The sting of insult, and the dart of pain;
His stedfast spirit feels one pang alone;
A child's despair awakes one suff'ring groan--
The mourner kneels to catch his parting breath,
To sooth the agony of ling'ring death; 90
No moan she breath'd, no tear had power to flow,
Still on her lip expir'd th' unutter'd woe:
Yet ah, her livid cheek, her stedfast look,
The desolated soul's deep anguish spoke--
Mild victim! close not yet thy languid eyes; 95
Pure spirit! claim not yet thy kindred skies;
A pitying angel comes to stay thy flight,
_Las Casas_[A] bids thee view returning light:
Ah, let that sacred drop to virtue dear,
Efface thy wrongs--receive his precious tear; 100
See his flush'd cheek with indignation glow,
While from his lips the tones of pity flow.
"Oh suff'ring Lord! he cried, whose streaming blood
"Was pour'd for man--Earth drank the sacred flood--
"Whose mercy in the mortal pang forgave 105
"The murd'rous band, thy love alone could save;
"Forgive--thy goodness bursts each narrow bound,
"Which feeble thought, and human hope surround;
"Forgive the guilty wretch, whose impious hand
"From thy pure altar flings the flaming brand, 110
"In human blood that hallow'd altar steeps,
"Libation dire! while groaning nature weeps--
"The limits of thy mercy dares to scan,
"The object of thy love, his victim,--Man;
"While yet I linger, lo, the suff'rer dies-- 115
"I see his frame convuls'd--I hear his sighs--
"Whoe'er controuls the purpose of my heart
"First in this breast shall plunge his guilty dart:"
With anxious step he flew, with eager hands
He broke the fetters, burst the cruel bands. 120
As the fall'n angel heard with awful fear
The cherub's grave rebuke, in grace severe,
And fled, while horror plum'd his impious crest[B],
The form of virtue, as she stood confest;
So fierce Valverda sullen mov'd along, 125
Abash'd, and follow'd by the guilty throng.
At length the hoary victim, freed from chains,
Las Casas gently leads to safer plains;
Soft Zilia's yielding soul the joy opprest,
She bath'd with floods of tears her father's breast. 130
Las Casas now explores a secret cave
Whose shaggy sides the languid billows lave;
"There rest secure, he cried, the Christian God
"Will hover near, will guard t