| |
| THE NIGHT is come, no fears disturb | |
| The dreams of innocence; | |
| They trust in kingly faith and kingly oaths, | |
| They sleep,—alas! they sleep. | |
| |
| Go to the palace wouldst thou know | 5 |
| How hideous night can be; | |
| Eye is not closed in those accursed walls, | |
| Nor heart at quiet there. | |
| |
| The monarch from the window leans, | |
| He listens to the night, | 10 |
| And with a horrible and eager hope | |
| Awaits the midnight bell. | |
| |
| O, he has hell within him now! | |
| God, always art thou just! | |
| For innocence can never know such pangs | 15 |
| As pierce successful guilt. | |
| |
| He looks abroad and all is still. | |
| Hark!—now the midnight bell | |
| Sounds through the silence of the night alone; | |
| And now the signal gun! | 20 |
| |
| Thy hand is on him, righteous God! | |
| He hears the frantic shriek, | |
| He hears the glorying yells of massacre, | |
| And he repents too late. | |
| |
| He hears the murderer’s savage shout, | 25 |
| He hears the groan of death; | |
| In vain they fly,—soldiers defenceless now, | |
| Women, old men, and babes. | |
| |
| Righteous and just art thou, O God! | |
| For at his dying hour | 30 |
| Those shrieks and groans re-echoed in his ear, | |
| He heard that murderous yell! | |
| |
| They thronged around his midnight couch, | |
| The phantoms of the slain,— | |
| It preyed like poison on his powers of life,— | 35 |
| Righteous art thou, O God! | |
| |
| Spirits who suffered at that hour | |
| For freedom and for faith, | |
| Ye saw your country bent beneath the yoke, | |
| Her faith and freedom crushed. | 40 |
| |
| And like a giant from his sleep | |
| Ye saw when France awoke; | |
| Ye saw the people burst their double chain, | |
| And ye had joy in heaven. | |
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