Against her virgin fame. He spread abroad Whispers that travel fast, and ill reports, Which soon obtain belief; how Zillah's eye, When in the temple heaven-ward it was raised, Were closed at night;-that Zillah's life was foul, Shame-shame to man, Without the walls, They rose, they spread, they raged; Pour forth!-and yet more miracles! the stake And fill with Eden odours all the air. 1798. THE LOVER'S ROCK. De la Pena de los Enamorados. Un moço Christiano estava cautivo en Granada, sus partes y diligencia eran tales, su buen término y cortesia, que su amo hazia mucha confiança dél dentro y fuera de su casa. Una bija suya al tanto se le aficiona, y puso en él los ojos. Pero como quier que ella fuesse casadera, y el moço esclavo, no podian passar adelante como deseavan; ca el amor mal sa puede encubrir, y temian si el padre della, y amo dél, lo sabia, pagarian con las cabeças. Acordaron de huir á tierra de Christianos, resolucion que al moço venia mejor, por bolver á los suyos, que á ella por desterrarse de su patria: si ya no la movia el deseo de hazerse Christiana, lo que yo no creo. Tomaron su camino con todo secreto, hasta llegar al peñasco ya dicho, en que la moça cansada se puso á reposar. En esto vieron assomar á su padre con gente de acavallo, que venia en su seguimiento. Que podían hazer, ó á que parte bolverse? que consejo tomar ? mentirosas las esperanças de les hombres y miserables sus intentos. Acudieron à lo que solo les quedava de encumbrar aquel peñol, trepando por aquellos riscos, que era reparo assaz flaco. El padre con un semblante sañudo los mandó abaxar: amenaçavales sino obedecian de executar en ellos una muerte muy cruel. Los que acompanavan al padre los amonestaven lo mismo, pues solo les restava aquella esperança de alançar perdon de la misericordia de su padre, con hacer lo que les mandava, y echarseles á los pies. No quisieron venir en esto. Los Moros puestos à pie acometieron á subir el peñasco: pero el moço les defendió la subida con galgas, piedras y palos, y todo lo demas que le venia á la mano, y le servia de armas en aquella desesperacion. El padre visto esto, hizo venir de un pueblo alli cerca vallesteros para que de lexos los flechassen. Ellos vista su perdicion, acordaron con su muerte librarse de los denuestos y tormentos mayores que temian. Las palabras que en este trance se dixeron, no ay para que relatarlas. Finalmente abraçados entre si fuertemente, se echaron del peñol abaxo, por aquella parte en que los mirava su cruel y sañudo padre. Deste manera espiraron antes de llegar á lo baxo, con lastima de los presentes, y aun con lagrimas de algunos que se movian con aquel triste espectaculo de aquellos moços desgraciados, y á pesar del padre, como estavan, los enterraron en aquel mismo lugar. Constancia que se empleara mejor en otra hazana, y les fuera bien contada la muerte, si la padecieron por la virtud y en defensa de la verdadera religion, y no por satisfacer á sus apetitos desenfrenados.-MARIANA. THE Maiden through the favouring night No Moorish maid might hope to vie With Laila's cheek or Laila's eye, No maiden love with purer truth, Or ever loved a lovelier youth. In fear they fled across the plain, The father's wrath, the captive's chain, And now they reach the mountain's height, And she was weary with her flight, And pleasant was the maiden's rest. But while she slept, the passing gale Waved the maiden's flowing veil, Iler father, as he crost the height, Saw the veil so long and white, Young Manuel started from his sleep, He saw them hastening up the steep, And Laila shriek'd, and desperate now They climb'd the precipice's brow. There was never a foe in the infidel band Who against his dreadful sword could stand; And yet Count Garci's strong right hand Was shapely, and soft, and white; As white and as soft as a lady's hand Was the hand of the beautiful knight. In an evil day and an hour of woe That lady false, his bale and bane. There was feasting and joy in Count Aymerique's bower, Brought home the adult'ress like a bride: And for her dead mother she made her moan. A stepmother he brings hither instead, And Argentine with evil intent She watches the pilgrims and poor who wait For daily food at her father's gate. « I would some knight were there,» thought she, Disguised in pilgrim-weeds for me! For Aymerique's blessing I would not stay, Nor he nor his leman should say me nay, But I with him would wend away.» She watches her handmaid the pittance deal, They took their dole and went away; But yonder is one who lingers still As though he had something in his will, Some secret which he fain would say ; And close to the portal she sees him go, He talks with her handmaid in accents low; Oh then she thought that time went slow, And long were the minutes that she must wait Till her handmaid came from the castle-gate. From the castle-gate her handmaid came, And told her that a Knight was there, Who sought to speak with Abba the fair, Count Aymerique's beautiful daughter and heir. She bade the stranger to her bower; His stature was tall, his features bold; A goodlier form might never maid At tilt or tourney hope to see ; And though in pilgrim-weeds arrayed, Yet noble in his weeds was he, And his arms in them enfold As they were robes of royalty. He told his name to the damsel fair, He said that vengeance led him there; The wine hath warm'd Count Aymerique, That you will let your Abba be The wine had warm'd Count Aymerique, In Aymerique's arms the leman lay, Their talk was of the distant day, How they from Garci fled away In the silent hour of night; And then amid their wanton play They mock'd the beautiful Knight. Far, far away his castle lay, The weary road of many a day; «And travel long,» they said, « to him, It seem'd, was small delight, And he belike was loth with blood To stain his hands so white.>> They little thought that Garci then Heard every scornful word! They little thought the avenging hand Was on the avenging sword! Fearless, unpenitent, unblest, Without a prayer they sunk to rest, The adulterer on the leman's breast. Then Abba, listening still in fear, To hear the breathing long and slow, At length the appointed signal gave And Garci rose and struck the blow. One blow sufficed for Aymerique,He made no moan, he utter'd no groan; But his death-start waken'd Argentine, And by the chamber-lamp she saw The bloody falchion shine! She raised for help her in-drawn breath, But her shriek of fear was her shriek of death. In an evil day and an hour of woe Did Garci Ferrandez wed! One wicked wife has he sent to her grave, He hath taken a worse to his bed. KING RAMIRO. 1801. The story of the following Ballad is found in the Nobiliario of the Conde D. Pedro; and also in the Livro Velho das Linhagens, a work of the 13th century. GREEN grew the alder-trees, and close To the water-side by St Joam da Foz. From the castle of Gaya the warden sees The water and the alder-trees; And only these the warden sees, No danger near doth Gaya fear, No danger nigh doth the warden spy; He sees not where the galleys lie Under the alders silently. For the galleys with green are cover'd o'er, They have crept by night along the shore, And they lie at anchor, now it is morn, Awaiting the sound of Ramiro's horn. In traveller's weeds Ramiro sate By the fountain at the castle-gate; But under the weeds was his breast-plate, And the sword he had tried in so many fights, And the horn whose sound would ring around, And be known so well by his knights. From the gate Aldonza's damsel came To fill her pitcher at the spring, And she saw, but she knew not, her master the king. In the Moorish tongue Ramiro spake, And begg'd a draught for mercy's sake, So in the water from the spring « What brings thee hither, Ramiro?» she cried : «The love of you,» the king replied. In her alcove she bade him hide : <«<King Alboazar, my lord,» she cried, « What wouldst thou do, if at this hour King Ramiro were in thy power?»> « This I would do,» the Moor replied, «I would hew him limb from limb, As he, I know, would deal by me, So I would deal by him.»> <«< Alboazar!» Queen Aldonza said, «Lo! here I give him to thy will; In alcove thou hast thy foe, yon Now thy vengeance then fulfil!» With that upspake the Christian king: «O! Alboazar deal by me As I would surely deal with thee, Like a friend you guested me many a day, All joy by day the thought opprest, Breathe shamefully out my latest breath. Let me be led to your bull-ring, And I my precious soul shall save; <<This man repents his sin, be sure !» To Queen Aldonza said the Moor, « He hath stolen my sister away from me, I have taken from him his wife; Shame then would it be when he comes to me, And I his true repentance see, If I for vengeance should take his life.»> «O Alboazar!» then quoth she, « Weak of heart as weak can be! He must die, be sure, or thou. And plunder'd thy country for many a day; How he ravish'd thy sister, and wouldst thou forgive him? And hast thou forgotten that I am his wife, And that now by thy side I lie like a bride, The worst shame that can ever a Christian betide? And cruel it were when you see his despair, If vainly you thought in compassion to spare, And refused him the boon he comes hither to crave; For no other way his poor soul can he save, Than by doing the Penance his confessor gave.» As Queen Aldonza thus replies, The Moor upon her fixed his eyes, And he said in his heart, unhappy is he Who putteth his trust in a woman! Thou art King Ramiro's wedded wife, And thus wouldst thou take away his life! What cause have I to confide in thee? I will put this woman away from me. These were the thoughts that past in his breast, But he call'd to mind Ramiro's might: And he fear'd to meet him hereafter in fight, And he granted the king's request. So he gave him a roasted capon first, Oh then his horn Ramiro wound: Louder and louder Ramiro blows, It roused his knights from their repose, And they and their merry men arose. Away to Gaya they speed them straight; Like a torrent they burst through the city gate; And they rush among the Moorish throng, And slaughter their infidel foes. Then his good sword Ramiro drew, And he gave him one blow which cleft him through. They carried the wicked Queen aboard, THE INCHCAPE ROCK. 1802. An old writer' mentions a curious tradition which may be worth quoting. By east the Isle of May, says he, twelve miles from all land in the German seas, lyes a great hidden rock, called Inchcape, very dangerous for navigators, because it is overflowed everie tide. It is reported in old times, upon the side rocke there was a bell, fixed upon a tree or timber, which rang continually, being moved by the sea, giving notice to the saylers of the danger. This bell or clocke was put there and maintained by the Abbot of Aberbrothok, and being taken down by a sea pirate, a yeare thereafter he perished upon the same rocke, with ship and goodes, in the righteous judgement of God."-STODDART's Remarks on Scotland. No stir in the air, no stir in the sea; Without either sign or sound of their shock 1 See a Brief Description of Scotland, etc. by J. M., 1633. The Abbot of Aberbrothok Had placed that bell on the Inchcape Rock; On a buoy in the storm it floated and swung, And over the waves its warning rung. When the Rock was hid by the surge's swell, The sun in heaven was shining gay, The buoy of the Inchcape Bell was seen He felt the cheering power of spring, |