ISA. (in going off) The ground is slippery life! Myself! myself! I could not bear thou Heavens! it is floated with blood! shouldst know-Oh! (Dies.) [Exit into the sacristy. Ron. (apart to BERTRAM.) Whom dost thou mean to call? [BERTRAM whispers. Ron. This goes beyond me. (After a moment's thought.) But be it so. Maltingen shall behold Aspen humbled in the dust. (Aloud.) Brethren, the accuser calls for a witness who remains without: admit him. [All muffle their faces. Enter RUDIGER, his eyes bound or covered, leaning upon two members; they place a stool for him, and unbind his eyes. ROD. Knowest thou where thou art, and before w.com? RUD. I know not, and I care not. Two strangers summoned me from my castle to assist, they said, at a great act of justice. I ascended the litter they brought, and I am here. Ron. It regards the punishment of perjury and the discovery of murder. Art thou willing to assist us? RUD. Most willing, as is my duty. Rop. What if the crime regard thy friend? Rep. I will hold him no longer so. Rop. What if thine own blood? RUD. I would let it out with my poniard. Ron. Then canst thou not blame us for this deed of justice. Remove the pall. (The pall is lifted, beneath which is discovered the body of GEORGE, pale and bloody. RUDIGER staggers towards it.) RUD. My George! my George! Not slain manly in battle, but murdered by legal assassins. Much, much may I mourn thee, my beloved boy; but not now-not now: never will I shed a tear for thy death till I have cleared thy fame.-Hear me, ye midnight murderers, he was innocent (raising his voice)-upright as the truth itself. Let the man who dares gainsay me lift that gage. If the Almighty does not strengthen these frail limbs, to make good a father's quarrel, I have a son left, who will vindicate the honor of Aspen, or lay his bloody body beside his brother's. ROD. Rash and insensate! Hear first the cause. Hear the dishonor of thy house. ISA. (from the sacristy.) Never shall he hear it till the author is no more! (RUDIGER attempts to rush owards the sacristy, but is prevented. ISABELLA exters wounded, and throws herself on GEORGE'S body.) ISA. Murdered for me-for me! my dear, dear son! RUD. (still held.) Cowardly villains, let me loose! Maltingen, this is thy doing! Thy face thou wouldst disguise, thy deeds thou canst not! I defy thee to instant and mortal combat! RUD. Oh! let me go-let me but try to stop het blood, and I will forgive all. ROD. Drag him off and detain him. The voice of lamentation must not disturb the stern deliber ation of justice. RUD. Bloodhound of Maltingen! Well beseems thee thy base revenge! The marks of my son's lance are still on thy craven crest! Vengeance on the band of ye! [RUDIGER is dragged off to the sacristy. Ron. Brethren, we stand discovered! What is to be done to him who shall descry our mystery? ELDEST JUDGE. He must become a brother of our order, or die! ROD. This man will never join us! He cannot put his hand into ours, which are stained with the blood of his wife and son: he must therefore die! (Murmurs in the assembly.) Brethren! I wonder not at your reluctance; but the man is powerful, has friends and allies to buckler hi ause. It is over with us, and with our order, unless the laws are obeyed. (Fainter murmurs.) Besides, have we not sworn a deadly oath to execute these statutes? (A dead silence.) Take to thee the steel and the cord (to the eldest judge.) ELDEST JUDGE. He has done no evil-he was the companion of my battle-I will not! Ron. (to another.) Do thou-and succeed to the rank of him who has disobeyed. Remember your oath! (Member takes the dagger, and goes irresolutely forward; looks into the sacristy, and comes back.) MEM. He has fainted-fainted in anguish for his wife and his son, the bloody ground is strewed with his white hairs, torn by those hands that have fought for Christendom. I will not be your butcher. (Throws down the dagger.) BER. Irresolute and perjured! the robber of my inheritance, the author of my exile, shall die! ROD. Thanks, Bertram. Execute the doomsecure the safety of the holy tribunal! [BERTRAM seizes the dagger, and is about to rush into the sacristy, when three loud knocks are heard at the door. ALL. Hold! Hold! [The Duke of BAVARIA, attended by many ROD. The Duke of Bavaria! I am lost. Isa. (looking up.) No! no! endanger not thy tims 1♬ e fallen. ROD. Lord Duke, thou hast charged me with treachery-thou art my liege lord--but who else dares maintain the accusation, lies in his threat. HEN. (rushing from the sacristy.) Villain! I acept thy challenge! ROD. Vain boy! my lance shall chastise thee in the lists-there lies my gage. DUKE. Henry, on thy allegiance, touch it not. (To RODERIC.) Lists shalt thou never more enter; lance shalt thou never more wield (draws kis sword.) With this sword wast thou dubbed a knight; with this sword I dishonor thee-I thy ROD. Chief among our circles, I have but acted prince-(strikes him slightly with the flat of the according to our laws. DUKE. Thou hast indeed observed the letter of our statutes, and woe am I that they do warrant this night's bloody work! I cannot do unto thee as I would, but what I can I will. Thou hast not indeed transgressed our law, but thou hast wrested and abused it: kneel down, therefore, and place thy hands betwixt mine. (RODERIC kneels as directed.) I degrade thee from thy sacred office (spreads his hands, as pushing RODERIC from him.) If after two days thou darest to pollute Bavarian ground by thy footsteps, be it at the peril of the steel and the cord (RODERIC rises.) I dissolve this meeting (all rise.) Judges and condemners of others, God teach you knowledge of yourselves! (All bend their heads-Duke breaks his rod, and comes forward.) sword)-I take from thee the degree of knight, the diguity of chivalry. Thou art no longer a free German noble; thou art honorless and rightless; the funeral obsequies shall be performed for thee as for one dead to knightly honor and to fair fame; thy spurs shall be hacked from thy heels; thy arms baffled and reversed by the common executioner. Go, fraudful and dishonored, hide thy shame in a foreign land! (RODERIC shows a dumb expression of rage.) Lay hands on Bertram of Ebersdorf: as I live, he shall pay the forfeiture of his outlawry. Henry, aid us to remove thy father from this charnel-house. Never shall he know the dreadful secret. Be it mine to soothe his sorrows, and to restore the honor of the House of Aspen. (Curtain slowly falls.) THE END. INDEX. A. "ABBOT." Verses from the, 691-2. Marchioness of, 105, n. Achaius, King of Scotland, 169, n. of minstrel recitation obtained from, Addison, his criticism on Chevy Chase, Adolphus, J. L., Esq. extracts from his Albania, a poem, extract from, 613. Alexander III. "the last Scottish king of Alexandre, Mons., the ventriloquist, "ALICE BRAND," 213. 254, n. "ALLEN-A-DALE," 323. Alvanley, Lady, 654, n. Ambition, personification of, 277. "Ancient Mariner," Coleridge's, 559. "ANCIENT GAELIC MELODY," 679. Angus, Archibald, sixth Earl of, called Angus, seventh Earl of, 40. 74. 194. 244. ANNE OF GEIRSTEIN, Verses from, 724. "ANTIQUARY," Verses from the, 662-5. Ardoch, Roman camp at, 263. Island of. 448. 489. Arthur, King, 154. 385. 392. 411. Artornish Castle, 469. 411. Schoolmaster," note from, Ashton, Lucy, Song of, 679. "As Lords their laborers' hire delay," "ASPEN, THE HOUSE OF, a tragedy," Athole, John de Strathbogie, Earl of David de Strathbogie, Earl of Ayr, loyalty of the men of, rewarded by B. BAILLIE, JOANNA, letter to, on Rokeby, 105. 524, n.; 729, n. FROM THE GERMAN," 609. Bangor, the Monks of, 672. Bannerman, Miss Anne, her "Tales of Bausters, what, 549, n. BARD'S INCANTATION, THE," writ- "BAREFOOTED FRIAR, THE," 681. "BATTLE OF SEMPACH," 619. Bealach-nam-bo, Pass of, 209. 253. Dr., lines from, on the power of Sir James, 599, n. Bell-Rock Lighthouse, lines on visiting, 645. Beltane-tree, the, 589. 593. Beresford, Field-marshal Lord, tribute to, 642. 240. 482. Blue-blanket," the, 704, n. Bohun, Sir Henry de, his encounter with Bolero, a Spanish dance, 987. The Vision of Don Roderick," 277. Bond of Alliance, or feud stanching, "Bonnets of Bonny Dundee," SONG to "BORDER BALLAD," 689. Scottish, moss-troopers after the Francis Stewart, Earl of (temp Jac. VI.), 244. James Hepburn, Earl of (temp Brackenbury Tower, 314. 362. Bradford, Sir Thomas, 704. BRIDAL OF TRIERMAIN," 379. See "BRIDAL SONG" in Waverley, 647. Bridge of Dee," poem of the, 552. British Critie, notices from the, 9, 89, 998. "Brooch of Lorn," the, 424. 476. Elward, brother of King Robert, Nigel, another brother of the Sir John, of Kinross, 549. Brunne, Robert de, 540, 546. ment," 700. Brydone, Patrick, Esq., 177. Charles, Duke of, 95, n. and Monmouth, Anne, Du- ry of, 282. CADOGAN, Colonel, tribute to the memo- Coney beare's, Rev. Mr., his illustrations "CADYOW CASTLE," 598. Cadell, Mr. Robert, his recollections of Caledonian Forest and wild cattle, 598. Cambusmore, 185. Cameron, Colonel, killed at Fuentes de Colonel, of Fassiefern, killed at - Sir Ewan of Lochiel, 264. Lady Charlotte. See ** Bury.' CARLE, now the King's come," Part i., Castilians, their skill in fighting with Catiline, death of, 506, n. Cave, Mac-Alister's, in Strathaird, 485. Celts, the, 541. Their music and poetry, Chalmers, George, his “ Caledonia," 163. Chapel Perilous, 86, 154. ter. X. of France, in Edinburgh, Prince Edward, one of his places Chace, the royal, in Ettrick Forest, 160, Chatterton, Thomas, 558. Bachan. Mr. Peter, his Collection of Bal- Chivalry, 38, 66, 72, 76. 369, Buchanan of Arnprior, "King of Kip- "Christ's Kirk on the Green," 543. Cid, the, in pain, metrical poems of, 538. 698. Constable, Mr. Archibald, his "bold and George, Esq. (Jonathan Old- Coronach of the Highlanders, 206. 251. COUNT ROBERT OF PARIS," Mottoes "COUNTY GUY," Song, 709. Cox, Captain, of Coventry, 549. George, E-q.. consulted by the Crichton Castle, 118. 167. Critical Review, notices from, 16. 21. 25. Cromwell, Oliver, his conduct at Marston "CRUSADER'S RETURN, THE," 681. Cup, a drinking one, at Dunevegan. 474. Death of Leith-hall, poem of the, 552. most capable to relieve and height | John, Esq., of Eldin, author of an John, Esq. (Lord Eldin), 711, n. Bury, Lady Charlotte, introduced the Colias, his flights of imagination, 383. OF KEELDAR, THE," 723. DONALD CAIRD's come again,'' 676. DON RODERICK, THE VISION OF," "DOOM OF DEVORGOIL," 753. Archibald, third Earl of, called The Good Lord James" charg Donglas, Wm.. eighth Earl of, stabbed William, "the knight of Liddes- Gawain, Bishop of Dunkeld, 143. 265. "Halidon Hill Drinking to excess, custom of, in the Dryden, his amount of his projected epic Duelling, 263, 264. Review, the, critical extracts 467. Edward I., King, his vindictive spirit, II. at Bannockburn, 461. His tit.. Moto on his shield, 546, Eigg, cave in the Island of, the scene of "Eitin Gray, the," translated from the Ellis, George Esq., critical notices by, 50, Erskine, Thomas Lord, speech of, on hu- William, Esq. (Lord Kinnedder), Mrs., Epitaph on, 685. Eugene Aram, remarkable case of, 361. Mr. R. H., his republication of Evil principle, the, 716. Ezekiel, quotation from the prophecies of, Fraser [or Frizel). Sir Simon, ancestor of FREDERICK AND ALICE," 618. Frere, Right Hon. J. H. A writer in the FROM THE FRENCH," 657. "Felon Sow of Rokeby," hunting of the, Ghost of the Lady Bothwellhangh, 603. FIELD OF WATERLOO," poem of the, Fiery Cross, the, 201, 202, 248. "FIRE KING,' ballad of the, 616. 573. Flanders, manner of reaping in, 511. Flodden, account of the battle of, 146. "Flodden Field," an ancient English 178. Florinda, daughter of Count Julian, 285. "Flying Dutchman, the," 361. Following" (leudal r. triners), 128, n. son of the preceding, 115, 115, n. Foster-children, 368. Fox, Right Honorable Charles James, Gilord, village and castle of, 107. 164. Gil Morrice, bal'ad of, 571. GLEE-MAIDEN," Song of the, 722. Glencairn The Good Earl" of, 601. “GLENCOE, on the Massacre of," 642. Gleniruia, conflict of, between the Mac Golagrus and Gawane, the knightly tale GOLDTHRED'S SONG," 692. Colonel, the Hon. Sir Alexander, Sir John the, 243. 291. River. 30. 316. 260, 361, 364, 161. Grotto on the estate of Strathura, do Gas rds of Scotian 1, 174. "GUY MANNERING," Verses from, 658 |