1799: ] ( 
ORIGINAL 
38543) 
MOQ ESTAR ¥i. 
rE 
. 
Rarsiac*. 
FrAIR Buda’a walls and ftately tow’rs, 
Gleam horrible with war 5 
While Ferdinand with fury pours 
His legions from afar. 
Beleagur’d long-with filent care 
He delves the treacherous mine, 
And hiffing thro’ the troubl’d air 
His arrowy tempetts ihine. 
And now what mifery appears, 
Of every form and hue! 
What youthful lovers bleed ! What tears 
Affectiun’s cheek bedew ! 
Sce famine, gentlie% of the train, 
That wars feli fteps attend, 
Meagre and pale o’er heaps of flain, 
Her eager afpec&t bend! 
Even fhe who late her babe carrefs’d, 
For pity finds no room ; 
And long by cruel hunger prefs’d, 
Now meditates its doom. 
‘Hardis the time—for fcarce ameal, 
7 
The granaries can fupply: 
And e’en the war-worn foldiers feel, 
The pangs of fearcity. 
Still Raifiac, chieftian of the town, 
With unabated might ; 
The fainting cheers, and up and down 
Reanimates the fight. 
His comrades meet in clofe debate, 
Th’ impending ills to fhun: 
Cries Raifiac—at the poftern wait, 
The midnight hour of one 
Forth fhall ye iflue on the foe, 
Secure in fleep he cried ; 
And deal unfeen the vengeful blow, 
Of death on every fide. 
The veil of night was thickly fpread, 
They iffue from the gate ; 
Their foes fecure, no fally dread, 
With wanton pride elate. 
They gainthe fofle—the guards they flay, 
And rufh into the camp— 
The coward heart their fhouts difmay— 
The hero’s courage damp. 
Roufed at the found in pale affright, 
Young Ferdinand awakes ; 
And by the night-fires dubious light, 
His {word and buckler takes. 
Arife, my comrades! fhame the foe! 
Arife! arife ! he cried. 
His voice th’ affrighted fquadrons know, 
And croud their generals fide. 
He forms their ranks in hafte, and flies, 
Where moft the tumult grew ; 
But friend met friend in night’s difguife, 
And brother, brother flew. 

* This Ballad is founded on a fact related 
by Montaigne in his Effays. 
Monvuzy Maa, No, xtrv. 
Now flamesthe camp, the diftant fires 
Illume the town afar, 
Still Raifiac quells the fierce defire, 
To mingle with the war. 
The day is ours ! with joy he cries—= 
Friends! be no more difmay’d. 
Freth fuccours fly! the flames arife! 
Your fighting brethren aid! 
The morn had purpled o’er the fky, 
Ere all were well fubdu’d: 
Now in their turn th’ affailants fly, 
And faft the foe purfu’d. 
Forth iffuing from the gate in view, 
The timely aid they faw: 
Again they turneethe fight reneween 
And hepe from fuccour draw. 
Now in the plain, beneath the wall, 
A fiercer fight began; 
Like leaves in autumn heroes fall, 
As man encounters man, 
The field forever now were loft, 
But fora champion brave ; 
Who ftormed the onward rufhing hoft, 
And fierce his falchion drave. 
Diftinguifh’d by the plume he wore, 
Upon his beaver’d head : 
Brave Raifiac taw him ftain’d with gore, 
Mix glorious with the dead. 
The fhouts of viétory now refound, 
From Buda’s refcu’d towers: 
The freemen fly and widely round 
Unfated veng’ance pours. 
Th’ impatient townfmen now no more, 
By hoftile armies pent,; 
Ruth to the plain, wide-carnag’d o’er, 
With varied paffions rent. 
There parents o’er their forms bewail 
Death-fmitten in the fight; 
While fome their fons exulting hail 
In vittory and life. 
Such was the joy and bitter ruth, 
On Raifiac rufh’d along ; 
And fearch, he cried, the vistor youth, 
Thefe bleeding heaps among. 
You’ll know him by the fpreading plume, 
He on his helmet wore; 
Here on this fpot he met his doom, 
And here lies buried o’er. 
Tis fit, brave youth! a meed be paid, 
To water fuch as thine 5 
Whoe’er thou art, thou fhalt be laid, 
Near Buda’s holy fhrine. 
The dead removed—now fair below, 
The plumed warrior lay: 
His heim was marked with many a blow 
Sore dealt on him that day. 
About their famed deliverer croud 
‘The anxious townfmen near: 
Some mourn his fallin accents loud, 
Some drop the filent tear. 
Tt Now 



