God comfort thee, my Sister! At that voice Of consolation, from her dreamy state, Goervyl to a sense of all her woe

Awoke, and burst into a gush of tears.

God comfort thee, my Sister! cried the Queen, Even as He strengthens me. I would not raise Deceitful hope,.. but in his Hand, even yet, The issue hangs; and He is merciful.

Yea, daughter of Aberfraw, take thou hope! For Madoc lives!.. he lives to wield the sword Of righteous vengeance, and accomplish all.

XVII.

The Deliverance.

MADOC, meantime, in bonds and solitude,
Lay listening to the tumult. How his heart
Panted! how, then, with fruitless strength, he strove
And struggled for enlargement, as the sound
Of battle from without the city came ;
While all things near were still, nor foot of man
Nor voice, in that deserted part, were heard.
At length one light and solitary step

Approached the place; a woman crossed the door.
From Madoc's busy mind her image passed,
Quick as the form that caused it; but not so
Did the remembrance fly from Coatel,

That Madoc lay in bonds. That thought possessed

Her soul, and made her, as she garlanded

The fane of Coatlantona with flowers,

Tremble in strong emotion.

It was now

The hour of dusk; the Pabas all were gone,
Gone to the battle;.. none could see her steps;
The gate was nigh. A momentary thought
Shot through her; she delayed not to reflect,
But hastened to the Prince, and took the knife
Of sacrifice, which by the altar hung,
And cut his bonds, and, with an eager eye,
Motioning haste and silence, to the gate
She led him. Fast along the forest way,
And fearfully, he followed to the chasm.
She beckoned, and descended, and drew out
From underneath her vest, a cage, or net
It rather might be called, so fine the twigs
Which knit it, where confined two fire-flies gave
Their lustre. By that light did Madoc first
Behold the features of his lovely guide;

And through the entrance of the cavern gloom,
He followed in full trust.

Now have they reached

The abrupt descent; there Coatel held forth
Her living lamp, and turning, with a smile
Sweet as good Angels wear when they present
Their mortal charge before the throne of Heaven,

She showed where little Hoel slept below.
Poor child! he lay upon that very spot,
The last whereto his feet had followed her;
And, as he slept, his hand was on the bones
Of one, who years agone had perished there;
There, on the place where last his wretched
eyes
Could catch the gleam of day. But when the voice,
The well-known voice of Madoc wakened him,..
His Uncle's voice,.. he started, with a scream
Which echoed through the cavern's winding length,
And stretched his arms to reach him. Madoc hushed
The dangerous transport, raised him up the ascent,
And followed Coatel again, whose face,

Though tears of pleasure still were coursing down,
Betokened fear and haste. Adown the wood
They went; and, coasting now the lake, her eye
First what they sought beheld, a light canoe,
Moored to the bank. Then in her arms she took
The child, and kissed him with maternal love,
And placed him in the boat; but when the Prince,
With looks and gestures and imperfect words,
Such as the look, the gesture, well explained,
Urged her to follow, doubtfully she stood;

A dread of danger, for the thing she had done,
Came on her, and Lincoya rose to mind.
Almost she had resolved; but then she thought
Of her dear father, whom that flight would leave
Alone in age; how he would weep for her,
As one among the dead, and to the grave
Go sorrowing; or, if ever it were known
What she had dared, that on his head the weight
Of punishment would fall. That dreadful fear
Resolved her, and she waved her head, and raised
Her hand, to bid the Prince depart in haste,
With looks whose painful seriousness forbade
All farther effort. Yet unwillingly,

And boding evil, Madoc from the shore

Pushed off his little boat. She on its way

Stood gazing for a moment, lost in thought,
Then struck into the woods.

Swift through the lake

Madoc's strong arm impelled the light canoe.
Fainter and fainter to his distant ear

The sound of battle came; and now the Moon
Arose in heaven, and poured o'er lake and land
A soft and mellowing ray. Along the shore
Llaian was wandering with distracted steps,