Page 7 of EBB's manuscript of "The African."
Accession #: EBB MSS, D0015.1
Transcription:
"My wages were contempt, and scorn
"And then . . . . a blow!—am I awake?
"A blow! and doth the tyrant live! – – . .
"Nay, Affa thou may’st well forgive
"The transport of thy Brother’s breast
"When e’en thy softer feelings rise,
"With shame which will not be supprest,
"And kindle in those lucid eyes:
"Thyself art one of Afric’s daughters
"Thou know’st her griefs, her wrongs, her slaughters,
"Thou’st seen her suffer, heard her groan
"Thou knowst her sufferings, & . . . mine own
"Of those no more – revenge is near!
"Thou would’st not have me linger here!
"Henceforth my name shall shame repel,
"And now my Affa – now farewell!
She had beheld his soul’s despair,
And read some deadly purpose there –
Perhaps again the fight to dare
And purchase liberty in war. . . .
Perhaps to die . . . . but never, never
She dreamt that they could part forever!
Still, silent, breathless, motionless
She stood subdued by that distress,
But when the fatal accent fell –
When his tongue breathed a last farewell - - -
She bowed before his lowering eye,
In powerless, speechless agony –
She wept not – and she could not speak,
But, with a faint convulsive shriek,