THE TROUBADOUR'S SONG. BY FELICIA HEMANS. SUPPOSED to be sung by Blondel, under the walls of a German castle, during his venturous search for his captive master, Richard Coeur de Lion, who, by singing the conclusion of the ballad, which had been one of his favourite compositions, discovered the place of his confinement to his generous follower, which proved the remote cause of his liberation. The anecdote is said to have its foundation in historical fact. The ballad, it is needless to add, is a modern adaptation. BLONDEL. "THY hour is come, and the stake is set!" "But be our faith by thy lips professed, The faith of Mecca's shrine; Cast down the Red-Cross that marks thy vest, And life shall yet be thine." "I have seen the flow of my bosom's blood, And gazed with undaunted eye; I have borne the bright Cross through fire and flood, And think'st thou I fear to die? "I have stood where thousands, by Salem's towers, Have fall'n for the Name divine; And the faith that cheered THEIR closing hours, "Thus will thou die, in the pride of health, Or torture and the tomb." "I have been where the crown of thorns was twined For our dying Saviour's brow; He spurned the treasures that lure mankind, "Art thou the son of a noble line, In a land that is fair and blest? And doth not thy spirit, proud captive! pine "Thine own is the choice. to hail once more Or to sleep, when thy lingering pangs are o'er, "Oh! fair are the vine-clad hills that rise, In the country of my love; But yet, though cloudless my native skies, The Bard hath paused--for another tone KING RICHARD. "Are there none within thy father's hall, Far o'er the wide blue main, Young Christian! left to deplore thy fall, With sorrow deep and vain?” "There are hearts that have loved me through the past, With holy love and true; There are eyes, whose tears were streaming fast, When I bade my home adieu. "Better they wept o'er the warrior's bier, Than th' apostate's living stain ; There's a land where those who loved when here, Shall meet to love again." -Tis he! thy Prince-long sought, long lost; 'Tis he! to none thy joy betray, HISTORIC SCENES. THE HORN OF EGREMONT CASTLE. BY W. WORDSWORTH. WHEN the Brothers reached the gateway, To the Horn which there was hanging- Horn it was, which none could sound, No one upon living ground, Save he who came as rightful heir To Egremont's domains and castle fair. Heirs from ages, without record, Had the House of Lucie born, Tried the Horn-it owned his power; Which good Sir Eustace sounded, was the last. With his lance Sir Eustace pointed, And to HUBERT thus said he“What I speak this Horn shall witness, For thy better memory. Hear then, and neglect me not! At this time, and on this spot, The words are uttered from my heart, "On good service we are going, In which course if Christ our Saviour Hither come thou back straightway Return and sound the Horn, that we May have a living house still left in thee." "Fear not!" quickly answered Hubert, What thou askest, noble brother! To Palestine the brothers took their way. Side by side they fought (the Lucies There the Saracens were tamed. Oh! can a brave man wish to take His brother's life, for lands and castle's sake? |