Page:Poems of Sentiment and Imagination.djvu/151

Rh Childlike, yet lofty; gentle, yet resolute;

Wanting in caution, and yet innocent.

But Heaven, which will protect her, will deny

Its blessing unto me, for being unjust

To this unknown and shipwrecked slumberer.

I will go forth, and lifting up my heart,

Ask God to purge my being from the curse

Of every evil passion; lest I be

Tempted to violate my sacred vow

Of holiest observance.

ACT II.

I.—Sea-shore.

Enter and.

Alver. This is indeed a grand and beautiful scene,

Worthy a master's pencil. Often I,

In Spain, and Switzerland, and Germany,

Have wrapt my spirit in delicious dreams,

And fancy's touch, anticipating art,

Hath placed them on the canvas; while my eye

Feasted upon them, and my soul forgot

Its mortal tenement. My spirit sees,

With one wide, comprehensive glance, a scene,

And copies with a quick and perfect skill,

Each beautiful feature of the whole grand piece,

Dreaming the while in ecstasy.

Azlea. Yours must be a soul-enchanting power,

To bring the grand, and beautiful, and vast

Within the pencil's compass; and to give

Such earnest likeness to it as to cheat

The eye into believing that it saw

The glorious or the fair original!

Do you not worship your own heavenly art?