Ha! doft thou not fee, by the moon's trembling light Now round him young Carloman cafting his eyes, -"Dear uncle," he murmurs, "why linger we here? ""Tis late, and thefe chambers are damp and are drear, "Keen blows through the ruins the blast! "Oh let us away and our journey pursue : "Fair Blumenberg's Castle will rife on our view, Soon as Falkenftein foreft is pafs'd. ઃ Why roll thus your eyeballs? why glare they fo wild? "Oh! chide not my weaknefs, nor frown, that a child "Should view thefe apartments with dread; "For know, that full oft have I heard from my nurse, "There ftill on this caftle has refted a curse, 46 Since innocent blood here was fhed. "She "She faid, too, bad spirits, and ghosts all in white, "And ftill at their coming is heard the deep tone "Peace, ferpent!" thus Ofric the Lion replies, While rage and malignity gloom in his eyes; "Thy journey and life here must close : Thy caftle's proud turrets no more fhalt thou fee; "No more betwixt Blumenberg's lordship and me "Shalt thou ftand, and my greatnefs oppofe, My brother lies breathlefs on Palestine's plains, "And thou once remov'd, to his noble domains 66 My right can no rival deny : "Then, ftripling, prepare on my dagger to bleed; Thus faying, he feizes the boy by the arm, His limbs fink beneath him; diftracted with fears, And But But vainly the mifcreant he ftrives to appease; Unmov'd by his forrow, unmov'd by his prayer, But ere the steel blushes with blood, strange to tell! And while with amazement his hair briftles high, Straight curses and shrieks through the chambers refound, Loud bellows the thunder, blue lightnings ftill flash; The clamour increases, the portals expand !— In vifage fo grim, and fo monftrous in height, Not Not fo his fell uncle :-he fees, that the throng And well the fad spectre he knows! The dæmons with curfes her fteps onwards urge; Her shoulders, with whips form'd of ferpents, they scourge, And faft from her wounds the blood flows. "Oh! welcome !" fhe cried, and her voice spoke despair; "Oh! welcome, Sir Ofric, the torments to fhare, "Of which thou haft made me the prey. "Twelve years have I languish'd thy coming to fee; "Ulrilda, who perifh'd difhonour'd by thee, "Now calls thee to auguifh away! 66 66 Thy paffion once fated, thy love became hate; Thy hand gave the draught which confign'd me to fate, "Nor thought I death Iurk'd in the bowl: "Unfit for the grave, ftain'd with luft, fwell'd with pride, "Unblefs'd, unabfolv'd, unrepenting, I died, "And dæmons straight feiz'd on my foul. "Thou com'ft, and with transport I feel my breast fwell: Full long have I fuffer'd the torments of hell, "And now shall its pleasures be mine! "See, fee how the fiends are athirst for thy blood! "Twelve years has my panting heart furnish'd their food, "Come, wretch, let them feaft upon thine !" She It chanced, that homewards from the chace The fhadowy dales among, While all was ftill, and late the hour, The bell of midnight rung. Sudden, a piercing fhriek refounds The dogs, by trembling, own their fear, "See, father!" cried young Egbert; "Beneath the fhade of yonder tree "What fearful form is spread! "How fire around his temples glows! "How from his lance and fingers flows "The ftream of bloody red !" " fee "Stay here!" faid Hengift, then with speed Towards the stranger spurr'd his fteed; "What brings thee here, Sir Knight, "Who dar'ft in my domains to bear "Alance, and by thy haughty air "Seem'ft to demand the fight ?" -"Long |