XIV.

"O mother, mother, what is bliss?

O mother, what is bale?

My William's love was heaven on earth, Without it earth is hell.

XV.

"Why should I pray to ruthless Heaven, loved William's slain?

Since my

I only pray'd for William's sake,

And all my prayers were yain.”

XVI.

"O take the sacrament, my child,
And check these tears that flow;
By resignation's humble prayer,
O hallow'd be thy woe!"-

XVII.

"No sacrament can quench this fire,
Or slake this scorching pain;
No sacrament can bid the dead
Arise and live again.

XVIII.

"O break, my heart, O break at once! Be thou my god, Despair!

Heaven's heaviest blow has fallen on me, And vain each fruitless prayer."

XIX.

"O enter not in judgment, Lord, With thy frail child of clay!

She knows not what her tongue hath spoke; Impute it not, I pray !

66

XX.

Forbear, my child, this desperate woe,
And turn to God and grace;

Well can devotion's heavenly glow

Convert thy bale to bliss."

XXI.

"O mother, mother, what is bliss?
O mother, what is bale?

Without my William what were heaven,
Or with him what were hell?"-

XXII.

Wild she arraigns the eternal doom,
Upbraids each sacred power,

Till, spent, she sought her silent room,
All in the lonely tower.

XXIII.

She beat her breast, she wrung her hands,
Till sun and day were o'er,

And through the glimmering lattice shone
The twinkling of the star.

XXIV.

Then, crash! the heavy drawbridge fell
That o'er the moat was hung;
And, clatter! clatter! on its boards
The hoof of courser rung.

XXV.

The clank of echoing steel was heard
As off the rider bounded;
And slowly on the winding stair

A heavy footstep sounded.

XXVI.

And hark! and hark! a knock-Tap! tap!
A rustling stifled noise ;—
Door-latch and tinkling staples ring;-
At length a whispering voice.

XXVII.

66 Awake, awake, arise, my love! How, Helen, dost thou fare?

Wak'st thou, or sleep'st? laugh'st thou, or weep'st?

Hast thought on me, my fair?"

XXVIII.

"My love! my love!-so late by night!I waked, I wept for thee:

Much have I borne since dawn of morn;
Where, William, could'st thou be?"-

XXIX.

"We saddle late-from Hungary

I rode since darkness fell;

And to its bourne we both return

Before the matin bell."

XXX.

"O rest this night within my arms,
And warm thee in their fold!

Chill howls through hawthorn bush the wind:
My love is deadly cold."

XXXI.

"Let the wind howl through hawthorn bush!

This night we must away;

The steed is wight, the spur is bright;

I cannot stay till day.

66

XXXII.

Busk, busk, and boune! Thou mount'st behind

Upon my black barb steed:

O'er stock and stile, a hundred miles,

We haste to bridal bed."

XXXIII.

"To-night-to-night a hundred miles !——

O dearest William, stay!

The bell strikes twelve-dark, dismal hour!
O wait, my love, till day!"-

XXXIV.

"Look here, look here—the moon shines clear—

Full fast I ween we ride; Mount and away! for ere the day

We reach our bridal bed.

XXXV.

"The black barb snorts, the bridle rings;
Haste, busk, and boune, and seat thee!
The feast is made, the chamber spread,
The bridal guests await thee."-

XXXVI.

Strong love prevail'd: She busks, she bounes,
She mounts the barb behind,

And round her darling William's waist
Her lily arms she twined.

XXXVII.

And, hurry! hurry! off they rode,

As fast as fast might be;

Spurn'd from the courser's thundering heels
The flashing pebbles flee.

XXXVIII.

And on the right, and on the left,

Ere they could snatch a view,

Fast, fast each mountain, mead, and plain,

And cot, and castle, flew.