1310.) 
Far from the field of fight 
Are felt the woes of war. 
Ah! thither tura no more, with ruthless 
step, 
To crush the blooms of bliss, 
Thou king of armed men. 
For that has Frea round thy head 
Wreath’d the coil of auburn hair ? 
For that in sparkling dew 
Imbath'd thy nut-brown eye? 
For that thy manly form 
With Balder’s beauty stamp’d ? 
No; to the hower of love 
O hend the gentler step, 
Beneath whose springing tread 
The flowret sweeter blooms. 
H. Vith gratitude that meets thy con- 
descension 
in rival strides, my royal lord, be welcome, 
Edw. Harcla, nets felelbs towers of even 
store, 
These sculptar’d ceilings, from their arched 
heights 
Echoing the voice of warbled minstrelsy, 
These pillar’d halls, and velvet canopies, 
Mizht move my envy; but that Edward’s 
love 
(Had he such palaces to give) weuld thus 
Bestow them. 
H. Harold wears too many marks 
Of Edward’s princely soul, and endless 
bounty. 
Edw. Lovely Editha, hail! why have 
mine eyes 
Stray’d for a moment o’er the objects round 
ME,° j 
When thou art here, their lodestar? Do we 
not 
Cast from us with disdain a motley shell, 
And disregard its shifting rainbow tints, 
When we behold the pearl which it incloses ? 
Edi. My lord, you honour me beyond my 
merits. 
Edw. Below them far. Upon thy fa- 
vour’d head 
The virgin- goddess sure of love and beauty 
Look’d with benignant smile; o’erhovers thee, 
Clings to thy ev’ry motion, accent, look, 
And moulds them by her own resistless 
charms. 
“Hail, loveliest maid! Upon thy flower soft 
hand 
Allow me to exhale the fervent joy 
Which thrilis my bosom, now we meet 
again : 
Hast thou fer me no smile, no look of wel- 
cone - 
How should I wear the glittering 
robe of joy, 
When grief confines my heart? The king’s 
displeasure - , 
Glooms on my jather—-T bewail his fate. 
Edw. Smile thou, no frown remains on 
Edward’s brow. 
Thou art the arbitress of Tosti’s fortune : 
Whate’er thoa wilt that I should think of 
him, 
Edi. 
Harold and Tosti, a Tragedy. 
S11 
Lay it upon those lips, and give it me 3 
And I'll believe thy tale, forestall thy 
pleadings, 
Find new excuses in my partial breast. 
Edi. I have not seen my father since hé 
left thee ; - 
But surely that unswerving loyalty 
To thee, and all our ancient race of kings, 
Heir’d from his fathers, has not left his 
breast: 
He fought thy battles once, and still he loves 
thee. 
H. My liege, restore my brother t to yous 
favor. 
If Harold can forgive him, Edward me 
Let the entreaties of his daughter move thee. 
‘ [Wiha avs. 
Edw. Editha, were thy SSepP within my 
halls, 
There. should “hy wishes be my law of 
mercy: 
I want a tengue, tike thine, whose gentle 
whispers 
Might temper the emotions of my re, 
And quench its sudden blazingsy when 
perchance 
It injures the dear friendships of my youth. 
Edi. My lord, thou would’st not that 
I should forsake 
My fatier’s home, forget the ties of duty ? 
Edw. know not what ask: but this , 
ish 5 
That some superias spirit from above, 
In all the radiance of his heavenly charms, 
Would hover round me with a guardian eye, 
Mildly to warn me, when my hasty passions 
Make me forget the monarch. O! Editha, 
Such offices of kindness might be thine. 
Edi, Many in. Edward’s court are Frea’s 
Gaughters—~ 
Edw. Since I have seen Editha, other 
charms 
Unnotic’d glide before my purged sight, 
Mere bien ilusions that | heed/ne longer 3 
Like elfen forms, by moonligkt rob’d ig 
beauty, 
That wither into spectres where tis day. _ 
Edi. Why dost thou borrow Flattery’s ready 
hand, : 
To throw confusion’s crimson veil upon me ? 
Edw. (kneels.) O, had I Balder’s form to 
throw before thee, 
Or Braga’s music lurking in my voice, 
Or from his golden cup that Hermod pour’d 
The honey of persuasion on ‘my tongue, 
That I might paint my passion as it glows 
Within this burning breast, then would’sp 
thou hear. 
Edi. To virgin cars, my lord, a father’s 
: voice 
Should first canyerse of love.—I pray yon 
‘a cpagel Sen 
Edw. ut should thy father frown upoa 
Gur union, 
Those azure eyes will look e’en bie to mild« 
ness. 
That voige alone would win him ; ; it may add, 
ti nak 
