A

THE WATCH ON THE RHINE

VOICE resounds like thunder-peal,

'Mid dashing waves and clang of steel:

"The Rhine, the Rhine, the German Rhine!

Who guards to-day my stream divine ?»

Chorus

Dear Fatherland, no danger thine:

Firm stand thy sons to watch the Rhine!

They stand, a hundred thousand strong,
Quick to avenge their country's wrong;
With filial love their bosoms swell,
They'll guard the sacred landmark well!

The dead of a heroic race

From heaven look down and meet their gaze;
They swear with dauntless heart, "O Rhine,
Be German as this breast of mine!"

While flows one drop of German blood,
Or sword remains to guard thy flood,
While rifle rests in patriot hand,—
No foe shall tread thy sacred strand!

Our oath resounds, the river flows,

In golden light our banner glows;
Our hearts will guard thy stream divine:
The Rhine, the Rhine, the German Rhine!

MAX SCHNECKENBURGER.

B

A CINQUE PORT

ELOW the down, the stranded town

What may betide forlornly waits;
With memories of smoky skies,

When Gallic navies crossed the straits,
When waves with fire and blood grew bright,
And cannon thundered through the night.

With swinging stride the rhythmic tide

Bore to the harbor barque and sloop;

Across the bar the ship of war,

In castled stern and lanterned poop,
Came up with conquests on her lee,
The stately mistress of the sea.

Where argosies have wooed the breeze,
The simple sheep are feeding now;
And near and far across the bar

The plowman whistles at the plow;
Where once the long waves washed the shore,
Larks from their lowly lodgings soar.

Below the down the stranded town

Hears far away the rollers beat;

About the wall the sea-birds call;

The salt wind murmurs through the street:
Forlorn, the sea's forsaken bride

Awaits the end that shall betide.

From Ballads and Songs.'

APRIL IN IRELAND

JOHN DAVIDSON.

HE hath a woven garland all of the sighing sedge,

SHE

And all her flowers are snowdrops grown in the winter's edge; The golden looms of Tir na n'Og wove all the winter through Her gown of mist and raindrops shot with a cloudy blue.

Sunlight she holds in one hand, and rain she scatters after,
And through the rainy twilight we hear her fitful laughter.
She shakes down on her flowers the snows less white than they,
Then quickens with her kisses the folded "knots o' May."

She seeks the summer-lover that never shall be hers;
Fain for gold leaves of autumn she passes by the furze,
Though buried gold it hideth; she scorns her sedgy crown,
And pressing blindly sunwards she treads her snowdrops down.

Her gifts are all a fardel of wayward smiles and tears,
Yet hope she also holdeth, this daughter of the years-
A hope that blossoms faintly set upon sorrow's edge:

She hath a woven garland all of the sighing sedge.

NORA HOPPER.

ADIEU FOR EVERMORE

[Tennyson once quoted to Ruskin this stanza as the most romantic of lyrics; and Ruskin said he knew it well, and that it was among the best things ever done by anybody.

He turned his charger as he spake,

Upon the river shore,

He gave his bridle-reins a shake,
Said Adieu for evermore,

My love!

And adieu for evermore.

Scott used it in 'Rokeby.' Its original is the old Scotch ballad which fol lows.]

T WAS a' for our rightful king,

"IT

That we left fair Scotland's strand,

It was a' for our rightful king,

That we e'er saw Irish land,

My dear,

That we e'er saw Irish land.

"Now all is done that man can do,

And all is done in vain,

My love! My native land, adieu!
For I must cross the main,
My dear,

For I must cross the main."

He turned him round and right about,

All on the Irish shore,

He gave his bridle-reins a shake,
With "Adieu for evermore,
My dear!

Adieu for evermore!

"The soldier frae the war returns,

And the marchant frae the main,

But I hae parted wi' my love,

And ne'er to meet again,

My dear,

And ne'er to meet again.

"When the day is gone and night is come,

And a' are boun' to sleep,

I think on them that's far awa

The lee-lang night, and weep,
My dear,

The lee-lang night, and weep."

WILLY REILLY

[The story on which this ballad is founded happened some eighty years ago; and as the lover was a young Catholic farmer, and the lady's family of high Orange principles, it got a party character which, no doubt, çontributed to its great popularity.]

RISE up, Willy Reilly! and come along with me;

I mean for to go with you and leave this counterie,To leave my father's dwelling, his houses and free land: "

And away goes Willy Reilly and his dear Coolen Bawn.*

They go by hills and mountains, and by yon lonesome plain,
Through shady groves and valleys all dangers to refrain;
But her father followed after with a well-armed band,
And taken was poor Reilly and his dear Coolen Bawn.

It's home then she was taken, and in her closet bound;
Poor Reilly all in Sligo jail lay on the stony ground,
'Till at the bar of justice before the judge he'd stand,
For nothing but the stealing of his dear Coolen Bawn.

"Now in the cold, cold iron my hands and feet are bound;
I'm handcuffed like a murderer, and tied unto the ground:
But all the toil and slavery I'm willing for to stand,
Still hoping to be succored by my dear Coolen Bawn."

The jailer's son to Reilly goes, and thus to him did say:—
"O get up, Willy Reilly,- you must appear this day;
For great Squire Foillard's anger you never can withstand;
I'm afeared you'll suffer sorely for your dear Coolen Bawn.

"This is the news, young Reilly, last night that I did hear:
The lady's oath will hang you or else will set you clear."
"If that be so," says Reilly, "her pleasure I will stand;
Still hoping to be succored by my dear Coolen Bawn."

Now Willy's drest from top to toe all in a suit of green;
His hair hangs o'er his shoulders most glorious to be seen;
He's tall and straight and comely as any could be found:
He's fit for Foillard's daughter, was she heiress to a crown.

The judge he said, "This lady being in her tender youth,
If Reilly has deluded her she will declare the truth."

*Cailín bán - fair girl.

Then, like a moving beauty bright, before him she did stand"You're welcome there, my heart's delight and dear Coolen

Bawn."

"O gentlemen," Squire Foillard said, "with pity look on me:
This villain came amongst us to disgrace our family;
And by his base contrivances this villainy was planned.
If I don't get satisfaction I'll quit this Irish land."

The lady with a tear began, and thus replièd she:
«The fault is none of Reilly's,- the blame lies all on me:

I forced him for to leave his place, and come along with me;-
I loved him out of measure, which wrought our destiny."

Out bespoke the noble Fox,- at the table he stood by,"O gentlemen, consider on this extremity!

To hang a man for love is a murder you may see:

So spare the life of Reilly,- let him leave this counterie.».

"Good my lord, he stole from her her diamonds and her rings,
Gold watch and silver buckles, and many precious things,
Which cost me in bright guineas more than five hundred pounds.
I'll have the life of Reilly should I lose ten thousand pounds.”.

"Good my lord, I gave them him as tokens of true love;
And when we are a-parting I will them all remove.—
If you have got them, Reilly, pray send them home to me.”
"I will, my loving lady, with many thanks to thee."

"There is a ring among them I allow yourself to wear,
With thirty locket diamonds well set in silver fair;
And as a true-love token wear it on your right hand,

That you'll think on my poor broken heart when you're in foreign lands."

Then out spoke noble Fox, "You may let the prisoner go:
The lady's oath has cleared him, as the jury all may know;
She has released her own true love, she has renewed his name;-
May her honor bright gain high estate, and her offspring rise to

fame.»

An Ulster Ballad.