Wild sparkles crest the broken tides, While, far behind, their livid light A gloomy splendour gave. It seems as if old Ocean shakes From his dark brow the livid flakes In envious pageantry, To match the meteor light that streaks Grim Hecla's midnight sky. XXII. Nor lack'd they steadier light to keep Their course upon the darken'd deep ; Artornish, on her frowning steep "Twixt cloud and ocean hung, Glanced with a thousand lights of glee, And landward far, and far to sea, Her festal radiance flung. By that blithe beacon-light they steer'd, With the pale beam that now appear'd, As the cold Moon her head uprear'd Above the eastern Fell. XXIII. Thus guided, on their course they bore With wassail sounds in concert vie, Like funeral shrieks with revelry, Or like the battle-shout By peasants heard from cliffs on high, Madden the fight and rout. Now nearer yet, through mist and storm, And deepen'd shadow made, Far lengthen'd on the main below, Where, dancing in reflected glow, An hundred torches play'd, Spangling the wave with lights as vain That dazzle as they fade. XXIV. Beneath the Castle's sheltering lee, They staid their course in quiet sea. Hewn in the rock a passage there Sought the dark fortress by a stair So strait, so high, so steep, With peasant's staff one valiant hand Might well the dizzy pass have mann'd, 'Gainst hundreds arm'd with spear And plunged them in the deep. and brand, His bugle then the helmsman wound; Loud answer'd every echo round, From turret, rock, and bay, The postern's hinges crash and groan, And soon the warder's cresset shone On those rude steps of slippery stone, "Thrice welcome, holy Sire!" he said; "Full long the spousal train have staid, And, vex'd at thy delay, Fear'd lest, amidst these wildering seas, The darksome night and freshening breeze Had driven thy bark astray." XXV. "Warder," the younger stranger said, "Thine erring guess some mirth had made In mirthful hour; but nights like these, When the rough winds wake western seas, Brook not of glee. We crave some aid And needful shelter for this maid Until the break of day; For, to ourselves, the deck's rude plank That's breathed upon by May.. And for our storm-toss'd skiff we seek Prompt when the dawn the east shall streak Again to bear away." Answered the Warder, " In what name i Assert ye hospitable claim? Whence come, or whither bound? Hath Erin seen your parting sails? Or come ye on Norweyan gales? And seek ye England's fertile vales, Juis u For some brief space we list to own, C |