1823.] 
And quench this fleeting spark of light 
In horror and eternal night,— 
For God looks down, and feasts his sight 
Upon our sharpest sorrows.” 
“Blest Lord! turn back to her true path 
A lost and wretched maiden ; 
Endare her yet, altho’ with wrath 
Thy scale is heavy laden. 
Ah! child, forget a foolish love, 
And think of joys that reign above; 
Be patient as the patient dove, 
And thou wilt surely prosper.’ 
“O mother, I but little heed 
Those dreams of future glory ; 
And still would love, altho’ my meed 
Were hell or purgatory. 
Ah! woe’s the day that gave me birth,— 
The joys of heaven, and of earth, 
To me would seem of little worth, 
Unless my true-love shar’d them.” 
Thus bow’d beneath affliction’s rod, 
With bosom wildly raging, 
She still continued with her God 
A horrid warfare waging : 
She beat her bosom, rent her brow, 
Until the sun had spent its glow, 
And brightly rose in heaven’s how 
The stars, with golden sparkle. 
And, as she listen’d, on the heath 
A horse’s hoof did rumble ; 
Down jump'd a rider, close beneath 
The gateway, neat and humble : 
And then the bell, which hung aloft, 
Was pull‘d until it tingled oft, 
While thro’ the key-hole, sweet and soft, 
A well-known voice did whisper : 
** Halloo! halloo! my love, arise, 
And greet the early morrow; 
Shake slumber from thy gentle eyes, 
And from thy bosom sorrow.” 
Then, wildly starting, up she rose : 
“Ah! Witliam,—what! escap’d the foes! 
What I have borne no mortal knows: 
From whither bast thou journey’d ?” 
“¢Reproach me not: I come from where 
Boliemia’s woods are spreading ; 
And I will take thee back, my fair, 
And we will have a wedding.” 
‘¢First enter, William, I entreat, 
For through the hawthorn drives the sleet, 
And Ill unboot thy frozen feet, 
And warm tlie in my bosom.” 
“Ha! Ict it blow with freezing gust, 
’T will make our limbs the stronger ; 
My steed is snorting,—go I must, 
And dare not tarry longer : 
Have conrage, and behind me spring,— 
T long to be upon the wing ; 
A short one hundred miles will bring 
Our course to its conclusion.” 
“ To ride so far this night, my love, 
Thou surely hast not power ; 
For hark! the tarret-clock above 
Proclaims the eleventh hour.” 
Mr. Borrow's ** Lenora.” 
335 
“ Tush, tush,—the moon is shining bright, 
We ride as fast as levin-light ; 
And I will bring thee, maid, this night 
Unto the bed of marriage.” 
. 
‘¢ But say where is this bed? I fear, 
O William, thy intentions.” 
“Far off it lies —cool, dark, and drear, 
And not of large dimensions!” ; 
“ Hast room for me?’?—*‘ O do not doubt; 
Come, come, my time is nearly gut, 
The marriage guests and all the rout 
Await thee with impatience.” 
Swift at the word, the maiden sprung 
Upon the horse, behind him ; 
And to her trusty knight she clung, 
And with her arms entwin’d him. 
Then hurry, hurry, from the spot, 
Away they speed,—away they trot,— 
Till breathing thick, and breathing hot, 
The charger snorts beneath them. 
On either hand they Jeave aloof 
The mountains and the ridges ; 
But still the charger plies his hoof, 
And thunders o’er the bridges. 
“ Dost fear, dost fear, my youthful bride ? 
The wintry moon is beaming wide; 
Hurrah! the dead-men well can ride, 
Onr course will soon be ended.” 
“But, hark! what means that mutter’d 
sound, 
Why croaks the watchful raven? 
O yes! some Inckless wretch is bound 
‘To his eternal haven!” 
And then there came a fumeral throng, 
Which bore a dingy hearse along; 
And lond and dismal was the song, 
As croak of toads in marshes, 
Then instantly the warrior cried, 
With a tremendous halloo, 
“Tf carry home my youthful bride, 
And you, by G—, must follow; 
Come, sexton,—come with all the train, 
And howl us out a bridal strain; j 
And you, sir priest, I must detain, 
To bless the marriage-chamber.” 
Then instantly they left the dead, 
Obedient to his calling, 
And, hurrying on, behind him sped, 
With noise and shouts appalling ; 
And then, like lightning, from the spot 
Away they speed, away they trot ; 
Till breathing thick, and breathing hot, 
The charger snorts beneath them. 
And on the left, and on the right, 
Flew forest, wood, and city ; 
While, ever and anon, the knight 
Sung out his fearful diity : 
“ Dost tear, my love? Hold firm and fast: 
Hurrah! the dead-men ride at last ; 
Full many a weary league is past 
Since we began our journey. 
“ But yonder see, upon the plain, 
Where pallid beams are glancing, 
A rabble-rout, and spectre-train, 
With gambols wild are dancing : 
Halloo! 
