1808.] Remarks on the Poetic Romance of Marmion. 
The portrait of Constance is also highly 
wrought :— 
&¢ Her look composed, and. mse eye 
Bespoke a matchless constancy : 
And there she stoodso calm and pale, 
That but herbreathing did not fail, 
And motion slight of eye, or head, 
And of her bosom, warranted 5 
That neither sensé nor pulse she lacksy 
You might have thought a form of wax 
Wrought to the very life was there, 
Se still she was, so pale, so fair, 
Ee Sa Ce ee 
The woeful maid 
Gathering her powers to speak essayed ; 
Twice she essayed and twice in vain 
Her accents might no utterance gain. 
Nought but imperfect murmurs slip 
From her convulsed and quivering lip. 
At length an effort sent apart, 
The blood that curdled to her heart, 
And light came to hereye ; 
And colour dawned upon her cheeky 
A hecticand a fluttered streak, 
Like that left on the Cheviot peak 
By Autumn’s stormy sky. 
And when her silence broke at length, 
Still as she spoke she gathered strength, 
And armed herself to bear. 
It was a fearful sight to see 
Such high resolve and constancy, 
’ In form so soft and fair.” 
Had the whole poem been written in a 
strain equal or similar to the above, it 
would, to adopt the expression of a great 
critic, “ have been in vain to censure, and 
useless to commend.” 
CaNTO III. 
At the close of the day, under the guid- 
ance of the Palmer,Lord Marmion and his 
train arrived at a village inn, were it was 
determined to pass the succeeding night. 
When assembled around the blazing 
hearth, the dark visage of the silent Pal- 
mer fixed its constant gaze on Marmion. 
More than once stern encountering 
glances passed between them. At length 
_ Fitz-Eustace, one of the company, was 
called upon for a song; the accidental 
subject of which awakened remorse in 
the breast of Marmion, who remarked, 
in terror concealed under the mask of 
Po rmailes, that as Eustace -sung, a death- 
peal seemed to ring in his ear, and asked 
what it portended ? To which, the Pal- 
mer, breaking silence for the first time, 
replied, “ the death of a dear friend.” 
Here we are told that something in the 
tone orlook of the Palmer strack so full 
upon the conscience of Marmion, that 
answer he found none, And well might 
he faulter, for by his aid, as it now comes 
out most aukwardly and inartificially, 
~was Constance Beverley betrayed into 
101 
the hands of the “ stern priests,” not we 
are indeed assured, as a victim but a 
slave. 
«¢ Dreary restraint, in convent strange 
Would hide her wrongs and her revenge.” 
This, however, is a paltry pretext, 
as her betrayer must have known that 
a dreadful and fatal punishment ayait- 
ed her, 
A dismal conflict ensues in the bosom 
of Marmion between repentance and re- 
viving love, like whirlwinds contending 
for sway on Loch Vennachar. The pro- 
priety of this simile is not very. striking ; 
but at this critical moment the host in- 
terferes, and desires permission to relate 
a traditionary tale, or hamlet legend. 
This being granted, he told how in ane 
cient times the Scottish monarch, Alex- 
ander-III, came to seek Sir Hugo, lord 
and founder of the neighbouring fortress. 
This was a famous wizard, who built the 
castle by the power of his magic, His 
errand was to ascertain the result of a~ 
Norse invasion which threatened his king- 
dom, The king was directed by the ma~ 
gician to repair on horseback at mid- 
night to the neighbouring rampart, and 
there wind his bugle-horn ; ; and a Gothic 
foe would appear, whom if the king could 
conquer with his lance, hé should know 
his destiny, but if his prowess failed him, 
his life, as he was given to understand, 
wonld be the sacrifice. 
The monarch following this direction, 
a phantom armed on horseback rose to 
view, in the form of England’s sovereign, 
Edward I. who was at this time waging 
holy war in Palestine. The Scottish 
king ran against the Elfin knight, and 
overthrew horse and man, The ‘phantora 
then foretold the famous battle at Largs, 
which the king saw in glorious vision. 
From that time the armed phantom, ac- 
cording to this marvellous tale, appeared 
nightly, upon the hill on the same spet 
“in the charmed ring.” 
Marmion and his train now retired to 
rest ; when Fitz-Eustace, who slept 
amid the hay of a waste-loft, was in the 
dead of night awakened by Lord Mar-. 
mion, who told him his determination to 
repair to the scene of Elfin chivalry de- 
scribed by the host. Eustace thereupon 
saddled his master’s steed, and Marmion 
rode forth on his adventure. After pa- 
tiently awaiting his return, Fitz-~Kustace 
heard at a distance the footsteps of a 
flying steed: and presently Lord Mar- 
mion swiftly approached him, and silenily 
dismounting, Fitz-Kustace saw his falcon 
crest was soiled, and thithe had evident- 
ly 
