The voice, the glance, the heart I sought-give answer, where are they? -If thou wouldst clear thy perjur’d soul, send life through this cold clay. “Into these glassy eyes put light—be still ! keep down thine ire Bid these white lips a blessing speak—this earth is not my sireGive me back him for whom I strove, for whom my blood was shedThou canst not ?--and a king !-his dust be mountains on thy head!” He loos'd the steed,—his slack hand fell—upon the silent face He cast one long, deep, troubled look, then turn'd from that sad place His hope was crush’d, his after-fate untold in martial strainHis banner led the spears no more amidst the hills of Spain. THE DYING BARD'S PROPHECY. AT THE TIME OF THE SUPPOSED MASSACRE BY EDWARD I. The Hall of Harps is lone this night, And cold the chieftain's hearth ; And I depart-my wound is deep, My brethren long have died- Bear it, where on his battle-plain, Beneath the setting sun, Thou hast laid low the warrior's head, The minstrel's chainless hand; Dreamer! that numberest with the dead The burning spirit of the mountain-land. Think'st thou, because the song hath ceas'd, The soul of song is flown? No! by our names and by our blood, We leave it pure and freeThough hush'd awhile, that sounding food Shall roll in joy through ages yet to be. We leave it, 'midst our country's woe, The birthright of her breastWe leave it, as we leave the snow, Bright and eternal, on Eryri's * crest. We leave it, with our fame to dwell, Upon our children's breath & Eryri, the Welsh name for Snowdon. 64 THE DYING BARD'S PROPHECY. Our voice in theirs through time shall swellThe bard hath gifts of prophecy from death. He dies—but yet the mountains stand, Yet sweeps the torrent's tide, Aneurin, a celebrated ancient British bard. THE WRECK. All night the booming minute-gun Had peal'd along the deep, And mournfully the rising sun Look'd o'er the tide-worn steep. Before the raging blast, And bow'd her noble mast. The queenly ship !-brave hearts had striven, And true ones died with her- Like floating gossamer. A star once o'er the seas- And sadder things than these. |