266 



IX. 



*' ' Woe to the clansman who shall view 

 This symbol of sepulchral yew, 

 Forgetful that its branches grew 

 Where weep the heavens their holiest dew 



On Alpine dwelling low. 

 Deserter of his chieftain's trust, 

 He ne'er shall mingle with their dust, 

 But from his sires and kinsmen thrust, 

 Each clansman's execration just 



Shall doom him wrath and woe,' 

 He paus'd : the word the vassals took 

 With forward step and fiery look ; 

 On high their naked brands they shook. 

 Their clattering targets wildly strook. 



And first in murmurs low, 

 Then, like the billow on his course, 

 That far to seaward finds its source, 

 And flings to shore its muster'd force. 

 Burst with loud roar their murmurs 

 hoarse *' 



' Woe to the traitor, woe !' 

 Benan's grey scalp the accents knew : 

 The joyous wolf from cover drew, 

 Th' exulting eagle scream'd afar — 

 They knew the voice of Alpine's war. 



XI. 



" Then deeper paus'd the priest anew, 

 And hard his lab'ring breath he drew, 

 While, with set teeth and clenched hand, 

 And eyes that glow like fiery brand, 

 He meditated curse more dread, 

 And deadlier on the clansman's head, 

 Who, summon'd to his chieftain's aid, 

 The signal saw, and disobey'd. 

 The crosslet's points of sparkling wood 

 He quench'd among the bubbling blood; 



And as again the sign he rear'd 

 Hollow his curse and voice was heard. 

 * When flits this cross from man to man, 

 Vich Alpine's summons to his clan, 

 Burst be the ear that fails to heed, 

 Palsied the foot that shuns to speed. 

 May ravens tear the careless eyes, 

 Wolves make the coward heart their 

 prize. 



As sinks that blood stream in the earth, 

 So may his heart's blood drench his 

 hearth ; 



As dies in hissing gore this spark. 

 Quench so his light, destruction dark ; 

 And be the grace to him denied 

 Brought by this sign to all beside.' 

 He ceas'd ; no echo gave again 

 The murmur of that deep amen. 

 Fast as the fatal symbol flies. 

 In arms the huts and hamlets rise ; 

 From winding glen, from upland brown, 

 They pour'd each hardy tenant down ; 

 Nor slack' d the messenger his pace — 

 He show'd the sign, he nam'd the place, 

 And, pressing forward like the wind, 

 Left clamour and surprise behind. 

 The fisherman forsook the strand, 

 The swarthy smith took dirk and brand ; 

 With changed cheer the mower blithe 

 Left in the half-cut swathe his scythe ; 

 The herds without a keeper staid, 

 The plough was in mid furrow laid ; 

 The falc'ner toss'd his hawk away, 

 The hunter left the stag at bay ; 

 Prompt at the signal of alarms. 

 Each son of Alpine rush'd to arms. 

 So swept the tumult and afi^ray 

 Along the margin of Achray." 



These beautiful lines give us a view, in vivid language, how ^these 

 rings were transmitted as the emblem of the supreme Priest and 

 his warrant ; this was not restricted to a stalf or any particular badge. 

 "We learn, in a curious passage of Peter of Dusburg, an early contempo- 

 rary chronicler of the conflict of the Teutonic knights with the ancient 

 Wends of heathen Prussia, that this symbol might be a staff or any other 

 known sign sent round by the Krive to his subjects ; and what so known 

 as the ring always kept in the temple ? 



''Puit in media nationis hujus perversae, scilicet in ]N"adrovia, locus 

 quidem dictus Remove in quo habitabat quidem dictus Crive quem co- 

 lebant pro papa, quia sicut dominus papa regit universalem ecclesiam 

 fidelium ita istius nutum seu mandatum non solum gentis prsedictae sed 

 Lithowini et ali£e nationes Livoniae terrse regebantur. Tantse fuit auc- 

 toritatis quod non solum ipse vel aliquis de sanguine suo verum et nun- 



