Her locks, dishevell'd all, she rent away,

And curs'd with piteous accent Morgue the fay.
Nigh to the maid the gallant knight advanc'd,
And pray'd, with earnest kindness, what had chanc'd:
"Ah me! my lord," the doleful damsel cries,
“Ah bitter fruit of baleful jealousies !
By these, imprudent to my endless cost,
My friend, the bravest knight on earth, I lost.
Strong in my bosom beat desire to try
By sure assay my lover's constancy;
For this sad end I plied each female art,
And moulded to my will his weetless heart;
By me entic'd, the abhorred Morgue's abode,
Yon vale, the irremeable vale, he trod.
There must he bide for aye! and I remain
All hopeless here, till death conclude my pain.
Too well I sped his fickleness to prove!
For, though I deem him false, I die for love.”

She ended here; and every word she spake
To marvel wrought Sir Launcelot du Lake:
Awhile he ween'd some strange delirious heat
Had thrust the powers of reason from their seat;
And, ever and anon, with looks intent,

He sought that fairy vale, the place of prisonment :
A cool and cheerful vale in truth he saw,

But nought there seem'd to thwart free nature's law:
Throughout it ran a stream, like silver pure,
And deck'd with trees of goodliest garniture;
High circling hills the peaceful plat surround,
High circling hills with shadowy forests crown'd.
Again he questions then the mourning maid,
What hidden mystery this her tale convey'd;
And vows, if still he draw the vital air,
Back to her arms her captive knight to bear.
“Of royal Arthur's sister, and her deeds,”
Thus in her tale the weeping fair proceeds,
"And of her passing might in magick spell,
Scarce needs it now the bruited fame to tell.
This Morgue, 'tis said, once lov'd a comely knight,
And fed that treacherous passion to its height;
Him above all the world the fay prefers,
And fondly weens his heart enthrall'd like hers.
The knight, howe'er, with specious semblance feign'd,
By dread of magick power alone constrain'd;

One young and boon was mistress of his soul,
As beauteous as her rival Morgue was foul.
Soon as the fay this fatal secret learn'd,
By turns her feverous bosom froze and burn'd;
Heart-struck she was, as if about to die,

But strong revenge forbade, and rankling enmity:
Bent was her wit to dog that loyal pair;
And, at the last, in yonder vale so fair

She spied them both unguarded, as they prov'd
With many a fond caress how well they lov'd.
Forth from her covert then the fairy burst,
And dealt at large her calumnies accurs'd;
And, when her venom'd railing all was spent,
She thus pronounc'd their grievous punishment:
'Here both be stay'd!-so long as life shall last
By power of mighty magick rooted fast!'
So spake the fay; and now these lovers, each
Some paces parted from the other's reach:
Of motion void, denied the power to tell

Their hearts' sore anguish; here for aye they dwell.
Nor this was all ;-she thence devis'd a plan
To wreak her sex's wrongs on faithless man;
Around the vale, by incantations dread,
A huge transparent wall of air she spread;
More firm than steel the liquid barrier's bound
Girds in on every side the fatal ground;

No wight soe'er, whom conscious guilt shall read
Disloyal to his dame in will or deed,

May pass this precinct, journeying to the vale,
But there must find his everlasting jail.
A jail, in sooth; yet otherwise, I wis,
No worse a grievance than confinement is ;
(The fay devising rather to impeach

All future fault, than punish former breach ;)
For there, it seems, the pensive prisoners find
Whate'er may recreate or recure the mind;
Unshackled intercourse, delicious bowers,
And dance and sports to fill the fleeting hours:
Nay, should some virtuous loyal fair

With a false lover chance to enter there,

To such the aerial walls no barrier prove,

At will the guiltless maid may soothe or shun her love.

Yet, maugre all, to be for aye confin'd

So quells with languishment man's subject mind,

That few are found of hardihood to bide;
The most have quickly pin'd away and died.
And now eighteen long years have pass'd away
Since first this scheme of wrath inspir'd the fay ;
And travellers have nam'd the dreadful bourn

THE VALE OF LOVERS FALSE, THE VALE WITHOUT RETURN.
Still as the sun renews his bright career

He sees some spouse or lover wandering here,

And all this time, so faithless man is found,

Not one, they say, has backward trac'd the ground.” "That shall they now, or e'er the day expire!" Exclaim'd abrupt the warriour, fill'd with fire,

"With this good arm -"Ah Sir!" replied the fair, If life, if liberty be dear, forbear!

Vain is all prowess in this strange assay,

Here loyalty alone will win thy way."

"That too is mine," rejoin'd the impatient knight, Though far beneath my sovereign lady's right;

66

Yet, when the knight is resolute to try,

And fears not dole, nor death's extremity,
What nobler gifts, what mightier virtues, need
To warrant just success upon his deed?"
"There needs," return'd the damsel once again,
Faith to his mistress; faith without a stain:
Such faith, as, treasur'd in his soul's recess,
Ne'er for a moment wish'd her influence less ;
Such faith, as ne'er could image power to rove,
And knows no fear, but fear to lose her love."
"How?" quoth the knight, "if some fond fair be graced
With one so true, so loyal, and so chaste?"
"Ah?" cried the maid, "if such a knight there be,
This deed will win him immortality!

Now may he burst this vale's impervious wall,
And free from hopeless bondage many a thrall;
Now may he boldly on, secure from harm,
And aye dissolve the abominable charm:
But, wo the while! there never yet was found
A man in whom love's grace did so abound,
A man who, pledg'd in youth's gay prime to one,
Priz'd her as life, and priz'd but her alone.
Now, trust me, Sir, and let my words seem wise;
Preserve your gallant soul for happier enterprise :
No wise man yet has deem'd it honour's stain
To shun assay like this, where might is vain.

"For me, the solace of this world is o'er!
To the sad vale I wend for evermore:
There will I seek out him I love so dear,
Ungrateful though he be, and insincere ;
There will I find him, there will I abide,
And breathe my life's last accents by his side."

66

No, damsel, no!" the gallant knight exclaim'd,
Nor shalt thou die, nor manhood thus be sham'd
Here stay thy steps; anon I trust thou'lt find
That loyalty yet dwells among mankind."
The warriour spoke; and, confident of right,
Spurr'd on his steed amain, and dar'd the fight.
Now had he reach'd the huge aerial bound,
Stretch'd like a marish fog at eve around,
When, as he onward urg'd his snorting steed,
He saw the opacous volumes fast recede;
Back roll'd the parted clouds on either side,
Nor dimm'd his course, nor entrance fair denied :
So on he pass'd; but gathering thick behind,
As with the sweep of winter's mightiest wind,
Full on his rear the forceful vapour lay,
And with imperious blast prescrib'd his way.
Before him skies that cheer'd, and earth that smil'd,
E'en to a charm his wondering sense beguil'd;
Unnumber'd cells, in seemly rank dispos'd,
On right and left the lessening prospect clos'd;
And in the midst, by cunning artists rear'd,
A chapel meet for deeds of prayer appear'd;
A reverend pile; which Morgue's regardful zeal
For her poor bondmen's everlasting weal

Had kindly plann'd, that ere the sun's decline

Each day in solemn Mass the assembled band might join. What foes the knight o'erthrew, what monsters dread

Pil'd the green plain with miscreated dead,

I sing not here; nor yet what teen possess'd

The fairy's heart, to read her rival bless'd

With one whose fealty mock'd enchantment's charms,

Past peer alike in loyalty and arms.

Now proffer'd wealth she boasts; now chang'd appears All suppliant, all seductive in her tears:

He on his way still forward press'd outright,

Nor turn'd aside for danger or delight,

Though hideous forms opposed his onward course,

And strove, with threatening looks, t' affright both man and horse,

L

Till, slackening fast, each spell's mysterious force
Bent back to nature's law, and she resum'd her course:
Then rang the air for joy; uprolling high

The foggy barrier fades into the sky;

And a huge host rush on with wild acclaim;

Now freed from captive bands, and hail their champion's

name.

The damsel boon, Morgue's luckless rival long,
And her brave loyal lover, lead the throng;
Hard by their side comes he whose lady's plight
First to their aid had rous'd the conquering knight:
How chang'd their doom! this blissful hour at last
Chas'd, as it seem'd, all thought, of penance past;
Morgue, singly sad, with looks deject and pale,
Stay'd nigh the confines of her fatal vale.

ROBIN HOOD AND THE BUTCHER.

COME, all you brave gallants, listen awhile,
That are "this bower" within;
For of Robin Hood, that archer good,
A song I intend for to sing.

Upon a time it chanced so,

Bold Robin in the forrest did 'spy
A jolly butcher, with a bonny fine mare,
With his flesh to the market did hye.

"Good morrow, good fellow," said jolly Robin,
What food hast thou, tell to me?

Thy trade to me tell, and where thou dost dwell,
For I like well thy company."

The butcher he answer'd jolly Robin,
"No matter where I dwell;

For a butcher I am, and to Notingham
I am going, my flesh to sell."