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The Poetical works of Samuel Rogers (1854)
The Poetical works of Samuel Rogers - 1854 Author:Samuel Rogers 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: JACQUELINE. 'twas Autumn; thro Provence had ceased The vintage, and the vintage-feast. The sun had set behind the hill, The moon was up, and all -was... more » still, And from the Convent's neighbouring tower The clock had tolled the midnight-hour, When Jacqueline came forth alone, Her kerchief o'er her tresses thrown; A guilty thing and full of fears, Yet ah, how lovely in her tears! She starts, and what has caught her eye? What—but her shadow gliding by? She stops, she pants; with lips apart She listens — to her beating heart! Then, thro' the scanty orchard stealing, The clustering boughs her track concealing, She flies, nor casts a thought behind, But gives her terrors to the wind; Flies from her home, the humble sphere Of all her joys and sorrows here, Her father's house of mountain-stone, And by a mountain-vine o'ergrown. At such an hour, in such a night, So calm, so clear, so heavenly bright, Who would have seen, and not confessed It looked as all within were blessed ? What will not woman, when she loves ? Yet lost, alas! who can restore her ? — She lifts the latch, the wicket moves; And now the world was all before her. Up rose St. Pierre, when morning shone; —And Jacqueline, his child, was gone! Oh what the maddening thought that came? Dishonour coupled with his name! By Conde" at Rocroy he stood; By Turenne, when the Rhine ran blood. Two banners of Castile he gave Aloft in Notre Dame to wave; Nor did thy cross, St. Louis, rest Upon a purer, nobler breast. He slung his old sword by his side, And snatched his staff and rushed to save: Then sunk — and on his threshold cried, " 0 lay me in my grave! — Constance! Claudine! where were ye then ? But stand not there. Away! away! Thou, Frederic, by thy father sta...« less