SPEKE HALL. I have a lovely mountain bower, But those rich merchants must be near, Away, I cannot linger here; The vulture hovers o'er his prey, Come, my good steed-away!-away! SPEKE HALL. Он, fair old House-how Time doth honour thee, Giving thee what to-day may never gain, Of long respect and ancient poesy; The yew-trees at thy door are black with years, And filled with memories of those warlike days, When from each bough was lopped a gallant bow; For then the yew was what the oak is now, And what our bowmen were, our sailors are. How green the ivy grows upon the walls, Ages have lent their strength to those frail boughs, A venerable wreath upon the past, Which here is paramount ;-the past, which is JAHARA BAUG, AGRA. THE HISTORY OF SHAH DARA'S FLIGHT AND DEATH. AGRA was Shah Jehan's city of residence. It was from its walls that he witnessed the overthrow of Prince Dara, his eldest son. The Jahara Baug is one of the gardens adjoining the river. It was the lovely twilight-time went down o'er Agra's towers, The snowy herons to the roofs were flocking for the night, Filled with the sweet good-night of flowers that sigh themselves to sleep, While fair and pale, like some young girl who pines with early love, The young moon seems as if she feared to take her place above. Is there no feasting in those halls? why is that palace mute? The silvery cadences unheard of the young dancer's foot: How changed since that glad marriage eve, when with the dance and song How changed since that imperial day, when at his father's hand, An old man sits upon the walls that guard the eastern side; The aged king sits on his tower, and strains his eyes afar, And asks of every passer by for tidings of the war; They come he sees the scattered flight of Dara's* broken bands; * Prince Dara was the favourite son of Shah Jehan, who associated him with himself on the throne. and good fortune, however, of Aurungzebe, the younger brother, turned the scale in his own favour. between the two was long and severe; and the final catastrophe fatal to the unfortunate Dara. The talents The struggle |