Black knares of blasted oak, embound Soon as the gloomy den she spied, Aghast she stood! athwart the air Her robe of softest yellow glow'd Beneath the moon's pale beam; And o'er the ground, with yew boughs strew'd, The golden gleam the Sorceress spied, At midnight's magic hour, she tried When, from the cavern's dreary womb, O, come, my daughter, fearless come, As shakes the bough of trembling leaf, As stands aghast the warrior chief, So shook, so stood the beauteous maid, A wrinkled hag came forth array'd Around her brows, with hemlock bound, And tell, my daughter, fearless tell 'My virgin heart Lord Wolfwold won; My father on him smiled: Soon as he gain'd Northumbria's throne, His pride the youth exiled. 'Stern Denmark's ravens o'er the seas Their gloomy black wings spread, And o'er Northumbria's hills and leas Their dreadful squadrons sped. 'Return, brave Wolfwold,' Edric cried, 'O generous warrior, hear; My daughter's hand, thy willing bride, Awaits thy conquering spear. 'The banish'd youth in Scotland's court 'He left the Scottish dames to weep; With joyful voice and raptured eyes, "I go, my fair, my love," he cries, "By Edon's shore, in deathful fray, 'Alas, alas, that time is o'er, And three long days beside, Yet not a word from Edon's shore Has cheer'd his fearful bride. "O mistress of the powerful spell, And cease, my child, for all is well,' 'Approach my cave, and where I place The magic circle, stand; The grisly witch's powerful charms VOL. III. DD The pale beam struggled through the shade, Around the tomb, in mystic lore, And efts, and foul-wing'd serpents, bore Eyeless a huge and starved toad sat In corner murk aloof, And many a snake and famish'd bat A fox and vulture's skeletons And grappling still each others bones, And now, my child (the Sorceress said), To me shall render up the dead, 'His skeleton shall hear my spell, His hand of bone shall point and tell O cold, down Ulla's snowlike face, And thrice the witch her magic wand And slowly, at the dread command, A cloven shield, and broken spear, In ghastly writhes her mouth so wide A happier spell I now shall try; And mark what flames from altar high, If of the rose's softest red The blaze shines forth to view, Then Wolfwold lives--but hell forbid The glimmering flame of blue !' The witch then raised her haggard arm, And waved her wand on high; And, while she spoke the mutter'd charm, Fair Ulla's knee swift smote the ground; Her lips, erewhile so like the rose, And, trembling in convulsive throes, Her eyes, erewhile so starry bright, Were now transform'd to sightless white, |