VI.

Full many a maid her true-love met,
And sobb'd in his embrace,
And flutt'ring joy in tears and smiles
Array'd full many a face.

VII.

Nor joy nor smile for Helen sad;
She sought the host in vain;

For none could tell her William's fate,
If faithless, or if slain.

VIII.

The martial band is past and gone;
She rends her raven hair,

And in distraction's bitter mood

She weeps with wild despair.

IX.

"O rise, my child," her mother said, "Nor sorrow thus in vain ;

1

A perjured lover's fleeting heart
No tears recall again."-

"O. mother, what is

X.

gone, is gone,

What's lost for ever lorn:

Death, death alone can comfort me;

O had I ne'er been born!

XI.

"O break, my heart, O break at once! Drink my life-blood, Despair!

No joy remains on earth for me, . ⠀

For me in heaven no share.”m, mi

XII.

"O enter not in judgment, Lord!" The pious mother prays;

"Impute not guilt to thy frail child! She knows not what she says.

XIII.

"O say thy pater noster, child!
O turn to God and grace!

His will, that turn'd thy bliss to bale,
Can change thy bale to bliss.".

XIV.

"O mother, mother, what is bliss? O mother, what is bale?

My William's love was heaven on earth, Without it earth is hell.

66

XV.

"Why should I pray to ruthless Heaven, Since my loved William's slain?

I only pray'd for William's sake,
And all my prayers were vain."

XVI.

"O take the sacrament, my child,
And check these tears that flow;

By resignation's humble prayer,
O hallow'd be thy woe!"-

XVII.

"No sacrament can quench this fire,
Or slake this scorching pain;

No sacrament can bid the dead
Arise and live again.

XVIII.

"O break, my heart, O break at once! Be thou my god, Despair!

Heaven's heaviest blow has fallen on me, And vain each fruitless prayer.”·

XIX.

"O enter not in judgment, Lord, With thy frail child of clay!

She knows not what her tongue has spoke; Impute it not, I pray!

XX.

"Forbear, my child, this desperate woe,
And turn to God and grace;
Well can devotion's heavenly glow
Convert thy bale to bliss."

XXI.

"O mother, mother, what is bliss? O mother, what is bale?

Without my William what were heaven,

Or with him what were hell?"

XXII.

Wild she arraigns the eternal doom,
Upbraids each sacred power,

Till, spent, she sought her silent room,
All in the lonely tower.

XXIII.

She beat her breast, she wrung her hands,

Till sun and day, were o'er,

And through the glimmering lattice shone The twinkling of the star.

XXIV.

Then, crash the heavy drawbridge fell
That o'er the moat was hung;
And, clatter! clatter! on its boards
The hoof of courser rung.

XXV.

The clank of echoing steel was heard

As off the rider bounded;
And slowly on the winding stair

A heavy footstep sounded.

XXVI.

And hark! and hark! a knock-Tap! tap!
A rustling stifled noise;
Door-latch and tinkling staples ring;-

At length a whispering voice.

XXVII.

"Awake, awake, arise, my love! How, Helen, dost thou fare?

Wak'st thou, or sleep'st? laugh'st thou, or weep'st? Hast thought on me, my fair?".

XXVIII.

66 My love! my love!-so late by night!→
I waked, I wept for thee:

Much have I borne since dawn of morn;
Where, William, could'st thou be?"—

XXIX.

"We saddle late-from Hungary

I rode since darkness fell;

And to its bourne we both return
Before the matin bell.".

XXX.

"O rest this night within my arms, And warm thee in their fold!

Chill howls through hawthorn bush the wind:My love is deadly cold."

XXXI.

"Let the wind howl through hawthorn bush! This night we must away;

The steed is wight, the spur is bright;
I cannot stay till day."

XXXII.

“Busk, busk, and boune! Thou mount'st behind Upon my black barb steed:

O'er stock and stile, a hundred miles,
We haste to bridal bed."-

XXXIII.

"To-night-to-night a hundred miles!

O dearest William, stay!

The bell strikes twelve-dark, dismal hour!
O wait, my love, till day!"-

XXXIV.

"Look here, look here- the moon shines clear

Full fast I ween we ride;

Mount and away! for ere the day

We reach our bridal bed.

XXXV.

"The black barb snorts, the bridle rings;
Haste, busk, and boune, and seat thee!
The feast is made, the chamber spread,
The bridal guests await thee."