The mottled gloaming dusky grew, Or else we might a furrow trace, Hark he comes! The young bridegroom, Rides on, rides blindly to his doom, His heart that witch hath sworn to kill. Up to the fosse he rode so free, There his steed stumbled and he fell, She dances round him where he stands, She blows upon his eyes and hands, "Ye cannot visit her to-night, Nor ever again," the witch-wife cried; "But thou shalt do as I think right, 66 And do it swift without a guide. Upon the top of Tintock Hill This night there rests the yearly mist, In silence go, your tongue keep still, And find for me the dead man's kist. "Within the kist there is a cup, Thou'lt find it by the dead man's shine, Take it thus! thus fold it up,— It holds for me the wisdom-wine. "Go to the top of Tintock hill, "The kist will open, take the cup, Heed ye not the dead man's shine, Take it thus, thus fold it up, Bring it to me and I am thine.” He went, he could make answer none, She had the cup from that strange bed. Into the hut she fled at once, She drank the wine ;-forthwith behold! A radiant damozel advance From that black door in silken fold. The little Circe flower she held Towards the boy with such a smile Made his heart leap, he was compelled To take it gently as a child. She turned, he followed, passed the door, The Abbot found the steed, no more, WILLIAM BELL SCOTT. THE SWevens came up round Harold the Earl, And over him stood the Weird Lady, "Thy steed is dead in his stall, Earl Harold, The rust has eaten thy harness bright, Mary Mother she stooped from heaven; To don his harness on; And over the land and over the sea He wended abroad to his own countrie, A weary way to gon. Oh but his beard was white with eld, Oh but his hair was gray; Earl Harold came to his castle wall; Earl Harold came to a house of nuns, The nuns they came from the convent gate By one, by two, by three; They sang for the soul of a lady bright Who died for the love of a traitor knight : It was his own lady He stayed the corpse beside the grave; "A sign, a sign!" quod he. Mary Mother who rulest heaven, Send me a sign if I be forgiven By the woman who so loved me." A white dove out of the coffin flew ; Earl Harold's mouth it kist; He fell on his face, wherever he stood; And the white dove carried his soul to God Or ever the bearers wist. "O MARY, go and call the cattle home, And call the cattle home, And call the cattle home Across the sands of Dee;" The western wind was wild and dank with foam, And all alone went she. |