GOLFRE,PART FIFTH.
Now, suddenly, a storm arose,The thunder roar’d, tremendous!The lightning flash’d, the howling blastFierce, strong, and desolating, pastThe Altitudes stupendous!Rent by the wind, a fragment hugeFrom the steep summit bounded:That summit, where the Peasant’s breastFound, mid the snow, a grave of rest,ByGolfre’s poniard wounded.Loud shrieks, across the mountain wild,Fill’d up the pause of thunder:The groves of Pine the lightning past,And swift the desolating blastScatter’d them wide asunder.The Castle-turrets seem’d to blaze,The lightning round them flashing;The drawbridge now was all on fire,The moat foam’d high, with furious ire,Against the black walls dashing.The Prison Tow’r was silver white,And radiant as the morning;Two angels’ wings were spreading wide,The battlements, from side to side—And lofty roof adorning.And now the Bride was sore afraid,She sigh’d, and cross’d her breast;She kiss’d her simple rosary,Made of the mountain holly-tree,By sainted Fathers blest.She kiss’d it once, she kiss’d it twice;It seem’d to freeze her breast;The cold show’rs fell from ev’ry tree,They fell upon her rosaryLike nature’s tears, “twice blest!”“What do you fear?” theBaroncried—ForZoriettotrembled—“AWolf,” she sigh’d with whisper low,“Hark how the angry whirlwinds blow“Like Demons dark assembled.“ThatWolf! which did my Lover slay!”TheBaronwildly started.“That Wolf accurs’d!” she madly cried—“Whose fangs, by human gore were dyed,“Who dragg’d him down the mountain’s side,“And left me—Broken hearted!”NowGolfreshook in ev’ry joint,He grasp’d her arm, and mutter’d;Hell seem’d to yawn, on ev’ry side,“Hear me!” the frantic tyrant cried—“Hear me!” a faint voice utter’d.“I hear thee! yes, I hear thee well!”CriedGolfre, “I’ll content thee.“I see thy vengeful eye-balls roll—“Thou com’st to claim my guilty soul—“TheFiends—theFiendshave sent thee!”And now a Goatherd-Boy was heard—Swift climbing up the mountain:A Kid was lost, the fearful hind—Had rov’d his truant care to find,By wood-land’s side—and fountain.And now a murm’ring throng advanc’d,And howlings echoed round them:NowGolfretried the path to pace,His feet seem’d rooted to the place,As though a spell had bound them.And now loud mingling voices cried—“Pursue thatWolf, pursue him!”The guiltyBaron, conscience stung,About his faintingDaughterhung,As to the ground she drew him.“Oh! shield meHoly Mary! shield“A tortur’d wretch!” he mutter’d.“A murd’rousWolf! OGod! I crave“A dark unhallow’d silent grave—”Aghast the Caitiff utter’d.“’Twas I, beneath theGoatherd’s bed“The golden sword did cover;“’Twas I who tore the quiv’ring wound,“Pluck’d forth the heart, and scatter’d round“The life-stream of thy Lover.”And now he writh’d in ev’ry limb,And big his heart was swelling;Fresh peals of thunder echoed strong,With famish’dWolvesthe peaks amongTheir dismal chorus yelling!“OJesuSave me!”Golfreshriek’d—ButGolfreshriek’d no more!The rosy dawn’s returning lightDisplay’d his corse,—a dreadful sight,Black, wither’d, smear’d with gore!High on a gibbet, near the wood—His mangled limbs were hung;YetZoriettooft was seenProstrate the Chapel aisles between—When holy mass was sung.And there, three lamps now dimly burn,—Twelve Monks their masses saying;And there, the midnight bell doth tollFor quiet to the murd’rer’s soul—While all around are praying.ForCharityandPitykind,To gentle souls are given;AndMercyis the sainted pow’r,Which beams thro’ mis’ry’s darkest hour,And lights the way—to Heaven!
Now, suddenly, a storm arose,The thunder roar’d, tremendous!The lightning flash’d, the howling blastFierce, strong, and desolating, pastThe Altitudes stupendous!Rent by the wind, a fragment hugeFrom the steep summit bounded:That summit, where the Peasant’s breastFound, mid the snow, a grave of rest,ByGolfre’s poniard wounded.Loud shrieks, across the mountain wild,Fill’d up the pause of thunder:The groves of Pine the lightning past,And swift the desolating blastScatter’d them wide asunder.The Castle-turrets seem’d to blaze,The lightning round them flashing;The drawbridge now was all on fire,The moat foam’d high, with furious ire,Against the black walls dashing.The Prison Tow’r was silver white,And radiant as the morning;Two angels’ wings were spreading wide,The battlements, from side to side—And lofty roof adorning.And now the Bride was sore afraid,She sigh’d, and cross’d her breast;She kiss’d her simple rosary,Made of the mountain holly-tree,By sainted Fathers blest.She kiss’d it once, she kiss’d it twice;It seem’d to freeze her breast;The cold show’rs fell from ev’ry tree,They fell upon her rosaryLike nature’s tears, “twice blest!”“What do you fear?” theBaroncried—ForZoriettotrembled—“AWolf,” she sigh’d with whisper low,“Hark how the angry whirlwinds blow“Like Demons dark assembled.“ThatWolf! which did my Lover slay!”TheBaronwildly started.“That Wolf accurs’d!” she madly cried—“Whose fangs, by human gore were dyed,“Who dragg’d him down the mountain’s side,“And left me—Broken hearted!”NowGolfreshook in ev’ry joint,He grasp’d her arm, and mutter’d;Hell seem’d to yawn, on ev’ry side,“Hear me!” the frantic tyrant cried—“Hear me!” a faint voice utter’d.“I hear thee! yes, I hear thee well!”CriedGolfre, “I’ll content thee.“I see thy vengeful eye-balls roll—“Thou com’st to claim my guilty soul—“TheFiends—theFiendshave sent thee!”And now a Goatherd-Boy was heard—Swift climbing up the mountain:A Kid was lost, the fearful hind—Had rov’d his truant care to find,By wood-land’s side—and fountain.And now a murm’ring throng advanc’d,And howlings echoed round them:NowGolfretried the path to pace,His feet seem’d rooted to the place,As though a spell had bound them.And now loud mingling voices cried—“Pursue thatWolf, pursue him!”The guiltyBaron, conscience stung,About his faintingDaughterhung,As to the ground she drew him.“Oh! shield meHoly Mary! shield“A tortur’d wretch!” he mutter’d.“A murd’rousWolf! OGod! I crave“A dark unhallow’d silent grave—”Aghast the Caitiff utter’d.“’Twas I, beneath theGoatherd’s bed“The golden sword did cover;“’Twas I who tore the quiv’ring wound,“Pluck’d forth the heart, and scatter’d round“The life-stream of thy Lover.”And now he writh’d in ev’ry limb,And big his heart was swelling;Fresh peals of thunder echoed strong,With famish’dWolvesthe peaks amongTheir dismal chorus yelling!“OJesuSave me!”Golfreshriek’d—ButGolfreshriek’d no more!The rosy dawn’s returning lightDisplay’d his corse,—a dreadful sight,Black, wither’d, smear’d with gore!High on a gibbet, near the wood—His mangled limbs were hung;YetZoriettooft was seenProstrate the Chapel aisles between—When holy mass was sung.And there, three lamps now dimly burn,—Twelve Monks their masses saying;And there, the midnight bell doth tollFor quiet to the murd’rer’s soul—While all around are praying.ForCharityandPitykind,To gentle souls are given;AndMercyis the sainted pow’r,Which beams thro’ mis’ry’s darkest hour,And lights the way—to Heaven!
Now, suddenly, a storm arose,The thunder roar’d, tremendous!The lightning flash’d, the howling blastFierce, strong, and desolating, pastThe Altitudes stupendous!
Now, suddenly, a storm arose,
The thunder roar’d, tremendous!
The lightning flash’d, the howling blast
Fierce, strong, and desolating, past
The Altitudes stupendous!
Rent by the wind, a fragment hugeFrom the steep summit bounded:That summit, where the Peasant’s breastFound, mid the snow, a grave of rest,ByGolfre’s poniard wounded.
Rent by the wind, a fragment huge
From the steep summit bounded:
That summit, where the Peasant’s breast
Found, mid the snow, a grave of rest,
ByGolfre’s poniard wounded.
Loud shrieks, across the mountain wild,Fill’d up the pause of thunder:The groves of Pine the lightning past,And swift the desolating blastScatter’d them wide asunder.
Loud shrieks, across the mountain wild,
Fill’d up the pause of thunder:
The groves of Pine the lightning past,
And swift the desolating blast
Scatter’d them wide asunder.
The Castle-turrets seem’d to blaze,The lightning round them flashing;The drawbridge now was all on fire,The moat foam’d high, with furious ire,Against the black walls dashing.
The Castle-turrets seem’d to blaze,
The lightning round them flashing;
The drawbridge now was all on fire,
The moat foam’d high, with furious ire,
Against the black walls dashing.
The Prison Tow’r was silver white,And radiant as the morning;Two angels’ wings were spreading wide,The battlements, from side to side—And lofty roof adorning.
The Prison Tow’r was silver white,
And radiant as the morning;
Two angels’ wings were spreading wide,
The battlements, from side to side—
And lofty roof adorning.
And now the Bride was sore afraid,She sigh’d, and cross’d her breast;She kiss’d her simple rosary,Made of the mountain holly-tree,By sainted Fathers blest.
And now the Bride was sore afraid,
She sigh’d, and cross’d her breast;
She kiss’d her simple rosary,
Made of the mountain holly-tree,
By sainted Fathers blest.
She kiss’d it once, she kiss’d it twice;It seem’d to freeze her breast;The cold show’rs fell from ev’ry tree,They fell upon her rosaryLike nature’s tears, “twice blest!”
She kiss’d it once, she kiss’d it twice;
It seem’d to freeze her breast;
The cold show’rs fell from ev’ry tree,
They fell upon her rosary
Like nature’s tears, “twice blest!”
“What do you fear?” theBaroncried—ForZoriettotrembled—“AWolf,” she sigh’d with whisper low,“Hark how the angry whirlwinds blow“Like Demons dark assembled.
“What do you fear?” theBaroncried—
ForZoriettotrembled—
“AWolf,” she sigh’d with whisper low,
“Hark how the angry whirlwinds blow
“Like Demons dark assembled.
“ThatWolf! which did my Lover slay!”TheBaronwildly started.“That Wolf accurs’d!” she madly cried—“Whose fangs, by human gore were dyed,“Who dragg’d him down the mountain’s side,“And left me—Broken hearted!”
“ThatWolf! which did my Lover slay!”
TheBaronwildly started.
“That Wolf accurs’d!” she madly cried—
“Whose fangs, by human gore were dyed,
“Who dragg’d him down the mountain’s side,
“And left me—Broken hearted!”
NowGolfreshook in ev’ry joint,He grasp’d her arm, and mutter’d;Hell seem’d to yawn, on ev’ry side,“Hear me!” the frantic tyrant cried—“Hear me!” a faint voice utter’d.
NowGolfreshook in ev’ry joint,
He grasp’d her arm, and mutter’d;
Hell seem’d to yawn, on ev’ry side,
“Hear me!” the frantic tyrant cried—
“Hear me!” a faint voice utter’d.
“I hear thee! yes, I hear thee well!”CriedGolfre, “I’ll content thee.“I see thy vengeful eye-balls roll—“Thou com’st to claim my guilty soul—“TheFiends—theFiendshave sent thee!”
“I hear thee! yes, I hear thee well!”
CriedGolfre, “I’ll content thee.
“I see thy vengeful eye-balls roll—
“Thou com’st to claim my guilty soul—
“TheFiends—theFiendshave sent thee!”
And now a Goatherd-Boy was heard—Swift climbing up the mountain:A Kid was lost, the fearful hind—Had rov’d his truant care to find,By wood-land’s side—and fountain.
And now a Goatherd-Boy was heard—
Swift climbing up the mountain:
A Kid was lost, the fearful hind—
Had rov’d his truant care to find,
By wood-land’s side—and fountain.
And now a murm’ring throng advanc’d,And howlings echoed round them:NowGolfretried the path to pace,His feet seem’d rooted to the place,As though a spell had bound them.
And now a murm’ring throng advanc’d,
And howlings echoed round them:
NowGolfretried the path to pace,
His feet seem’d rooted to the place,
As though a spell had bound them.
And now loud mingling voices cried—“Pursue thatWolf, pursue him!”The guiltyBaron, conscience stung,About his faintingDaughterhung,As to the ground she drew him.
And now loud mingling voices cried—
“Pursue thatWolf, pursue him!”
The guiltyBaron, conscience stung,
About his faintingDaughterhung,
As to the ground she drew him.
“Oh! shield meHoly Mary! shield“A tortur’d wretch!” he mutter’d.“A murd’rousWolf! OGod! I crave“A dark unhallow’d silent grave—”Aghast the Caitiff utter’d.
“Oh! shield meHoly Mary! shield
“A tortur’d wretch!” he mutter’d.
“A murd’rousWolf! OGod! I crave
“A dark unhallow’d silent grave—”
Aghast the Caitiff utter’d.
“’Twas I, beneath theGoatherd’s bed“The golden sword did cover;“’Twas I who tore the quiv’ring wound,“Pluck’d forth the heart, and scatter’d round“The life-stream of thy Lover.”
“’Twas I, beneath theGoatherd’s bed
“The golden sword did cover;
“’Twas I who tore the quiv’ring wound,
“Pluck’d forth the heart, and scatter’d round
“The life-stream of thy Lover.”
And now he writh’d in ev’ry limb,And big his heart was swelling;Fresh peals of thunder echoed strong,With famish’dWolvesthe peaks amongTheir dismal chorus yelling!
And now he writh’d in ev’ry limb,
And big his heart was swelling;
Fresh peals of thunder echoed strong,
With famish’dWolvesthe peaks among
Their dismal chorus yelling!
“OJesuSave me!”Golfreshriek’d—ButGolfreshriek’d no more!The rosy dawn’s returning lightDisplay’d his corse,—a dreadful sight,Black, wither’d, smear’d with gore!
“OJesuSave me!”Golfreshriek’d—
ButGolfreshriek’d no more!
The rosy dawn’s returning light
Display’d his corse,—a dreadful sight,
Black, wither’d, smear’d with gore!
High on a gibbet, near the wood—His mangled limbs were hung;YetZoriettooft was seenProstrate the Chapel aisles between—When holy mass was sung.
High on a gibbet, near the wood—
His mangled limbs were hung;
YetZoriettooft was seen
Prostrate the Chapel aisles between—
When holy mass was sung.
And there, three lamps now dimly burn,—Twelve Monks their masses saying;And there, the midnight bell doth tollFor quiet to the murd’rer’s soul—While all around are praying.
And there, three lamps now dimly burn,—
Twelve Monks their masses saying;
And there, the midnight bell doth toll
For quiet to the murd’rer’s soul—
While all around are praying.
ForCharityandPitykind,To gentle souls are given;AndMercyis the sainted pow’r,Which beams thro’ mis’ry’s darkest hour,And lights the way—to Heaven!
ForCharityandPitykind,
To gentle souls are given;
AndMercyis the sainted pow’r,
Which beams thro’ mis’ry’s darkest hour,
And lights the way—to Heaven!
END.Printed by BIGGS and COTTLE, St. Augustines-Back, Bristol.
END.Printed by BIGGS and COTTLE, St. Augustines-Back, Bristol.
END.
Printed by BIGGS and COTTLE, St. Augustines-Back, Bristol.