XII Trembling at first and deadly pale, XIII 240 250 What sees Count Harold in that bower 260 But when his voice he reared, Deep without harshness, slow and strong, T. The powerful accents rolled along, And while he spoke his hand was laid On captive Gunnar's shrinking head. Then in the mirrored pool he peered, 340 Blamed his rough locks and shaggy beard, The stains of recent conflict cleared, And thus the Champion proved And Eivir- life is on her cheek Affection's opening dawn to spy; XIX 350 Be cheered 't is ended- and I will not borrow, To try thy patience more, one anecdote From Bartholine or Perinskiold or Snorro. Then pardon thou thy minstrel, who hath wrote A tale six cantos long, yet scorned to add a note. 380 MISCELLANEOUS POEMS From the time when Scott wrote the first of his long poems, The Lay of the Last Minstrel, till he deliberately abandoned the writing of long poems in Harold the Dauntless, twelve years later, he wrote about twoscore poems, and in the twelve years which then followed till he ceased writing altogether, only a dozen more, and a large number of these were occasional. This does not take account, however, of the bits of verse interspersed in the novels, some of which were among his most characteristic pieces. In 1806, after publishing The Lay of the Last Minstrel and before publishing Marmion, Scott issued a collection of Ballads and Lyrical Pieces, containing most of the matter included in our division, Early Ballads and Lyrics; but not again was any collection made till his distribution of all his writings toward the end of his life. It has seemed best, in our arrangement, not to interrupt the series of long poems by inserting these scattered verses between them, but to group them all in this general division, in as closely chronological order as seemed practicable. Unconquered thy warriors and matchless thy maids! And thou whose faint warblings my weakness can tell, Farewell, my loved harp! my last treasure, farewell! THE NORMAN HORSE-SHOE The Welsh, inhabiting a mountainous country, and possessing only an inferior breed of horses, were usually unable to encounter the shock of the Anglo-Norman cavalry. Occasionally, however, they were successful in repelling the invaders; and the following verses are supposed to celebrate a defeat of Clare, Earl of Striguil and Pembroke, and of Neville, Baron of Chepstow, Lords-Marchers of Monmouthshire. Published in 1806. RED glows the forgé in Striguil's bounds, From Chepstow's towers ere dawn of morn In crimson light on Rymny's stream; And sooth they swore - the sun arose, Showed where hot Neville's charge had been: In every sable hoof-tramp stood A Norman horseman's curdling blood! Old Chepstow's brides may curse the toil All distant and faint were the sounds of the battle, With the breezes they rise, with the breezes they fail, Till the shout and the groan and the conflict's dread rattle, And the chase's wild clamor, came loading the gale. Breathless she gazed on the woodlands so dreary; Slowly approaching a warrior was seen; Life's ebbing tide marked his footsteps so weary, Cleft was his helmet and woe was his mien. 'You hear the Ettrick's sullen roar, Dark, deep, and strong is he, And I must ford the Ettrick o'er, Unless you pity me. 'The iron gate is bolted hard, At which I knock in vain; 'Farewell, farewell! and Mary grant, The ranger on his couch lay warm, THE MAID OF NEIDPATH 'There is a tradition in Tweeddale,' says Scott, 'that, when Neidpath Castle, near Peebles, was inhabited by the Earls of March, a mutual passion subsisted between a daughter of that noble family and a son of the Laird of Tushielaw, in Ettrick Forest. As the alliance was thought unsuitable by her parents, the young man went abroad. During his absence the lady fell into a consumption; and at length, as the only means of saving her life, her father consented that her lover should be recalled. On the day when he was expected to pass through Peebles, on the road to Tushielaw, the young lady, though much exhausted, caused herself to be carried to the balcony of a house in Peebles belonging to the family, that she might see him as he rode past. Her anxiety and eagerness gave such force to her organs, that she is said to have distinguished his horse's footsteps at an incredible distance. But Tushielaw, unprepared for the change in her appearance, and not expecting to see her in that place, rode on without recognizing her, or even slackening his pace. The lady was unable to support the shock; and, after a short struggle, died in the arms of her attendants.' Published, 1806, in Haydn's Collection of Scot tish Airs. Can lend an hour of cheering. i Disease had been in Mary's bower, All sunk and dim her eyes so bright, Till through her wasted hand at night Yet keenest powers to see and hear 401 an heedless gaze, As o'er some stranger glancing; Her welcome, spoke in faltering phrase, Lost in his courser's prancing The castle arch, whose hollow tone Returns each whisper spoken, Could scarcely catch the feeble moan Which told her heart was broken. |