Chapter 3

My sole joy and my comfort wast thou 'neath the sun, Dark gloom, now I'm reft of thee, filleth my mind; I shall know no more happiness now thou art gone, O my Mary, of wit and of manners refin'd.

TO ICOLMCILL.

From the Gaelic of Mac-Intyre.

On Icolmcill may blessings pour! It is the island blest of yore; Mull's sister-twin in the wild main, Owning the sway of high Mac-Lean; The sacred spot, whose fair renown To many a distant land has flown, And which receives in courteous way All, all who thither chance to stray.

There in the grave are many a King And duine-wassel {68} slumbering; And bodies, once of giant strength, Beneath the earth are stretch'd at length; It is the fate of mortals all To ashes fine and dust to fall; I've hope in Christ, for sins who died, He has their souls beatified.

Now full twelve hundred years, and more, On dusky wing have flitted o'er, Since that high morn when Columb grey Its wall's foundation-stone did lay; Images still therein remain And death-memorials carv'd with pain; Of good hewn stone from top to base, It shows to Time a dauntless face.

A man this day the pulpit fill'd, Whose sermon brain and bosom thrill'd, And all the listening crowd I heard Praising the mouth which it proferr'd: Since death has seiz'd on Columb Cill, And Mull may not possess him still, There's joy throughout its heathery lands, In Columb's place that Dougal stands.

THE DYING BARD.

From the Gaelic.

O for to hear the hunter's tread With his spear and his dogs the hills among; In my aged cheek youth flushes red When the noise of the chase arises strong.

Awakes in my bones the marrow whene'er I hark to the distant shout and bay; When peals in my ear; "We've kill'd the deer"-- To the hill-tops boundeth my soul away;

I see the slug-hound tall and gaunt, Which follow'd me, early and late, so true; The hills, which it was my delight to haunt, And the rocks, which rang to my loud halloo.

I see Scoir Eild by the side of the glen, Where the cuckoo calleth so blithe in May, And Gorval of pines, renown'd 'mongst men For the elk and the roe which bound and play.

I see the cave, which receiv'd our feet So kindly oft from the gloom of night, Where the blazing tree with its genial heat Within our bosoms awak'd delight.

On the flesh of the deer we fed our fill-- Our drink was the Treigh, our music its wave; Though the ghost shriek'd shrill, and bellow'd the hill, 'Twas pleasant, I trow, in that lonely cave.

I see Benn Ard of form so fair, Of a thousand hills the Monarch proud; On his side the wild deer make their lair, His head's the eternal couch of the cloud.

But vision of joy, and art thou flown? Return for a moment's space, I pray,-- Thou dost not hear--ohone, ohone-- Hills of my love, farewell for aye.

Farewell ye youths, so bold and free, And fare ye well, ye maids divine! No more I can see ye--yours is the glee Of the summer, the gloom of the winter mine.

At noon-tide carry me into the sun, To the bank by the side of the wandering stream, To rest the shamrock and daisy upon, And then will return of my youth the dream.

Place ye by my side my harp and shell, And the shield, my fathers in battle bore; Ye halls, where Oisin and Daoul {72} dwell, Unclose--for at eve I shall be no more.

PROPHECY {73a} OF TALIESIN.

From the Ancient British.

Within my mind I hold books confin'd, Of Europa's land all the mighty lore; O God of heaven high! With how many a bitter sigh, I my prophecy upon Troy's line {73b} pour:

A serpent coiling, And with fury boiling, From Germany coming with arm'd wings spread, Shall Britain fair subdue From the Lochlin ocean blue, To where Severn rolls in her spacious bed.

And British men Shall be captives then To strangers from Saxonia's strand; From God they shall not swerve, They their language shall preserve, But except wild Wales, they shall lose their land.

THE HISTORY OF TALIESIN.

From the Ancient British.

Talieson was a foundling, discovered in his infancy lying in a coracle, on a salmon-weir, in the domain of Elphin, a prince of North Wales, who became his patron. During his life he arrogated to himself a supernatural descent and understanding, and for at least a thousand years after his death he was regarded by the descendants of the ancient Britons in the character of a prophet or something more. The poems which he produced procured for him the title of "Bardic King;" they display much that is vigorous and original, but are disfigured by mysticism and extravagant metaphor; one of the most spirited of them is the following, which the Author calls his "Hanes" or history.

The head Bard's place I hold To Elphin, Chieftain bold; The country of my birth Was the Cherubs' land of mirth; I from the prophet John The name of Merddin won; And now the Monarchs all Me Taliesin call.

My inspiration's {74} flame From Cridwen's cauldron came; Nine months was I in gloom In Sorceress Cridwen's womb; Though late a child--I'm now The Bard of splendid brow {75}; When roar'd the deluge dark, I with Noah trod the Ark.

By the sleeping man I stood When the rib grew flesh and blood. To Moses strength I gave Through Jordan's holy wave; The thrilling tongue was I To Enoch and Elie; I hung the cross upon, Where died the .....................

A chair of little rest 'Bove the Zodiac I prest, Which doth ever, in a sphere, Through three elements career; I've sojourn'd in Gwynfryn, In the halls of Cynfelyn; To the King the harp I play'd, Who Lochlyn's sceptre sway'd.

With the Israelites of yore I endur'd a hunger sore; In Africa I stray'd Ere was Rome's foundation laid; Now hither I have hied With the race of Troy to bide; In the firmament I've been With Mary Magdalen.

I work'd as mason-lord When Nimrod's pile up-soar'd; I mark'd the dread rebound When its ruins struck the ground; When strode to victory on The men of Macedon, The bloody flag before The heroic King I bore.

I saw the end with horror Of Sodom and Gomorrah! And with this very eye Have seen the . . . ; I till the judgment day Upon the earth shall stray: None knows for certainty Whether fish or flesh I be.

EPIGRAM.

On a Miser who had built a stately Mansion. From the Cambrian British.

Of every pleasure is thy mansion void; To ruin-heaps may soon its walls decline. O heavens, that one poor fire's but employ'd, One poor fire only for thy chimneys nine!

Towering white chimneys--kitchen cold and drear-- Chimneys of vanity and empty show-- Chimneys unwarm'd, unsoil'd throughout the year-- Fain would I heatless chimneys overthrow.

Plague on huge chimneys, say I, huge and neat, Which ne'er one spark of genial warmth announce; Ignite some straw, thou dealer in deceit-- Straw of starv'd growth--and make a fire for once!

The wretch a palace built, whereon to gaze, And sighing, shivering there around to stray; To give a penny would the niggard craze, And worse than bane he hates the minstrel's lay.

THE INVITATION.

By Goronwy Owen. From the Cambrian British.

(Sent from Northolt, in the year 1745, to William Parry, Deputy Comptroller of the Mint.)

Parry, of all my friends the best, Thou who thy maker cherishest, Thou who regard'st me so sincere, And who to me art no less dear; Kind friend, in London since thou art, To love thee's not my wisest part; This separation's hard to bear: To love thee not far better were.

But wilt thou not from London town Journey some day to Northolt down, Song to obtain, O sweet reward, And walk the garden of the Bard?-- But thy employ, the year throughout, Is wandering the White Tower about, Moulding and stamping coin with care, The farthing small and shilling fair. Let for a month thy Mint lie still, Covetous be not, little Will; Fly from the birth-place of the smoke, Nor in that wicked city choke; O come, though money's charms be strong, And if thou come I'll give thee song, A draught of water, hap what may, Pure air to make thy spirits gay And welcome from an honest heart, That's free from every guileful art. I'll promise--fain thy face I'd see-- Yet something more, sweet friend, to thee: The poet's cwrw {79} thou shalt prove, In talk with him the garden rove, Where in each leaf thou shalt behold The Almighty's wonders manifold; And every flower, in verity, Shall unto thee show visibly, In every fibre of its frame, His deep design, who made the same.-- A thousand flowers stand here around, With glorious brightness some are crown'd: How beauteous art thou, lily fair! With thee no silver can compare: I'll not forget thy dress outshone The pomp of regal Solomon. I write the friend, I love so well, No sounding verse his heart to swell. The fragile flowerets of the plain Can rival human triumphs vain. I liken to a floweret's fate The fleeting joys of mortal state; The flower so glorious seen to-day To-morrow dying fades away; An end has soon the flowery clan, And soon arrives the end of man; The fairest floweret, ever known, Would fade when cheerful summer's flown; Then hither haste, ere turns the wheel! Old age doth on these flowers steal; Though pass'd two-thirds of Autumn-time, Of summer temperature's the clime; The garden shows no sickliness, The weather old age vanquishes, The leaves are greenly glorious still-- But friend! grow old they must and will.

The rose, at edge of winter now, Doth fade with all its summer glow; Old are become the roses all, Decline to age we also shall; And with this prayer I'll end my lay, Amen, with me, O Parry say; To us be rest from all annoy, And a robust old age of joy; May we, ere pangs of death we know, Back to our native Mona go; May pleasant days us there await, United and inseparate! And the dread hour, when God shall please To bid our mutual journey cease, May Christ, who reigns in heaven above, Receive us to his breast of love!

THE RISING OF ACHILLES.

From the Iliad.

Straightway Achilles arose, the belov'd of Jove, round his shoulders Brawny her AEgis spread, fair fring'd, his guardian Athena, And his head with a cloud of golden hue and transparent She has encircled about, whence darted fire resplendent. As when fire from the town ascending clambers the ether Out of the island afar, around which enemies gather-- Fierce the defenders all day engage in desperate warfare, Forth from the town advanc'd; but soon as the sun has descended Flame with beacons the dense, huge turrets; upwards the blazes Flaring, struggling ascend to be seen by friends and by neighbours, If with assistance in war o'er the sea in ships they are coming-- So from Achilles's head uptower'd the blazes to heaven; Striding from out the wall, he stood o'er the trench, but he mingled Not with the Greeks, for he heeded his mother's solemn injunction; Standing, he shouted there, conjointly Pallas Athena Scream'd, and trouble immense was caus'd thereby to the Trojans; Like to the clamorous sound that's heard, when pealing the trumpet Thrills through the city, besieg'd by bands of turbulent foemen, E'en was the clamorous sound sent forth by Eacus' grandson-- Soon as the dreadful voice was heard of Eacus' grandson, All their minds were amaz'd--the fair-man'd beautiful horses Back'd with the chariots amain, such fear was awak'd in their bosoms; Ghasted the charioteers survey'd the untameable blazes Horribly round the brow of high, heroic Peleides Burning, ignited by her the blue-eyed Goddess Athena Thrice then o'er the deep trench loud shouted god-like Achilles, Thrice were the Trojans confus'd and all their illustrious aiders; Already round that trench had twice six champions fallen, Spoil'd of their chariots and arms, so that gladly now the Achaians Out of the tempest of darts the slain Patroclus dragging Plac'd on the sorrowful couch; his comrades round it arrang'd them Loudly lamenting, and thither there came swift-footed Achilles Shedding the hottest of tears, when he saw his comrade so faithful Stretch'd on that sorrowful couch, transfixt with the sharp pointed iron-- Him he had lately despatch'd with chariot and steeds to the war-field Never, alas, to receive from that red war-field returning.

THE MEETING OF ODYSSES AND ACHILLES.

In Hades. From the Odyssey.

Tow'rds me came the Shade of Peleidean Achilles, And of Patroclus belov'd, and Antilochus daring and blameless, And of Aias--of Him, who in bulk and beauty of figure Far excell'd every Greek, to Peleides only inferior. Me on the instant knew the Shade of Eacus' grandson, And in sorrowful mood with words swift flowing address'd me.

Tell me Laertes' son, Odysses matchless in wisdom, What fresh wondrous deed within thy brain thou art brooding, That to the vasty deep of Hades down thou descendest, Where the poor dead abide, mere idle shapes of the living.

Soon as the Hero ceas'd, in answer thus I address'd him: Know, O Peleus' son, Achilles bravest of Grecians, Seeking Tiresias hither I've come, to beg of him counsel How I may Ithaca reach with its high-ridg'd, cloud-cover'd mountains; Nor to Achaia I've been, nor my foot on the shore of my country Wretch have I plac'd, whom ever misfortunes pursue; but no mortal E'er was so blest, as Thou, or ever will be, O Achilles, For when alive, as a God, we Argives held thee in honor; Now e'en here, how high above the mighty departed Thou dost in majesty rise; grieve not though dead, O Achilles.

Soon as these words I'd said, the Shade in answer address'd me: Talk not of death to me, in mercy, glorious Odysses, For on the Earth's green sod I'd rather toil as the hireling Of some inglorious wight, and of one as poor as inglorious, Than over all the dead in Hades reign as a Monarch; But of my noble boy some tiding give me, I pray thee, Whether or not he's fam'd as a gallant leader in battle; And if aught thou hast heard of good old Peleus, tell me; Still is he held in dread in Myrmidonian cities, Or has he lost respect in Hellas-land and in Pthia, Now old age has robb'd his hands and feet of their vigour? Think not an aid so good I'm now in the light of the sun-beam, As of old time I prov'd on the broad domain of the Trojans, When, in the Argives aid, I slew the best of their army; Were I to enter now, as I am, the hall of my father, Full little dread these hands would wake in the bosoms of any, Who in that hall do serve, and are kept by fear in obeisance.

Soon as the Hero ceas'd, in answer thus I address'd him: Nothing, alas, which regards the good, old Peleus know I; But the whole tale of thy boy, thy Neoptolemus cherish'd, I will with truth relate, by thee, great Shade, as commanded: I myself had the luck in my own hollow ship to convey him Forth from Scyros afar with a band of well-greav'd Achaians. Ever when round Troy's town in council grave we assembled He was the first to rise with a flow of eloquence faultless, So that Nestor divine and myself confess'd him our master; But when on Troy's champain we strove with spear and with buckler Never amid the crowd you'd have found him or in the phalanx-- Far in front he advanc'd, in courage shining the foremost, And full many a man he slew in the rage of the combat; There's no need to recount and to name in endless succession All the renown'd he slew, whilst assisting strongly the Argives; Let it suffice that with steel he stretch'd Eurypilus lifeless, Telephos' hero-son, and around that hero were slaughter'd All his Ceteian friends, ensnar'd by the smiles of the damsels.

But when within the horse, the wondrous work of Epeius, Enter'd the noble Greeks, with me their chosen commander, Where we reclin'd thick and close, and one o'er the other we panted,-- Then whilst the rest of the chiefs and princes high of the Argives Wip'd away feminine tears, and each shook in every member, Him in that hour of dread these orbs of vision beheld not Either grow pallid or quake, or away from his cheek fresh and downy Wiping the tears--O no! and ever he begg'd for the signal Forth from the horse to emerge; and with ill intent to the Trojan, Ever his spear he grip'd, or rattled the hilt of his falchion-- But when with ruin dread we raz'd the city of Priam Fraught with the choicest prey the hero mounted his vessel, Free from all scathe; his form nor smit from afar by the jav'lin, Nor by the sword from near; no rare result of the combat, For the tremendous Mars is no respecter of persons.

Scarce had I spoke when the Shade of Eacus' swift-footed grandson Stalk'd with huge strides away o'er the flowery grass of the meadow, Glad at the heart that its boy was fam'd 'mongst the brave as a warrior.

HYMN

To Thetis and Neoptolemus. From the Greek of Heliodorus.

Of Thetis I sing with her locks of gold-shine, The daughter of Nereus, lord of the brine, To Peleus wedded, by Jove's high decree; I sing her, the Venus so fair of the sea. Of the spearman tremendous, the Mars of the fight, Thunderbolt of old Greece, she was quickly made light, Of Achilles divine, to whom Pyrrha an heir, The boy Neoptolemus, gladly did bear, The destroyer of Trojans, of Grecians the shield-- Thy protection to us, Neoptolemus yield! Who blessed doth slumber in Pythia's green plain; To accept this oblation of hymns from us deign, And each peril drive far from our city benign.-- Of Thetis I sing with her locks of gold-shine.

THE GRAVE OF DEMOS.

From the Modern Greek.

Thus old Demos spoke, as sinking sought the sun the western wave: Now, my brave lads, fetch us water, after supping let us lave; O Lamprakes, O my nephew, down beside thy uncle sit-- When I'm gone, wear thou my trappings, and be captain, as is fit; And do ye, my merry fellows, now my vacant sabre take, And therewith green branches cutting, straight for me a pallet make; Some one for the holy father, that I may confess me, run, And that I to him may whisper all the crimes, in life I've done; I've full thirty years as warrior, twenty five as robber pass'd; Now I feel my end approaching, and I fain would breathe my last; Me a tomb that's broad and lofty, O forget not to prepare, For erect I'll stand within it, as in war, and weapons bear: On the right side leave an opening, that the merry larks in spring, Of its coming, welcome coming, may to me the tiding bring, And for me in May's sweet season nightingales may sweetly sing.

THE SORCERIES OF CANIDIA.

From Horace.

(Canidia and other witches, having enticed a boy of high birth into some secret cell, proceed to bury him in the earth, up to the chin; in order that, when he has perished with hunger in that situation, his liver etc. may serve as ingredients for a draught, by administering which Canidia purposes to regain the affection of Varus, who has deserted her. The poem commences with the entreaties of the boy, and concludes with the imprecations which he utters when about to be abandoned to famine and inhumation.)

"Father of Gods, who rul'st the sky, The earth and all the heavenly race! What means this noise, why savagely On me is turn'd each frightful face?-- By thy dear babes, if aid e'er lent Lucine to thee in child-birth hour, By this proud purple ornament, By hands ne'er clasp'd to crave before, I beg thee, Dame! thou wilt declare Why she-wolf like thou me dost eye." Stript of his tests of lineage fair He stood, who rais'd this piteous cry-- A boy, of form which might have made The Thracian furies' bosoms kind. Canidia with her uncomb'd head And hair with vipers short entwin'd, Commands wild fig-trees, once that stood By graves, and cypresses uptorn, And toads foul eggs, imbued with blood, And plume, by night-owl lately worn, Herbs too, which Iolchos and Spain Produce, renown'd for poisons dire, And bone from hungry mastiff ta'en, Straight to be burn'd in magic fire. And now the witch strode through the house, Hell-waters scattering wide around; Her hair like hedgehog's bristling rose, Or like the boar's whom hunters wound. Veia, by pity unrestrain'd, With pick-axe hastes the ground to tear, And toil'd till sweat she panting rain'd, That the poor wretch imburied there Might slowly die, in sight of food Renew'd each day, his head so far Extant from earth, as from the flood The heads of swimmers extant are; That the parch'd marrow and the dry Liver for a love-draught might be, When fixt upon the feast the eye, The craving eye should cease to see. All Naples says in verity, And all the neighbouring towns beside, That Folia lewd of Rimini Was present there, that dreadful tide-- She who with verse Thessalian sang Down from their spheres the stars and moon. Her uncut thumb with livid fang The fell Canidia biting soon: "Night and Diana," scream'd she out, "Of my deeds faithful witnesses! Ye who spread silence wide about, When wrought are sacred mysteries! Now aid me: in my foe's house bid Your wrath and power divine to hie, Whilst in their awful forests hid, O'ercome with sleep, the wild beasts lie: May suburb curs, that all may jeer, Bay the old lecher, smear'd with nard {94}, More choice than which these fingers ne'er Have, skilful, at my need prepar'd. But why have charms by me employ'd, Less luck than her's, Medea dread, With which her rival she destroy'd, Great Creon's child, then proudly fled, When the robe bane-imbued, her gift, Enwrapp'd the new-wed bride in flame? But neither herb, nor root from rift Of lone rock ta'en, are here to blame; In every harlot's bed lies he Anointed with oblivion; Ah, ah, 'tis plain he walketh free Protected by some mightier one. But Varus! thou shalt suffer yet! Thou shalt re-seek these longing arms, And ne'er from me re-alienate Thy mind, enthrall'd by Marsan charms. A cup more powerful I for thee Will soon prepare, disdainful wretch! Ere shall the sky sink 'neath the sea, And that shall o'er the earth out-stretch, Than with my love thou shalt not burn, Like pitch, which in these flames I throw." Not with mild words their bosoms stern To melt, as erst, the boy sought now; But madly reckless he began The direst curses forth to rave: "And do not think your sorceries can Yourselves from retribution save: Your curse I'll prove; my deathless hate By sacrifice ne'er sooth'd shall be; But when I perish, bid by fate, A night-ghost ye shall have in me. With crook'd nails I'll your faces tear, For great is injur'd spirits might, On your breasts seated, hard I'll bear, And banish sleep with ceaseless fright; Ye through the streets with stones the crowd To death shall pelt, ye hags obscene! Your limbs, no sepulture allow'd, The wolves shall tear and birds unclean. My parents who, though grey and old, Shall me survive, their youthful boy When they that spectacle behold Shall clap their hands and smile for joy."

THE FRENCH CAVALIER, etc.

From the Provencal.

The French cavalier shall have my praise, And the dame of the Catalan; Of the Genoese the honorable ways, And a court on Castilian plan; The gentle, gentle Provencal lays, The dance of Trevisan; The heart which the Aragonese displays, And the pearl of Julian; The hands and face of the English race, And a youth of Tuscan clan.

ADDRESS TO SLEEP.

From the Italian of Vincenzio Filicaia.