She must be lovely, and constant, and kind, When it breaks the clouds of an April day; Courteous as monarch the morn he is crown'd, Generous as spring-dews that bless the glad ground; Noble her blood as the currents that met That shall match with Sir Roland of Triermain. And hearken, my merry-men! What time o where [brow Did she pass, that maid with her heaven With her look so sweet and her eyes so fair, And her graceful step and her angel air, And the eagle plume in her dark-brown hair, That pass'd from my bower e'en now?" V. Answer'd him Richard de Bretville; he Have sat since midnight close, When such lulling sounds as the brooklet sings, And hush'd you to repose. When she thinks her lover near."- Else had I heard the steps, though low And light they fell, as when earth receives, In morn of frost, the wither'd leaves, That drop when no winds blow." VI. "Then come thou hither, Henry, my page, And redden'd all the Nine-stane Hill, Greet well that sage of power. He the characters can trace, Graven deep in elder time Upon Hellvellyn's cliffs sublime; Of kingdoms' fall, and fate of wars, of stones, erected, it is said, to the memory of Dunmail, the last King of Cumberland. From mystic dreams and course of stars. Framed from the rainbow's varying dyes, Shall ever rest De Vaux's bride!" VII. The faithful Page he mounts his steed, Left Mayburgh's mound' and stones of power, And traced the Eamont's winding way, VIII. Onward he rode, the pathway still He saw the hoary Sage: And o'er him shook the aspen-tree, Then sprung young Henry from his selle, And greeted Lyulph grave, And then his master's tale did tell, And then for counsel crave. The Man of Years mused long and deep, "That maid is born of middle earth, And may of man be won, Though there have glided since her birth 1"Just like Aurora, when she ties A rainbow round the morning skies."-MOORE. "This powerful Baron required in the fair one whom he should honor with his hand an assemblage of qualities, that appears to us rather unreasonable even in those high days, profase as they are known to have been of perfections now nattainable. His resolution, however, was not more inflexible than that of any mere modern youth; for he decrees that So perilous to knightly worth, X. Lyulph's Tale. "KING ARTHUR has ridden from merry Carlisle, When Pentecost was o'er: He journey'd like errant-knight the while, Above his solitary track Rose Glaramara's ridgy back, XI. "O rather he chose, that Monarch bold, In plate and mail, by wood and wold, The bursting crash of a foeman's spear, Than courtier's whisper'd tale: And the clash of Caliburn more dear, To their monarch's praise his nightly visitant, of whom at this time he could know nothing, but that she looked and sung like an angel, if of morta! mould, shall be his bride."-Quarterly Review. 3 See Appendix, Note C. 5 Ulswater. 4 Ibid. Note D. The small lake called Scales-tarn lies so deeply embosomea in the recesses of the huge mountain called Saddleback, mora poetically Glaramara, is of such great depth, and so complete That the harpers of Reged sung. He loved better to rest by wood or river, Than in bower of his bride, Dame Guenever, For he left that lady, so lovely of cheer, To follow adventures of danger and fear; And the frank-hearted Monarch full little did wot, [Launcelot. That she smiled, in his absence, on brave XII. "He rode, till over down and dell XIII. "Paled in by many a lofty hill, And mighty keep and tower; Ambitious Nimrod's power. Wicket of oak, as iron hard, But the gray walls no banners crown'd, ly hidden from the sun, that it is said its beams never reach it, and that the reflection of the stars may be seen at mid-day. And, where the Gothic gateway frown'd, Glanced neither bill nor bow. XIV. "Beneath the castle's gloomy pride, Save that, awakening from her dream, That wash'd the battled mound. Which well he guess'd the hold The tyrant of the wold. XV. "The ivory bugle's golden tip Twice touch'd the Monarch's manly lip, And twice his hand withdrew. -Think not but Arthur's heart was good! His shield was cross'd by the blessed rood, Had a pagan host before him stood, He had charged them through and through Yet the silence of that ancient place Sunk on his heart, and he paused a space Ere yet his horn he blew. But, instant as its 'larum rung, The castle gate was open flung, Portcullis rose with crashing groan Full harshly up its groove of stone: The balance-beams obey'd the blast, And down the trembling drawbridge cast; The vaulted arch before him lay, With naught to bar the gloomy way, And onward Arthur paced, with hand On Caliburn's' resistless brand. XVI. "A hundred torches, flashing bright, Dispell'd at once the gloomy night That lour'd along the walls, And show'd the King's astonish'd sight The inmates of the halls. Nor wizard stern, nor goblin grim, 1 This was the name of King Arthur's well-known sword, sometimes also called Excalibar. CANTO I. THE BRIDAL OF TRIERMAIN. Nor giant huge of form and limb, Nor heathen knight, was there; A band of damsels fair. Onward they came, like summer wave That dances to the shore; The bucklers of the monarch's mail, And busy labor'd to unhasp His short curl'd ringlets one smooth'd down, Was tended ne'er by troop so gay. XVII. "Loud laugh'd they all,-the King, in vain, With questions task'd the giddy train; Let him entreat, or crave, or call, Twas one reply,-loud laugh'd they all Then o'er him mimic chains they fling, Framed of the fairest flowers of spring, While some their gentle force unite, Onward to drag the wondering knight, Some, bolder, urge his pace with blows, Dealt with the lily or the rose. Behind him were in triumph borne The warlike arms he late had worn. Four of the train combined to rear The terrors of Tintadgel's spear;' Two, laughing at their lack of strength, Dragg'd Caliburn in cumbrous length, One, while she aped a martial stride, Placed on her brows the helmet's pride; Then scream'd, 'twixt laughter and surprise, To feel its depth o'erwhelm her eyes. With revel-shout, and triumph-song, Thus gayly march'd the giddy throng. XVIII. “Through many a gallery and hall Their march and song at once they staid. (The lovely maid was scarce eighteen), 1 Tintadgel Castle, in Cornwall, is reported to have been the Birth-place of King Arthur. "In the description of the Queen's entrance, as well as in the contrasted enumeration of the levities of her attendants, the graces author, we think, has had in his recollection Gray's celebrated description of the power of harmony to produce all the of motion in the body."-Quarterly Review. Raised, with imposing air, her hand, On entrance of their Queen, Their smother'd mirth again 'gan speak, XIX. "The attributes of those high days Ne'er were such charms by mortal seen, That flash'd expression strong; A sage, who had that look espied, Had whisper'd, 'Prince, beware! But shun that lovely snare !' Who drew from lonely glens their birth, Nor knew to pay to stranger worth And dignity their due; And then she pray'd that he would rest That night her castle's honor'd guest. The Monarch meetly thanks express'd; The banquet rose at her behest, With lay and tale, and laugh and jest, Apace the evening flew.' XXI. "The Lady sate the Monarch by, Some inward thought to hide; That heaved her bosom's pride. Slight symptoms these, but shepherds know How hot the mid-day sun shall glow, From the mist of morning sky; And so the wily monarch guess'd, That this assumed restraint express'd More ardent passions in the breast, Than ventured to the eye. Closer he press'd, while beakers rang, But why pursue the common tale? Or wherefore trace, from what slight cause Where lives the man that has not tried, And folly into sin?" The Bridal of Triermain. CANTO SECOND. I. Lyulph's Tale, continued. "ANOTHER day, another day, And yet another glides away! 1" On the opinion that may be formed even of these two stanzas (xix. and xx.) we are willing to hazard the justness of the eulogium we have bestowed on the general poetical merit of this little work."-Quarterly Review. "One MASTER PASSION in the breast, The Saxon stern, the pagan Dane, II. "Another day, another day, Better to wreathe, 'mid tresses brown, The banners of a Paynim foe." Thus, week by week, and day by day, But she, that soothes his dream, with fear III. "Much force have mortal charms to stay |