The romance of Isabel Lady Burton

When I nighted and day’d in Damascus town, Time aware such another he ne’er should view; And careless we slept under wing of night, Till dappled morn ’gan her smiles renew, And...

Though old as history itself, thou art fresh as breath or spring, blooming as thine own rosebud, as fragrant as thine own orange flower, O Damascus, Pearl of the East!

Richard had wished ever since he came to Damascus to visit Palmyra, or Tadmor, in the wilderness. It is about one hundred and fifty miles distant in the open desert. His main re...

Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine flourish, whether the tender grape appear, and the pomegranates bud forth: there will I give thee my loves.

One who never turned his back, but marched breast forward; Never doubted clouds would break; Never dreamed, though right were worsted, wrong would triumph Held, we fall to rise...

It had long been our desire to visit Palestine and the Holy Land thoroughly, and so in March, 1871, we determined to set out. Richard wished me to go by sea and meet him at Jeru...

On returning to Damascus, Richard made the necessary explanations concerning the riot at Nazareth to the authorities, and he concluded that the “village row” was ended. I also w...

At this point of the narrative it is necessary to turn aside to deal with Miss Stisted’s impeachment of Lady Burton, in the matter of her husband’s recall from Damascus.

The recall from Damascus was the hardest blow that ever befell the Burtons. They felt it acutely; and when time had softened the shock, a lasting sense of the injury that had be...

Turn thee from grief nor care a jot, Commit thy needs to fate and lot, Enjoy the present passing well, And let the past be clean forgot. For what so haply seemeth worse Shall wo...

As we meet and touch each day The many travellers on the way, Let every such brief contact be A glorious helpful ministry-- The contact of the soil and seed, Each giving to the...

On arriving at Bombay, we housed ourselves at Watson’s Esplanade Hotel, a very large building. We went to see the sights of the town, and I was very much interested in all that...

“Please go with my compliments to the captain, and beg him to give me ten minutes or a quarter of an hour, and tell my husband what is the matter.”

The busy fingers fly; the eyes may see Only the glancing needle that they hold; But all my life is blossoming inwardly, And every breath is like a litany; While through each lab...

The longest leave comes to an end, and it was now time to return to Trieste. Burton started ahead as was his wont, leaving his wife to “pay, pack, and follow.” She paid and she...

The next four or five years were comparatively uneventful. There was little hope of promotion from the new Government, so the Burtons resigned themselves to Trieste with what gr...

Oh! bring us back once more The vanished days of yore, When the world with faith was filled; Bring back the fervid zeal, The hearts of fire and steel, The hands that believe and...

In May, 1885, Isabel started with her husband for England. They travelled together as far as Venice, and here, as often, they parted, and went their separate ways. Burton was or...

“Let me recall the last happy day of my life. It was Sunday, October 19, 1890. I went out to Communion and Mass at eight o’clock, came back, and kissed my husband at his writing...

Now I indeed will hide desire and all repine, And light up this my fire that neighbours see no sign: Accept I what befalls by order of my Lord, Haply he too accept this humble a...

Not yet, poor soul! A few more darksome hours And sore temptations met and overcome, A few more crosses bravely, meekly carried, Ere I can proudly call the tried one home. Nerve...

The light of morn has grown to noon, has paled with eve, and now farewell! Go, vanish from my Life as dies the tinkling of the Camel’s bell. RICHARD BURTON (_The Kasidah_).