
    Upon its rock-built and eternal shore,
    With silver foams that fell in fury o’er
    A thousand sunny breakers.  Far above,
    There stood a wild and solitary grove
    Of aged pines, all leafless but their brows,
    Where a green group of tempest-stricken boughs
    Was waving now and then, and to and fro,
    And the pale moss was clustering below.

    Then Julio saw, and bent his head away
    To the cold wasted corse of Agathe,
    And sigh’d; but ever he would turn again
    A gaze to that green island on the main.

    The bark is drifting through the surf, beside
    Its rocks of gray upon the coming tide;
    And lightly is it stranded on the shore
    Of pure and silver shells, that lie before,
    Glittering in the glory of the sun;
    And Julio hath landed him, like one
    That aileth of some wild and weary pest;
    And Agathe is folded on his breast,—­
    A faded flower! with all the vernal dews
    From its bright blossom shaken, and the hues
    Become as colourless as twilight air—­
    I marvel much, that she was ever fair!

    CHIMERA III

    Another moon! and over the blue night
    She bendeth, like a holy spirit bright,
    Through stars that veil them in their wings of gold;
    As on she floateth with her image cold
    Enamell’d on the deep.  A sail of cloud
    Is to her left, majestically proud! 
    Trailing its silver drapery away
    In thin and fairy webs, that are at play
    Like stormless waves upon a summer sea
    Dragging their length of waters lazily.

    Ay! to the rocks! and thou wilt see, I wist,
    A lonely one, that bendeth in the mist
    Of moonlight, with a wild and raven pall
    Flung round him.  Is he mortal man at all? 
    For, by the meagre fire-light that is under
    Those eyelids, and the vizor shade of wonder
    Falling upon his features, I would guess,
    Of one that wanders out of blessedness! 
    Julio! raise thee!—­By the holy mass! 
    I wot not of the fearless one would pass
    Thy wizard shadow.  Where the raven hair
    Was shorn before, in many a matted layer
    It lieth now; and on a rock beside
    The sea, like merman at the ebb of tide,
    Feasting his wondrous vision on Decay,
    So art thou gazing over Agathe!