GOLFRE, PART FIFTH.
Reading edition
Now, suddenly, a storm arose,
The thunder roar’d, tremendous!
The lightning flash’d, the howling blast
Fierce, strong, and desolating, past
The Altitudes stupendous!
Rent by the wind, a fragment huge
From the steep summit bounded:
That summit, where the Peasant’s breast
Found, mid the snow, a grave of rest,
By Golfre’s poniard wounded.
212Loud shrieks, across the mountain wild,
Fill’d up the pause of thunder:
The groves of Pine the lightning past,
And swift the desolating blast
Scatter’d them wide asunder.
The Castle-turrets seem’d to blaze,
The lightning round them flashing;
The drawbridge now was all on fire,
The moat foam’d high, with furious ire,
Against the black walls dashing.
The Prison Tow’r was silver white,
And radiant as the morning;
Two angels’ wings were spreading wide,
The battlements, from side to side—
And lofty roof adorning.
213And now the Bride was sore afraid,
She sigh’d, and cross’d her breast;
She kiss’d her simple rosary,
Made of the mountain holly-tree,
By sainted Fathers blest.
She kiss’d it once, she kiss’d it twice;
It seem’d to freeze her breast;
The cold show’rs fell from ev’ry tree,
They fell upon her rosary
Like nature’s tears, “twice blest!”
“What do you fear?” the Baron cried—
For Zorietto trembled—
“A Wolf,” she sigh’d with whisper low,
“Hark how the angry whirlwinds blow
“Like Demons dark assembled.
214“That Wolf! which did my Lover slay!”
The Baron wildly started.
“That Wolf accurs’d!” she madly cried—
“Whose fangs, by human gore were dyed,
“Who dragg’d him down the mountain’s side,
“And left me—Broken hearted!”
Now Golfre shook in ev’ry joint,
He grasp’d her arm, and mutter’d;
Hell seem’d to yawn, on ev’ry side,
“Hear me!” the frantic tyrant cried—
“Hear me!” a faint voice utter’d.
“I hear thee! yes, I hear thee well!”
Cried Golfre, “I’ll content thee.
“I see thy vengeful eye-balls roll—
“Thou com’st to claim my guilty soul—
“The Fiends—the Fiends have sent thee!”
215And now a Goatherd-Boy was heard—
Swift climbing up the mountain:
A Kid was lost, the fearful hind—
Had rov’d his truant care to find,
By wood-land’s side—and fountain.
And now a murm’ring throng advanc’d,
And howlings echoed round them:
Now Golfre tried the path to pace,
His feet seem’d rooted to the place,
As though a spell had bound them.
And now loud mingling voices cried—
“Pursue that Wolf, pursue him!”
The guilty Baron, conscience stung,
About his fainting Daughter hung,
As to the ground she drew him.
216“Oh! shield me Holy Mary! shield
“A tortur’d wretch!” he mutter’d.
“A murd’rous Wolf! O God! I crave
“A dark unhallow’d silent grave—”
Aghast the Caitiff utter’d.
“’Twas I, beneath the Goatherd’s bed
“The golden sword did cover;
“’Twas I who tore the quiv’ring wound,
“Pluck’d forth the heart, and scatter’d round
“The life-stream of thy Lover.”
And now he writh’d in ev’ry limb,
And big his heart was swelling;
Fresh peals of thunder echoed strong,
With famish’d Wolves the peaks among
Their dismal chorus yelling!
217“O Jesu Save me!” Golfre shriek’d—
But Golfre shriek’d no more!
The rosy dawn’s returning light
Display’d his corse,—a dreadful sight,
Black, wither’d, smear’d with gore!
High on a gibbet, near the wood—
His mangled limbs were hung;
Yet Zorietto oft was seen
Prostrate the Chapel aisles between—
When holy mass was sung.
And there, three lamps now dimly burn,—
Twelve Monks their masses saying;
And there, the midnight bell doth toll
For quiet to the murd’rer’s soul—
While all around are praying.
218For Charity and Pity kind,
To gentle souls are given;
And Mercy is the sainted pow’r,
Which beams thro’ mis’ry’s darkest hour,
And lights the way—to Heaven!
END.
Printed by BIGGS and COTTLE, St. Augustines-Back, Bristol.
BOOKS
Printed for T. N. Longman and O. Rees, No. 39, Paternoster-Row, London.
1.
The NATURAL DAUGHTER, a Novel, by Mrs. Robinson, 2 Vols. price 7s. Boards.
2.
The FALSE FRIEND, a Novel, 4 Vols. price 16s. Sewed.
3.
JOAN OF ARC, an Epic Poem, by Robert Southey, 2 Vols. small 8vo. the second edition, price 12s. in boards.——A few copies of the Quarto edition may be had, price 1l. 1s.
4.
POEMS, by Robert Southey, 2 Vols. price 10s. in boards.
5.
LETTERS, written during a short residence in Spain and Portugal, by Robert Southey, 8vo. price 7s. in boards.
6.
ANNUAL ANTHOLOGY, 2 vols. small 8vo. price 12s. in boards.
7.
ALFRED, an Epic Poem, in Twenty-four Books, by Joseph Cottle, Quarto, price 1l. 1s. in boards.
8.
POEMS, by Joseph Cottle, second edition, price 4s. in boards.
9.
MALVERN HILLS, a Poem, by Joseph Cottle, price 2s. 6d.
10.
ICELANDIC POETRY, or the EDDA of SAEMUND, translated into English verse, by A. S. Cottle, price 6s. in boards.
11.
LYRICAL BALLADS, in 2 Vols. by W. Wordsworth.
12.
POEMS, by S. T. Coleridge. To which are added, Poems, by C. Lamb, and C. Lloyd. The second edition, price 6s. in boards.
13.
POEMS and PLAYS, by Mrs. West. 2 Vols. elegantly printed in Fool’s-cap 8vo. and hot-pressed, price 10s. in boards.
14.
A TALE of the TIMES, by Mrs. West, 3 Vols. price 12s. sewed.
15.
A GOSSIP’s STORY, and LEGENDARY TALE, by Mrs. West, 2 Vols. price 7s. in boards.
16.
An ELEGY on the DEATH of the Right Honourable EDMUND BURKE, by Mrs. West, price 1s.
17.
The PLEASURES of HOPE; a Poem, in Two Parts, by Thomas Campbell, embellished with Four elegant Engravings.
18.
POEMS, by Anne Bannerman, price 5s. boards.
19.
POEMS of ACHMED ARDEBEILI, a Persian exile, with Notes, by Charles Fox, 8vo. price 8s. in boards.
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES
The Errata recommendations were incorporated as stated.
Silently corrected obvious typographical errors and variations in spelling.
Retained archaic, non-standard, and uncertain spellings as printed.