Flagons, and ewers, and standing cups, were all With throne begilt, and canopy of pall, And tapestry clothed the walls with fragments sear, Frail as the spider's mesh did that rich woof appear. V. In every bower, as round a hearse, was hung Vests twined with gold, and chains of precious stone, And golden circlets, meet for monarch's head; While grinn'd, as if in scorn amongst them thrown, The wearer's fleshless skull, alike with dust bestrown. For these were they who, drunken with delight, VI. But where the work of vengeance had been done, In that seventh chamber was a sterner sight; There of the witch-brides lay each skeleton, Still in the posture as to death when dight. For this lay prone, by one blow slain outright; And that, as one who struggled long in dying; One bony hand held knife as if to smite; One bent on fleshless knees as mercy crying; One lay across the door, as kill'd in act of flying. The stern Dane smiled this charnel-house to see,- Been here avenged.-The origin of ill Through woman rose, the christian doctrine saith; Nor deem I, Gunnar, that thy minstrel skill Can show example where a woman's breath Bath made a true-love vow, and, tempted, kept her faith.>> VII. The minstrel boy half smiled, half sigh'd, And his half-filling eyes he dried, And said, «The theme I should but wrong, (Our scalds have said in dying hour A wanderer's wayward steps could trace.— VIII. <«< Thou art a wild enthusiast,» said But couch thee, boy; the darksome shade That thou mayst think, should fear invade, Thy master slumbers nigh.»> Thus couch'd they in that dread abode, Sable their harness, and there came Thy strength, thy dauntlessness, are ours; With hell canst strive.' The fiend spoke true! My inmost soul the summons knew, As captives know the knell, That says the headsman's sword is bare, Commands them quit their cell. I felt resistance was in vain, That palmer's visionary form, XI. « His sable cowl, flung back, reveal'd The features it before conceal'd; And, Gunnar, I could find In him whose counsels strove to stay So oft my course on wilful way, My father Witikind! Doom'd for his sins, and doom'd for mine, And smooth for him a resting-place! He said, who by her skill could guess XII. Trembling at first, and deadly pale, XIII. What sees Count Harold in that bower, So late his resting-place?— The semblance of the Evil Power, Adored by all his race! Odin in living form stood there, Such height was his, as when in stone Deep, without harshness, slow and strong, XIV. «Harold," he said, «what rage is thine Wilt thou then forfeit that high seat, Can give the joys for which they die,— The brimming draught from foeman's scull. Mine art thou, witness this thy glove, The faithful pledge of vassal's love.»> 程 XV. Tempter!» said Harold, firm of heart, I charge thee hence! whate'er thou art, I do defy thee-and resist The kindling frenzy of my breast, Thrill'd this strange speech through Harold's brain, His mace, and with a storm of blows The mortal and the demon close. XVI. Smoke roll'd above, fire flash'd around, Nor paused the Champion of the North, XVII. He placed her on a bank of moss, His stubborn sinews fly, The while with timid hand the dew What blindness mine that could not guess, Or how could page's rugged dress That bosom's pride belie? O, dull of heart, through wild and wave XVIII. Then in the mirror'd pool he peer'd, That he fears now who never fear'd, And the deep blush, which bids its dye XIX. But vainly seems the Dane to seek ("T were well that maids, when lovers woo, A christian knight and christian bride; And of Witikind's son shall the marvel be said, That on the same morn he was christen'd and wed.»> CONCLUSION. AND now, Ennui, what ails thee, weary maid? Then pardon thou thy minstrel, who hath wrote A tale six cantos long, yet scorn'd to add a note. The Bridal of Triermain; OR, THE VALE OF ST JOHN. A LOVER'S TALE. PREFACE. An elf-quene wol I love ywis, For in this world no woman is Worthy to be my make in toun: In the EDINBURGH Annual Register for the year 1809, three fragments were inserted, written in imitation of living poets. It must have been apparent, that by these prolusions, nothing burlesque or disrespectful to the authors was intended, but that they were offered to the public as serious, though certainly very imperfect, imitations of that style of composition, by which each of the writers is supposed to be distinguished. As these exercises attracted a greater degree of attention than the author anticipated, he has been induced to complete one of them, and present it as a separate publication. It is not in this place that an examination of the works of the master whom he has here adopted as his model can, with propriety, be introduced; since his general acquiescence in the favourable suffrage of the public must necessarily be inferred from the attempt he has now made. He is induced, by the nature of his subject, to offer a few remarks on what has been called ROMANTIC POETRY;-the popularity of which has been revived in the present day, under the auspices, and by the unparalleled success, of one individual. The original purpose of poetry is either religious or historical, or, as must frequently happen, a mixture of both. To modern readers, the poems of Homer have many of the features of pure romance; but in the estimation of his contemporaries, they probably derived their chief value from their supposed historical authenticity. The same may be generally said of the poetry of all early ages. The marvels and miracles which the poet blends with his song do not exceed in number or extravagance the figments of the historians of the same period of society; and, indeed, the difference betwitt poetry and prose, as the vehicles of historical truth, is always of late introduction. Poets, under various denominations of Bards, Scalds, Chroniclers, and so forth. are the first historians of all nations. Their intention is to relate the events they have witnessed, or the traditions that have reached them; and they clothe the relation in rhyme, merely as the means of rendering # more solemn in the narrative, or more easily committed to memory. But as the poetical historiau improves in the art of conveying information, the authenticity of his narrative unavoidably declines. He is tempted to dilate and dwell upon the events that are interesting to his imagination, and, conscious how indifferent his audience is to the naked truth of his poem, his history gradually becomes a romance. It is in this situation that those epics are found which have been generally regarded the standards of poetry; and it has happened somewhat strangely, that the moderns have pointed out, as the characteristics and peculiar excellencies of narrative poetry, the very circumstances which the authors themselves adopted, only because their art involved the duties of the historian as well as the poet. It cannot be believed, for example, that Homer selected the siege of Troy as th most appropriate subject for poetry; his purpose was to write the early history of his country: the event ise has chosen, though not very fruitful in varied recident, nor perfectly well adapted for poetry, was nevertheless combined with traditionary and geneakgical anecdotes extremely interesting to those Wino were to listen to him; and this he has adorned by the exertions of a genius, which, if it has been equalles), has certainly been never surpassed. It was not till comparatively a late period that the general accuracy of his narrative, or his purpose in composing it, was brought into question. Aoxel пpatos à Avašayopas (καθά φησι Φαβορινος εν παντοδαπη Ιστορία) την Ομήρου ποίησιν αποφήνασθαι είναι αρετης και διXALOGOVES. But whatever theories might be framed by speculative men, his work was of an historical, not of an allegorical nature. Εναυτίλλετο μετα του Μεν τέως, και όπου ἑκαστοτε κρίκοιτο, πάντα τα επιχώρια διερωτατο, και ίστορεύων επυνθάνετο, εικος δε μιν ην και μνημόσυνα πάντων γραφεσθαι. 2 Instead of recommending the choice of a subject similar to that of Homer, it was to be expected that critics should have exhorted the poets of these later days to adopt or invent a narrative in itself more susceptible of poetical ornament, and to avail themselves of that advantage in order to compensate, in some degree, the inferiority of genius. The contrary course has been inculcated by almost all the writers upon the Epopeia; with what success, the fate of Homer's numerous imitators may best show. The ultimum supplicium of criticism was inflicted on the author if he did not chuse a subject which at once deprived him of all claim to originality, and placed him, if not in actual contest, at least in fatal comparison, with those giants in the land, whom it was most his interest to avoid. The celebrated recipe for writing an epic poem, which appeared in the Guardian, was the first instance in which common sense was applied to this department of poetry; and indeed, if the question be considered on its own merits, we must be satisfied that narrative poetry, if strictly confined to the great occurrences of history, would be deprived of the individual interest which it is so well calculated to excite. propor Modern poets may therefore be pardoned in secking simpler subjects of verse, more interesting in tion to their simplicity. Two or three figures, well grouped, suited the artist better than a crowd, for whatever purpose assembled. For the same reason a scene immediately presented to the imagination, and directly brought home to the feelings, though involving the fate but of one or two persons, is more favourable for poetry than the political struggles and convulsions which influence the fate of kingdoms. The former are within the reach and comprehension of all, and, if depicted with vigour, seldom fail to fix attention: the ether, if more sublime, are more vague and distant, less capable of being distinctly understood, and infinitely less capable of exciting those sentiments which it is the very purpose of poetry to inspire. To generalize is always to destroy effect. We would, for example, be more interested in the fate of an individual soldier in combat, than in the grand event of a general action; with the happiness of two lovers raised from misery and anxiety to peace and union, than with the successful exertions of a whole nation. From what causes this may originate, is a separate, and obviously an immaterial consideration. Before ascribing this peculiarity to causes decidedly and odiously selfish, it is proper to recollect, that while men see only a limited space, and while their affections and conduct are regulated, not by aspiring at an universal good, but 'Diogenes Laertius, 1. XI. p. 8. Homeri Vita. by exerting their power of making themselves and others happy within the limited scale allotted to each individual, so long will individual history and individual virtue be the readier and more accessible road to general interest and attention; and perhaps we may add, that it is the more useful, as well as the more accessible, inasmuch as it affords an example capable of being easily imitated. According to the author's idea of Romantic Poetry, as distinguished from Epic, the former comprehends a fictitious narrative, framed and combined at the pleasure of the writer; beginning and ending as he may judge best; which neither exacts nor refuses the use of supernatural machinery; which is free from the technical rules of the Epée; and is subject only to those which good sense, good taste, and good morals apply to every species of poetry without exception. The date may be in a remote age, or in the present; the story may detail the adventures of a prince or of a peasant. In a word, the author is absolute master of his country and its inhabitants, and every thing is permitted to him excepting to be heavy or prosaic, for which, free and unembarrassed as he is, he has no manner of apology. Those, it is probable, will be found the peculiarities of this species of composition; and, before joining the outery against the vitiated taste that fosters and encourages it, the justice and grounds of it ought to be made perfectly apparent. If the want of sieges and battles and great military evolutions in our poetry is complained of, let us reflect, that the campaigns and heroes of our day are perpetuated in a record that neither requires nor admits of the aid of fiction; and if the complaint refers to the inferiority of our bards, let us pay a just tribute to their modesty, limiting them, as it does, to subjects, which, however indifferently treated, have still the interest and charm of novelty, and which thus prevents them from adding insipidity to their other more insuperable defects. - THE BRIDAL OF TRIERMAIN. INTRODUCTION. I. COME LUCY! While 't is morning hour, Round petty isles the runnels glide, A dry-shod pass from side to side. |