XXI.

Then tell me,” cried the youth, "who was my sire,
And wherefore thou, estranged from mortal clay,
Bearest so dark a doom of penal fire,

A wretched wanderer on the Heavens' high way,
Once Albion's princess, now an elfin grey?
Too long thou tirest with boding saws my breast,
Mocking thy son with phantoms of dismay,
Whose ardent soul, by feverish doubt opprest,

Burns o'er the unfinish'd tale, and longs to hear the rest.”

XXII.

The faery grasp'd his mailed hand, and led
Where the deep waters, rolling silently,
Beneath the western gate their mirror spread,
And on the giant walls and arches high
A lonely horror sate continually.

No warder, there with beacon flaming bright,
Needed with weary pace his watch to ply,
But cold and calm, the sinking stars of night
Play'd on the rippling wave with ineffectual light.

XXIII.

There, where adown the solitary steep,

With foxglove twined, and mosses silver grey,

A trickling runnel seem'd the fate to weep
Of one whose rustic tomb beside it lay,
That lovely sorceress bent her mournful way;
And gathering strength-" Behold the honours here
Bestow'd by Arthur on thy parent's clay!

Behold! forgive, my boy, this coward tear;

Blood, blood alone shall soothe the ghost who wanders near!

XXIV.

"He, when of downy youth the vernal light
Play'd on thy mother's cheek now wan with care,
And many a peer of fame and many a knight
To Britain's princess pour'd the tender prayer,
He, only he, the valiant and the fair,

To this weak heart an easy entrance found;

An humble squire; but not an empire's heir Could vie with Paladore on listed ground; With every manly grace, and every virtue crown'd.

XXV.

"O days of bliss, O hope chastised by fear,

When on my lap reclined the careless boy,
Chid my faint sighs, and kiss'd my falling tear!
He knew not, he, what bitter doubts annoy
Of unpermitted love the trembling joy;
He knew not till my brother's thirsty blade

Flash'd o'er his head, impetuous to destroy.
I clasp'd the tyrant's knees, I wept, I pray'd;
O God, on Arthur's soul be all my griefs repaid!

XXVI.

“When from a trance of senseless agony

I woke to keener pangs, by frenzy stung, Reckless of Arthur's late repentant cry,

Fire in my brain and curses on my tongue, From yonder cliff my wretched frame I flung; Alas, th' enchanted wind my weight upbore, While in mine ears an elvish chorus rung, -Come, kindred spirit, to our cloudy shore! With fays, thyself a fay, come wander evermore!'

XXVII.

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Since, on the rolling clouds or ocean blue, Or 'mid the secrets of our nether sphere, The goblin leader of a goblin crew,

I wander wide; but ill may mortal ear Of faery land the mystic revels hear! Short be my tale! one earthly thing alone,

One helpless infant to my heart was dear, Bright in whose eyes his either parent shone, Rear'd by their pitying foe, my son, my blessed son!"

XXVIII.

She ceased, and round his linked hauberk threw
Her mother arms, and on his iron breast
(The rough mail moistening with tender dew)
A kiss, the seal of bitter love, imprest.
He, stern and dark, no kindly glow confest,
With face averted and with frozen eye,

Where softer passion never dared to rest,
But cunning seem'd with sullen pride to vie,
Calm, calculating hate, and damned cruelty.

XXIX.

* How I have train'd thee, with what potent charms My magic care thy tender frame imbued, How nursed thy youth for empire and for arms, And how, in Derwent's mountain solitude, I rear'd thy destined bride," the fay pursued, "And what strange chance o'erthrew mine airy skill, Alas, thou know'st it all! yet to delude

The force we cannot stem is triumph still,

And from reluctant fate t' extort our good or ill.

XXX.

O earth! how many wonders wonderful
In thy large lap and parent bosom lie,
Which whoso knows (few know them all) to cull,

May drag the struggling planets from on high,
And turn the land to sea, the sea to dry;
Yea, not man's will, by God created free,
Can match their strange mysterious potency,
Nor love nor hate so firmly fixed be,

But love must yield and hate to magic's dark decree.

XXXI.

"A ring there is of perfect diamond stone,
Such as no mining slave is train❜d to seek,
Nor Soldan numbers on his orient throne,
Nor diving Ethiop from his sultry creek
Has borne so rich a prize; for who shall speak
What unseen virtues in its orbit dwell?

Press it, the fiends attend in homage meek;

Turn it, the bearer walks invisible ;

Ah, who the hidden force of smallest things may tell?

XXXII.

"That same to one of regal race I lent,

Who now perforce must render back the prize,

For of his stars the danger imminent,

And guiltless blood loud crying to the skies
Alarm all hell; do thou as I desire;
This self-same morn depart for Scottish land,
There Urgan seek, king Pellea's uncle wise,

And bid him yield to thy deputed hand

That ring of diamond stone, for such is Morgue's command..

XXXIII.

"Have we not heard how shepherd Gyges bare,
By like deceit from old Candaule's bed,
In naked beauty seen, the Lydian fair,

And kingly circle from his dotard head,

Thenceforth himself a king ?”—“No more!" he said— 'Mother, no more! or ere the sun's bright round Have tinged yon eastern cloud with lively red,

My fiery steed shall paw the spangled ground,
And on the Cattraeth's side my clashing arms resound."

XXXIV.

Like as the hawk from hidden durance free

Springs from the falc'ner's wrist, the eager knight, His dark cheek warm with savage ecstasy,

Burst from his parent's hold. She with delight
His warrior mien beheld and giant height,
Awhile beheld, then, rapt in mist away,

Back to the bridal turret bent her flight,
There closely couch'd amid the rushes grey,
O power of wicked spells!-a seeming hind she lay.

XXXV.

By this the fiery wheeled charioteer

Had raised above the fringed hills his head,
And o'er the skies in molten amber clear
A flood of life and liquid beauty shed,
When, sun-like, rising from his fragrant bed,
All glorious in his bliss, the bridegroom king

Pass'd to the common hall, and with him led,
Blushing and beauteous as that morn of spring,
The fair foredoomed cause of Albion's sorrowing