11.

The guests were seated at the festal board,
Green rushes strew'd the floor; high in the hall
Was David; Emma, in her bridal robe,
In youth, in beauty, by her husband's side
Sate at the marriage feast. The monarch rais'd
His eyes, he saw the mariner approach;
Madoc! he cried; strong nature's impulses
Prevail'd, and with a holy joy he met

His brother's warm embrace.

With that what peals

Of exultation shook Aberfraw's tower!

How then re-echoing rung the home of kings,
When from subdued Ocean, from the World
That he had first foreseen, he first had found,
Came her triumphant child! The mariners,
A happy band, enter the clamorous hall;

Friend greets with friend, and all are friends; one joy

Fills with one common feeling every heart,
And strangers give and take the welcoming
Of hand, and voice, and eye. That boisterous joy
At length allay'd, the board was spread anew,
Anew the horn was brimm'd, the central hearth
Built up anew for later revelries.

Now to the ready feast! the seneschal
Duly below the pillars ranged the crew;
Toward the guest's most honourable seat
The king himself led his brave brother; . . then,
Eyeing the lovely Saxon as he spake,

Here, Madoc, see thy sister! thou hast been
Long absent, and our house hath felt the while
Sad diminution; but my arm at last

Hath rooted out rebellion from the land;
And I have stablish'd now our ancient house,
Grafting a scyon from the royal tree

Of England, on the sceptre; so shall peace
Bless our dear country.

Long and happy years

Await my sovereigns! thus the chief replied,
And long may our dear country rest in peace!

Enough of sorrow hath our royal house
Known in the field of battles,.. yet we reap'd
The harvest of renown.

Aye,.. many a day,

David replied, together have we led

The onset!.. Dost thou not remember, brother,
How, in that hot and unexpected charge

On Keiriog's bank, we gave the enemy
Their welcoming?

And Berwyn's after-strife!
Quoth Madoc, as the memory kindled him :
The fool that day, who in his masque attire
Sported before King Henry, wished in vain
Fitlier habiliments of javelin proof!
-And yet not more precipitate that fool

Dropt his mock weapons, than the archers cast,
Desperate, their bows and quivers full away,
When we leapt on, and in the mire and blood
Trampled their banner!

Proudly remember, prov'd as I have been

In conflicts of such perilous assay,

That Saxon combat seem'd like woman's war.
When with the traitor Hoel I did wage

The deadly battle, then was I in truth

Put to the proof; no vantage-ground was there, Nor famine, nor disease, nor storms to aid,

But equal, hard, close battle, man to man,
Briton to Briton! By my soul, pursued

The tyrant, heedless how from Madoc's eye

Flash'd the quick wrath like lightning,.. though I knew The rebel's worth, his prowess then excited

Unwelcome wonder! even at the last, .

When stiff with toil and faint with wounds, he rais'd Feebly his broken sword....

Then Madoc's grief

Found utterance; Wherefore, David, dost thou rouse The memory now of that unhappy day,

That thou shouldst wish to hide from earth and heaven?

Not in Aberfraw,.. not to me this tale!

Tell it the Saxon!.. he will join thy triumph, ..
He hates the race of Owen !.. but I lov'd

My brother Hoel, ..... lov'd him, .. that ye knew!
I was to him the dearest of his kin,

And he my own heart's brother.

David's cheek

Grew pale and dark; he bent his broad black brow

Full upon Madoc's crimson countenance;

Art thou return'd to brave me? to my teeth

To praise the rebel bastard 2 to insult

The royal Saxon, my aflianced friend 2

I hate the Saxon! Madoc cried; not yet
Have I forgotten, how, from Keiriog's shame
Flying, the coward wreak'd his cruelty

On my poor brethren!... David, seest thou never
Those eyeless spectres by thy bridal bed?
Forget that horror?.. may the fire of God
Blast my right hand, or ever it be link'd
With that accurst Plantagenet !

The while,

Impatience struggled in the heaving breast
Of David; every agitated limb

Shook with ungovernable wrath; the page,
Who chaf'd his feet, in fear suspends his task,
In fear the guests gaze on him silently;

His eyeballs flash'd, strong anger choak'd his voice,

He started up.

.Him Emma, by the hand

Gently retaining, held, with gentle words

Calming his rage; Goervyl, too, in tears

Besought her generous brother he had met

Emma's reproaching glance, and, self-reprov'd,
While the warm blood flush'd deeper o'er his cheek,
Thus he replied; I pray you pardon me,

My sister queen! nay, you will learn to love
This high affection for the race of Owen,
Yourself the daughter of his royal house,
By better ties than blood.