Around her brows, with hemlock bound, And tell, my daughter, fearless tell My virgin heart Lord Wolfwold won; Soon as he gain'd Northumbria's throne, His pride the youth exiled. < Stern Denmark's ravens o'er the seas Their gloomy black wings spread, And o'er Northumbria's hills and leas Their dreadful squadrons sped. 'Return, brave Wolfwold,' Edric cried, 'O generous warrior, hear; My daughter's hand, thy willing bride, Awaits thy conquering spear. 'The banish'd youth in Scotland's court Had pass'd the weary year: 'He left the Scottish dames to weep; 'With joyful voice and raptured eyes, He press'd my willing hand; "I go, my fair, my love," he cries, To guard thy father's land. "By Edon's shore, in deathful fray, Ere three short days I trust to lay 6 Alas, alas, that time is o'er, 'O mistress of the powerful spell, And cease, my child, for all is well,' The grisly witch replied. Approach my cave, and where I place And fear not aught of ghastly face D D The pale beam struggled through the shade, That black'd the cavern's womb, And in the deepest nook betray'd Around the tomb, in mystic lore, And efts, and foul-wing'd serpents, bore Eyeless a huge and starved toad sat In corner murk aloof, And many a snake and famish'd bat A fox and vulture's skeletons And grappling still each others bones, And now, my child (the Sorceress said), To me shall render up the dead, 'His skeleton shall hear my spell, His hand of bone shall point and tell O cold, down Ulla's snowlike face, And thrice the witch her magic wand And slowly, at the dread command, A cloven shield, and broken spear, Distain'd with drops of gore. In ghastly writhes her mouth so wide 'A happier spell I now shall try; And mark what flames from altar high, 'If of the rose's softest red The blaze shines forth to view, Then Wolfwold lives-but hell forbid The glimmering flame of blue !' The witch then raised her haggard arm, And waved her wand on high; And, while she spoke the mutter'd charm, Fair Ulla's knee swift smote the ground; Her lips, erewhile so like the rose, Her eyes, erewhile so starry bright, Were now transform'd to sightless white, And soon the dreadful spell was o'er, The quivering flame rose through the floor, Behind the altar's livid fire, Low from the inmost cave, His eye to Ulla's eye he rear'd, Fair Ulla saw the woful shade; Her heart struck at her side, And burst-low bow'd her listless head,' 1 CUMNOR HALL. THE dews of summer night did fall, And many an oak that grew thereby. That issued from that lonely pile. 'Leicester (she cried), is this thy love, That thou so oft hast sworn to me, To leave me in this lonely grove, Immured in shameful privity? MICKLE. |