Page images
PDF
EPUB

WAS at the filent folemn hour,

* TW

When night and morning meet; In glided Margaret's grimly ghost,

And stood at William's feet.

Her face was like an April morn,

5

Clad in a wintry cloud :

And clay-cold was her lily hand,
That held her fable fhrowd.

So fhall the fairest face appear,

When youth and years are flown:

10

Such is the robe that kings muft wear,

When death has reft their crown.

Her bloom was like the springing flower,

That fips the filver dew;

The rose was budded in her cheek,

Juft opening to the view.

But love had, like the canker worm,

Confum'd her early prime :

The rofe grew pale, and left her cheek;
She dy'd before her time.

"Awake! the cry'd, thy true love calls,

"Come from her midnight grave;

"Now let thy pity hear the maid,

[ocr errors][merged small][merged small]
[ocr errors][merged small][merged small]

"This is the dumb and dreary hour,
"When injur'd ghosts complain;

"Now yawning graves give up their dead,
"To haunt the faithlefs fwain.

"Bethink thee, William, of thy fault,

[ocr errors]

Thy pledge, and broken oath : "And give me back my maiden vow, "And give me back my troth.

[ocr errors][ocr errors]

Why did you promife love to me,
"And not that promise keep ?

25

30

Why did you fwear mine eyes were bright, 35 "Yet leave those eyes to weep?

"How could you fay my face was fair,

"And yet that face forfake?

"How could you win my virgin heart,

Ver.

"Yet leave that heart to break?

"Why did you fay my lip was sweet,

"And made the scarlet pale?

"And why did I, young witless maid,

"Believe the flattering tale ?

"That face, alas! no more is fair;

"These lips no longer red :

"Dark are my eyes, now clos'd in death,

"And every charm is fled.

[blocks in formation]

40

45

"The

The hungry worm my fifter is;

"This winding-sheet I wear:

50

"And cold and weary lafts our night,

"Till that last morn appear.

"But hark! the cock has warn'd me hence!

"A long and last adieu !

"Come fee, falfe man, how low fhe lies,

55

"Who dy'd for love of you."

The lark fung loud; the morning smil'd,

With beams of rofy red:

Pale William fhook in ev'ry limb

And raving left his bed.

He hyed him to the fatal place,
Where Margaret's body lay;

And stretch'd him on the grafs-green turf,
That wrapt her breathless clay :

And thrice he call'd on Margaret's name,
And thrice he wept full fore:
Then laid his cheek to her cold

And word spake never more.

grave,

Ver. 57. Now birds did fing, and morning smile,
And fhew her glittering head.

[blocks in formation]

XVI. THE

XVI.

THE BOY AND THE MANTLE,

AS REVISED AND ALTERED BY A MODERN HAND.

Since the former fheets of this volume were printed off, Mr. Warton has published a new edition of his ingenious abfervations on Spenfer, in which he has given his opinion that the fiction of the Boy and the Mantle is taken from an old French piece intitled LE COURT MANTEL quoted by M. de St. Palaye in his curious" Memoires fur l'ancienne Chevalerie." Paris, 1759. 2 tom. 12mo. who tells us the story resembles that of Ariofto's inchanted cup. 'Tis poffible our English poet may have taken the hint of this fubject from that old French romance, but he does not appear to have copied it in the manner of exécution: to which (if one may judge from the pe cimen given in the Memoires) that of the ballad does not bear the least refemblance. After all 'tis most likely that all the old flories concerning K. Arthur are originally of British growth, and that what the French and other fouthern nations have of this kind were at first exported from this island. See Memoires de l' Acad. des Infcrip. tom. xx. p. 352.

N Carleile dwelt king Arthur,

IN

A prince of paffing might;

And there maintain`d his table round,
Beset with many a knight.

And there he kept his Christmas

With mirth and princely cheare,

When, lo! a ftraunge and cunning boy
Before him did appeare.

[blocks in formation]

5

A kirtle, and a mantle

This boy had him upon,

With brooches, rings, and owches
Full daintily bedone.

He had a farke of filk

About his middle meet;

And thus, with feemely courtesy,
He did king Arthur greet.

"God fpeed thee, brave king Arthur,
"Thus feafting in thy bowre.
"And Guenever thy goodly queen,
"That fair and peerleffe flowre.

"Ye gallant lords, and lordings, "I wish you all take heed,

"Left, what ye deem a blooming rofe "Should prove a cankred weed.”

Then ftraitway from his bofome
A little wand he drew;

And with it eke a mantle

Of wondrous fhape, and hew.

"Now have thou here, king Arthur,
"Have thou here of mee,
"And give unto thy comely queen,
"All-fhapen as you fee.

10

15

20

25

30

* No

« PreviousContinue »