No. XIII. THE CLOUD-KING. ADJECTIVES HAVE BUT THREE DEGREES OF COMPARISON, WHY how now, Sir Pilgrim? why shake you with dread? Full warm was your chamber, full foft was your bed, "Oh! hear you not, Warder, with anxious difmay, "How rages the tempeft, how patters the rain? "While loud howls the whirlwind, and threatens, ere day, "To ftrow these old turrets in heaps on the plain!" Now calm thee, Sir Pilgrim! thy fears to remove, Know, yearly, this morning is deftin'd to bring One morning, as borne on the wings of the blaft, And gazed on its lady with wanton delight: Yet proud was her eye, and her cheek flush'd with rage, "O drive not, dear beauty, a wretch to despair, "Whofe fault is fo venial, a fault if it be ; "For who could have eyes, and not fee thou art fair? "Or who have an heart, and not give it to thee? "I own I adore you! I own you have been 66 Long the dream of my night, long the thought of day; "But no hope had my heart that its idolized queen “Would ever with paffion my paffion repay. "When infects delight in the blaze of the fun, 66 They harbour no wish in his glory to share : my "When "When kneels at the crofs of her Saviour the nun, "He fcorns not the praifes fhe breathes in her prayer. "When the pilgrim repairs to St. Hermegild's fhrine, "And claims of her relics a kifs as his fee, "His paífion is humble, is pure, is divine, "And fuch is the paffion I cherish for thee !" "Rash youth! how prefumeft thou with infolent love," Thus anfwered the lady, "her ears to profane, "Whom the monarchs of Norway and Jutland, to move "Their paffion to pity attempted in vain? "Fly, fly from my fight, to fome far diftant land! "That wretch muft not breathe, where Romilda refides, "Whofe lips, while fhe flept, ftole a kifs from that hand, "No mortal is worthy to press as a bride's. "Nor e'er will I wed till fome prince of the air, "And the two firft commands which I give him, fhall fwear, (Though hard fhould the taik be enjoin?d) to obey." She faid. Straight the caftle of Rofenhall rocks With an earthquake, and thunders announce the CloudKing. A crown of red lightnings confined his fair locks, And high o'er each arm waved an huge fable wing. His His fandals were meteors; his blue eye reveal'd "Romilda!" he thundered, "thy charms and thy pride "Have drawn down a fpirit; thy fears now difmifs, "For no mortal fhall call thee, proud beauty, his bride; "The Cloud-Monarch comes to demand thee for his. My eyes furnish lightnings, my wings cloud the air, My hand guides the thunder, iny breath wakes the ftorm; "And the two first commands which you give me, I swear, (Though hard fhould the task be enjoin'd) to perform.". He faid, and he feized her; then urging his flight, At the Palace of Clouds foon Romilda arrived, When the Fiend, with a fmile which her terrors in creased, Exclaim'd- "I muft warn my three brothers I'm wived, "And bid them prepare for my wedding the feaft." Than Than lightning then fwifter thrice round did he turn, And next in a chafing-dish haften'd to burn Three locks of his hair, and three drops of his blood: And quickly Romilda, with anxious affright, Heard the tramp of a fteed, and beheld at the gate A youth in white arms-'twas the falfe Water-Spright, And behind him his mother, the forcerefs, fate. The youth he was comely, and fair to behold, While thus to Romilda the Water-King faid. "Hail, Queen of the Clouds! lo! we bring thee for drink "The blood of a damfel, both lovely and rich, "Whom I tempted, and left 'midst the billows to fink, "Where she died by the hands of my mother, the witch. "But fee'ft thou yon chariot, which speeds from afar? "The Erl-King with his daughter it brings, while a throng "Of wood-fiends and fuccubi fports round the car, "And goads on the night-mares that whirl it along." The maid, while her eyes tears of agony pour'd, A charger |