46 



" W hilst they the corpse at dead of 

 night 



Bury with lamentation, 



I bear my bride through pale moon- 

 light 



To nuptial jubilation : 



Come, sexton, come, the graves 

 among. 



Chaunt us the hymeneal song ; 



Come, pai-son, speak a blessing 



Whilst our bride-bed's a-dressing." 



MoiirnMly slow goes by the bier 

 To sound of solemn dirges ; 

 The echoing hoof strikes on the ear 

 The fleet barb onward urges. 

 Hurrah, hiirrali, thesteed doth champ, 

 That swiftly gallops tramp, tramp, 



tramp, 

 For knight and barb on bounded 

 Till road and rock resounded. 



Flew right and left, and left and right 

 The mountains, trees, and hedges ; 

 Flew right and lelt, to left and right 

 Village and gable-ledges. 

 "Dost fear, my love?— the moon 



shines bright ; 

 Hun-ah, the dead ride fast to-night ; 

 Dost fear the dead, my darling ':" 

 " No. —Why the dead, my darling r" 



See there! See there! on gallows 



high 

 The ruffian corpses dancing ! 

 A breezy band are they, T.'een I, 

 In fihastly moonlight glancing. 

 " Hollo I ye ruffian company. 

 Come down. I say, and tollow me ; 

 A skeleton dtince dance nigh us 

 VV hilst we to bride-bed hie us. 



Behind the skeleton dancers rush 

 \< ith bones and chains a-clinking, 

 Like gusty winds on hazel-bush 

 And withered leaflets sinking : 

 Hurrah, hurrah, the steed doth 



champ. 

 That swiftly gallops tramp, tramp, 



tramp. 

 For knight and barb on bounded 

 Till road and rock resoimded. 



The moon shone high ; all things 



flew past 

 1 hat maid clasp'd round her lover ; 

 All things flew bv ; the stars shot 



faf t 

 ^^■ithin the heaven above her. _ 

 "Dost fear, my love? The' moon 



shines bright ; 



Hurrah, the dead ride fast to-night ; 

 Dost fear the dead, my darhng ?" 

 " No. — Why the dead, my darhng ?" 



" Barb, barb, the farm-cock crowe th 



there. 

 Haste, hast not far to carry ; 

 Barb, barb, I smeU the morning air, 

 There is no time to tarry. 

 Hurrah, now finished is our ride, 

 'J he bed is waiting for the bride ; 

 The dead ride fast and steady." 

 My love, here all is ready." 



Then at full speed the foaming steed 

 Dashed towai-ds the iron gateway ; 

 And far apai't, wide open start 

 The ponderous portals straighway : 

 The frighted night-bird croaking 



cries ; 

 Over the graves the wild barb flies ; 

 1 he tombstones there are gleaming 

 In moonlight palely streaming. 



But look ! and who would dare 



confess 

 So fearful dread a wonder ? 

 For piece by piece the strange knight's 



dress 

 IMouldered and fell assunder ; 

 His head became a naked skull, 

 An eyeless skull as blank ew dull. 

 His body grew quite warmless, 

 And turned to skeleton formless, 



1 he steed pranced his^h, till sparks 



flew 'round. 

 As from rocks cleft asunder ; 

 I'hen snorting wild with one fierce 



bound 

 Vanished the churchyard under. 

 From upper air fell words of woe ; 

 From out the vaults came moanings 



low ; 

 Untill Lenore's heart quaking 

 Twixt life and death was breaking., 



Now round and round, to ghostly 



strains. 

 Within the moonshine glancing 

 Blithe danced those skeletons in their 



chains. 

 And shouted in their dancing : 

 '•Have trust, have trust! though 



heart should break ; 

 Never thy God to question take ; 

 The hand of Death doth bind thee, 

 May God's great mercy find thee I " 



Joseph Fox. 



