64 THE SONGS OF 



Blithe may sound the bell, 

 Yet 'twill toll thy knell ; 

 Scathed thy chaplet by the thunder 



Beware that blighted wreath.' 



" Beware my bridal day ! 



Dying lips my doom have spoken ; 



Deep tones call me away ; 



From the grave is sent a token. 

 Cold cold fingers bring 

 That ill-omen'd ring, 

 Soon will a second heart be broken ; 

 This is my bridal day." 



Or this, which we suspect will realize what the Germans call the 

 principle of antagonism. It is sung by the gay Tom King next to 

 Du Val, one of the pleasantest fellows on the road : 



" PLEDGE OF THE HIGHWAYMAN. 



" Come fill up a bumper to Eve's fairest daughters, 



Who have lavished their smiles on the brave and the free ; 

 Toast the sweethearts of Dudley, Hind, Wilmot, and Waters,* 



Whate'er their attractions, whate'er their degree. 

 Pledge pledge in a bumper, each kind-hearted maiden, 



Whose bright eyes were dimmed at the Highwayman's fall 

 Who stood by the gallows with sorrow o'erladen, 



Bemoaning the fate of the gallant Du Val.t 



" Here's to each pretty lass chance of war bringeth near one, 



Whom, with manner empassioned, we tenderly stop ; 

 And to whom, like the lover addressing his dear one, 



In terms of entreaty the question we pop. 

 How oft in such case rosy lips have proved sweeter 



Than the rosiest book bright eyes saved a bright ring, 

 While that one other kiss has bought off a repeater ; 



And a bead as & favour the favourite string. 



" With our hearts ready rifled, each pocket we rifle, 



With the pure flame of chivalry stirring our breast ; 

 Life's risk for our mistress's praise is a trifle; 

 And each purse is a trophy our homage attests. 



* " Four celebrated highwaymen, all rejoicing in the honourable distinction 

 of Captain." 



f " Of this gay and chivalrous robber, his flageolet and couranto, his bonnes 

 fortunes, his masked visitants, his gorgeous funeral, and the crowd of damsels 

 who bewailed his loss, we have spoken at some length in our first volume ; but 

 they who desire to hear more of him will do well, if they are not already ac- 

 quainted with it, to turn to a delightful essay on the subject of Thieves, Ancient 

 and Modern, in Mr. Leigh Hunt's Indicator, in which there is a sparkling 

 sketch of the gallant Claude. Our only regret is that Mr. Hunt did not ex- 

 patiate more upon the Highwaymen ; but we trust he will repair this error in 

 the London Journal, and give us a brilliant page or two on the denizens of the 

 empire of High Toby. A-propos of the Lonion Journal, let us, even in "a hasty 

 note, wish Mr. Hunt all the success in his new undertaking, which he so richly 

 merits; and counsel all our readers who love the cordial, the kindly, the 

 amiable, the poetical, the fanciful, and the reasonable in every sense, at once to 

 become subscribers to this pleasantest of pleasant hebdomadals. He who can 

 turn even ' stones' to gems must possess a subtle alchemy." 



