"Or doft from the Saracens flee? "Cold is the night,

σε And your garment is light,

"Come, fweetheart, and warm you by me!"

Knight, till you give me your gay ring of gold!

"For that is a thing, a thing, a thing, "Which I fain would have from thee! "I fain would have thy gay gold ring; "O! warrior, give it me?"—

"But though fhe be fair, "She cannot compare,

"I wot, fweet lafs, with thee; "Then pafs by my fide

"Three nights as my bride,

"And thy guerdon the ring shall be !"-

In filence the maid

The knight obey'd;

Low on his pillow her head she laid:
But foon as by hers his hand was press'd,
Changed to ice was the heart in his breast;
And his limbs were fetter'd in frozen chains,
And turn'd to fnow was the blood in his veins.

The cock now crows!

The damfel goes

Forth from the tent; and the blood which fhe froze, Again through the veins of Lord Elmerick flows,

And again his heart with paffion glows.

Donned the knight

His armour bright;

Full wroth was he, I trow!

"Befhrew me !" he said,

"If thus, fair maid,

"From my tent to-morrow you go

Gone

Gone was light!
Come was night!

The fand-glafs told, 'twas three;
And again stood there

The ftranger fair,

And murmur again did fhe.

"There is a thing, there is a thing, "Which I fain would have from thee! "I fain would have thy gay gold ring; "O! warrior, give it me !"

"One night by my fide

"Haft thou pafs'd as my bride; "Two yet remain behind:

"Three must be pass'd,

"Ere thy finger fast

"The gay gold ring shall bind.”–

Again the maid

The knight obey'd;

Again on his pillow her head the laid;
And again, when by hers his hand was prefs'd,
Changed to ice was the heart in his breaft:
And his limbs were fetter'd in frozen chains,
And turn'd to fnow was the blood in his veins !

Three days were gone, two nights were spent ;
Still came the maid, when the glass told "three;"

How

How fhe came, or whither fhe went,
None could fay, and none could fee;
But the warrior heard,

When night the third

Was gone, thus claim'd his plighted word.

-"Once !-twice !-thrice by your fide "Have I lain as your bride;

"Sir Knight! Sir Knight, beware you! "Your ring I'll crave!

"Your ring I'll have,

"Or limb from limb I'll tear you

She drew from his hand the ring fo gay;

No limb could he move, and no word could he fay.

"See, Arthur, I bring

"To my grave, thy ring,"

Murmur'd the maiden, and hied her away.

Then fprang fo light

From his couch the knight;

With fhame his cheek was red:

And, filled with rage,

His little foot page

He call'd from beneath the bed.

-"Come hither, come hither, "My lad fo lither;

"While under my bed you lay,

"What

"What did you see,

"And what maiden was she,

"Who left me at breaking of day?"

"Oh! mafter, I

“No maid could spy,

"As I've a foul to fave;

"But when the cock crew,

"The lamp burn'd blue,

"And the tent smell'd like a grave!

“And I heard a voice in anguish moan,
"And a bell feem'd four to tell;
"And the voice was like a dying groan,
"And the bell like a paffing bell !"-

Lord Brooke look'd up, Lord Brooke look'd down,
Lord Brooke look'd over the plain;

He faw come riding tow'rds the town,
Of knights a jolly train:

"Is it the king of Scottish land,

"Or the prince of fome far coun-trye,

"That hither leads yon goodly band

"To feaft awhile with me?"—

"Oh! it's not the prince of fome far coun-trye, "Nor the King of Scottish land: