FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48  
49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   >>   >|  
rned to the Lady Aaliza, and with despair in his countenance, enquired, "what is good for bootless Bene," to which the mother, apprehending some great misfortune, had befallen her son, instantly replied, "endless sorrow." The language of this question is almost unintelligible at present. But bootless bene, is unavailing prayer; and the meaning, though imperfectly expressed, seems to have been, what remains when prayer avails not? --_Vide. Whitaker's History of Craven_ Lady! what is the fate of those Whose hopes and joys are failing? Who, brooding over ceaseless woes, Finds prayer is unavailing? The mother heard his maddening tone, She marked his look of horror; She thought upon her absent son, And answered, "endless sorrow." How fair that morning star arose! And bright and cloudless was its ray; Ah! who could think that evening's close, Would mark a frantic mother's woes, And see a father's hopes decay? Inhuman Chief! a judgment stern Hath stopped thee in thy mad career; And thou, who hast made thousands mourn. Must shed, thyself, the hopeless tear, And long, in helpless grief, deplore Thy only child is now no more. Long ere the lark his matin sung, Clad in his hunting garb of green, The brave, the noble, and the young, The Boy of Egremont was seen! Who in his fair form could not trace, The youth was born of high degree; He was the last of Duncan's race, The only hope of Romille. In his bright eye the youthful fire Was glowing with unwonted brightness; Warm in friendship, fierce in ire, Yet spoke of all its bosom's lightness. His mother marked his brilliant cheek, And blessed him as he onward past; Ah! did no boding feeling speak, To tell that look would be her last. He held the hound in silken band, The merlin perched upon his hand, And frolic, mirth and wayward glee Glanced in the heart of Romille. And oft the huntsman by his side, Would warn him from the fatal tide, And whisper in his heedless ear, To think upon his mother's tear, Should aught of ill or harm befall Her child, her hope, her life, her all; And bade him, for more sakes than one, The desperate, dangerous leap to shun. He smiled, and gave the herdsman's prayer. And all his counsel to the air, And laughed to see the old man's eye, Fix'd in imploring agony. Where the wild stream's eternal strife, Wake the dark
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48  
49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

mother

 

prayer

 

bootless

 

unavailing

 

bright

 

marked

 
endless
 

sorrow

 
Romille
 
feeling

boding

 
Duncan
 
fierce
 

friendship

 
glowing
 

brightness

 
lightness
 

youthful

 
onward
 

degree


blessed

 
brilliant
 

unwonted

 

smiled

 

counsel

 

herdsman

 

dangerous

 

desperate

 

laughed

 

stream


eternal

 

strife

 

imploring

 
befall
 
Egremont
 

frolic

 

wayward

 

Glanced

 

perched

 

silken


merlin

 

huntsman

 
heedless
 

Should

 
whisper
 
hopeless
 

avails

 
Whitaker
 
History
 

Craven