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Ha! doft thou not fee, by the moon's trembling light
Directing his steps, where advances a knight,
His eye big with vengeance and fate?
'Tis Offic the Lion his nephew who leads,
And fwift up the crackling old ftaircase proceeds,
Gains the hall, and quick clofes the gate.

Now round him young Carloman cafting his eyes,
Surveys the fad fcene with dismay and surprise,
And fear fteals the rose from his cheeks.
His fpirits forfake him, his courage is flown;
The hand of Sir Ofric he clafps in his own,
And while his voice faulters he speaks,

-"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,
"Here use to resort at the dead time of night,
"Nor vanish till breaking of day;

"And ftill at their coming is heard the deep tone
"Of a bell loud and awful-hark! hark! 'twas a groan!
"Good uncle, oh! let us away!".

"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,

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My brother lies breathlefs on Palestine's plains, "And thou once remov'd, to his noble domains

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My right can no rival deny :

"Then, ftripling, prepare on my dagger to bleed;
"No fuccour is near, and thy fate is decreed,
"Commend thee to Jefus, and die !".

Thus faying, he feizes the boy by the arm,
Whofe grief rends the vaulted hall's roof, while alarm
His heart of all fortitude robs;

His limbs fink beneath him; diftracted with fears,
He falls at his uncle's feet, bathes them with tears,
fpare me! oh fpare me !"-he fobs..

And

But

But vainly the mifcreant he ftrives to appease;
And vainly he clings in despair round his knees,
And fues in foft accents for life;

Unmov'd by his forrow, unmov'd by his prayer,
Fierce Ofric has twifted his hand in his hair,
And aims at his bofom a knife,

But ere the steel blushes with blood, strange to tell!
Self-ftruck, does the tongue of the hollow-toned bell
The prefence of midnight declare:

And while with amazement his hair briftles high,
Hears Ofric a voice, loud and terrible cry,
*In founds heart-appaling-" Forbear!"—

Straight curses and shrieks through the chambers refound,
Shrieks mingled with laughter: the walls fhake around;
The groaning roof threatens to fall;

Loud bellows the thunder, blue lightnings ftill flash;
The cafements they clatter; chains rattle; doors clash,
And flames spread their waves through the hall.

The clamour increases, the portals expand !—
O'er the pavement's black marble now rushes a band
Of dæmons all dropping with gore,

In vifage fo grim, and fo monftrous in height,
That Carloman fcreams, as they burft on his fight,
And finks without fenfe on the floor.

Not

Not fo his fell uncle :-he fees, that the throng
Impels, wildly fhrieking, a female along,

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!

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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
Sir Hengift urged his courfer's pace,

The fhadowy dales among,

While all was ftill, and late the hour,
And far off, in the caftle tower,

The bell of midnight rung.

Sudden, a piercing fhriek refounds
Throughout the foreft's ample bounds;
A wildly dreadful yell;

The dogs, by trembling, own their fear,
As if they scent fome bad thing near,
Some foul enlarged from hell!

"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

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