Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB
[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

Up springs, from yonder tangled thorn,

A stag more white than mountain snow; And louder rung the Wildgrave's horn, "Hark forward, forward! holla, ho!"

A heedless wretch has cross'd the way;
He gasps the thundering hoofs below;
But, live who can, or die who may,
Still," Forward, forward!" on they go.

See, where yon simple fences meet,

A field with Autumn's blessings crown'd; See, prostrate at the Wildgrave's feet, A husbandman with toil embrown'd:

"O mercy, mercy, noble lord!

Spare the poor's pittance," was his cry, "Earn'd by the sweat these brows have pour'd, In scorching hour of fierce July."

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors]
[blocks in formation]

The Fire-King.

"The blessings of the evil Genii, which are curses, were upon him."-Eastern Tale. [1801.]

When the Crescent went back, and the Red-cross rush'd on,

O saw ye him foremost on Mount Lebanon

"O lady, fair lady, the tree green it grows;
O lady, fair lady, the stream pure it flows;
Your castle stands strong, and your hopes soar on
high;

[ocr errors]

The green boughs they wither, the thunderbolt

falls,

This ballad was written at the request of MR. LEWIS, to be inserted in his "Tales of Wonder." It is But, lady, fair lady, all blossoms to die. the third in a series of four ballads, on the subject of Elementary Spirits. The story is, however, partly historical; for it is recorded, that, during the struggles of the Latin kingdom of Jerusalem, a Knight-Templar, called Saint-Alban, deserted to the Saracens, and defeated the Christians in many combats, till he was finally routed | Count Albert is prisoner on Mount Lebanon.” and slain, in a conflict with King Baldwin, under the walls of Jerusalem.

BOLD knights and fair dames, to my harp give an

ear,

Of love, and of war, and of wonder to hear;
And you haply may sigh, in the midst of your
glee,

At the tale of Count Albert, and fair Rosalie.

O see you that castle, so strong and so high?
And see you that lady, the tear in her eye?
And see you that palmer, from Palestine's land,
The shell on his hat, and the staff in his hand ?—

"Now palmer, gray palmer, O tell unto me,
What news bring you home from the Holy Coun-
trie?

And how goes the warfare by Galilee's strand?
And how fare our nobles, the flower of the
land?"-

"O well goes the warfare by Galilee's wave,
For Gilead, and Nablous, and Ramah we have;
And well fare our nobles by Mount Lebanon,
For the Heathen have lost, and the Christians have
won."

A fair chain of gold 'mid her ringlets there hung;
O'er the palmer's gray locks the fair chain has she
flung:

"O palmer, gray palmer, this chain be thy fee,
For the news thou hast brought from the Holy
Countrie.

"And, palmer, good palmer, by Galilee's wave, O saw ye Count Albert, the gentle and brave?

Published in 1801. See ante, p. 573.

It leaves of your castle but levin-scorch'd walls;
The pure stream runs muddy; the gay hope is

gone;

O she's ta'en a horse, should be fleet at her speed;
And she's ta'en a sword, should be sharp at her
need;

And she has ta'en shipping for Palestine's land,
To ransom Count Albert from Soldanrie's hand.

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small]

He has watch'd until daybreak, but sight saw he

none,

"With this brand shalt thou conquer, thus long, and no more,

Save the flame burning bright on its altar of stone. Till thou bend to the Cross, and the Virgin adore."

Amazed was the Princess, the Soldan amazed,
Sore murmur'd the priests as on Albert they gazed;
They search'd all his garments, and, under his
weeds,

They found, and took from him, his rosary beads.

Again in the cavern, deep, deep under ground,
He watch'd the lone night, while the winds whis-
tled round;

The cloud-shrouded Arm gives the weapon; and see!

The recreant receives the charmed gift on his knee: The thunders growl distant, and faint gleam the fires,

As, borne on the whirlwind, the phantom retires.

Count Albert has arm'd him the Paynim among, Though his heart it was false, yet his arm it was strong;

Far off was their murmur, it came not more nigh,
The flame burn'd unmoved, and naught else did And the Red-cross wax'd faint, and the Crescent

he spy.

Loud murmur'd the priests, and amazed was the
King,

came on,

From the day he commanded on Mount Lebanon.

From Lebanon's forests to Galilee's wave,

While many dark spells of their witchcraft they The sands of Samaar drank the blood of the brave

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

When the winds from the four points of heaven So fell was the dint, that Count Albert stoop'd

[blocks in formation]

o'er,

Full sore rock'd the cavern whene'er he drew nigh, Sore sigh'd the charm'd sword, for its virtue was
The fire on the altar blazed bickering and high;
In volcanic explosions the mountains proclaim
The dreadful approach of the Monarch of Flame.

Unmeasured in height, undistinguish'd in form,
His breath it was lightning, his voice it was storm;
I ween the stout heart of Count Albert was tame,
When he saw in his terrors the Monarch of Flame.

It sprung from his grasp, and was never seen more; But true men have said, that the lightning's red wing

Did waft back the brand to the dread Fire-King.

He clench'd his set teeth, and his gauntleted hand; He stretch'd, with one buffet, that Page on the strand;

In his hand a broad falchion blue-glimmer'd through As back from the stripling the broken casque smoke,

roll'd,

And Mount Lebanon shook as the monarch he You might see the blue eyes, and the ringlets of

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]
« AnteriorContinuar »