THE

BRIDAL OF TRIERMAIN.

CANTO SECOND.

Lyulph's Tale, continued.

ANOTHER day, another day,

And yet another, glides away!
The Saxon stern, the pagan Dane,
Maraud on Britain's shores again.
Arthur, of Christendom the flower,
Lies loitering in a lady's bower;

The horn, that foemen wont to fear,

Sounds but to wake the Cumbrian deer,

D

And Caliburn, the British pride,

Hangs useless by a lover's side.

II.

Another day, another day,

And yet another, glides away.

Heroic plans in pleasure drown'd,

He thinks not of the Table Round;

Better to wreathe, 'mid tresses brown,

The heron's plume her hawk struck down,

Than o'er the altar give to flow

The banners of a Paynim foe.

Thus, week by week, and day by day,

His life inglorious glides away;

2

But she, that sooths his dream, with fear

Beholds his hour of waking near.

III.

Much force have mortal charms to stay

Our pace in Virtue's toilsome way;
But Guendolen's might far outshine
Each maid of merely mortal line.
Her mother was of human birth,
Her sire a Genie of the earth,

In days of old deem'd to preside
O'er lovers' wiles and beauty's pride,
By youths and virgins worshipp'd long,
With festive dance and choral song,
Till, when the cross to Britain came,
On heathen altars died the flame.
Now, deep in Wastdale's solitude,
The downfall of his rights he rued,
And, born of his resentment heir,
He train❜d to guile that lady fair,

To sink in slothful sin and shame

The champions of the Christian name.
Well-skill'd to keep vain thoughts alive,
And all to promise, nought to give,
The timid youth had hope in store,
The bold and pressing gain'd no more.
As wilder'd children leave their home,
After the rainbow's arch to roam,

Her lovers barter'd fair esteem,

Faith, fame, and honour, for a dream.

IV.

Her sire's soft arts the soul to tame

She practised thus-till Arthur came;

Then, frail humanity had part,

And all the mother claim'd her heart.

Forgot each rule her father gave,
Sunk from a princess to a slave,
Too late must Guendolen deplore,
He, that has all, can hope no more!