Upon his brow he felt their breath, And looked from that lone post of death, In still, yet brave, despair; And shouted but once more aloud: "My father! must I stay?" While o'er him fast, through sail and shroud, The wreathing fires made way. They wrapped the ship in splendour wild, They caught the flag on high, And streamed above the gallant child, Like banners in the sky. Then came a burst of thunder sound3— With mast and helm, and pennon" fair, 'Tis sweet to hear the watch-dog's honest bark, Bay deep-mouthed welcome as we draw near home; 'Tis sweet to know there is an eye will mark Our coming, and look brighter when we come. 5 When the powder magazine blew up. The small flag at the mast-head of & ship. THE LOSS OF THE " BIRKENHEAD."* Supposed to be told by a Soldier who survived. IGHT on our flank the crimson sun went down; The deep sea roll'd around in dark repose; When, like the wild shriek from some captured town, A cry of women rose. The stout ship" Birkenhead" lay hard and fast, Iler timbers thrill'd as nerves, when through them pass'd And ever like base cowards, who leave their ranks Drifted away, disorderly, the planks, From underneath her keel. So calm the air, so calm and still the flood,3 The "Birkenhead" was a steam troop-ship, taking soldiers to India. It struck on a rock, in clear calm weather, and 438 officers, soldiers, and seamen were drowned. The calamity took place near Simon's Bay, at the Cape of Good Hope. The poem is written to preserve the memory of the heroism of all who perished. The soldiers and sailors stood in line, as if safe on shore, letting the women go off first in the boats, and waiting for the word of command. And, so, they all went down. 2 steel. The charge of soldiers in battle with their bayonets fixed. 3 flood, the sea. 'translucent, transparent, letting the light pass through it, like smooth glass. 5 fierce fish, sharks, N They tarried, the waves tarried, for their prey! The sea turn'd one clear smile! Like things asleep Those dark shapes' in the azure silence3 lay, As quiet as the deep. Then amidst oath, and prayer, and rush, and wreck, To die!-'twas hard, whilst the sleek1o ocean glow'd Our English hearts beat true :—we would not stir: They shall not say in England, that we fought, So we made women, with their children, go, -What follows, why recall?-The brave who died, They sleep as well! and, roused from their wild grave, 49 CUMNOR HALL.* HE dews of summer night did fall; Now nought was heard beneath the skies; Save an unhappy lady's sighs That issued from that lonely pile.* *This ballad refers to the death of Amy Robsart, first wife of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester (pronounced Lester), who was born in 1531, and died in 1588. He was believed to have murdered the poor lady. He was a very bad man. 12 bloody surf. Bloody with the mangled bodies of the men devoured by sharks. 1 regent, ruler, 2 Cumnor Hall, a solitary manor house in Berkshire, not far from Oxford. It belonged to a person dependent on Leicester. 3 issued, came forth. 4 pile, building "Leicester!" she cried, "is this thy love "No more thou com'st with lover's speed But be she alive, or be she dead, I fear, stern Earl's the same to thee. "Not so the usage I received "I rose up with the cheerful morn, No lark more blithe, no flower more gay: "If that my beauty is but small, Among court-ladies all despised; Why didst thou rend" it from that hall "But Leicester (or I much am wrong), Makes thee forget thy humble spouse.12 " immured, buried. 6 privity, secrecy. hall, her father was Sir John Robsart, a Cornish gentleman. appal, terrify. I vows, attracts thy heart. 9 rend, tear. 11 ambition, desire for greatness 12 spouse, wife. He thought he could get Queen Elizabeth to marry him, if his wife were out of the way. |