THE HAMILTON ASSOCIATION. Ot 
‘© Look here, look here, the moon shines clear, 
Full fast I ween we ride, 
Mount and away ! for ere the day 
We reach our bridal bed. 
‘© The black barb snorts, the bridle rings ; 
Haste, busk and boune, and seat thee ; 
The feast is made, the chamber spread, 
The bridal guests await thee.” 
Strong love prevail’d ; she busks, she bounes, 
She mounts the barb behind, 
And round her darling William’s waist 
Her lily arms she twined. 
And hurry ! hurry! off they rode, 
As fast as fast might be, 
Spurned from the courser’s thundering heels 
The flashing pebbles flee. 
And on the right, and on the left, 
’Ere they could snatch a view, 
Fast, fast each mountain, mead and plain 
And cot and castle flew. 
Sit fast, dost fear 2 The moon shines clear— 
Fleet goes my barb, keep hold ! 
Fearest thou? ‘‘O no,” she faintly said ; 
‘But why so stern and cold? 
‘‘ What yonder rings? what yonder sings ? 
Why shrieks the owlet grey ?” 
Tis death-bell’s clang, ’tis funeral song, 
The body to the clay. 
“ With song and clang, at morrow’s dawn, 
Ye may inter the dead ; 
To-night I ride with my young bride 
To deck our bridal bed. 
6 
Come with thy choir, thou coffin’d guest, 
To swell our nuptial song. 
Come priest to bless our marriage feast, 
Come all, come all along !”’ 
Ceased clang and song, down sunk the bier ; 
The shrouded corpse arose ; 
And hurry ! hurry ! all the train, 
The thundering steed pursues. 
And forward ! forward ! on they go ; 
High snorts the straining steed ; 
Thick pants the rider’s labouring breath 
As headlong on they speed. 
O William, why this savage haste ? 
And where thy bridal bed ? 
’Tis distant far, low, damp and chill, 
And narrow, trustless maid, 
