Few were the tears she shed,
As o’er the waves she sped,
Without one hope ahead
To cheer the loved behind her!
And though too brave to fear,
She sighed to leave those dear
For skies less bright and clear,
Faint filial love to bind her;
For, ’mid his reveling band,
Her father held in hand,
And poured, while he could stand,
The purple grapes’ libation,
Till quite forgot was she,
Whose eyes, he said, should be
The light of every sea.
The pride of queenly station!
Soon—when his ship was light—
He met in tropic night
A foe, with armor bright,
Off the Azores:
Up went the Pirate’s flag—
Black, as round Pico’s crag[B]
The infant storm-clouds lag
Before they sweep the shores.
Far o’er the waters threw
The moon her amber hue,
As swift the foeman’s crew
Their guns unlimbered;—
Then, as when thunders roar,
Their broadsides they did pour,
Which did the pirate gore,
Though heavily timbered.
Undaunted on his track,
The Corsair would not slack
While pouring fire back
From every gun’s embrasure.—
For, once his crew aboard,
The conflict, sword to sword,
Had made the Pirate lord
Of ship and golden treasure.
Unequal grew the fight,—
The pirate’s guns, too light,
The Dutchman could not “bite”—
Van Tromp, the Admiral!
Who loved these tropic shores,
Where Night her starlight pours,
And heard from the Azores
Love’s sweetest madrigal.[C]
Then mid that dreadful fray
Fair Leonore did pray—
“Oh, father, do not stay,
Or we shall all be slaughtered!—
I dreamt but yesternight
A frigate hove in sight
With men, in armor bright,
Who ne’er midst carnage loitered!”
“Nay—daughter, do not fear!—
The Dutch we’ll conquer here!—
Ho, men! make ready—clear
The foeman’s decks, undaunted!”
But ere his men could test
Their foemen, breast to breast,
The wind veered to the west,
As if the seas were haunted!
Far o’er the sultry main
There rose a hurricane,
Black, as was Chaos’ reign
Before the earth was lighted;—
The heavens seemed roll
Together like a scroll,
As flashed from pole to pole
The spirit long benighted!
Out of the tempest’s gloom—
As from unhallowed tomb—
A raven on the boom
Fluttered above the Pirate!—
The croaking of the bird
The crew in terror heard—
“Death!” was the fearful word
It uttered, wild and irate!