And, 'neath her bodice of bright scarlet dye, The one, fantastic, light as air, And joyous singing, Forgets to say her morning prayer! The other, with cold drops upon her brow, 66 "O God! forgive me now!" And then the orphan, young and blind, Towards the church, through paths unscanned, With tranquil air, her way doth wind. Odours of laurel, making her faint and pale, Round her at times exhale, And in the sky as yet no sunny ray, Near that castle, fair to see, Crowded with sculptures old, in every part, And proud of its name of high degree, At the base of the rock is builded there; Above each jealous cottage roof, Its sacred summit, swept by autumn gales, And its blackened steeple high in air, Round which the osprey screams and sails. "Paul, lay thy noisy rattle by!" Thus Margaret said. "Where are we? we ascend!" "Yes; seest thou not our journey's end? Hearest not the osprey from the belfry cry? The hideous bird, that brings ill luck, we know! The night we watched beside his bed, Come in! The bride will be here soon: Thou tremblest! O my God! thou art going to swoon!" "What wouldst thou do, my daughter?"-and she started; And quick recoiled, aghast, faint-hearted ; But Paul, impatient, urges ever more Her steps towards the open door; And when, beneath her feet, the unhappy maid Suspended from the low-arched portal, At length the bell, With booming sound, Sends forth, resounding round, Its hymeneal peal o'er rock and down the dell. For soon arrives the bridal train, In sooth, deceit maketh no mortal gay, Thinks only of the beldame's words of warning. And Angela thinks of her cross, I wis; To be a bride is all! The pretty lisper Feels her heart swell to hear all round her whisper, "How beautiful! how beautiful she is!" But she must calm that giddy head, For already the Mass is said; At the holy table stands the priest ; The wedding ring is blessed; Baptiste receives it; He must pronounce one word at least! 'Tis spoken; and sudden at the groomsman's side "Tis he!" a well-known voice has cried. And while the wedding-guests all hold their breath, Opes the confessional, and the blind girl, see! 66 Baptiste," she said, "since thou hast wished my death, As holy water be my blood for thee!" And calmly in the air a knife suspended! For anguish did its work so well, At eve, instead of bridal verse, Decked with flowers a single hearse To the churchyard forth they bear; No, ah no! for each one seemed to say : "The roads shall mourn and be veiled in gloom, So fair a corpse shall leave its home! Should mourn and should weep, ah, well-away! So fair a corpse shall pass to-day!" A CHRISTMAS CAROL. FROM THE NOEI BOURGUIGNON DE GUI BARŌZAI. I HEAR along our street On their hautboys, Christmas songs! Ever higher Sing them till the night expire! In December ring Every day the chimes; In the streets their merry rhymes. Ever higher Sing them till the night expire! Shepherds at the grange, Ever higher Sing them till the night expire! These good people sang There they stood with freezing feet. Ever higher Sing them till the night expire! Nuns in frigid cells At this holy tide, For want of something else, Christmas songs at times have tried. Let us by the fire Ever higher Sing them till the night expire! Washerwomen old, To the sound they beat, With uncovered heads and feet. Let us by the fire Ever higher Sing them till the night expire! Who by the fireside stands Sing them till the night expire! SONG. FROM THE SPANISH. Aн, Love! Perjured, false, treacherous Love! Of all that mankind may not rue! To him who keeps most faith with thee! The falcon has the eyes of the dove! Perjured, false, treacherous Love! Give us clearly to comprehend All thy pleasures, all thy sweets! Thorns below, and flowers above! Perjured, false, treacherous Love! BEOWULF'S EXPEDITION TO HEORT. FROM THE ANGLO-SAXON. THUS then, much care-worn, The son of Healfden Sorrowed evermore, Nor might the prudent hero His woes avert. The war was too hard, Good among the Goths, He was of mankind In might the strongest, At that day Of this life, Noble and stalwart. He bade him a sea-ship, The sea-wood sought he, The warrior showed, Sea-crafty man! The landmarks, And first went forth. The ship was on the waves, Boat under the cliffs. The barons ready To the prow mounted. The streams they whirled The sea against the sands. The chieftains bore On the naked breast The men shoved off, Men on their willing way, The bounden wood. Then went over the sea-waves, Hurried by the wind, The ship with foamy neck, Most like a sea-fowl, Till about one hour The shore-cliffs shining, And broad sea-noses. Then was the sea-sailing Of the earl at an end. |