they might pardoned be?"--

"Son of my ancient foe!" replied
The Baron to the youth,--
I glad me that my ireful pride
Already bows to truth:

"Deep zeal to save our brother-man--
Generous self-sacrifice
For other's weal--is nobler than
All blood-stained victories!

"Take thy fair boon!--for thou hast spoiled
Death,--greedy Death--of prey--
This poor man who for me hath toiled
Full many a stormy day!

"I feel--to quell the heart's bad flame,
And bless an enemy,
Is richer than all earthly fame--
Though the world should be its fee!

"My sire was by thy kinsman slain;--
Yet, as thy tale hath told,
Thy kinsman's usurping act was vain--
He died in the dungeon cold.

"Perish the memory of feud,
And deeds of savage strife!
Blood still hath led to deeds of blood,
And life hath paid for life!

"My darling Edith shall be thine--
My blood with thine shall blend--
The Saxon with the Norman line--
In love our feuds shall end.

"In age I'll watch ye bless the poor,
And smile upon your love;
And, when my pilgrimage is o'er,
I hope to meet above

"Him who on earth a Babe was born
In lowliness, as on this morn,--
And tabernacled here below,
Lessons of brotherhood to show!"

* * * * *

High was the feast, and rich the song,
For many a day, that did prolong
The wedding-revelry:

But more it needeth not to sing
Of our fathers' festive revelling:--
How will the dream agree
With waking hours of famished throngs,
Brooding on daily deepening wrongs--
A stern reality!--

With pictures, that exist in life,
Of thousands waging direful strife
With gaunt Starvation, in the holds
Where Mammon vauntingly unfolds
His boasted banner of success?

Oh, that bruised hearts, in their distress,
May meet with hearts whose bounteousness
Helps them to keep their courage up,--
"Bating no jot of heart or hope!"[17]

My suffering brothers! still your hope
Hold fast, though hunger make ye droop!
Right--glorious Right--shall yet be done!
The Toilers' boon shall yet be won!
Wrong from its fastness shall be hurled--
The World shall be a happy world!--
It shall be filled with brother-men,--
And merry Yule oft come again!

NOTES.

I.

TORKSEY'S HALL.

The remains of this ancient erection (of which a representation is given