XV. RIVER SPIRIT. "Sleep'st thou, brother?" MOUNTAIN SPIRIT. "Brother, nay — On my hills the moon-beams play. Emerald rings on brown heath tracing, Up, and mark their nimble feet! XVI. RIVER SPIRIT. "Tears of an imprison'd maiden XVII. MOUNTAIN SPIRIT. "Arthur's slow wain his course doth roll, In utter darkness round the pole; The Northern Bear lowers black and grim; Orion's studded belt is dim; Twinkling faint, and distant far, Shimmers through mist each planet star: VOL. I.5 Ill may I read their high decree ! But no kind influence deign they shower On Teviot's tide, and Branksome's tower, Till pride be quell'd, and love be free." XVIII. The unearthly voices ceast, And the heavy sound was still; And her heart throbb'd high with pride:"Your mountains shall bend, And your streams ascend, Ere Margaret be our foeman's bride!" XIX. The Ladye sought the lofty hall, The truncheon of a spear bestrode, And round the hall, right merrily, In mimic foray2 rode. Even bearded knights, in arms grown old, 'See Appendix, Note G. * Foray, a predatory inroad. 1 Albeit their hearts of rugged mould, Were stubborn as the steel they wore. How the brave boy, in future war, XX. The Ladye forgot her purpose high, She call'd to her William of Deloraine.3 XXI. A stark moss-trooping Scott was he, But he would ride them, one by one; [This line, of which the metre appears defective, would have its full complement of feet according to the pronunciation of the poet himself as all who were familiar with his utterance of the letter r will bear testimony. — ED.] "The arms of the Kerrs of Cessford were, Vert on a cheveron, betwixt three unicorns' heads erased argent, three mullets sable, crest, a unicorn's head erased proper. The Scotts of Buccleuch bore, Or, on a bend azure; a star of six points betwixt two crescents of the first. 'See Appendix, Note H. 'See Appendix, Note L Alike to him was time or tide, By England's King, and Scotland's Queen. XXII. "Sir William of Deloraine, good at need, Seek thou the Monk of St. Mary's aisle. For this will be St. Michael's night, And, though stars be dim, the moon is bright. And the Cross, of bloody red, Will point to the grave of the mighty dead. XXIII. "What he gives thee, see thou keep; Stay not thou for food or sleep: Be it scroll, or be it book, Into it, Knight, thou must not look; XXIV. "O swiftly can speed my dapple-grey steed, Ere break of day," the Warrior 'gan say, And safer by none may thy errand be done, Letter nor line know I never a one, XXV. Soon in his saddle sate he fast, And cross'd old Borthwick's roaring strand; 1 Hairibee, the place of executing the Border marauders at Carlisle. The neck-verse is the beginning of the 51st Psalm, Miserere mei, &c., anciently read by criminals claiming the benefit of clergy. 2 › Barbican, the defence of the outer gate of a feudal castle. 'Peel, a Border tower. "This is a round artificial mount near Hawick, which, from its name, (Mot. Ang. Sax. Concilium, Conventus,) was probably anciently used as a place for assembling a national council of the adjacent tribes. There are many such mounds in Scotland, and they are sometimes, but rarely, of a square form. |