All minstrels yet that e'er I saw Are full of game and glee; But thou art sad and woe-begone! I marvel whence it be!" "Father, I serve an aged lord, Whose grief afflicts my mind; His only child is stolen away, And fain I would her find." "Cheer up, my son; perchance," he said, "Some tidings I may bear: For oft when human hopes have fail'd, Then heavenly comfort's near. "Behind yon hills so steep and high, Down in a lowly glen, There stands a castle fair and strong, "As late I chanc'd to crave an alms, "And when I ask'd what harm had happ'd, These tidings caught Sir Bertram's ear, Then drawing near those lonely towers, "Sir Porter, is thy lord at home, "My lord," he said, "is not at home, He play'd again so soft a strain, Such power sweet sounds impart, He won the churlish porter's ear, And mov'd his stubborn heart. "Minstrel," he said, "thou play'st so sweet, Yet, minstrel, in yon rising cliff Thou'lt find a sheltering cave; And here thou shalt my supper share, And there thy lodging have." All day he sits beside the gate, The first night, as he silent watch'd He plainly heard his lady's voice The second night, the moon shone clear, He saw his lady through the grate, The third night, wearied out, he slept 'Till near the morning tide; When, starting up, he seiz'd his sword, And to the castle bied. When, lo! he saw a ladder of ropes And o'er the moat was newly laid And soon he saw his love descend, Amaz'd, confounded at the sight, And soon he saw them cross the stream, Unheard, unknown of all within, With silent step he follows close And saw her hang upon his arm At length he cried, "Ye lovely pair, "Wert thou thyself that hapless youth? Ah! cruel fate!" they said. "O blind and jealous rage," he cried, Ah! when I heard my brother's name, I rav'd, I wept, I curst my arm In vain I clasp'd her to my breast, My brother, alas! spake never more, "Bertram," she said, "be comforted, "Bertram," she said, "I still was true; Thou only hadst my heart: May we hereafter meet in bliss! "For thee I left my father's hall, And flew to thy relief, When, lo! near Cheviot's fatal hills I met a Scottish chief, "Lord Malcolm's son, whose proffer'd love I had refus'd with scorn; He slew my guards, and seiz'd on me "And in these dreary hated walls He kept me close confin'd; "Each rising morn increas'd my pain, "He quickly form'd the brave design "Then haste, my love, escape away, Thus, pouring comfort on my soul, In wild amaze, in speechless woe, And, rising up in furious haste, A crowd, that from the castle came, Had miss'd their lovely ward; And seizing me, to prison bare, And deep in dungeon barr'd. It chanc'd that on that very morn Their chief was prisoner ta'en; Lord Percy had us soon exchang'd, And strove to soothe my pain. And soon those honour'd dear remains For me, I loath'd my wretched life, They rais'd my heart to that pure source No more the slave of human pride, I meekly vow'd to spend my life The bold Sir Bertram, now no more But poor and humble Benedict, My lands I gave to feed the poor, And here, a lonely anchorite, This sweet sequester'd vale I chose, My noble friend approv'd my choice; Full fifty winters, all forlorn, And daily o'er this sculptur'd saint i.e. sword. And thou, dear brother of my heart! So faithful and so true, Yet not unpitied pass'd my life, Oft the great Earl, from toils of state Bit length of life is length of woe! 1 liv'd to mourn his fall: I liv'd to mourn his godlike sons But thou the honours of thy race, Lov'd youth, shalt now restore; And raise again the Percy name More glorious than before. He ceas'd; and on the lovely pair And now what present course to take Meantime their suit such favour found Earl Neville and his princely spouse She, suppliant, at her nephew's throne To all the honours of his race The youthful Earl still more and more All worthy of their name. King Henry V. Anno 1414. THE END. GLOSSARY. The Scottish words are denoted by s., French by f., Latin by l., Anglo-Saxon by a. s., Icelandic by isl., &c. For the etymology of the words in this volume, the reader is referred to Junii Etymologicum Anglicanum, Edidit Ed. Lye. Oxon, 1743, folio. Ath, p. 2, col. 2, Athe, p. 3, col. 1, o'th', of the Attowre s.out over, over and above A Twyde, p. 2, col. 2, of Tweed Auld, s. old Aureat, golden Austerne, p. 75, col. 1, stern, austere Avowe, p. 8, col. 1, vow Avoyd, p. 54, col. 2, void, vacate Ayance, p. 73, col. 1, against Azont the ingle, s. beyond the fire. The fire was in the middle of the room. In the west of Scotland, at this present time, in many cottages they pile their peats and turfs upon stones in the middle of the room. There is a hole above the fire in the ridge of the house to let the smoke ont at. In some places are cottage-houses, from the front of which a very wide chimney projects like a bow window: the fire is in a grate like a malt-kiln grate, round which the people sit: sometimes they draw this grate into the middle of the room.-Mr. Lambe. Aras, p. 2, col. 2, Arros, p. 3, col. Bale, evil, mischief, misery 1, arrows Arcir, p. 21, col. 1, archer Assinde, assigned Balow, s. a nursery term, hush, lullaby, &c. Balysbete, p. 5, col. 2, Better our bales, i. e. remedy our evils Bane, bone Ban, curse, Banning, cursing Banderolles, streamers, little flags Band, p. 13, col. 2, bond, covenant Bar, bare Bar-hed, bare-head, or perhaps bared Barne, p. 2, col. 2, Berne, p. 6, col. 2, man, person Base court, the lower court of a castle Basnete, Basnite, Basnyte, Basonet, Bauzen, s. Skinne, p. 80, col. 1, perhaps sheep's leather dressed and coloured red, f. Barane, sheep's leather. In Scotland, sheepskin mittens, with the wool on the inside, are called bauson mittens. Bauson also signifies a badger, in old English, it may therefore signify perhaps badger's skin Bayard, a noted blind horse in the old romances. The horse on which the four sons of Avmon rode is called Bayard Montalbon, by Skelton, in his "Phillip Sparrow." Bearing arrow, an arrow that carries well. Or perhaps bearing or birring, i. e. whirling or whirring arrow, from isl. Bir. ventus, or a. s. Bene, fremitus Bearn, Bairn, s. child, also human |