THE

LADY OF THE LAKE.

CANTO THIRD.

The Gathering.

TIME rolls his ceaseless course. The race

Who danced our infancy upon their knee,

of yore

And told our marvelling boy-hood legends store,

Of their strange ventures happ'd by land or sea, How are they blotted from the things that be! How few, all weak and wither'd of their force, Wait, on the verge of dark eternity,

To

Like stranded wrecks, the tide returning hoarse,

sweep them from our sight! Time rolls his cease

less 'course.

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Yet live there still who can remember well,

How, when a mountain chief his bugle blew, Both field and forest, dingle, cliff, and dell,

And solitary heath, the signal knew;

And fast the faithful clan around him drew, What time the warning note was keenly wound, What time aloft their kindred banner flew,

While clamorous war-pipes yell'd the gathering

sound,

And while the Fiery Cross glanced, like a meteor,

round.

II.

The summer dawn's reflected hue

To purple changed Loch-Katrine blue;
Mildly and soft the western breeze
Just kiss'd the lake, just stirr'd the trees,
And the pleased lake, like maiden coy,
Trembled but dimpled not for joy ;

The mountain shadows on her breast

Were neither broken nor at rest;

CANTO III. THE GATHERING.

In bright uncertainty they lie,
Like future joys to Fancy's eye.
The water-lily to the light
Her chalice rear'd of silver bright;

The doe awoke, and to the lawn,

Begemm'd with dew-drops, led her fawn;

The grey mist left the mountain side,

The torrent shew'd its glistening pride;
Invisible in flecked sky,

The lark sent down her revelry;

The blackbird and the speckled thrush

Good-morrow gave from brake and bush;
In answer coo'd the cushat dove,

Her notes of peace, and rest, and love.

99

III.

No thought of peace, no thought of rest,
Assuaged the storm in Roderick's breast.
With sheathed broad-sword in his hand,
Abrupt he paced the islet strand,

And eyed the rising sun, and laid

His hand on his impatient blade.

Beneath a rock, his vassals' care

Was prompt the ritual to prepare,

With deep and deathful meaning fraught ;

For such Antiquity had taught

Was preface meet, ere yet abroad

The Cross of Fire should take its road.

The shrinking band stood oft aghast
At the impatient glance he cast;—
Such glance the mountain eagle threw,
As, from the cliffs of Ben-venue,

She spread her dark sails on the wind,
And, high in middle heaven reclined,
With her broad shadow on the lake,

Silenced the warblers of the brake.

IV.

A heap of wither'd boughs was piled,

Of juniper and rowan wild,