There was a gallant-featur'd youth, He kiss'd a bracelet on his wrist, And in a vassal's garb disguis'd, And tells him she from Britain comes, That three days ere she had embark'd, And to have seen how he did writhe When this her tale she told, It would have made a wizard's blood Then fierce he spurr'd his warrior steed, And from his smoking corse she tore She ceas'd, and from beneath her garb The eyes were starting from their socks, And there was a gash across the brow, The scalp was nearly skinn'd. 'Twas BERTRAND'S HEAD!! With a terrible scream, The maiden gave a spring, And from her fearful hiding place She fell into the ring. The lights they fled, the cauldron sunk, - Deep thunders shook the dome, And hollow peals of laughter came Resounding through the gloom. Insensible the maiden lay Upon the hellish ground: And still mysterious sounds were heard At intervals around. The sounds had ceas'd, the lights had fled, And all was stillness there. And through an awning in the rock, The moon it sweetly shone, And shew'd a river in the cave Which dismally did moan. The stream was black, it sounded deep, It offer'd well, for madness fired In the Morning before Day-break. YE many twinkling stars, who yet do hold Of night's dominions! Planets, and central orbs Of other systems:- big as the burning sun Which lights this nether globe, yet to our eye Small as the glow-worm's lamp! - To you I raise My lowly orisons, while all bewilder'd, My vision strays o'er your ethereal hosts; Too vast, too boundless for our narrow mind, And sagely comprehend. Thence higher soaring, Of boundless space, above the rolling spheres The angelic hosts, in their inferior Heaven, Roll o'er the air serene - The Æolian spheres, Catch the full note, and cry, "The Lord is great," O'er all, From orb to orb, to the remotest verge Oh! 'tis this heavenly harmony which now Oh! what is man, when at ambition's height, What even are kings, when balanced in the scale Of these stupendous worlds! Almighty God! And in thy boundless goodness wilt impart The pageant insects of a glittering hour. Oh! when reflecting on these truths sublime, The gaudes, and honours of the world appear! The schoolman's labour'd page, have I employ'd Say, foolish one-can that unbodied fame, pangs Of everlasting punishment condign? |