LADY OF THE LAKE

128 tanish

Who townward holds the rocky way,
Of stature tall and poor array?

Mark'st thou the firm, yet active stride,

With which he scales the mountain-side?

[CANTO V.

Know'st thou from whence he comes, or whom?" "No, by my word;- a burly groom

He seems, who in the field or chase
A baron's train would nobly grace
"Out, out, De Vaux! can fear supply,
And jealousy, no sharper eye?
Afar, ere to the hill he drew,

That stately form and step I knew;
He admu Like form in Scotland is not seen,

Douglas Treads not such step on Scottish green.

"Tis James of Douglas, by Saint Serle!
The uncle of the banished Earl. up
Away, away, to court, to show

The near approach of dreaded foe:

520

I father of

The King must stand upon his guard;
Douglas and he must meet prepared."

530

Then right-hand wheeled their steeds, and straight
They won the Castle's postern gate.

XX

"The Douglas, who had bent his way, mg
From Cambus-kenneth's abbey gray,

Now, as he climbed the rocky shelf,
Held sad communion with himself:—
"Yes! all is true my fears could frame;
A prisoner lies the noble Græme,
And fiery Roderick soon will feel
The vengeance of the royal steel.
I, only I, can ward their fate,

540

550

Cinecution flock,

God grant the ransom come not late! Elling fears
The Abbess hath her promise given,
was true.
My child shall be the bride of Heaven;
Be pardoned one repining tear!
For He who gave her knows how dear,
How excellent!- but that is by,
And now my business is to die.
Ye towers! within whose circuit dread
A Douglas by his sovereign bled;
And thou, O sad and °fatal mound!
That oft hast heard the death-axe sound,
As on the noblest of the land
Fell the stern headsman's bloody hand,-
The dungeon, block, and nameless tomb
Prepare for Douglas seeks his doom!
But hark! what blithe and jolly peal
Makes the 'Franciscan steeple reel?
And see! upon the crowded street,
In motley groups what masquers meet!
Banner and pageant, pipe and drum,
And merry morrice-dancers come.
I guess, by all this quaint array,

560

The burghers hold their sports to-day. games

James will be there; he loves such show,

what

do.

Where the good yeoman bends his bow, We liked
And the tough wrestler foils his foe,t. que
As well as where, in proud career, want to show
The high-born tilter shivers spear. the king
I'll follow to the Castle-park, he coul
And play my prize;- King James shall mark
If age has tamed these sinews stark,
Whose force so oft in happier days
His boyish wonder loved to praise."

570

XXI

The Castle gates were open flung,

The quivering drawbridge rocked and rung,
And echoed loud the flinty street
Beneath the coursers' clattering feet,
As slowly down the steep descent
Fair Scotland's King and nobles went,
While all along the crowded way
Was jubilee and loud huzza.

And ever James was bending low
To his white jennet's saddle-bow,
Doffing his cap to city dame,

Who smiled and blushed for pride and shame.
And well the simperer might be vain,-
He chose the fairest of the train.
Gravely he greets each city sire,

Commends each pageant's quaint attire,
Gives to the dancers thanks aloud,

And smiles and nods upon the crowd, het
Who rend the heavens with their acclaims, -
"Long live the Commons' King, King James!"
Behind the King thronged peer and knight,
And noble dame and damsel bright,
Whose fiery steeds ill brooked the stay
Of the steep street and crowded way.
But in the train you might discern
Dark lowering brow and visage stern;
There nobles mourned their pride restrained,
And the mean burgher's joys disdained;
And chiefs, who, hostage for their clan,
Were each from home a banished man,
There thought upon their own gray tower,
Their waving woods, their 'feudal power,

590

600

And deemed themselves a shameful part
Of pageant which they cursed in heart.

XXII

*

Now, in the Castle-park, drew out

Their checkered bands the joyous rout.

610

There morricers, with 'bell at heel dawel was
And blade in hand, their mazes wheel; ancient
But chief, beside the butts, there stand

Bold Robin Hood and all his band, eople drevsed
Friar Tuck with quarterstaff and cowl, the Rotin
Old Scathelocke with his surly scowl,
Maid Marian, fair as ivory bone,
Scarlet, and Mutch, and Little John;
Their bugles challenge all that will,
In archery to prove their skill. 2
The Douglas bent a bow of might,
His first shaft centred in the white,
And when in turn he shot again,
His second split the first in twain.

throking

620

He

if the would; onized

From the King's hand must Douglas take
A silver dart, the archers' stake;

Fondly he watched, with watery eye, watched t
Some answering glance of sympathy,
No kind emotion made reply!ng
Indifferent as to archer wight,

The monarch gave the arrow bright.

XXIII

Now, clear the ring! for, hand to hand, "The manly wrestlers take their stand.

The King

dret not

recovil hind

ན

Pere chafaion

Two o'er the rest superior rose,
And proud demanded mightier foes,
Nor called in vain, for Douglas came.-
For life is Hugh of Larbert lame; We
Scarce better John of Alloa's 'fare,
Whom senseless home his comrades bare.
Prize of the wrestling match, the King
To Douglas gave a golden ring,
While coldly glanced his eye of blue,
As frozen drop of wintry dew.

Douglas would speak, but in his breast
His struggling soul his words suppressed;
Indignant then he turned him where
Their arms the brawny yeomen bare,
To hurl the massive bar in air.

When each his utmost strength had shown,
The Douglas rent an earth-fast stone
From its deep bed, then heaved it high,
And sent the fragment through the sky
A rood beyond the farthest mark;
And still in Stirling's royal park,

To Usday The gray-haired sires, who know the past,

To strangers point the Douglas cast,

jesunt out And moralize on the decay
Of Scottish strength in modern day.
where Do
Douglas

tho the stone.

XXIV

The vale with loud applauses rang,
The Ladies' Rock sent back the clang.
The King, with look unmoved, bestowed
purse well filled with pieces broad.
Indignant smiled the Douglas proud,

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