"This is the man!" though he was then, as since, You saw none else? You did not see the

Gab. And may sound better.-He appear'd to me Do thou as much!

One of those beings to whom fortune bends
As she doth to the daring-and on whom
The fates of others oft depend; besides,
An indescribable sensation drew me
Near to this man, as if my point of fortune
Was to be fix'd by him.-There I was wrong.
Sieg. And may not be right now.

The door of which was half ajar, I saw

A man who wash'd his bloody hands, and oft
With stern and anxious glance gazed back upon
The bleeding body-but it moved no more.
Sieg. Oh! God of fathers!
Gab.
I beheld his features
As I see yours-but yours they were not, though
Resembling them-behold them in Count Ulric's!
Distinct, as I beheld them, though the expression
Is not now what it then was ;-but it was so
When I first charged him with the crime-so lately.
Sieg. This is so-

Gab. (interrupting him.) Nay—but hear me to the
end!

Now you must do so.-I conceived myself
Betray'd by you and him (for now I saw

There was some tie between you) into this
Pretended den of refuge, to become

The victim of your guilt; and my first thought
Was vengeance: but though arm'd with a short
poniard

(Having left my sword without) I was no match
For him at any time, as had been proved
That morning-either in address or force.

1 turned and filed-i' the dark: chance rather than
Skill made me gain the secret door of the hall,
And thence the chamber where you slept; if I
Had found you waking, Heaven alone can tell
What vengeance and suspicion might have
prompted;

But ne'er slept guilt as Werner slept that night.
Sieg. And yet I had horrid dreams! and such brief
sleep,

The stars had not gone down when I awoke.

Sieg. I pledge my life for yours. Withdraw into
This tower.
[Opens a turret door.
Gab. (hesitatingly.) This is the second safe
asylum
You have offer'd me.

Sieg.
And was not the first so?
Gab. I know not that even now-But will approve
The second. And I have still a further shield.-
I did not enter Prague alone; and should I
Be put to rest with Stralenheim, they are
Some tongues without will wag in my behalf;
|Be brief in your decision!

Sieg.

I will be so.

Why didst thou spare me? I dreamt of my father-And with the other half, could he and thou
And now my dream is out!

Unsay this villainy.

You sought me and have found me-now you know When we met in the garden, what except

My secret, and may weigh its worth.

Sieg. (after a pause.)

Indeed!

Gab. Is it revenge or justice which inspires Your meditation?

Sieg.

Gab.

Neither-I was weighing

You shall know it

The value of your secret.

Discovery in the act could make me know
His death? Or had the prince's household been
Then summon'd, would the cry for the police

Been left to such a stranger? Or should I
Have loiter'd on the way? Or could you, Werner,
The object of the baron's hate and fears,
Have fled, unless by many an hour before

At once :-When you were poor, and I, though poor, Suspicion woke? I sought and fathom'd you,

Doubting if you were false or feeble: I
Perceived you were the latter; and yet so
| Confiding have I found you. that I doubted
At times your weakness.
Sieg.
Parricide! no less
Than common stabber! What deed of my life,
Or thought of mine, could make you deem me fit
For your accomplice ?
Ulr.

Father, do not raise

Have made me both at present. You shall aid me; The devil you cannot lay between us. This

I would have aided you-and also have
Been somewhat damaged in my name to save
Yours and your son's. Weigh well what I have
said.

Is time for union and for action, not
For family disputes. While you were tortured,
Could I be calm? Think you that I have heard
This fellow's tale without some feeling ?-you

Sieg. Dare you await the event of a few minutes' Have taught me feeling for you and myself;
Deliberation?

Gab. (casts his eyes on ULRIC, who is leaning against a pillar.) If I should do so?

For whom or what else did you ever teach it?
Sieg. Oh! my dead father's curse! 'tis working

now.

Ulr. Let it work on! the grave will keep it|

down!

Ashes are feeble foes: it is more easy

To baffle such, than countermine a mole,

Which winds its blind but living path beneath

you.

Yet hear me still!-if you condemn me, yet
Remember who hath taught me once too often
To listen to him! Who proclaim'd to me

That there were crimes made venial by the occa

sion?

That passion was our nature? that the goods
Of Heaven waited on the goods of fortune?
Who show'd me his humanity secured
By his nerves only? Who deprived me of
All power to vindicate myself and race
In open day? By his disgrace which stamp'd
(It might be) bastardy on me, and on
Himself a felon's brand! The man who is
At once both warm and weak invites by deeds
He longs to do, but dare not. Is it strange
That I should act what you could think? We have
done

Sieg. Whate'er you will: sell them, or hoard,
And prosper; but delay not, or you are lost!

Gab. You pledged your honor for my safety!
Sieg.

Must thus redeem it. Fly! I am not master,
It seems, of my own castle-of my own
Retainers-nay, even of these very walls,
Or I would bid them fall and crush me! Fly:
Or you will be slain by-

Gab.
Is it even so?
Farewell, then! Recollect, however, count,

With right and wrong; and now must only You sought this fatal interview?

ponder

Upon effects, not causes. Stralenheim,
Whose life I saved from impulse, as, unknown,
I would have saved a peasant's or a dog's, I slew
Known as our foe-but not from vengeance. He
Was a rock in our way which I cut through,
As doth the bolt, because it stood between us
And our true destination-but not idly.
As stranger I preserved him, and he owed me
His life when due, I but resumed the debt.
He, you, and I stood o'er a gulf wherein

I have plunged our enemy. You, kindled first
The torch-you show'd the path; now trace me
that

Of safety-or let me !

Sieg.

I have done with life!

Sieg.

I did:
Let it not be more fatal still!-Begone!
Gab. By the same path I enter'd?
Sieg.

And

Yes; that's safe still:
But loiter not in Prague ;-you do not know
With whom you have to deal.

Ulr. Let us have done with that which cankers Enter ULRIC, with others armed, and with weapons

life

Familiar feuds and vain recriminations

Of things which cannot be undone. We have
No more to learn or hide: I know no fear,
And have within these very walls men whom
(Although you know them not) dare venture all

things.

You stand high with the state: what passes here
Will not excite her too great curiosity:
Keep your own secret, keep a steady eye,
Stir not, and speak not;-leave the rest to me:
We must have no third babblers thrust between us.
[Exit ULRIC.
Sieg. (solus.) Am I awake? are these my father's
halls?

drawn.

Ulr. Despatch !-he's there!
Ludwig.
The count, my lord!
Ulr. (recognizing SIEGENDORF.) You here, sir!
Sieg. Yes if you want another victim, strike!
Ulr. (seeing him stript of his jewels.) Where is the
ruffian who hath plunder'd you?

Vassals, despatch in search of him! You see
'Twas as I said-the wretch hath stript my father
Of jewels which might form a prince's heirloom!
Away! I'll follow you forthwith.

[Exeunt all but SIEGENDORF and ULRIC.
What's this?
Where is the villain?
Sieg. There are two, sir: which

And you-my son? My son! mine! who have ever Are you in quest of?
Abhorr'd both mystery and blood, and yet
Am plunged into the deepest hell of both!
I must be speedy, or more will be shed-
The Hungarian's !-Ulric-he hath partisans,
It seems I might have guess'd as much.
fool!

[Exit into the turret, closing the door after him. 'Will you then leave me ?

My fullest, freest aid.

Ulr.

Then fare you well!
[ULRIC is going

HOURS OF IDLENESS;

A SERIES OF POEMS, ORIGINAL AND TRANSLATED.

• "Virginibus puerisque Canto."

HORACE, lib. 3, Ode 1.

Μήτ' ἄρ με μαλ αἴνεε, μήτε τι νεικει.

HOMER, ILIAD, x. 249.

"He whistled as he went for want of thought."
DRYDEN.

ΤΟ

THE RIGHT HONORABLE FREDERICK, EARL OF CARLISLE,

KNIGHT OF THE GARTER, ETC., ETC.

THE SECOND EDITION OF THESE POEMS IS INSCRIBED,

BY HIS OBLIGED WARD AND AFFECTIONATE KINSMAN,

THE AUTHOR.

LORD BYRON first appeared as an author in is, that the author has not yet completed his nineNovember, 1806, when he printed a collection of teenth year. December 23, 1806." The approbapoems for distribution among his friends. The first tion which this volume received from the friends to copy of this volume, which is a thin quarto, was whom it was submitted induced Lord Byron to come presented to Mr. Beecher, who immediately per-more immediately before the public; and in the latceived, on looking over its pages, that some of the ter end of May, 1807, this collection, with consideracontents were by no means of a description to reflect ble alterations, the omission of some poems, and the credit on their author; and at his friendly sugges- addition of others, was reprinted and published, untion the whole impression, with the exception of der the title of "Hours of Idleness, a Series of two, or, at the most, three copies, was committed to Poems, original and translated, by George Gordon, the flames. After the destruction of this volume, Lord Byron, a Minor." This volume was als Lord Byron directed the collection to be reprinted, printed at Newark. In the four editions of this with the omission of the objectionable poems. This work, which rapidly succeded each other, many vaedition, which was confined to a hundred copies, riations are found: several corrections were made; and, like its predecessor, designed for private circu- several pieces were silently withdrawn, and replaced lation, was proceeded in so quickly, that at the end by others; and after the first edition a dedication to of about six weeks, January, 1807, it was ready for Lord Carlisle was prefixed. In the present publicadelivery. The volume was entiled "Poems on Va- tion, all those Poems from the "Private Volume," rious Occasions," and was printed at Newark by S. and the early editions of "Hours of Idleness," and J. Ridge; the author's name was not given. which were suppressed by the author, are reprinted, The dedication was, "To those friends at whose and all the variations of the different impressions request they were printed, for whose amusement or are noticed. approbation they were solely intended, these trifles are respectfully dedicated by the author." Immediately following the dedication was this notice :"The only apology necessary to be adduced in extenuation of any errors in the following collection

PREFACE.*

IN submitting to the public eye the following col

This was the only motto given in the private volume; it was retained lection, I have not only to combat the difficulties

with the other two in the first edition of Hours of Idleness, and omitted in The second.

• Printed in the first edition of Hours of Idleness; ormitted in the second.